I need to replace this graphics card

[Sylon04]

My graphics card is making that horrible loud noise again. The fan is unbalanced now, and it sounds like a dirt bike. So I figure it would probably be best to just replace it.

But the problem is, I dont know what to look for. I would like another NVidia, mainly because thats what I have now and think it would be easier. Oh, and it needs to have an HDMI output because my desktop is hooked up to my HDTV. 1080p support, because I will be upgrading my disk drive to a Blu-Ray one sometime down the road. The graphics card I have now is not available off the shelf and was made special for this line of HP desktops.


What do I need to look for? This is what my current desktop specs are and the current graphics card I am running:


NVidia GeForce 9500 GS
- 512 MB GDDR2 memory
- I/O Ports: HDMI, VGA, dual-link DVI


AMD Phenom 9750 Quad-core processor 2.4Ghz

More info and specs are here:
http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?docname=c01612588&tmp_task=prodinfoCategory&lc=en&dlc=en&cc=us&product=3867491&lang=en


Can anyone point me in the right direction? Recommendations? Oh, and my big question, how the hell do I install it? Is it just plug-n-play??? Or is there a bunch of stuff I have to do first?

[Bob808]

If it's just the fan causing problems, how about swapping it out.... http://www.arctic-cooling.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=2_&mID=256 Might be able to solve your problem for 15 Euro :)

[PrimalOrB]

i dont think it was made specially for your model of pc
9500 gc is a normal model, and its just a regular old pci-e 16x card it looks like

nVidia is great, just jump over to their site and take a look at your price range.

your power supply is not really powerful enough to go a whole lot bigger (the bigger the card the more power it needs, and most these days take 2 6-pin power connectors, your power supply only has one)

options are try and find something similar (pci express 16x) roughly same specifications

or

upgrade power supply to a higher wattager that can support your quad processor and dual 6-pin video card plugs and get a better video card

the gtx series will suit all your needs, all depends how much you want to spend

the actual changing of a video card is very easy, just turn off and unplug the computer, unplug the video card (if it has a plug) unscrew the mount on it, push the little tab on the motherboard holding down a clip on the edge of the video card, and pull straight out.
installing a new one is just the reverse, and then make sure you get new video card drivers that come with it or off of the internet

[Sylon04]

I'll look into that fan thing, but I dont know if I have the clearance for it. I have something right above my Graphics card.

Are power supplies easy to put in as well? And Also, graphics cars have their own power plug???

[PrimalOrB]

the newer ones do have their own power plugs, as they can be the majority of power being used by a computer

changing a power supply is easy, you just need to unplug everything that it is currently plugged into (cd drives, hard drives, fans, motherboard, etc etc) and then plug the new one into the same things.

basically you just need to make sure it is capable of running your processor (which as a quad core probably has 2 power connectors for that, maybe one depending, im used to intel, lol) and then one or two for your video card depending on which video card you get and how many plugs you need

getting a decent brand of power supply is important because the current needs to be steady along the different types of connectors, and some cheaper ones fluctuate more which can damage hardware


essentially pick a price range for your upgrades if thats the way you want to go, and then see what fits into that. computer upgrades can get out of hand very quickly, lol!

[áÜß]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814133266&cm_re=GTS_250-_-14-133-266-_-Product

This is pretty much the same card i'm using now. 129 after mail in re-bate. I picked mine up at best buy. I <3 it, i got an SLi motherboard now and am thinking about buying a second one :D.

And FYI before you ask, it doesnt matter if you dont have DDR3 RAM in your computer you can still use GDDR3 if you have PCI express.

and with Windows7 it's pretty much plug and play

[Sylon04]

Look at what I found:


https://9500replacement.msicomputer.com/default.aspx


Now I hope they will ship to me.

[PrimalOrB]

can't beat free

[áÜß]

Weak, get a new better one!

[PrimalOrB]

in my opinion, might as well go with the free one

my reasoning being that if you upgrade to a slightly better video card... whats the point

if you shell out on a better video card you need to power supply too, which at that point is getting pricey just to get rid of some fan noise

i say fix it as is if its free, and just build a new computer or get one built sooner rather than later in the future and take full advantage of newer hardware

[áÜß]

lol i never said anything about it being practical i said it was boring lol

[PrimalOrB]

lol, yes well that is a different story

[Bob808]

You two guys want to be left alone? We can start another thread if you like.... geeks :rolleyes:








:D

[áÜß]

Psh dont be hatin

[Sylon04]

That replacement program had a problem with sending it via APO. So I said screw it and just bought a replacement from NewEgg. I just want this fucking racket to be gone. I want my computer to be quiet again.

NewEgg has already shipped it, but the tracking # they gave me doesnt work.

[Sylon04]

OMG I'M SO HAPPY!!! This replacement card is so freaking quiet, almost too quiet! haha After install, hooked it up via HDMI again, the resolution was horribly low, but I didnt even need to put the install disc into the computer, Win7 was already downloading and installing drivers for it as the computer was still starting up. After the install and a restart, Im back to normal ops, 1,000,000 times quieter :)

[Bob808]

1,000,000 times quieter? I doubt it.

:D :p

But I know what you mean about these HP desktops, even mine is so damn quiet, my external HDD makes more noise than my PC!

[Sylon04]

1,000,000 times quieter? I doubt it.

:D :p

But I know what you mean about these HP desktops, even mine is so damn quiet, my external HDD makes more noise than my PC!


Compared to what it used to sound like, I can't even tell my computer is on. Its dead silent. And that old fan made it sound like I had a dirt bike on idle sitting in my living room. I literally couldnt hear my tv unless I had the volume up really loud. My friends could hear it over my mic when playing PS3. It was that bad. Now, I love it, so quiet :)

[áÜß]

what kinda card did you get in the end?

[Sylon04]

Another NVIDIA 9500. Its a direct replacement to my old GS, but this new one is a GT, apparently the only difference is the new fan.

I am pretty pissed that the price dropped considerably on NewEgg after I bought it. Oh well, at least that fucking noise is gone, lol.