# Low Profile Video Card for Gaming



## Spears711 (Apr 7, 2007)

My problem is i need to know what the best *Low Profile* video card is, in order to play counter strike source.

This computer came with integrated graphics.


*My computer.*

Computer name:
OptiPlex GX620, Mini Case, Made by Dell.

Processor:
3.00 gigahertz Intel Pentium D
16 kilobyte primary memory cache
1024 kilobyte secondary memory cache

Main Circuit Board
Board: Dell Inc. 0KH290.
Bus Clock: 800 megahertz
BIOS: Dell Inc. A07 03/31/2006

Display
Intel(R) 82945G Express Chipset Family [Display adapter] (2x)
Winvnc video hook driver [Display adapter]
Samsung SyncMaster [Monitor] (19.1"vis, s/n HCHY700925, July 2005) (3x)

Operating System
Windows XP Professional Service Pack 2 (build 2600)




Picture


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## xg3nx (Aug 6, 2005)

Two cards i will recommend. Nvidia 7300 GT or the ATI Raseon x1300 model. These cards are fairly cheap and will run for about 40-70. I would link you but I'm on my sidekick in the car, but just go to www.newegg.com and search: geforce 7300; radeon x1300. 

Both cards can run source nicely.


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## 1 g0t 0wn3d (Jan 31, 2007)

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=2563225&CatId=1560 best lowprofile one i have found


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## xg3nx (Aug 6, 2005)

The only problem with that is that price is way over the top. You can find an x1300 for half that.


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## 1 g0t 0wn3d (Jan 31, 2007)

yah, i am just recomending the best second is the 7300 le


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## TheMatt (May 9, 2006)

Hi,

That computer has the Intel 945G chipset, which has onboard GMA 950 Graphics. The onboard video should play CS fine in medium detail at 1280 x 1024 resolution.

If you really want to go with dedicated graphics, this will be the best low-profile card you can get:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814129073

It has 256 MB of 128-bit GDDR2 RAM, better than a standard 7300GT. It will run CS at full settings at 1280 x 1024.


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## xg3nx (Aug 6, 2005)

Well before we start fighting about which card he should get, what is your pricerange? :tongue:


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## Spears711 (Apr 7, 2007)

I have no price Range.
I am looking for the Best Low profile video card for gaming.


I have found on other sites that Visiontek Radeon X1650 Pro HD is the best.
can anyone find a better one?

Visiontek Radeon X1650 Pro HD

The Ultimate
Video Card for the HDTV Enthusiast
The VisionTek X1650PRO HD is designed to deliver outstanding entertainment and 3D graphics through its unique ultra-threaded core architecture and ATI’s Avivo™ video and display technology. The VisionTek X1650PRO HD is a perfect way to connect your PC and consumer electronic devices together for an ideal home entertainment and gaming system. Built for the future, the VisionTek X1650PRO HD is ready to deliver the ultimate gaming performance that works with all games.

Transform Your PC with Intense 3D and High-Definition Visuals
The VisionTek X1650PRO HD is designed to deliver outstanding entertainment and 3D graphics through its unique ultra-threaded core architecture and Avivo™ video and display technology.

A New Era of Visual Realism Brings Your Games to Life
VisionTek X1650PRO’s new 3D architecture support Shader Model 3.0 and deliver better gaming allowing for new high dynamic range visual effects, enhanced realism with adaptive anti-aliasing and lightening fast performance.


Radeon X1650 Pro
ATI’s new Radeon X1600 series transforms your PC with astonishing graphics performance and visual quality, creating a lifelike High Definition (HD) viewing experience with 3D games, DVD movies, and digital photography and video.


High Dynamic Range (HDR)
High dynamic-range(HDR) lighting effects bring environments to life for a truly immersive experience. It takes advantage of the subtle light, texture, and color intricacies to create incredibly realistic environments.


SMARTSHADER™
A new technology developed by ATI, represents a new generation of visual effects for your personal computer. With SMARTSHADER™, game developers will be able to create immersive, life-like worlds by modelling the surface and material qualities of 3D objects with an unparalleled level of realism.


SMOOTHVISION™
Supports a High-Performance anti-aliasing mode and a High-Quality anti-aliasing mode. Both of these modes give users the ability to choose between 2x, 3x, 4x, 5x, and 6x sampling, allowing for a total of 10 different anti-aliasing settings.


