Best recommened Graphics card

[Warhound]

Originally Posted by Argonaut110

I didn't catch a few of your abbriations, so i'll list the ones I didn't understand:
C2Q
C2D
TDP

C2D= Intel Core 2 Duo, the processor your PC should have if it's still stock; dualcore.
C2Q= Intel Core 2 Quad, as the name implies a quadcore version of the Core 2 design
TDP = thermal design power ; the maximum powerdraw the item will use, measured in Watt (stock..once overclocked they tend to soar).

Originally Posted by Argonaut110

Also will this card fit into my machine?

A 8800GTX is 10.5-11inches long ,while a 6850 should be ~9inches long.
So it should fit, barring any freak designs on the brand you own/buy.

[Argonaut110]

Originally Posted by Warhound

I think a 1gb 6850 is your best bet.
It's a good bit faster than a 550ti, especially at resolutions above 1680 x 1050 and equally important... it draws about the same power as your 8800GTX (slightly less) and also only uses 1 6-pin PCI-E connector.
So if your 8800GTX runs stable under max load so should the 6850.
Here's an online shop which has a 83£ deal on a MSI 1GB 6850 OC
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/search...d=&search=6850

I've dug a bit and seems there are people who have plugged a quadcore q6600 or q6700 (higher ones won't work) into their dimension 9200, but they aren't officially supported.
You will be cutting it very close PSU-wise though since the C2D has a TDP of 65 Watt ,while the C2Q is 105W..combine this with a graphics card which draws quite a bit of power, compared to your PSU rating, and you could well run into trouble.
Dell generally rate their PSU's pretty well, but if you need to upgrade the GPU,CPU and PSU you might aswell save a while longer and build a new budget PC.


edit : I'd forget about the 640..it seems to perform pretty bad from the one review i can find and is mostly intended for HTPC's or mini PC's
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/...ew,3214-3.html
That is if a 6850 physically fits in your Dell, which is something I didn't look into!

This card requires a 500 Watt power supply, so how can it be my "best bet"? Please explain old chap.
Correction: now you've explained your abbriations I understand. Still abit risky...isn't there any other card which does equal high perfomance but with lower watt usage? I also won't be going down the route of buying a new PC, but i'll look into the card heat usage now.

[Argonaut110]

Right I'm screwed. Courtesy of thebitech.net, they say the max power usage using their DMark06 Canyon Flight test, 1,280 x 1,024 is 229, combined with everything else =399 Watts. But like you said Warhound, if your 8800GTX runs stable under max load so should the 6850. Should I take the risk?

More info on their test:

Eventually then, we've decided to use 3DMark06's Canyon Flight test as a real world representative, repeatable graphics test. It's a ferociously demanding test, pushing graphics cards to their limit, but also containing peaks and troughs in performance that match real world game play.

As the test is so demanding and GPU limited, we've set 3DMark to run the test at 1,280 x 1,024 with 0xAA and 16xAF (enabled in the driver), constantly looping the test for thirty minutes and recording the maximum power consumption and GPU Delta T (the difference between the temperature of the GPU and the ambient temperature in our labs).

Would Cliffs of Dover push the card to it's very limit? Would I have to play this game 30 mins at a time? Would everything else I wanted to play push it to it's limits? I can see having to buy a new PSU in the future a neccessity, but before I manage to get a new one I might have to be very careful on how I play things. Could I get an external device to monitior the Wattage use? Maybe use a smaller screen to lower it? And also, what would happen if the Wattage reqiurement overpowered the PSU? Would it damage my machine? Please reply!

[Warhound]

8800 GTX TDP = 145 Watt
6850 TDP = 127 Watt

So as I said in the previous post ,if your current system is rockstable (under load) with the 8800 GTX..it should be just as stable with a 6850 since it actually has a lower maximum powerdraw.

Dell is known to rate their PSU's very low, but they actually manage to get very close to their rated power. This is the opposite of most PSU's ,which might claim 500W but actually buckle as soon as you ask them to provide a stable 400Watt.
Dell seems to use a rating that can be supplied reliably and stable while most PSU brands seem to rate the peak output, not what the product can push out stably 24/7


edit: if this is the review you checked : http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/gra...i-1gb-review/8
You'll see they list the system with a 6850 as drawing less power from the socket than most others (229W).
Also the system used has a higher wattage CPU and a 1000W PSU which won't be anywhere near peak efficiency at such low load.

Now I'm not saying your system is guaranteed to run a 6850, but I think the chance is pretty good it will...and if it doesn't just send the thing back within 7 days and get a full refund.

[Argonaut110]

Thanks for the updated Watt usage, very reassuring.
I might test out the current card with FSX/Il-2 1946 anyway to see how it performs like you said, so I can be 100% sure when purchasing the 6850.

[Argonaut110]

Originally Posted by Warhound

Now I'm not saying your system is guaranteed to run a 6850, but I think the chance is pretty good it will...and if it doesn't just send the thing back within 7 days and get a full refund.

If it doesn't work, what should be my backup option that would do just as good of a job? (And no, the 8800GTX doesn't count )

[Argonaut110]

Anybody? (look at previous post)

[Warhound]

Alternatives?
A new budget build which you buy in december of this year :p
Or stay with the current setup which will run 1946 and FSX just fine.

Don't think there is any other option that equals the 6850 in performance, draws as little power as it and only needs 1 PCi-E connector.

[Pudfark]

@Argo,

I financially regret the decisions that I made to upgrade my system, solely for CloD. Which is the only high-end game, I've tried to play.

My advice to you is "WAIT"...see what the dev's can come up with in terms of optimization. Then spend and build. I honestly believe that you will be better off in the long run and have more $ to spend on specific components that will better suit your needs to this game.

If you feel that you can't wait, (I couldn't), the advice given by others above this post is excellent and you should weigh it and follow it.

Best of Luck to You

[Argonaut110]

I think your right pudfark- I can wait. Anyway, FSX and il-2 1946 still give off exceptional graphics, so I think i'll be A-ok. Case dismissed.