video card
#943215
03/04/14 07:19 PM
03/04/14 07:19 PM
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Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 2,138 Oakland, Ca.
kazzmo
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I have a GeForce 8600GTS and would like to upgrade to next best Nvidia card. I have read some articles on video cards, but still do not know what the next step up card would be. I would appreciate any help.
Brick walls do not a prison make, nor iron bars a cage. Give no thought of tomorrow, today was tomorrow and tomorrow will be today.
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Re: video card
[Re: kazzmo]
#943261
03/05/14 01:20 AM
03/05/14 01:20 AM
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Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 20,114 Near St. Louis, MO
Draclvr
Reviews Editor - Hints/Glitches Mod - Site Support
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Reviews Editor - Hints/Glitches Mod - Site Support
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kazzmo, we need to know a lot more about your computer first. How much wattage does your power supply have? Is this a brand name computer? If so, the model number would help... Also, what operating system does it have?
Once again, weeds are my life!
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Re: video card
[Re: kazzmo]
#943348
03/05/14 03:30 PM
03/05/14 03:30 PM
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Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 2,138 Oakland, Ca.
kazzmo
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Draclvr, I have Windows Vista, 1 Kilowatt power supply. If you order a computer and have it designed for nothing but gaming, do you still have a model number? I have never been able to find one on this tower, I have even looked inside tower and nothing. Windows verification sticker is all I have seen. My monitor does not receive signal from computer and I am hoping I just need a new video card. I would like to purchase one a step or two above what I have now. Taking computer to Best Buy in a few days and I am just trying to do some homework before I go.
Brick walls do not a prison make, nor iron bars a cage. Give no thought of tomorrow, today was tomorrow and tomorrow will be today.
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Re: video card
[Re: kazzmo]
#943357
03/05/14 04:23 PM
03/05/14 04:23 PM
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Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 20,114 Near St. Louis, MO
Draclvr
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Are you sure your monitor isn't the problem? Or the cable to the monitor? Do you have another monitor you can test it with?
Did you have this computer built for you? That's why I asked if it was a brand name such as HP or Dell or whatever. An older computer like this having a 1,000 watt power supply is pretty doubtful. A power supply that huge is not even put on high end gaming computers unless someone is running multiple video cards.
What kind of video card you can get depends on whether you have enough wattage in your power supply plus a couple of other things.
Once again, weeds are my life!
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Re: video card
[Re: kazzmo]
#943379
03/05/14 05:48 PM
03/05/14 05:48 PM
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Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 2,138 Oakland, Ca.
kazzmo
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I tested the monitor on my AlienwareXP and it worked perfectly. I do not have another monitor with the correct cables for this tower. I had this computer built for me, strictly for gaming. A few years ago I took this computer to Best Buy and had to return home and get my power cord because they did not have one that would fit my tower. I have 1 kilowatt power supply, Intel Core 2 Q6600 (2,4 GHz 1066FSB w/Quad Core 8MB cache 9236GD1. 4GB DDR2RAM at 667MHz. Dual 258MB GeForce 8600GTS. Where my video card goes, there appears to be two cards. I have four sticks of what I think is all ram. Does any of this help?
Last edited by kazzmo; 03/05/14 05:52 PM.
Brick walls do not a prison make, nor iron bars a cage. Give no thought of tomorrow, today was tomorrow and tomorrow will be today.
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Re: video card
[Re: kazzmo]
#943390
03/05/14 07:06 PM
03/05/14 07:06 PM
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Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 20,114 Near St. Louis, MO
Draclvr
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Why anyone would put a 1,000 watt power supply in such a mid-range computer is beyond me! But if that's what you have then get the best card you can afford. Since your motherboard is an older one, I'm going to assume it has a PCI-E slot for the card. You also have older slower RAM, but I don't think that should have anything to do with a new card.
You say you have dual 8600 GTS cards - could just one of them be bad? Maybe the guys at Best Buy can help you out there.
Hopefully InlandAZ will have some suggestions for you. If you want to stay with Nvidia, there are some good ones out there. Somewhere in Glitches I posted a link to a video card hierarchy from Tom's Hardware, but I can't remember where it is.
All this will also depend on what kind of gaming you do. Casual and adventure gaming won't require as much as dark side gaming.
Once again, weeds are my life!
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Re: video card
[Re: kazzmo]
#943391
03/05/14 07:11 PM
03/05/14 07:11 PM
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Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 7,727 The Country
Winfrey
BAAG Specialist
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The Country
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Last edited by Winfrey; 03/05/14 07:12 PM.
Would that I could be the peacemaker in your soul that I might turn the discord and the rivalry of your elements into oneness and melody Gibran
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Re: video card
[Re: kazzmo]
#943394
03/05/14 07:26 PM
03/05/14 07:26 PM
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Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 20,114 Near St. Louis, MO
Draclvr
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That's it, Winfrey! I couldn't remember where I put it and I'm working on a computer right now and didn't want to take the time to search. An all-time high of 1979 pieces of malware removed from this one! Holy cow!
Once again, weeds are my life!
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Re: video card
[Re: kazzmo]
#943401
03/05/14 08:31 PM
03/05/14 08:31 PM
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Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 2,138 Oakland, Ca.
kazzmo
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I played Skyrim, Metro Last Light and Witcher games on this computer, so it is capable. I really want to make sure my next video card will play these games(I replay games) and new games that may come. Will a GTX 660 do this or should I aim higher. Do the cards get better with the higher numbers? I read about the different cards, but I get confused with all the tech terms and get lost.
Brick walls do not a prison make, nor iron bars a cage. Give no thought of tomorrow, today was tomorrow and tomorrow will be today.
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Re: video card
[Re: kazzmo]
#943521
03/06/14 02:32 PM
03/06/14 02:32 PM
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Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 20,114 Near St. Louis, MO
Draclvr
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To be honest, with the older components on the motherboard, I wouldn't spend top dollar on a video card. I have a 660 Ti and it's played every FPS I've thrown at it so far including Metro Last Light at all the highest settings. It's an overclocked EVGA and I paid right at $300 for it.
Check out the link Winfrey posted to that video card hierarchy - it give you an idea of how they all rank against each other as far as performance/cost.
Once again, weeds are my life!
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Re: video card
[Re: kazzmo]
#943528
03/06/14 03:55 PM
03/06/14 03:55 PM
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Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 2,138 Oakland, Ca.
kazzmo
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InlandAZ and Draclvr, Thank you for the information. I believe I will go with the 660.
Brick walls do not a prison make, nor iron bars a cage. Give no thought of tomorrow, today was tomorrow and tomorrow will be today.
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