AVIVO™
Avivo™ redefines the ultimate visual experience for today’s PCs, and sets the stage for tomorrow’s exciting possibilities. Check your board for specific support of Avivo™ features. Avivo™ is a technology platform that includes a broad set of capabilities offered by ATI products. Full enablement of some Avivo™ capabilities may require complementary products.


CATALYST™
ATI’s all-new CATALYST™ Control Center goes far beyond traditional driver configuration software—it’s a feature-rich and stable 3D acceleration control application that puts you in complete command of your ATI visual processing unit


Windows Vista Ready
Windows Vista is the first operating system to require a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) to realize the best experience possible.


PCI Express Support
PCI Express is a new Intel bus architecture that doubles the bandwidth of the AGP 8X bus, delivering over 4 GB per second in both upstream and downstream data transfers.


Specifications

GPU/VPU Radeon X1650 Pro

Pixel Pipelines 12

Maximum Resolution 2048 x 1536 @ 85Hz (Analog)

Video Memory 256MB

Memory Type GDDR2

Interface Type PCI Express

Interface Speed 16x

Connector(s) HDMI
HDTV/S-Video
VGA (15-Pin D-Sub)

Multiple Monitors Support Yes

LINK
http://www.tigerdirect.com:80/appli...038&SRCCODE=PRICEGRABBER&CMP=OTC-PRICEGRABBER


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## TheMatt (May 9, 2006)

If you want to spend that much money, you will need a new PSU. That is not really a low-profile card.

Also, the X1650 Pro is kind of a rip-off because they use GDDR2 rather than GDDR3 like in the 7600GT.


Keep in mind you will need a card that is small so it will fit in the computer. The cards recommended by *1 g0t 0wn3d* and I will fit into your computer, but the other one will be too big.

If your computer does take the standard expansion slot cards, then take a look at this:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814122008

It will be a better choice than the X1650 Pro because it will be a little more high performing and will consume a lot less power.


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## Spears711 (Apr 7, 2007)

Here is a picture of the slot.

I really don’t have a price range.
Except that I just need the best video card for this computer with out changing anything else.

I believe every low profile card compatible with the system specifications would fit.
So matt are u saying that not all low profile cards will fit?

I am looking for the best performance from a video card compatible with this computer.


I think the current PSU is 275 Watts.

I know there not a lot to expect out of a low profile video, I just would like to be able to play a game like counter strike source on decent graphics with out a FPS problem.

If that is asking to much.


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## TheMatt (May 9, 2006)

Even 275 w is cutting it real close with the PSU. I would try to run CS on the integrated graphics and see how well it runs. The integrated graphics are not that bad.


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## Spears711 (Apr 7, 2007)

yea i have it installed and i have tried, pumps out a ugly 10-17 fps


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## TheMatt (May 9, 2006)

Have you tried lowering the settings? What settings and resolution are you using? You can also lower the color depth to 16 bit to boost your FPS.

You probably won't even be able to fit in a low-profile card without a PSU upgrade.

I will see if I can find a PSU upgrade.


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## 1 g0t 0wn3d (Jan 31, 2007)

i think the point is that he ways the "full" experiance and does not want to see two blobs shooting each other


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## TheMatt (May 9, 2006)

Here is a PSU that is compatible with your system.
http://www.pcpower.com/products/viewproduct.php?show=S47D

It will allow a lot of room for upgrade.

Then you can look into a card like this:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814129073

Which will fit in and give quite a performance boost.


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## Spears711 (Apr 7, 2007)

TheMatt said:


> Here is a PSU that is compatible with your system.
> http://www.pcpower.com/products/viewproduct.php?show=S47D
> 
> It will allow a lot of room for upgrade.
> ...


Those power supply units would not fit.

The PSU is custom built due to the case size.



































I believe it is going to be hard to find a psu that fits in this tiny case.
Do you know for 100% that the psu will not support a decent video card like the one you have linked?


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## 1 g0t 0wn3d (Jan 31, 2007)

you could leave it outside of the case?


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## 1 g0t 0wn3d (Jan 31, 2007)

btw that is why i hate dell


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## TheMatt (May 9, 2006)

That is a non-standard BTX only PSU. You could put the PSU outside the case as said, but if you can't upgrade the PSU, you should not do a video card upgrade.

