NVIDIA Geforce GT 220?

[-Dragon-]

Hey

I am not entirely sure if this is the right form but anyway, I'm looking for a Compatible Graphics Card for my pc, an Inspiron 530 which I have had for 4 or 3 years.

I have seen a Nvidia Geforce GT 220, and wondered if that was compatible because I need a graphics card that can play Sims 3 and all its EP's and SP's as well as the Harry Potter games and that card is in both their system requirments.  The card would must be used for gaming.

So basically, my questions are;

Is Inspiron 530 compatible with Nvidia Geforce GT 220?

Are there better graphics cards that are compatible with my Inspiron 530 and Sims 3 and The Harry Potter games?

And if I were to get it, would I need someone to fit it for me?

Thank you.

Just an additional question, is there any chance you can change your level of experience and what type of operating system you have, as I accidently didn't notice that at the start and I pressed ok?

[Linux711]

According to the site, it looks like you have a 300W power supply which is not very good for a fast graphics card. You should be able to get one that will support the games you want, but most likely no more than that.

A GeForce GT 240 should be good. It may be possible to get a GT 430, but you should check the amperage on your 12V rail to be sure. To do this, open up your comp and look at the power supply. There should be a sticker on it. Look for +12V it should then say how many amps (A) next to it. If you want the 430, it has to be bigger than 22A.

[Raptor]

You should contact Dell and ask them what videocards are compatible with your computer ...

I don't think you should be putting anything that generates as much heat as a gaming videocard in a computer case that small, though.
I also seriously doubt that your PSU will be able to handle the strain put on it by any modern videocard.

[Linux711]

You should contact Dell and ask them what videocards are compatible with your computer

Not necessary if you know your amperage.

[Linux711]

Plus the people at dell most likely won't know of the fastest card that will work. They'll probably give you a few options from a list they have and who knows how old it is.

FYI: This would not be the case for CPUs though.

[Raptor]

Plus the people at dell most likely won't know of the fastest card that will work. They'll probably give you a few options from a list they have and who knows how old it is.

FYI: This would not be the case for CPUs though.

You don't even know what Dell will recommend, how can you already pass judgement? And there's no harm in asking now is there?
Once he has a list of videocards to work from, he can then see if there's room for adjustment.

Anyhow, the card in question has a minimum requirement of 300 Watt PSU which means your PSU is inadequate.
I also think the air-flow in that case is horrible. You should fix that first.

[-Dragon-]

Hi again,

sorry for being noob-ish but how exactly do I open my PC up?

[Raptor]

http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/inspd530/en/OM/HTML/parts.htm#wp1565324

[patio]

Hi again,

sorry for being noob-ish but how exactly do I open my PC up?

Never apologise for being newbish...it's just things you haven't learned yet...
We all started somewhere...

[-Dragon-]

Okay, I opened up my computer and this is what I found;

160w MAX

+12v/ 18a
+5/17a
+3.3a/22a

[Linux711]

+12v/ 18a
+5/17a
+3.3a/22a

Looks good for the GeForce GT 240 that's what I am running and I have the exact same on my Power Supply, so it should work well.

160w MAX

That part doesn't make sense and doesn't go along with what you listed above. It also doesn't go with what the site says (300W MAX).

[patio]

It's possible someone had worked on this PC before and swapped in a cheaper smaller PSU and kept the 300W...seen it before.

[Raptor]

If this guy wants to install a new videocard he has to play it safe and do two things: install a non-crap PSU of a minimum of 400W and provide a better airflow through the use of a PCI-exhaust fan (Because judging from the design, there's no rear fan capability) because as it stands, this computer is NOT suitable for gaming.

[-Dragon-]

Guy?

So any specific type of PSU? Or do I just buy any one?

[Raptor]

Guy?

So any specific type of PSU? Or do I just buy any one?

Shouldn't it have been drakaina, then?

Well, I'd recommend Cooler Master or Zalman. Some types come with a 5 year warranty. And a minimum of 400W.
PSU's that come with a 120MM fan (A big one on the bottom of the PSU) also help cool your computer. I know Cooler Master sells at least one type with an 80mm fan (The small one in the back of the PSU)

However; you own a Dell computer. You may not have a choice but to go Dell if you don't want to modify the case. They tend to make it very difficult to mount a non-Dell PSU. You might have to cut out or bend some metal pieces here and there. I'm not sure if they still do this as I actually haven't seen any recently developed Dell desktops.

I am not entirely sure what form factor your current PSU is but judging from a few image searches, it looks like ATX. Which is the standard you'd buy in stores. Anything I can identify your PSU by? A name and type?

[Linux711]

Sorry, but you said your PSU had the following:

+12v/ 18a
+5/17a
+3.3a/22a

If you calculate the wattage, there is no way it should be 160W. My 305W PSU has these exact same amps, just as I said before. I think you should purchase the GT 240 and try it out. I am 90% sure it will be fine because I have the same card here too. If it becomes unstable, then spend the money on the PSU later if you need to (don't think you will) instead of buying it now.

[Raptor]

Sorry, but you said your PSU had the following:

If you calculate the wattage, there is no way it should be 160W. My 305W PSU has these exact same amps, just as I said before. I think you should purchase the GT 240 and try it out. I am 90% sure it will be fine because I have the same card here too. If it becomes unstable, then spend the money on the PSU later if you need to (don't think you will) instead of buying it now.

