Graphics question

1. Intel IcH9 and Intel 633 Mother board and chipset
2. Power Supply is 115-230 VAC Voltage Range, 300 watts
3. Intel Core2 processor Q9400 (2.66Ghz 1333FSB) w/Quad Core Technology and 6MB cache
4. 4GB DDR2 SDRAM at 800MHz
5. 500GB Serial ATA II Hard Drive(7200RPM)
6. 256MB Radeon HD 2600 XT or the Radeon HD 4850 512MB DDR3 PCIe or possibly one better if it will take it.

What would I have to change in order to add a GTX280 to this system? Thanks for the help.

 

definitely the power supply....should do it even without the gtx280....
600+ watt power supplies are very reasonably priced nowadays, no reason to go lower...

is this what you want to build? or do you already have it?

 

It is in the process of being built and I want the GTX 280. so the power supply is the only thing that needs changed to ge that? How do you change a power supply?

 

my system only supports a 350W power supply so I would have to change the entire motherboard out. Thanks for the answer though.

 

Who told you that your system will only support a 350W PSU? The system you're putting together will not only support a higher wattage PSU...it's going to need one, especially if you want to run a GTX 280!! Thesmokingun is right, get yourself a better PSU.

 

Dell said that it would only support a 350W power supply. Is this not true?

 

Is it guaranteed that I can get away with putting in a 500W or better supply? Will this require me to change anything else in the system to make it compatible and run smoother/cooler?

 

is that a dell motherboard you have listed in your first post? you probably cant put that processor in it anyway, you will need to get a new motherboard.

 

It accepts the processor, I am just curious as to what power supply will work with it.

 

why are you asking dell what power supply you need? is all of that gonna be a new purchase? are you putting it into a dell case?

 

It is coming in an Inspiron case. The system is ok with me but I would like some more power for the graphics. Will a new power supply not fit in the case? The Pc is currently in production and i am ordering stuff to change as I go along.

 

that would explain what's going on....what exactly are you gonna be changing and what will you be keeping from dell? is the inspiron a smaller size case than standard? if so, you might be stuck with the smaller power supply and you wont be able to run a better graphics card..

just noticed that there's a "slim" inspiron...is that what you ordered?

 

It is a standard size case. I am happy with the graphics I have right now, but I would like to upgrade in the future and want the power supply installed as soon as I get it, to help boost the graphics card I have now Radeon HD 4850 512MB DDR3 PCIe. Is 300 Watts going to give me decent performance with this graphics card?

 

you will def. need a new powersupply to run a newer graphics card in it. you will need to see if it has an available slot to put a new vid card in, pci express, or it might have an agp slot...

 

Dell assured me I could remove the existing one and add the new one. I am just worried that 300 Watts might not be enough to get the full potential out of the card.

 

make this easier, post the specs of the computer you are getting, then list separately what you were thinking to add to it...im still not sure what's coming from dell, and what you want to add....if its only the graphics card, then you will have to check out the type of interface it has for it before you decide anything....from recent experience you should be able to put a newer powersupply in a dell computer.

 

1. Intel IcH9 and Intel 633 Mother board and chipset
2. Power Supply is 115-230 VAC Voltage Range, 300 watts
3. Intel Core2 processor Q9400 (2.66Ghz 1333FSB) w/Quad Core Technology and 6MB cache
4. 4GB DDR2 SDRAM at 800MHz
5. 500GB Serial ATA II Hard Drive(7200RPM)
6. 256MB Radeon HD 2600 XT

This is what is coming with the system from Dell. I would like to add a 500watt power supply and the following graphics card: or the Radeon HD 4850 512MB DDR3 PCIe (for now). Dell has assured me that I can remove the 256 card and add the 512 card.

 

ok....sounds right..you should get a better power supply, at minimum the 500 but you can get a little more if you want and then you should have enough power to run the system.

 

checked out somethings, and at tomshardware.com there was a chart of power consumptions on some video cards

http://media.bestofmicro.com/P/X/114981/original/power-consump.png

should have AT bare minimum with that card 500watt power supply, i would go higher to be safe...

 

so can I expect some problems just using a 300 watt power supply?

 

If someone knowledgeable about such things could give me a solid answer I would greatly appreciate it before I purchase a new power supply. I just need to verify that the one I have installed now will support the system well. Thanks for your help.

 

Disregard this post. Dell informed that my motherboard will not support a power supply greater than 300 watts. I guess I am stuck with it until the new computer time comes along.

 

Dell has informed that anything above 300 watts will cause complications with the motherboard so I guess I am stuck with 300 for now. The chart you showed me that I will not be maxing it out so it should be fine. Thank you for your help gun.

 

Computterroruter, Read this article about Dell and PSU's and you'll see, according to this article, that you cannot put just any PSU in a Dell system.

Dell and Power Supplies

(Info from Smart Computing – March, 2003 issue)

Most of today’s computer manufacturers use the standardized ATX format for their computer power supply units. But, not Dell!

Starting in September, 1998, Dell started a program that has created and continues to create problems for users seeking to replace or upgrade their Dell computers.

At first glance, both the power supplies and the motherboards in the Dimension line of desktops look like normal ATX-style equipment. The power connectors are the familiar keyed connectors we’ve grown accustomed to, as are the 12V connectors used for fans and other devices.

But appearances are deceiving. For reasons known only to Dell, the company decided to make alterations to the wiring harness, as well as the motherboards they ship. If you examine closely the wiring that plugs into the connectors, you will find that Dell has reversed several wires.

If you use a Dell brand power supply and motherboard, you will not have any problem, as the Dell motherboards expect this wiring arrangement. However, if you try to replace your Dell power supply with a non-Dell replacement, you may severely damage your motherboard because the replacement power supply would send the wrong currents to your system. Also, if you replace your Dell motherboard with a non-Dell approved motherboard, you will probably end up with a damaged motherboard. In either case, you also risk damaging the power supply, and some users have reported experiencing fires in their computers when using a non-Dell motherboard or power supply.