BTW, I will be getting CS in maybe a day or two, so i will tell how it runs on my integrated graphics. I have heard of CS being run on an AMD K6 and a Voodoo3 graphics card and getting reasonable (~25 FPS) frame rates, so I think it should run fine on that system.


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## TheMatt (May 9, 2006)

If you do end up needing a dedicated video card, this would consume much less power:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814103011


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## 1 g0t 0wn3d (Jan 31, 2007)

my intagrated gpu(spelling error) can run fear med deatail at about 30-40 fps =) and the 7900.....i have not bothered to check


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## TheMatt (May 9, 2006)

1 g0t 0wn3d said:


> my intagrated gpu(spelling error) can run fear med deatail at about 30-40 fps =) and the 7900.....i have not bothered to check


The Xpress 200 you had was based on the Radeon X300 GPU with 64 MB dedicated, so it was actually a pretty good IGP. The GMA 950 unfortunately is on the lower end of the spectrum along with my SiS card.


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## 1 g0t 0wn3d (Jan 31, 2007)

=) anyway i think that he should get a new card and i might have missed this in the post but how much ram does he have?


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## Spears711 (Apr 7, 2007)

so it would not be possible to run a Visiontek Radeon X1650 Pro HD on my psu?


LINK


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## 1 g0t 0wn3d (Jan 31, 2007)

for this i would just buy a psu that supports your motherboard and keep it outside of your case while buying a good ati card like the one listed earlier


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## Spears711 (Apr 7, 2007)

Okay well i found out that the video card i listed, has a system requirement of a 300 watt PSU. 
How do you find out how much power you PSU in your computer is already consuming?


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## TheMatt (May 9, 2006)

For that video card, 300 w is the minimum. You need a quality 550 w PSU. This is a good one to look at.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371002

There is still the issue of the card fitting in the case. You need a card like this:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814129073
Or this:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814161078

Both would run fine on the new PSU. You don't need a very high end card to play CS:S at full settings. Even a 7300GS can handle it fine.


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## 1 g0t 0wn3d (Jan 31, 2007)

i get 200 fps lol


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## Spears711 (Apr 7, 2007)

so is there a video card that will run on my psu already in the computer?


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## 1 g0t 0wn3d (Jan 31, 2007)

Computers with onboard video now come with 300 watts it may be just a waste of money because you would have to buy a really low end card to do it that would be needed to be upgraded later it s a costly upgrade and you should wait untill you have the cash for a psu and a video card, it is putting to much money in old hardware.


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## TheMatt (May 9, 2006)

OK, I have just run CounterStrike on my computer (see the "My System" box). I get 40 - 60 FPS at 1280 x 800 @ 16-bit color using Direct3D rendering. You should get a little better performance because you have a better processor. You will definitely be able to run CounterStrike at 1024 x 768, which won't look bad at all, and maybe even at full 1280 x 1024 which will look even better. If you already have CounterStrike, I suggest you try it on your onboard video.


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## Spears711 (Apr 7, 2007)

TheMatt said:


> OK, I have just run CounterStrike on my computer



counter strike source?

well for some reason i was unable to pull 20+ fps.


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## Spears711 (Apr 7, 2007)

I just tried to install a low profile card but the heat sink on it was to tall and therefore it didnt fit.

Pics.





























do u know another heat sink i could put on it?


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## TheMatt (May 9, 2006)

Source is a little more graphics intensive. I am running 1.6 and Condition Zero.

Removing the heatsink and running the card would be a very bad idea. I suggest getting a new card.

Did the expansion slot bracket (where the DVI and VGA ports are) of that card fit in even though the heatsink was too big, or was the expansion slot bracket too big also?


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## Spears711 (Apr 7, 2007)

expansion slot bracket did fit, it came with a normal and low profile bracket.


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## TheMatt (May 9, 2006)

This should fit in your case. It only consumes 16 w under load.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121014


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## Xylaquin (Feb 18, 2006)

Check my system on the left- I run that on a 300W PSU that came with my pc. I'd say buy the best you can get, power will not limit you in your case.

If you're gonna get a new PSU be very carefull- since some Dell PSU's are not what they seem. Their cables and connectors seem to look like normal ATX connections but in some pc's the voltages are different.


