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SteveP · Xplorer Joined: 13 Nov 2007 Posts: 15 Location: Georgia

General interest question for anyone who might know the answer...

I want to put a new video card (EVGA 256mb GDDR2) in an old Dell Dimension 8200. I don't want to put very much $$$ into this because the system is so old. However, the specs for this card call for a minimum power supply of 300W -- my current PSU is 250W.

The cheapest Dimension 8200 PSU upgrade is $75 (Silencer 410 Dell-2 from EastLuna.com). For some reason, the upgrade PSU options for this system is limited. I don't want to shell out $85 bucks ($10 shipping) for this.

So here's my question ---- do I REALLY need 300W to power the card I mentioned or is the card just another part of the whole equation of what's already being powered (HD, USB ports, etc...)?

Thanks for any comments and/or advice -- Xandros Rocks....... Cool

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jimallyn · Posted: Fri Dec 21, 2007 9:47 pm Post subject:

The video card doesn't by itself require 300 watts, but like you said, it's another part of the equation. My guess would be that it would probably work OK, at least for a while. If the computer starts locking up or crashing, or the power supply starts smoking, you'll know that the 250 watt supply wasn't adequate!

Jim
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redrum · Posted: Sat Dec 22, 2007 8:44 pm Post subject:

Since it is a dell PS, it is probably fine, since they are generally built with a 'warranty factor' taken into consideration (ie slightly heavier components).. If you do buy a PS, buy it locally, and buy it like you would a turkey.. By the pound, not by its rating.. I've seen power supplies rated much higher than what they'd deliver, and I've seen power supplies (notably ones by Enlight) that were rated at 300w and were able to deliver much more.. The heavier the PS, generally the heavier the components..

Just a suggestion, of course- Your mileage may vary.
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jimallyn · Posted: Sat Dec 22, 2007 8:54 pm Post subject:

redrum · Posted: Sun Dec 23, 2007 6:02 pm Post subject:

Thanks for the addition Jim... I had actually thought about that and was attempting to post that info as well, but my wireless link at the time crapped out (I was at a restaurant 'borrowing' the wifi from a nearby hotel)..

I believe it is also difficult on some models to tell and I have heard of people breaking stuff by plugging the wrong PS in,, so one would want to invest in a PS tester beforehand in order to ensure the PS uses the same wiring scheme.. The odds of the PS surviving being improperly plugged into a tester are way higher than plugging a new ATX PS into the board not designed for it..

If it is wrong, adapters are widely available for about 20 bucks with ship.. Spendy, but effective.
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SteveP · Xplorer Joined: 13 Nov 2007 Posts: 15 Location: Georgia

I actually found a 400w Startech from Amazon for $62 plus free shipping, so I'll go that route.

Thanks for the help -- as usual, this forum is great!

BTW, what's the scoop on DDR vs GDDR2 for video cards? Go for GDDR2?

Thanks & happy holidays to all,

Steve
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redrum · Posted: Thu Dec 27, 2007 4:24 am Post subject:

GDDR2 is definately the way to go.. Approx 50 percent performance increase over GDDR.. From my experience though, most games suffer from latency in the GPU, not the RAM, so if its a choice between a low end 512 card or a decent range 256 card you are generally better off with the faster GPU and less RAM... Most games like Quake4 let you tweak the config file to allocate extra system RAM if your card comes up short, and though slower, it does work.. There is no such fix for a weak GPU.

Good Luck, and Happy hunting for a new card Confused

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SteveP · Xplorer Joined: 13 Nov 2007 Posts: 15 Location: Georgia

Just wanted to update you guys on what I've done regarding the PSU & the graphics card.

The PSU I bought is a Startech ATXPW400DELL. Everything finally worked out, but I had to play around with the configuration of some of the power adapters before everything worked right. Just for kicks, I installed the EVGA GeForce 6200 graphics card while I still had the old 250w PSU inside the computer. Needless to say, it sounded like a college kid on a 4-day drunk -- not good at all. So, I put the 400W in and it sounded great, but like I said, I had to play around a bit with the aapters before things worked right. Even though the Startech model claims to be a suitable replacement for the old Dell PSU, the old PSU has 2 seperate large female leads and 1 seperate small female lead (for hard-drives, DVD/CD, etc..). The Startech has 4 large female adapters and 2 small female adapters -- 2 seperate wire bundles with 2 large female adapters and 1 small female adapter daisy-chained on 1 strand. It all worked out, but the wire configuration wasn't exactly the same as the old one. Also, there were so many additional adapters that weren't used (SATA stuff, etc..) that I had a hard time stowing them in a suitable place so that my case would close. It made for an interesting Saturday evening, but 2 beers into it and things became more tolerable. Funny how that happens, huh?
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jimallyn · Posted: Mon Dec 31, 2007 2:29 am Post subject: Re: PSU Fudge Factor