So, since Dell is using proprietary hardware, if you find a need to replace your power supply or motherboard in your Dell computer, be sure that you use either a Dell brand power or one that is compatible

 

check that date, it's from 2003, its not like that anymore, ive replaced quite a few dell psu's with other ones...

that chart i posted shows how much juice the video card pulls by itself, thats not including everything else, thats why I said you will need at least 500watts or more.

 

Dell told me that my motherboard will not support a 500 watt power supply. Is that true?
Thanks for all your help.

 

Thesmokinggun, I DID check the date on that article I posted. Since I could not find any conflicting articles, I posted that as a "GUIDE" just in case Dell had not changed their form factors concerning their MBs or PSUs. At least it gave pause for concern until it was proven that Dell did change. Better than going in blind, wouldn't you agree? If they did, great! But, if they hadn't, I didn't want to see computerrouter risk frying his machine by installing a PSU that wasn't meant for his MB. Okay, so maybe I am overly cautious, but when I try to help someone with their machine I think that's the best way to be.

 

i don't understand why, it just doesn't make sense...

there may still be some dell computers that have proprietary mobos and psu's but they might only be the ones that have a smaller form factor and even in the standard size cases, but from what ive dealt with in the last few years they aren't proprietary anymore...was good of you to point that out, because there are others that may still be that way...

 

[/quote]that chart i posted shows how much juice the video card pulls by itself, thats not including everything else, thats why I said you will need at least 500watts or more.[/quote]

Are you referring to the gtx 280 when you are talking about the power supply and graphics or are you referring to the Radeon 512?

 

Is there another route to take to increase the power to the system? I keep seeing these power adapters, are they the same thing? Something that will not directly effect the motherboard and allow me to keep the original power supply.

 

I have to agree with you thesmokingun, it doesn't make sense why Dell would tell comperrouter that his MB would not support a 500w PSU:confused Unless, of course, Dell knows something we don't!!

Comperrouter, have you ever considered building your own machine? Since you said eariler, that those specs are what's coming from Dell, you haven't ordered it yet, right? If so, I would seriously consider building your own. Personally, this stuff about the PSU isn't worth the headaches. At least when you build one you'll KNOW what you have and you'll KNOW what vid card, what PSU, etc. to get WITHOUT all this guess work.

 

What is the worse that could happen if I put the power supply and ran it? Would it fry my motherboard and possibly other components if it is truly not compatible? I cannot afford to build one another way, unfortunately. I have to use Dell since they have a credit program. I did build another one on there and am deciding whether or not to cancel this current order.

 

Okay, now I have a better idea of what you're doing. However, I did some more checking and there just may be a solution to this. However, it'll cost around $15.00. I haven't given up on you yet!! You mentioned a 'power adapter' in a previous post, so I took that idea and came up with this. http://www.endpcnoise.com/cgi-bin/e/std/sku=dellconverter According to that, it will give you the option of turning a non-Dell PSU into a proprietary one. As for your MB not supporting an over 300w PSU, well I still find that really hard to believe. Thesmokingun says he has put non-Dell PSUs into Dell machines, and I have no reason to doubt that. But IF you have one of the 'odd balls' this may just be the answer. When you go to that site I linked to, read the explanation of how it works and let us know what you think. Good Luck!!!

 

also, there are credit programs at sites like newegg.com and others that offer financing...
(newegg likes me )

they have 0% or something like that for 6 months when you purchase over $500...

there are also powersupplies on the market to suppliment the one you currently have, i have always thought of these as useless, but it may help you out...I will try to find one and post it for you..

 

found this article...
http://compreviews.about.com/od/cases/a/SupplementalPSU.htm

http://www.computerpoweruser.com/ed...rticle=articles/archive/c0804/07c04/07c04.asp

they basically go into a 5.25" drive bay and you use them to power things that might be too much for your main power supply. I've had no experience with these, so I wouldn't be able to give you an honest opinion on these....I don't think these things are very useful anymore seeing that you can get 1000w power supplies for a decent price nowadays but they may be useful in rare cases including yours.

 

here's a link to newegg for vga power products....i still think it's unnecessary, and you should be fine with a new power supply..

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...Order=BESTMATCH&Description=vga+power&x=0&y=0

 

I've heard of supplemental PSUs, and wasn't sure they installed or anything. However, your first link cleared that up, thanks thesmokingun, that was interesting. Still, not ever using one, or knowing anyone who has, I'm afraid I'll have to remain mute on this topic. Granted, it does 'sound' like a viable option IF what Dell has told you is true about your MB not being able to accept a PSU higher than 300w. I'm still having trouble with that one!! So, the way I see it, you have 4 options;
1) go with a converter
2) try a supplemental PSU, or
3) use a conventional PSU, 500W+
4) get a Newegg account, as thesmokingun suggested, and
build your own machine.
Personally, I'd go with #4 and just tell Dell 'thanks....but no thanks!' Well, the ball's in your court!!

 

Well, I canceled my order and reordered a different one:

XPS 630, Intel Core2 processorQ6600 (2.40Ghz,1066FSB) w/Quad Core Technology and 8MB cache
4GB DDR2 SDRAM at 800MHz
Nvidia GeForce 9800GT Dual Scalable Link Interface
500GB NCQ SATA Hard Drive (7200 RPM) w/ 16MB DataBurst Cache
48X Combo and 16X DVD+/-RW
Vista Premium

I think this one should better suit my needs. I really appreciate all the information and help from you both. I think this one should cover gaming, pictures, and anything else I come across. Cheers!!

 

the end!!