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## TheMatt (May 9, 2006)

Xylaquin said:


> Check my system on the left- I run that on a 300W PSU that came with my pc. I'd say buy the best you can get, power will not limit you in your case.
> 
> If you're gonna get a new PSU be very carefull- since some Dell PSU's are not what they seem. Their cables and connectors seem to look like normal ATX connections but in some pc's the voltages are different.


Hi,

You are walking a very fine line there. You should have at least a 450 w PSU for a 7600GT, and even that is pushing it a bit. The Antec Trio 550 w is pretty inexpensive, and if your Dell uses standard PSU connectors, you can put that in.


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## 1 g0t 0wn3d (Jan 31, 2007)

that is only if you do not keep it cool "bad brands like bestec and mine need to stay cool to work well (mine stays at 30c under load =) anyway get a new one for future investments spears


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## Xylaquin (Feb 18, 2006)

I don't have a Dell, it's an eMachines. I'll have to replace my PSU when I get a 8800GTX although in all due respect I think you guys sometimes overestimate the power consumptions of some GPUs ;-) I read a lone 8800GTX only pulls 150W, but I'd still get myself a powerfull psu anyway.


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## 1 g0t 0wn3d (Jan 31, 2007)

My friend had to declock his 8800 becaus ehe only had a 650 watt


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## Spears711 (Apr 7, 2007)

TheMatt said:


> This should fit in your case. It only consumes 16 w under load.
> 
> http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121014


anything better than that?


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## TheMatt (May 9, 2006)

I would not put in anything better without getting a new PSU. It is just too risky. If you want to go up in performance, this should do the job:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814122008

A little better than a 7600GS. It will run CS:S at full settings at 1280 x 1024. If you really want to keep your current PSU, do yourself a favor and stay away from ATI. Because the X1k series is using a larger manufacturing process, they use more power than their nVidia counterparts.


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## Spears711 (Apr 7, 2007)

i would get a new psu but i dont think dell makes upgrades for my case. i d k tho.
i am kinda looking for a low profile but i am going to make a call to my friend and see if he has a case i could maybe put my stuff in and therefore i could get a nicer psu with out having to worry about it not fitting. but its just a pain.

do u know of a case that my motherboard would fit in that comes with a nice psu?


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## TheMatt (May 9, 2006)

Can you take a picture of the motherboard as a whole?

I think the idea of putting the PSU outside the case would be a an easier idea than getting a whole new case, but it is ultimately up to you. the 7300GT I suggested would likely fit in your case.


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## Spears711 (Apr 7, 2007)

Were i found it.
do u know any site that is selling this card?

if i have a power issue my friend has a 500 watt psu i can use. and set it out side the case.


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## TheMatt (May 9, 2006)

What is the brand PSU that your friend has?

That other card doesn't sound like it is too common. The 7300GT I suggested will play CS:S fine at full resolution.


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## 1 g0t 0wn3d (Jan 31, 2007)

I don't feel the brand will metter as it is far above the recommended for the card but the 12v amps would be nice to know.


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## TheMatt (May 9, 2006)

1 g0t 0wn3d said:


> I don't feel the brand will metter as it is far above the recommended for the card but the 12v amps would be nice to know.


The brand very well does matter, there are way too many cheap brands out there that take shortcuts by not using PFC, using cheap capacitors, not testing the PSU in high temperature environments, etc.

Take a look at this:
http://www.techsupportforum.com/f70/outdated-power-supply-information-and-selection-107466.html


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## Spears711 (Apr 7, 2007)

i put in a order for this card, ill tell u if it works.

CARD


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## TheMatt (May 9, 2006)

Thats a pretty decent card, although the card I suggested would outperform that card. It is basically a seriously overclocked 6600GT. But that card will still play CS:S fine at full resolution.


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## Spears711 (Apr 7, 2007)

what card did u recommend, is there a better low profile card that i could invest in with out using a different power supply then the 300w one i have in this computer already??

i canceled my order waiting for ur responce.

anyhow what happens if u have a video card that the psu cannot hanndle can u just declock the video card? i wouldnt know how to do that anyhow, i am just looking for the best video card i can use on a 300watt psu, post a link.


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## TheMatt (May 9, 2006)

Very overclocked 7300GT, is as fast as a 7600GS at stock speeds:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814122008

520 MHz core
128 bit 1400 MHz GDDR3
8 Pipelines

Also consumes less power.


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## Spears711 (Apr 7, 2007)

that card is not low profile.


