Which Graphics Card?

[GalaxyBounce]

I have a- GeForce 6200 with TurboCache

I want to upgrade to a- Newegg.com - MSI N520GT-MD1GD3/LP GeForce GT 520 (Fermi) 1GB 64-bit DDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready Low Profile Ready Video Card

My computer can only handle playing 720p quality videos, not 1080p.
I want it to play 1080p, do you think this graphics card + 1 gb RAM upgrade will help?

Here are my computer specs-
Operating System- Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
CPU Type- DualCore Intel Pentium D 820, 2800 MHz (14 x 200)
Motherboard Name- Asus P5LP-LE (Lithium) (3 PCI, 1 PCI-E x16, 4 DDR2 DIMM, Audio, LAN, IEEE-1394)
Motherboard Chipset- Intel Lakeport i945P
Video Adapter- NVIDIA GeForce 6200SE TurboCache(TM) (256 MB)


Any help would be greatly appreciated, thanks!

[Khalil]

Welcome to pcmech forums

Can your monitor handle 1080p? What brand and model is your monitor?

Do you have the software to play Blu-ray content on your computer?

If yes to both of those then the GT520 will do the job as it is capable of 2560x1600 resolution.

[GalaxyBounce]

Thanks for the surprisingly quick response!

I have a Vizio L37HDTV10a

According to this website my TV/monitor only supports up to 1080i or 720p Vizio L37 37 in. HDTV LCD Television Review

I don't think I have the software to play Blu-ray content on my computer either. What I usually do is torrent 720p quality videos and watch those using VLC media player, so if my computer could handle 1080p, I would just switch to 1080p quality torrents.
The same goes for youtube videos (the videos skip while in 1080p quality, so I watch it in 720p).

So yeah... looks like I won't be able to watch 1080p quality anyways huh?
Should I still get the GT 520 video card? For $20, seems to be a great deal?

[David M]

Just to mention a little more detail here, being able to view 1080P is also a function of having a Bluray player whose Bluray disks have that format.

[glc]

I'd be concerned with the power supply - that sounds like a HP computer.

If your TV can't handle 1080p, there's no sense in trying to play 1080p content..........

[David M]

These specs say it is as good as high as a 1080i.
Vizio L37 37 in. HDTV LCD Television Review

You will want to Bluray player if you want to see movies in 1080i. I have never noticed any difference between progressive or interlaced.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16827249060

Or bypass your computer altogether and purchase a Bluray player at Wallmart for about 80 bucks.
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Samsung-BD...ished/15029187

[GalaxyBounce]

Thanks for the replies everyone.

Originally Posted by glc I'd be concerned with the power supply - that sounds like a HP computer. If your TV can't handle 1080p, there's no sense in trying to play 1080p content..........

Just opened up my case, looked at the PSU, 400 Watt Output. How do I find out whether my PSU will support the video card I want to get?

And yes I completely agree... can't play 1080p, just figured that out

[David M]

If you want to be able to play Bluray movies at 1080i on your TV then why fuss with buying a new graphics card and an internal Bluray optical drive when you can do the same by buying an external Bluray player for less money and connecting it directly to your TV?

[GalaxyBounce]

Originally Posted by David M If you want to be able to play Bluray movies at 1080i on your TV then why fuss with buying a new graphics card and an internal Bluray optical drive when you can do the same by buying an external Bluray player for less money and connecting it directly to your TV?

Well, I don't have any Blu-ray disks, and I'm not planning on getting any in the near future. I torrent videos for the most part, so wouldn't a Blu-ray player be useless to me? Unless I can play torrented videos via the Blu-ray player? I feel like I am missing something here?

[glc]

We may have a small issue here - would you please read forum rule #9? We can't support you if you are not downloading these movies legally.

What's the brand and model of the power supply?

[GalaxyBounce]

Originally Posted by glc We may have a small issue here - would you please read forum rule #9? We can't support you if you are not downloading these movies legally. What's the brand and model of the power supply?

I have read and completely understand the forum rules. I never stated that I was downloading movies, nor did I state that I was downloading them illegally. I simply stated that I downloaded 720p quality videos, and many, many videos on torrent sites in 720p quality are legal to download. Sorry for coming off a bit strong there.

Let me save you the time: 400W HP Power Supply 51876134 (PS-6401-08HT) for HP Pavilion Desktop PC
It is a HP 400 Watt Power Supply Model # PS-6401-08HT
All specs can be found on the link above.
Found out that the 520 GT video card requires a 12V / 18 AMP PSU with a minimum of a 300 Watt power supply.
My power supply fits the wattage requirement, but I think only has a 12 V / 17 AMP output... So I'm guessing that my PSU won't support the 520 GT video card?

Sorry I'm completely new to this whole thing so the answer is probably right in front of me, I just want to make sure.
Thanks again guys!

[glc]

It looks like it has two +12v rails - 17a and 10a - so it should be good to go. Verify this on the actual label on the PSU.

[GalaxyBounce]

http://i697.photobucket.com/albums/v...r/untitled.jpg

Looks like I'm good to go?

[glc]

Yep!