Graphix Card Compatibility

[frankylynn]

I have a Dell Inspiron 531 with Asus M2N61-AX mobo; 4GB DDR2 800MHz memory; Athlon 64X2(ch) 4400+ 2.3GHz cpu; Nvidia GeForce 7300LE 256MB DDR2 graphix card; running Vista Home Premium 32bit OS.

Can I upgrade this PC to a DDR3 or DDR5 equipped graphix card?

Thanks, Franky Lynn http://img.tomshardware.com/forum/uk/icones/smilies/hello.gif

 

[cl-scott]

Yes. The RAM on the video card is completely independent of the RAM used by the rest of the system. If there was a DDR10, you could use that with your system if it used the correct system bus and your PSU could handle the load.

 

[adamdbz]

Yes you can
With no problems
The ram on the video card is not connected to the ram on your motherboard
Just let us know what your psu (power supply) is and budget
And we will help you choose which card.


-Adam Ericson

 

[Franky Lynn]

I have a Dell Inspiron 531 with Asus M2N61-AX mobo; 4GB DDR2 800MHz memory; Athlon 64X2(ch) 4400+ 2.3GHz cpu; Nvidia GeForce 7300LE 256MB DDR2 graphix card; running Vista Home Premium 32bit OS.

Can I upgrade this PC to a DDR3 or DDR5 equipped graphix card?

Thanks, Franky Lynn http://img.tomshardware.com/forum/uk/icones/smilies/hello.gif

Thank you cl-scott and adamdbz. I apologize for the long delay. I forgot that I signed up for Tom's Hardware using another e-mail account. I recently upgraded the 300W PSU that came standard with Dell Inspiron 531's to a 430W Thermaltake PSU that I had laying around. I installed an XFX Radeon 6670 1GB DDR3 grafix card that I also had laying around and it works like a wonder.

I am really surprised at how well a computer this old works. I also upgraded the exhaust fan with a B-Gear B-Blaster 90, and installed a 140mm Aero Shark fan (glued it to the removable right side panel, just under the hard drives) to draw air in from the front of the tower and blow it over the Mobo. I occasionally get a warning from Norton Internet Security 2011 that CPU usage for one core is hitting 85 to 100%, but haven't seen any sign of overheating.

Even though I am running a bloated OS like Vista Home Premium and using all Sata II HDDs, the PC reboots in a very short time and is rock solid, no issues. I installed 4X1GB 800MHz memory which is supported by this PC, but it only clocks at 667 MHz. Haven't figured out how to fix that. Perhaps it is because I mixed two Crucial sticks with the two original Patriot sticks (standard from Dell). I can get two more Crucial sticks for $35, and maybe that will fix the problem.

I didn't want to throw the 300W PSU away, since it works well enough, so I installed a toggle switch on the case and use it to test PC components I have laying around.

Sorry to run on like this. I am permanently disabled and don't get much company, so it is nice to converse with knowledgeable people. Again, please accept my apologies for not replying sooner.

Have a good one!

BTW: adamdbz, I am hoping to sell my car soon and will spend some of the money building my dream Dell Inspiron 531 PC. My sister bought this PC from Dell 5 or 6 years ago. She is trying to start an on-line busines and really needed a better PC, so I traded PCs with her. For some reason I have kinda fallen in love with the Inspiron 531 and want to see how much I can improve it. The mini-tower is extremely well built and everything fits precisely, looks neat and modern, and takes up a lot less space than my Storm Trooper mid-tower did. I plan on doing an extensive component & OS upgrade, including a new micro-ATX AMD Mobo from Asus. I will take you up on your offer for assistance in component selection when I am ready. Thanks for the offer.