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## TheMatt (May 9, 2006)

Yes it is. It is more low profile than a 7600GS. Just because the card is physically smaller doesn't classify it as low profile. All it means is that the card does not consume a lot of power, generally so little that it doesn't require an additional power connector from the PSU.


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## Spears711 (Apr 7, 2007)

TheMatt said:


> Yes it is. It is more low profile than a 7600GS. Just because the card is physically smaller doesn't classify it as low profile. All it means is that the card does not consume a lot of power, generally so little that it doesn't require an additional power connector from the PSU.


I always have known “low profile” when it comes to video cards, as a video card that can use a low profile bracket. And yes i am sure almost all low profile cards don’t need a extra power connector from the PSU. Though I am pretty positive that card will not fit in my mini case unless there is a version that can use a low profile bracket.


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## TheMatt (May 9, 2006)

It it won't fit in your case, then go with the card you had picked out.


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## Spears711 (Apr 7, 2007)

i am going to try the Visiontek Radeon X1650 Pro HD.
and ill see if that works.. because it was the best low profile card i could find.
i mite need a new psu but it ill find that out when i try the card.
it comes wensday i think. if it dose not work i am going with the 7600GS.


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## TheMatt (May 9, 2006)

The problem is that the X1650 Pro consumes A LOT more power than the 7600GS. 

Do not attempt to run the X1650 Pro on the 250 w PSU, or you could risk damaging the card and/or motherboard from being underpowered.


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## 1 g0t 0wn3d (Jan 31, 2007)

I second


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## Spears711 (Apr 7, 2007)

I understand, plus its a 300 watt psu, do u know exactully how much power is going to be used from the x1650 pro? the psu is 300 watts and the system requirements are 300 watt psu.


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## TheMatt (May 9, 2006)

You should be looking at something like this:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371002

The minimum requirement is assuming you have an incredibly weak processor in there and a very low end motherboard.


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## Spears711 (Apr 7, 2007)

i need a new case and psu now. i dont know if this motherboard would fit into anyother case. do u know?


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## TheMatt (May 9, 2006)

You can leave the PSU out of the case. That is a MicroBTX motherboard most likely, so you would have a limited selection of cases. These would work:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...E&N=2010090007+1054817804&name=ATX/+BTX+Tower


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## Spears711 (Apr 7, 2007)

Because Intel designed the board layout for BTX and how BTX cases are made to some degree. Lucky for everyone else - Dell is about the ONLY company that actually uses the intel BTX standard.
Usally you can tell if a case is BTX because it opens on the right not the left, except for those odd ball cases out there.

I have thought about buying a new case for the whole computer but i was wondering if there is a motherboard that i could buy to put in a new case. rather than using the motherboard from this computer, i just need a motherboard that is compatible with the rest of the computer, obviously i will not be able to use the cd drive, floppy, and maybe other parts if you know of any. when looking for a mother board that will be compatible with the pocessor i would like it to have SLI.

So i need.
Compatible Case
Compatible Motherboard for DDR2 RAM and Processor
Compatible PSU

I have a cd drive and other stuff already.

i will post a picture of the motherboard when my family comes back from vacation with my camera.


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## TheMatt (May 9, 2006)

Getting a new motherboard will make things a whole lot easier. Take a look at this combo:

Motherboard: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130059
Power Supply: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371002
Video Card: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814122008

If you want a higher end video card, take a look at the X1650XT. It is a much better card than the X1650 Pro since the X1650 Pro only has GDDR2, and the XT has twice the pipelines and therefore twice the TMUs and ROPs.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102068

You have to make the decision for the case since a lot of the decision will be based on how it will look. This is a good example of a case with good airflow that looks nice and isn't too expensive.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811133019


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## Spears711 (Apr 7, 2007)

that motherboard lacks sli.


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## TheMatt (May 9, 2006)

If you are looking at dual video cards, take a look at this board:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128044

It will support SLI, but not crossfire. To do crossfire, take a look at this board:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813127014


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## Spears711 (Apr 7, 2007)

just a wonder what do u like better?


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## TheMatt (May 9, 2006)

I would choose the Gigabyte board personally. Aside from the SLI support (which most people perfer over nVidia) and the solid capacitors, it has better minor features such as digital coax out, and a large space between the two PCIe x16 slots.


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## The Scarecrow (Mar 21, 2007)

You could always buy a new case that has a PSU with it. IMHO.


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