Video Card died, Need Info

OK, so I'm completely PC illiterate, and my 5yo video card just died. I've absolutely no clue as to what type I need to search for as a replacement. Do todays video cards even work in PC's made in 2006?

The card says it's a GeForce 8600GT, if I look on eBay what type of card do I need to search for?Note that I don't use the PC for gaming...

Any help would be appreciated....

you need a pci express 2.0 slot

i think bakc then though they used mostly agp slots.

if your pc has neither honeslty id get a cheap replacement and start saving for an upgrade

Looking at pics I think it is a PCI Express card, eBay has replacement cards for $20 so that's not too bad. Just didn't know if this card came in different slot versions or whatever, and didn't want to get the wrong thing....

Depends. There are AGP models of the 8600GT out there. You need to find out if its PCI-E or AGP first, then go forward from there. If you have the AGP model, its really not worth just upgrading your video card as AGP is dead, so there isn't anything out there worth buying that uses that format (what is left out there is horribly overpriced).

If its PCI-E (which it most likely is), you have many options depending on your PSU. Really, we need more info on your computers specs as well as what your budget is though to give you good advice.

EDIT

Alright, got that in before your last post. So yeah, post your specs and budget and we can give you some suggestions.

Honestly, we have no budget for this, so I'm thinking $20-25 max (saw identical cards as the one that died on ebay for $20 w/free ship, and it has to be ebay or another site that takes paypal as our CC is to the max).

As for specs from the vista welcome center page...the pc is a Dell inspiron 530
Widows Vista Home Basic
Pentium Dual CPU E2180 @ 2ghz
Intel G33/G31 express chipset family
3gb RAM

Have a flat panel monitor but no HDMI port

I don't game on the PC, it's mainly used for downloading videos, burning videos to dvd, streaming video to my PS3/360/Roku, and internet. I really don't even use it for watching video either, just previewing stuff before I burn it off.

Is there no VGA port from the motherboard?

You may not need a graphics card if there is already an onboard video card.

Your other solution is to save up for a new PC. Six year life span on a PC is pretty damn good if you aren't always maintaining the hardware.

Well you are going to need to pull the card out sooner or later but here is a picture to tell if its AGP or PCI-Express.

[quote name='j-cart']Is there no VGA port from the motherboard[/QUOTE]

This.

The spec sheet is here for the PC:

http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/inspd530/en/OM/HTML/appendix.htm

It indicates the bus uses among other types of slots, PCI Express v1.0A, which is easier to get a card for then an AGP slot, someone already stated this I believe.

There should be (2) PCI express slots, one really short one, that's the X1 slot, the longer slot is the X16 slot, which may have been occupied by your former video card?

Here's what PCI Express slots look like http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:PCIExpress.jpg

From top to bottom (and the parent page), they're X4, X16, X1, X16 slots. Which one matches the slot your video card occupied?

Getting back to my main point:

Additionally in the specs, under video, it states "Intel integrated video". If the back of your PC has a VGA/DVI output connector, you can connect your monitor to it in the meantime. Typically, knowing Dell, that port is disabled once an add-in card is placed in the system.

You may have to remove the card if you haven't already done so, just be sure to do the following tips, I usually don't follow all of them myself, but let's not chance zapping your system given its age, sorry if I'm being too basic:

- Shut off the power to the PC

- Unplug the power cord to ensure all power is removed

- Hold the power button for a few seconds to bleed any residual power from the system (modern systems always have power in them in some small manner, the power switch is no longer a mechanical switch, it just triggers a signal on the motherboard by shorting/closing a circuit between two pins)

- Open the case, touch any bare metal surface of the PC to discharge any static (ground yourself), Try to keep an arm or hand touching some metal surface as much as possible to keep yourself at the same electric potential as the case. Difference in potential = static discharge either from the case to you, or you to the case. A conductive (anti-static) wrist strap alligator-clipped to the case would also work, if you happen to have one.

Don't worry about being overly cautious in this part, as long as you ground yourself once, typically you're fine.

- Remove the card - unplug any video or other cables from the card on the outside of the case, release its hold-down screw, or other proprietary locking mechanism on the edge of the card at the exit of the case. Pull the card out - don't use excessive force, rocking it back and forth perpendicular to the motherboard should work.

- Close up the case

- Connect monitor to motherboard port, re-plug and re-power system, hopefully the system notices the absence of the add-in card and re-enables the motherboard port.

I'll be the first to admit for various technical reasons beyond the age of the system, the performance of the graphics will be terrible, but for your purposes, it may suit you just fine, and could tide you over until you decide if you want to purchase a replacement card.

Another tip that may not apply in this case: DVI and HDMI connectors are compatible with a converter cable, you just won't carry audio over the cable or have HDCP (copy protection) signals. You can get fairly inexpensive and very good quality converter cables from Monoprice.

What type of video port is on the motherboard, and what is available on the monitor? Also, what were you using with the Geforce card? DVI (rectangualar white connector?) or VGA (15-pin, typically blue) I'm basically asking if you have the ports and the correct cable to make the connection.

Already have the card pulled out (had to take it out as my monitor kept going to a black blinking screen, even when plugged into the onboard vga slot instead of the GeForce. Took out the GeForce card and the monitor went back to working) so it's definitely a PCIE, matches that pic exactly.

