Help choosing a power supply, and is this graphics card compatible with my mobo?

[Demigod82]

Hi,

I'm looking to upgrade my computer with a new graphics card, a GeForce 8800GT, and I will need a new power supply to power it. I understand wattage (I currently have a 450w PSU and I'm probably looking to get a 750w PSU), but I'm really baffled by all the talk of pins and rails... and it's making it hard to determine which power supplies would be compatible with the card and/or with my motherboard. Maybe pins and rails are nothing to worry about, but I have no idea. If anyone can suggest a power supply to me (I'm hoping to spend under $120 on it, if possible), and tell me if this card will be okay with my computer's specs, I would greatly appreciate it.

Here is a link to the specific card I want to get: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150252

And here are my computer's specs (let me know if you need something more specific):

Motherboard: ASUS P5GD1-VM
Processor: Intel Pentium 4, 3.6 GHz
RAM: 2GB, DDR
OS: Microsoft XP, SP2

Here is a link to my motherboard's specs: http://www.asus.com/products.aspx?l1=3&l2=11&l3=25&l4=0&model=165&modelmenu=1

Thanks in advance for any help you guys can offer. I really appreciate it.

[homer]

first off, your motherboard has a PCI-E X16 slot, meaning ANY PCI-E X16 card is compatible with it.

secondly,not trying to sell you anything, the 8800GTS 512mb performs much better then the 8800GT for only $60 extra.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130337

regarding the PSU, Corsair and OCZ are my choices. i personally like corsair more, but if you are low on funds OCZ tends to be a little cheaper.

750w is total overkill for your system, i would recommend 500w- 650w. but, quiet honestly, i dont believe you need a new power supply, 450w should be pretty satisfactory.

[patio]

Agree with Homer on this one...

Good Source of Info

They are pricey but i visit here for reference only.

[Demigod82]

Ahh... well, if I don't have to buy a new power supply then I could put the money I would have spent on that toward the 8800GTS. Are you sure 450 will handle it? I've heard horror stories of power supplies frying processors and stuff.

Also, I read that the the 8800GTS is a "dual slot" card? I'm not sure what that means... is it compatible with my motherboard? Does that mean it takes up both of my PCI-e slots (I do have 2, right? The white ones?).

Haha... sorry I know so little about this stuff. But I'm poor and I don't trust the idiots on campus who claim they know what they're doing. At least I know for sure that I will do my research and not let something blow up. Thanks SO much for your help, homer and patio. Honestly, you guys are saving me a lot of money and making my life a whole lot better.

[homer]

Are you sure 450 will handle it?

positive. if it is a no-name cheap PSU though, you might want to purchase a new one, i recommend a corsair PSU. wattage wise, i would not go any higher then 500W, unless you have alot of fans and over four harddrives.

Also, I read that the the 8800GTS is a "dual slot" card?

a dual slot card means that it takes up 2 slots. slots are the... well... slots in the back of the computer that align with the varying ports on the motherboard (PCI, PCI-E, AGP, etc.) and can be seen in the attached picture in the red rectangle. in your case, the graphics card will take up the PCI-E X16 port (the black port) and the PCI port directly beneath it (the white port directly beneath the black port). the graphics card will plug into the PCI-E X16, it will not plug into the PCI port, it will simply block it so it will be unusable.

is it compatible with my motherboard?

unless you are using both PCI ports, the card is compatible. you will need the PCI port below the PCI-E X16 port empty.

Thanks SO much for your help, homer and patio.

you are very welcome!

just an added note, the 8800GTS 512mb is a high-end graphics card. i would think about upgrading your entire system eventually, we would not want to bottleneck this card. i would purchase DDR2 RAM, a dual core processor, and a motherboard that supports them both.


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[NOT ADMIN :P]

ok... all good, but....

If you are ever wanting to upgrade graphics... you have no slots left. and you will have to sell your 8800GTS. which you wont get much for when its time to upgrade.
If you go the 8800GT and then upgrade and buy another 1.

(The 8800GT takes 1 slot. GTS = 2 slots?)

Is his mobo SLI enabled? havent had a chance to look into it.

if so you might be better going for the 8800GT and then buying another 1 and connecting them... as i have done.

what brand is your PSU?

[Demigod82]

Hmm... I see what you're saying about upgrading. I think the mobo I have right now only has one PCI-e slot, but if I eventually upgrade the mobo and get one with two slots I might want to be able to add a second graphics card. I don't think the motherboard I have right now is SLI enabled because I think it only has one PCI-e slot (if that's the black one). I'm at my girlfriend's place on her computer right now so I can't tell ya what brand my PSU is, but I'll check as soon as I get back to my room in the morning and let you know. Thanks for your input, NOT ADMIN . You're all so helpful.

[homer]

with all due respect NOT ADMIN, your advice is misleading at best. if you are unsure of the details i recommend not giving advice until you are completely informed.

If you are ever wanting to upgrade graphics... you have no slots left. and you will have to sell your 8800GTS.

that is the case with every graphics card, except on an SLI ready motherboard, which he does not have. even on an SLI ready motherboard, you will not see much performance gain from having two graphics cards in SLI.

which you wont get much for when its time to upgrade.

again, that is the same for every graphics card.

If you go the 8800GT and then upgrade and buy another 1.

2 8800GT's in SLI will not outperform a single 8800GTS 512mb. lets also do some math...

8800GT 512mb = $190
8800GTS 512mb = $260

8800GT x2 = $380

thats $120 extra for lower performance.

I think the mobo I have right now only has one PCI-e slot, but if I eventually upgrade the mobo and get one with two slots I might want to be able to add a second graphics card.

when you are ready for a new motherboard please start a thread here. reason being, many motherboards come with 2 or even 3 PCI-E X16 ports but are not SLI ready.

[Demigod82]

Sorry, I never made it back to my room today to see what brand my power supply is. But I remember buying it for around $120 two years ago... so it's probably not top-of-the-line but it isn't like a $15 piece of junk either. If you guys are confident that 450w should be enough for the GTS, then that's what I'm getting! Thanks again for your advice, everyone. Just one more question, I promise: would it be a good idea to upgrade my DDR RAM to 3 or 4GB? Or should I just wait until I get a new motherboard and get DDR2 RAM? Thanks!!

[homer]

just wait to get DDR2 RAM. its not worth spending money on old RAM, especially since it costs about the same as DDR2.