Search
Sign in with
Sign up | Sign in

I just got a free video card, and I have no idea what the model is

Last response: in Graphics & Displays
Share

(This question is C@P'd from a question I asked on Yahoo! Answers)

One of the places where I work is about to entirely close down, which is unfortunate, of course... But since me and a few other employees are on good terms with the CEO, he's letting us have some of the capital (mostly computer parts) at the company for free. He showed me a video card which no one else wanted, so I decided I'd have it. The problem is, I have no idea what its specs are, or even what the model number is. I basically just got the video card, two seemingly-identical driver CD's, and the ESD bag the card was in. From the CD's, I can tell that the card is made by ZOTAC, and it's an nVidia card (no later than GTX 480); the CD's seem to not be model-specific. Looking at the card itself reveals that its interface is some form of PCI-Express, and it has two DVI ports and one S-Video port. Looking at the metal plate above the heatsink reveals nothing, since there is no logo or any image of any kind on it. Other than that, I got nothing. Is there a place on the card itself where I might expect to find a model number, or could someone guess the model number from the description I just gave? I'd test it in my current PC, but all the PCI-Express slots are either full or covered.

More about : free video card idea model

Register or log in to remove

S video? Then the card might be pretty old. Does the card take 2 slots or just one? You can say if the card is high end by looking at the size of the card. Does it require 2 power connectors? I am guessing it's an 8800GT, 9800GT.Maybe its I think you should plug it somewhere and see for yourself
Related ressources
Ask the community

AyuX said:
S video? Then the card might be pretty old. Does the card take 2 slots or just one? You can say if the card is high end by looking at the size of the card. Does it require 2 power connectors? I am guessing it's an 8800GT, 9800GT.Maybe its I think you should plug it somewhere and see for yourself


avenseth12 said:
Does the GPU have power connectors, if so how many? You can install the card in your computer and install a program called GPU-Z and it will tell you what the GPU is


The card only takes one slot, and it only has one 6-pin power connector. As I said in my original post, all my PCI-Express slots are either full or covered, and I forgot to mention how cluttered the wires are in my PC, preventing me from easily switching out cards. Basically, I won't be installing this card in my primary PC. I was thinking I'd use the card in a new computer which would focus primarily on emulation, so that I wouldn't need a powerful card, which is why I decided to take the card in the first place.
Graphics card Master

on the front or back of the card is going to be the card serial number and model number also it going to have the nviida part number...some time it like 01-105-123. googleing that will get you the info your looking for. with out opening the bag or plugging the card in. i dont mind getting used parts..you can always find or build a system or sell parts. the issue i have with getting blind parts like that i how dod you know the part is good before you plug it into your home system. some of use older tech we do have a mb and ps we keep for bench testing :)  great to toss in a used part and run some diags on it and see if the parts fine..
i worked in return testing and qa failure labs..it fund when a return part takes out the test bed in a loud bang :)  boss i be right back..got change my shorts!!!
Graphics card Authority

You can do what the above poster said or you can take a picture and post it here. imageshack.us is a great place to quickly upload a picture online.

ausert said:
Is it using heatsinks or fans, primarily? (Heatsinks are usually used in older or lower-end models, so that can help determine what the card is.)


It has a fan, if that answers your question.

El Tigre said:
You can do what the above poster said or you can take a picture and post it here. imageshack.us is a great place to quickly upload a picture online.


I would do that, were it not for the fact that I don't have a digital camera or a webcam, and I'm not entirely sure how to take pictures on my phone, let alone how to upload said pictures.

I think I'll do what Smorizio said and look for a serial number. The problem is, I don't know where to look. Would it be in the exact format mentioned (xx-xxx-xxx)?
Register or log in to remove
 
Ask the community
Read discussions in other Graphics & Displays categories
!