Best options for PCI?

[360freak]

I really got screwed over with my Dell Dimension E310. Not only does it not have any AGP or PCI-E slots, it has the discontinued BTX motherboard in it, so I can't even swap it out. I'm trying to weigh my options for a PCI graphics card. Right now I have an NVidia FX 5500 installed. And can anyone tell me about these Sparkle and Diamond cards? Sparkle looks like generic versions of NVidia cards. Are they any good? Here are some others I've found:

ATI HD 2400 Pro - 256mb PCI version

Sparkle GeForce 8500 GT

ATI VisionTek X1550


Can you add more options that you know of and tell me what my best option is? And what's with all these generic cards?

[mjc]

That machine was an 'entry level' media machine (as per Dell's info)...so upgradability is going to be severely lacking.

It has on-board video...and not 'fantastic' on-board at that...

Supposedly it has one PCIe 1x slot and two PCI slots.

Entry level machines are known for having barely adequate power supplies...it is only 230 W. One of the problems, is the fact that it is a BTX machine, so any add-in card is going to be pushing the capabilities of that power supply...which is not going to be cheap or easy to find an upgrade for.

I wouldn't bother spending any money on this machine...save up for a new, preferably custom built machine.

[360freak]

I can't just slap in any other more powerful power supply?
And power supply set aside, what about the cards? And I did see some PCI-E 1x cards from SPARKLE I think. How do these generic cards compare to the actual NVidias?

[mjc]

The voltages and cables for a BTX and an ATX power supply are the same...its the size/location of the mounting that may make it hard to find a replacement...especially when dealing with a very proprietary system like that Dell. You are pretty much stuck with what you've got, unless you can find a direct, but more powerful replacement, and if Dell has one it will be prohibitively expensive.

Here's one...but it is out of stock...

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817701003

Most of the add-in cards are going to require at least a 300W power supply.

BTX is pretty much an orphaned standard, so finding parts, is not going to be easy.

[360freak]

Alright, so assuming I have the power supply out of the way, what card should I look into? I don't see the point in getting a high end generic NVidia card in PCI format, since it will just bottleneck and perform no better then a low end GeForce 6xxx. I think it's down to the ATI HD 2400 Pro or the Sparkle GeForce 8400 GS in the PCI-E x1 version. Can you think of any others? And what would the HD 2400 Pro equate to for NVidia?

[mjc]

I guess the next question will be...what are you going to be using it for?

[360freak]

Light gaming and Mac uses such as video editing and photo editing. Either way, I'm just looking for a general comparison between the two cards.

[mjc]

Neither card is going to be all that great...but the Ati card will probably be better for video work.