There is an onboard graphics card, but would prefer to not use it. My thinking is what would I do if it was the onboard video card that had died instead of the GeForce one? Just like to have some kind of backup redundancy.

Bainen...thank you for posting all that info...

According to the wiki pic seems I have one x16 slot that the GeForce was plugged into, and two of the traditional 32-bit PCI slots.

My monitor itself only has two slots, the 15 pin VGA, which I had been using with the GeForce and am using right now with the onboard card, and another that looks to be a DVI slot, which I've never used. It's a Westinghouse LCM-19w4.

Card pulled - good.

I'm with you on redundancy! I'm all about having spares/redundant components! Until you get the replacement, the motherboard port is still an option to keep using the system.

From wikipedia "PCIe 2.0 motherboard slots are fully backward compatible with PCIe v1.x cards. PCIe 2.0 cards are also generally backward compatible with PCIe 1.x motherboards, using the available bandwidth of PCI Express 1.1. Overall, graphic cards or motherboards designed for v2.0 will work with the other being v1.1 or v1.0a."

And we all know all info in wikipedia is always true, so don't take that statement as 100% true. It's certainly possible any given PCI Express v2.0 card may not work with your system.

Looking at Newegg, PCI Express v2.0 cards range in price from $25 - $260.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...55&IsNodeId=1&bop=And&Order=PRICE&PageSize=20

I use an EVGA GeForce in my system, so I'm biased towards that brand - the $30 EVGA card seems good:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130585

In a quick search for backwards compatibility I found this:

http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/312395-33-evga-geforce-8400

The person had issues getting it to work with his system, even after a fresh OS install. Can't say the same would happen to you, its a risk regardless which card you choose to purchase.

The onboard is likely a safe bet for now (again, fully agreed on not relying on it long-term) - my advice would be to take your time choosing and researching the card to purchase. Perhaps another CAG has installed a known good PCI Express v2.0 card in a v1.0A slot?

[quote name='praxus07']Bainen...thank you for posting all that info....[/QUOTE]

Happy to be of help - if at all possible when you replace the card - try to use the DVI ports, that use a true digital signal ( 1's and 0's ), the VGA port uses analog. It can be a night-and-day experience, you'll feel like you just got a new monitor, crisper colors, sharper image.

I used to run dual monitors, (1) DVI and (1) VGA. I had to keep the VGA connected monitor off because the waviness of the signal and lack of clarity compared to the DVI hurt my eyes. I run dual DVIs now. Both are the same model of monitor then and now.

I was in the same situation as you - my AGP (was a system I built in 2004!) card shorted against the neighboring card in the case. I had to install a new GeForce card, and it was a downgrade from what I had, since they no longer made the class of card I had. I soon built a new system after that. I wanted to squeeze (10) years out of my old system, but got (8). even my antivirus software brought the old system to its knees.

I didn't have onboard video so I had to find a surplus card to keep me going until my new card arrived.

The EVGA GeForce you use is also on ebay for $30 with free shipping, so might go that route since that card seems to have much, much more memory than my old one.

Though with the old card I tried out Crysis when I first got the PC and it played perfectly on max settings. Maybe I should just replace the old card with another of the same make, even if it is 6 years old?

Dunno what I'm gonna end up deciding.

The help is really appreciated though, Thanks!

[quote name='praxus07']The EVGA GeForce you use is also on ebay for $30 with free shipping, so might go that route since that card seems to have much, much more memory than my old one.

Though with the old card I tried out Crysis when I first got the PC and it played perfectly on max settings. Maybe I should just replace the old card with another of the same make, even if it is 6 years old?

Dunno what I'm gonna end up deciding.

The help is really appreciated though, Thanks![/QUOTE]

You HAVE to be running a fairly low resolution to hit max with the 8600. It's of course on dx9, but even then, under 720. Don't consider that a benchmark.


It won't take much of a card at all to stream video, so also check open box sections or maybe cowboom, might get lucky there also. Hate to see someone screw you on a cheap card at eBay.

640x480 is not max settings.
3 fps is not playable.

Actually my monitor, same one since I got this pc, is 1440x900. For the 20 minutes I actually played Crysis it played perfectly.

Anyhoo, going to go with another GeForce, just need to do some ebay research and see what I can get for cheap now that I know what to look for.

Big Thanks to Bainen for all the help =)

[quote name='praxus07']Actually my monitor, same one since I got this pc, is 1440x900. For the 20 minutes I actually played Crysis it played perfectly.

Anyhoo, going to go with another GeForce, just need to do some ebay research and see what I can get for cheap now that I know what to look for.

Big Thanks to Bainen for all the help =)[/QUOTE]

Your card most be infused with Eridium?

Anyway, good luck on your search.

Could be kinda iffy, but you could try two more things:

Local PC repair shops, they probably have old cards laying around from upgrades pr repair/system that got junked for other reasons. I know a guy who had a very similar situation(AGP card even) and that did the trick, cost him like $20 bucks. Sorry I just remembered that. Unless you live in the sticks (I live near the sticks. "I can see it from my porch")you probably have 4 or 5 mom and pop/college kids paying for tuition shops within 30 minutes.

Or, see if craigslist has a "broken" PC that would still have a good video card. People looking to make a quick buck return on old hardware would probably part it out.