If a PSU becomes "unstable" that usually means it's wreaking havoc on the more sensitive parts in which case you might need more than just a new PSU.

[Linux711]

Yes, that could happen and I agree with you, I am just trying to make it so the guy doesn't need to spend on a new PSU. I REALLY THINK he got the wattage wrong because:

V * A = WATTS

12V * 18A = 216W
5V * 17A = 85W
3.3V * 22A = 73W

Total = 374W

I think the OP should take a look at his PSU one more time just to be sure. Sometimes there are a lot of different things written on there and he could have got confused and wrote the wrong thing.

[Raptor]

Name and type will us more.

[-Dragon-]

Shouldn't it have been drakaina, then?

Hmm, perhaps so but I prefer Dragon

Okay, opened it up again and here's what I found;

below the details I posted earlier excluding the 160w part was:

+5v + 3.3v = 160w.

And next to the details I posted earlier excluding the 160w part was 300w.

My apologies, I just looked for the first thing ending in w and the PSU isn't really my area of expertise.

So is it the 300w part and the 160 part together? Or just the 300w part?

[Raptor]

Was there no name and type on the PSU? It'll erase a lot of doubt.

The 300W is either the combined output (3.3, 5 and 12) or just the output for the 12V line. I'm guessing the former, though.

[Linux711]

So is it the 300w part and the 160 part together? Or just the 300w part?

The 300W part is combined, so you should be good getting the GT 240 (like I said I have the same 300W as you and it runs the GT 240 well), but that's about the limit in terms of performance. I know it probably says 400W or something on the site, but that's just in case the power distribution is different (gives the company some leeway). Really the only thing that matters is that there is 18A of 12V.

[Raptor]

The 300W part is combined, so you should be good getting the GT 240 (like I said I have the same 300W as you and it runs the GT 240 well), but that's about the limit in terms of performance. I know it probably says 400W or something on the site, but that's just in case the power distribution is different (gives the company some leeway). Really the only thing that matters is that there is 18A of 12V.

No the minimum requirement is listed as 300W on the Nvidia website.

I took the liberty of calculating the PC's power consumption. However, I am not entirely sure as to what components are currently installed so based on Dell's (possible) specifications for the Inspiron 530 I filled out the form on http://extreme.outervision.com/PSUEngine and ended up with a 362-Watt consumption. (90% TDP and 20-30% capacitor aging)

In all fairness, I did select the Intel Core 2 Quad Q9650 which is unlikely to be present but if I pick the oldest Core 2 Quad in the list it's actually 372-watt.

This is including the videocard chosen by Dragon.

I still stand by my point that the PSU needs to be upgraded if the videocard is to be installed.
I guess we could do a recalculation based on her exact specifications but in my professional opinion, 400W of a decent brand is the absolute minimum for a gaming machine.

[Linux711]

like I said I have the same 300W as you and it runs the GT 240 well

[Computer_Commando]

Okay, I opened up my computer and this is what I found;

160w MAX

+12v/ 18a
+5/17a
+3.3a/22a

Wattage rating means little, but this is how they calculated it:
(5 * 17) + (3.3 * 22) = 157.6W
Just use it & see what happens.

[-Dragon-]

sorry, i didn't reply. I couldn't log in for some reason. Then I got onto a different browser and it worked, thankfully.

So, em, did you say you need my specs?

[Computer_Commando]

It's 3 months later, probably not that important to you?  No, don't need any more info.

[-Dragon-]

It is important. It's just I figured since maybe I couldn't log in, maybe nobody else could so I went to the chat but nobody could help me so I waited to see if it would resolve itself then someone suggested changing the browser and it worked.

So am I to get a PSU with a cooling fan and minimum of 400w then it will support it?

[Computer_Commando]

Wattage rating means little, but this is how they calculated it:
(5 * 17) + (3.3 * 22) = 157.6W
Just use it & see what happens.

12V@18A might be enough depending on the card you get.

[-Dragon-]

I was thinking of getting this http://www.coolermaster.co.uk/product.php?product_id=6801 along with my Geforce GT220 but I'm wondering if the PSU will be compatible with my inspiron 530?

[Computer_Commando]

I was thinking of getting this http://www.coolermaster.co.uk/product.php?product_id=6801 along with my Geforce GT220 but I'm wondering if the PSU will be compatible with my inspiron 530?

Dell Inspiron 530 (UK could be different from US):  http://www.dell.com/support/drivers/us/en/19
That PSU looks like a good choice at 32A, but I would be looking for one with two (2) +12VDC busses of about 20A each.  Select your graphics card first, GeForce GT220 is the GPU not the manufacturer of the board.  If you are lucky, they will specify amps instead of watts.  It might even require it's own power connector.

[-Dragon-]

I found this on legit reviews,

"Taking a look along the top edge of the card you will notice that it doesn't have any 6-pin PCI-E power connectors on it.  This is because the card doesn't need any external power connectors. This is great news for those that own store bought Dell or HP systems as often you don't have any 6-pin PCI-E power connectors available inside your chassis. What size of a power supply do you need to run a GeForce GT 220? NVIDIA recommends that you have a minimum of a 300 Watt power supply with +12 Volt current rating of 18 Amps. Most power supplies have a sticker on the side of them that will show the ratings on it if you are unsure of what you have. "

Isn't this what I have? Though I don't want to be in the risk of overclocking, 

[Computer_Commando]

The psu you have in there now may work, too.  If it does, you won't need a new one.

[-Dragon-]

so do you think I should try it?