Graphics Card upgrade

[Dristin]

I am upgrading my PC for gaming and the only thing I really need is a new video card. In fact the PC I have does not even have one. I have a dell inspiron 530s and I do not know what video card will fit in it. Yes I know it would be better to get a different PC but I can't afford the cost. $100 compared to $1500 is a big difference. Any suggestions would help. Links please if possible to newegg.

[warty goblin]

You need to find out a three (3) different things.

1: What videocard slots your motherboard has on it. This can be done by finding out what sort of motherboard you have, then looking it up. To find out what sort of motherboard you have, open the case and read what it says on the motherboard.

2: What power supply you have available. Pretty much the same process as above, although you need to check that it can provide enough power for your videocard after you take into account all the power consumption of your hard drive, processor and so on.

3: How much space there is in your computer. For this I suggest a tape measure.

Corollary: You probably want to make sure your case is very well cooled.

Corollary 2: You can get a monster of a computer anymore for way, way under $1500, particularly if you already have a case with the RAM and hard drive. Observe:

Processor: 3.0 ghz, 4 cores. $185, or $205 w/ motherboard.
Videocard: GeForce 9800 GT OC 1GB $185 - $30 rebate + free CoD: WaW
Motherboard: http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboD...t=Combo.209473, in the packaged deal. It seem to fit all the requirements of the CPU and GPU.

Total- $390, and a free game. It's not cutting edge, but it's really not half bad, and will compute pretty much anything on the market today just fine.

[zyphyr]

According to wikipedia:

The motherboard used in the 530s is the exact same Foxconn G33m02 mATX motherboard used in the Inspiron 530. While almost any low profile PCI-E x16 video card will physically fit in the 530s, the custom sized Delta 250W power supply that the 530s is equipped with may seriously limit the potential for using higher end cards.

So...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...o+card&x=0&y=0

Those are the the ones physically compatible with your machine. The more powerful a given card is, the more likely it is that your power supply will be inadequate to handle it.

[tyckspoon]

For a slimline case, it looks like an HD 4650 is the most powerful card you can reasonably expect to use. Everything else is either too large or too power-hungry. Sparkle does make a low-profile 9800 GT which seems to be the most powerful low-profile card available, but I wouldn't want to try running it on a Dell-standard power supply.

[OracleofWuffing]

The path of least resistance is to go to Parts and Upgrades for Your Dell, and punch in the service tag or use their system analyzer. That'll let you know what sorts of upgrades Dell would have done on your computer, and that would probably encompass video card upgrades. And, well, since it's all Dell's homework, they're pretty much guaranteed to run with your computer, without concerns for the power supply or cooling.

Once you know what you can do from that, shop around. Dell may not have the cheapest price.