Graphic Card Dell Studio 540

[asdv]

Hello,
I'm new here so please tell me if I've posted this in the wrong category, thanks. I'm Dutch so sorry if i spelled anything wrong.

I'm looking for a better graphics card, currently a G45/G43 express chipset.
I have a Dell studio 540, can I use a ATI radeon HD 4870 with my motherboard, if so, can I use crossfire or anything similair?
My specs are:
Dell studio 540
Intel(R) G45/G43 Express Chipset
Pentium Dual-Core E5200 @2.50 GHz
4GB RAM
PSU: 350W
Motherboard: 0M017G

 

[GreenDutchAlien]

Hey Dutchie.

You could use the 4870. What do you want to do with it, play games ?

You can't sli btw, your psu is to weak.

The best card you could have with that psu is a HD6670.

 

[GreenDutchAlien]

Aaah, stupid slow internet at my work

I meant NO you can't use the 4870 your psu is to weak.

 

[asdv]

Stupid psu, well, which graphics card should I buy? Or should i buy a better psu, and then a better graphics card? I want to play games on my pc, like team fortress 2, without having to cope with 5/15 fps.

 

[GreenDutchAlien]

I think with that cpu you can't get much higher than the 6670, maybe a 6770 or a GTX460, though with the last one you really have to oc the cpu. For those last two cards you should upgrade the psu to a good 500W one.

 

[asdv]

mmm...ok, what is the best card available if i don't upgrade my psu?

 

[GreenDutchAlien]

Euh, your mobo doesn't have a pcie x16 slot i just saw, only a pci-e x1. Is that correct, do you know anything about that ?
Don't know much of those slots i'm afraid.

 

[asdv]

I have one PCIe x16,two PCIe x1, and one PCI in my pc.
You can see it on Dell's site (google my pc and click on the first non advertisal link =P).

 

[GreenDutchAlien]

Ok, thought so, only when i google the mobo it shows otherwise. When i google 0M017G A00 though i see it has x16. Weird.

The HD6670 would be best within the limits of your psu, only thing is sometimes a 2.1 gpu isn't compatible with a pci-e 1.0 mobo and i'm not sure which version you have ; a 1.0, 1.1 or 2.0.

Maybe download gpu-z and see what that says.

 

[asdv]

This is what gpu-z says:

 

[GreenDutchAlien]

Euh . . yeah . . . Cheesy smile . . . That ain't helping much. :lol: It only states the slot when it has a pci-e card in it i assume, otherwise it means you don't have a pci-e slot ??? Bit puzzeld now.

I'll try to find out what version you have.

 

[GreenDutchAlien]

I give up.

Every site i find with that specific mobo doesn't say anything about a pci x16.

Maybe someone else can confirm ?

 

[asdv]

I've made this picture of my motherboard:

I hope this helps a bit, I'm certanly not an expert on this area so I'm glad you help me.

 

[GreenDutchAlien]

Yeah, that's a pci-e slot, but from the picture you can't tell which version and at what speed it runs.
If you had the 0M017G in stead of the MO17G it would have been simple, i did read an other thread about that one and an expert adviced a 2.1 card, but that was a mobo with a quad core so maybe not the same as yours.

Easiest would be if you had some friend with a 2.1 card you could try. ( you don't live close to Vlissingen i suppose ? )

Anyway, i have to be off to my job now, i'll look when i'm there if i can find a solid answer. A shame nobody else here seems to know . . .

 

[asdv]

I live in a village near Leiden (1 hour and 48 minutes from vlissingen)
I've downloaded a program called performance test 7, that program says I have a 0M017G after all, instead of the M017G I said earlier.

 

[GreenDutchAlien]

Ok, that's to far away

According to this moderator a 2.1 card works with that mobo ( though it's not the same cpu ) Who am i to dissagree with a mod ?

http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/forum/277473-12-express

 

[asdv]

Ok, what graphics card do you recommend? I've got a budget of 90 euros (75 pound). What is better: buying a 90 euro graphics card (no need to upgrade my psu), or buying a graphics card and a new psu (card+psu=90 euro).

 

[GreenDutchAlien]

You never find a good psu and gpu for 90 euro.

Hd6670 is probably the best choice for your psu / cpu.

Look here maybe ; http://www.4launch.nl/shop/#p-3-zoekterm-hd6670

Don't look at what they state there that you need a 450W supply, it's allways overstated and Dell psu's are pretty good so it will run.

That site states btw that the card will work with a 1.0 slot so if you do have a 1.0 and it doesn't work you should be able to send it back i think.

 

[asdv]

ok, thanks for the look up , do you have any good/bad experiences with 4launch?

 

[GreenDutchAlien]

Except for giving bad advices, no. I have bought my latest psu there, they reccomended a Cooler Master GX750. I didn't know much of psu's back then, otherwise i wouldn't have choose CM.
Also, when you do have a problem or question it's handeld by a lot of different people, i guess they have some kind of homenetwork of students or something answering.
But if you now what you want and now what is ok it is one of the cheapest sites i found so far, though not much cheaper than Alternate, you can also look there. Or maybe Saturn, don't know anything about them, only that they advertice on tv so probably not as cheap as 4launch.

 

[GreenDutchAlien]

Put a k for the 2 now's in the last sentence . . .

 

[asdv]

Saturn and Alternate are more expensive, I've ordered the Sapphire Radeon HD 6670 by 4launch. Thanks in advance

 

[GreenDutchAlien]

Good luck and happy gaming (?).

 

[asdv]

Thank you

 

[GreenDutchAlien]

Anytime, please tell later when you have it if it works.