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Pci graphics card vs power supply and other musings!

Last response: in Graphics & Displays
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Greetings again!

After much discussion yesterday re: my dinosaur refurbished computer and a pci slot (not a pci - e); I have a new dilemma! (How Much Fun!! :fou:  )

The graphics card I would need http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168... (and about the cheapest I can find) needs a min. 300w power supply. My lovely dinosaur has only a 225 (so far as I can tell). How critical is that 75 w? How hard is it to replace a power supply? Recall that I am only going to watch DVDs and internet videos on this dinosaur - no heavy graphics demand (like gaming - but then what do I know!?)

by the time I get done with this BEAST - it will not have been worth the time and extra $$ I thought I was saving . . .

newbies beware!! despite my best attempts to figure out what I was buying before I bought it - I'm stuck! Tiger Direct will not take it back! ARRGGHHHH!!!!

thanks again - in advance

as an after thought - since that pci slot is on a riser card . . . can I replace the riser card with one that has a pci-e slot or is the MB not compatible? how would I figure that out? Cuz' if I can replace the riser card and get a pci-e slot I can keep the inexpensive graphics card I bought w/ the pci-e slot

kelly

More about : pci graphics card power supply musings

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Graphics card Authority
Power supply Expert

You cannot turn a plain PCI slot into a PCI/E slot with any kind of riser card.

As far as your PSU...It depends on how good your PSU is. I would rather have a good PSU with lower wattage than a bad PSU with higher wattage.

YMMV.
Graphics card Authority

first off the criticality of the 75w will be determined by how good your psu is and the other hardware on your system.
I think for you it is very important enough...get a new psu...a 350w 80+ certified one will suffice.

you cannot use a raiser to change a pci e to pci since the pin configuration are different.so you don't have any luck with that either.

all the best
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Graphics card Master
Power supply Expert

She said she wasn't trying to and yea a more stable power supply would help but I feel the amount of power you would go through wouldn't be the full amount of your current psu. If you feel up to it you can change the psu but I feel you may be a little frantic given that option seeing as you haven't probably done it.

No - I've never changed a PSU; many many many years ago, I dabbled in computer upgrades/building etc - but that was another life - and - apparently, I've forgotten how to distinguish a pci slot from a pci-e (if they even had those back in the early '90s) anyway . . . . I digress . . .

Maybe I'll just try the video card and see what happens! - I'm only watching "tv" and only a couple hours a day - if that! not much use anticipated.

as for the riser card thing. maybe I didn't ask my question correctly: this MB has a riser card on the side of it; on which is mounted the one and only PCI slot; it does not have a PCI-Express x16 slot - So I have to buy this much more expensive video card w/ hdmi output and pci slot. But if I could replace the riser itself - with a riser that would support/has a pci-express x16 slot - then I could keep my much less expensive new video card w/ hdmi output. So . . . that's where I'm at - is that more clear?

thanks so much for everyone's comments! I really appreciate your help!

Kelly
Graphics card Master
Power supply Expert

I understand Kelly. You if you could would use a PCI-Express card on your computer but with just watching television you will be fine with a PCI card. As long as its a modern card it will have HTPC compliance which enables you to watch and record HD.
Graphics card Authority
Power supply Expert

The connector that the riser card fits in is expecting that it will provide support for a PCI slot. It will not have enough(or even the right) connections to support a PCI-E slot.

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Graphics card Master
Power supply Expert

Shes not expecting it to. Guys don't confuse her shes just saying if she could she would okay :)  She would like a pci card and the 610 from zotac is really her only option it seem. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168... Either way it will suffice for what she needs it to do.

Power supplies aren't very hard to install you said you dabbed into computer building before I implore you to take a look at these videos maybe it will help you :)  This guy goes slow and explains things in great detail also it will help with the confusion with expansion slots if you feel like things aren't as simple as they ought to be.

part 1

part 2

part 3

To Bigshootr8: you get the "best answer" award - simply because you understand what I'm trying to say and do!!! Thanks for keeping it simple - and supportive!

a happy and prosperous new year to you!

Kelly
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