02-24-2005, 06:31 PM
jahcs,Feb 23 2005, 10:23 PM Wrote:Thanks for all the info. I was pretty lost in the video card department.
On the video cards I would lean toward the nVidia GeForce 6800 GT. Another card mentioned was the Ati Radeon X800 XT. I noticed the 6800 supports 4x/8x AGP while the X800 is 8x AGP only. Where do I find out which one my computer has? Or am I looking at something that doesn't matter?
A larger power supply looks to be mandatory for these cards. NewEgg recomends at least a 350W. Should I get a 400W or even 500W? Again, being able to put the supply in a future build would be nice so I'm thinking bigger may be better. What about heat build up?
More to follow, Got to Go. :blush:
[right][snapback]68882[/snapback][/right]
Well, that's a tricky one. Your mobo probably is CURRENTLY running 2x AGP (I don't think that old MX ran on 4x). As such, you probably max out at 4x on your mobo. Short of a mobo upgrade, you'll need a card that can run at 4x (most all cards these days run, or want to, at 8x, but 4x is possible on a lot of them). You'll lose out on some speed by running at 4x over 8x, but at least it WILL run. Go for the 6800 GT if you can afford it, as it's a very nice card, especially the Leadtek. :)
As for a power supply, I'm AMAZED you can support what you have on a 250 as it is. I ran a 350 in my current box for a long time, before one day it blew up (I'm guessing due to overload). I replaced it with a 450 or 480, I forget which, which allowed me the ability to add more powerful components in the future, should I choose. I would go with the 400, but if you can really afford it, go for a 500.
Check out these:
Zalman
Antec
Enermax
Personally, I'd go with the Zalman, as it's supposed to be very quiet. Efficiency (anything above 70% is great), noise level (anything below 30dB is great), and total power output are the key factors to look for.
Also, check out this guide:
Tom's Hardware Guide
It has some very useful information about the new standard for power supplies.
Roland *The Gunslinger*