Replacement Graphics Card

[Chavez_Ninja]

So my nVidia 8800GT just died and I am typing this on a very ugly screen (1280 x 1024 instead of 1440x900) . I am looking to get a similar card and don't really want to break the bank.

Looks to be plugged into a PCI-e2 x 16 75W slott.
Dell XPS 420, Vista 32, 4 GB Ram,
Power Supply 375W,  5V 22A, 3.3 V 17A 12V 18A

Not that I knew this before posting, but the recommended minimum for the card was a 400 W power supply. Gotta love Dell.

Any suggestions on a new card and the odds of needing a better power supply?

[SquareSphere }12thVR{]

if you looking for a similar card the 9800 GT is just a clone of the 8800GT for the money though you should grab reasonable upgrade + new power supply (375 really hurts your selection)

Do you have any sort of budget you're working within?

[Chavez_Ninja]

Well I was looking for around $150 (Cdn/US) and found a 9800 for $120.
http://www.memoryexpress.com/Products/PID-MX27159%28ME%29.aspx

[SquareSphere }12thVR{]

NEW EGG FOR THE WIN!

Note this is new egg CANADA

Also, you might look at other cards in that price range, I like tom's hardware monthly vid card guide prices are in US dollars

You can grab a 450 watt power supply for pretty cheap ~$30

[ratbuddy]

Don't spend that much on a 9800GT, it's outdated and overpriced. http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127523 even beats it and will run on pretty much any PSU under the sun.
For $125 after rebate, http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102873 would be a great value. If you prefer Nvidia, the best card in your price range is http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125342 for $114 after rebate. Little bit slower than that 5770 but not by much.

You probably don't need a PSU upgrade for any of the cards I mentioned, but if you want one, http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139017 will work just fine.

Also.. 1440x900 is actually less pixels than 1280x1024

[Chavez_Ninja]

Thanks for the advice so far. If i can avoid getting a PSU, I'll get a similar card and continue using this PC for a while. When it gets really old, then I'll build my own, no more Dell for me.

Wit respect to the GTS 450, is there an appreciable difference between GIABYTE and Asus? Wondering because I can get that card immediately at memory express and not have to wait for shipping for the same price as newegg. Same question for the HD 5770 but Saphire vs HIS this time (but HIS is cheaper)

GTS450
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125342   $145
http://www.memoryexpress.com/Products/PID-MX30438%28ME%29.aspx  $145

HD 5770
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102873     $145
http://www.memoryexpress.com/Products/PID-MX29502%28ME%29.aspx  $120

ratbuddy, my monitor's native resolution is 1440x900 so other resolutions look kinda weird.

[SquareSphere }12thVR{]

generally the mfg doesn't mean much any more as they design their cards from the same default reference from the chip maker.  Though the main difference is in warranty and any factory overclocking they do to the card.

Asus and Gigabyte are both good vid card makers in my experiance.

[Chavez_Ninja]

Thanks squaresphere. I'm leaning towards the nVidia card as the ATI wants 450W PSU and that may be stretching it a little too far.

[ratbuddy]

The 5770 actually uses a few watts less than the GTS 450. I'd jump on that http://www.memoryexpress.com/Products/PID-MX29502%28ME%29.aspx in a heartbeat.

If your current PSU is really only rated for 18A on the 12v rail you really should just snag that cheap corsair.. http://www.memoryexpress.com/Products/PID-MX30134(ME).aspx for the same price as newegg, and you can also pick it up at the store.
Looking around, I think your Dell really has dual 18A rails. Is it the L375P-00? If so, it'll run either of those cards easily.

[Chavez_Ninja]

ratbuddy, you are correct on the PSU model number, both the 12V A and 12V B are rated 18A, I should have been more specific in my OP.

If this PSU will run both cards mentioned, then I still may not get a new PSU. If I did however, I'm not sure how that corsair would work the best as there is no vent in the top of my case and the current PSU is jammed right up against the top.

Why does the manufacturer recommended a 450W?

On a side note, I have a BTX MoBo, but I'm pretty sure all power connectors are the same nowadays anyway.

One final though on price: ATI is supposedly releasing the HD6000 series by months end so I may see how prices change and ponder my options for a few more days

[ratbuddy]

They suggest 450w because there's a lot of crappy PSUs out there that are way overrated. Take something like http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817170014 for example. It'll really put out 200 watts on a good day, but claims 480 watts. The reason is it has only 16A (192w) on the 12v rail which is what CPU/GPU draws from. The 3.3v and 5v rails aren't really used much in modern computers. Video card makers take that kind of thing into account when they suggest a PSU rating. They'd be better off saying something like 'requires a power supply with 24A available on the 12v rails' or whatever, but Joe Public doesn't know an amp from an antler 

By comparison, a Corsair 450 watt PSU has 33A available on the 12v rail, more than double the cheap '480w' unit 

[Chavez_Ninja]

Thanks ratbuddy. Id definitely like to know those current ratings too because just adding a few numbers found on these sites shows that id be over in power consumption strictly in watts.

152+254=406W  (mines 375 W)
http://www.techspot.com/review/209-ati-radeon-hd-5770/page11.html
http://www.pcstats.com/articleview.cfm?articleid=2394&page=2

But the good news is that the card has dropped another $10.00 so i just may buy a power supply after all. (Ha Ha I'm so cheap )
I suppose the issue would be mounting it as it is shorter and longer (same width though) as my current power supply and the screw holes a re in the wrong spots on the back. I bet this is because I have a Dell and its BTX.

Correct me if I'm wrong but at least the connectors are the same type.

"but Joe Public doesn't know an amp from an antler  " - hopefully you don't get this opinion of me with all my musings and questions

[~SJ~ Xarg Talasko]

Don't forget about hardware wear n tear, and capacitor aging. Having a few extra watts up your sleeve will never be a bad thing.

[ratbuddy]

Thanks ratbuddy. Id definitely like to know those current ratings too because just adding a few numbers found on these sites shows that id be over in power consumption strictly in watts.

152+254=406W  (mines 375 W)
http://www.techspot.com/review/209-ati-radeon-hd-5770/page11.html
http://www.pcstats.com/articleview.cfm?articleid=2394&page=2

Naw man.. That first link shows total system power consumption including an i7 965 running at 3.7ghz, and I'm sure they measured at the wall meaning actual draw on the PSU was more like 225 watts. You'll be fine.

[Taemien]

Really consider getting a new Powersupply. I'm surprised a 8800 ran on a 375W. I know my 650W wasn't juicy enough to run both 8800's I use. I went a bit overboard and got a 1KW PSU. Yeah its overkill but the price was right and its modular. Though I did plan to use it for a long while, so who knows.