Single slot cards!!

saddare

Hi board,

I bougth a really cheap dell advertised on the boards here (dimension E520) and was planning on upgrading in nice graphics card so i left it out.. the dell stuff was expensive. Also a low card.. now i realise why.

Anyhow i opened the box and it looked like lots of room but when i went and bought a HISx1950xt 256mb card i found it wouldnt fit due to a nasty design of the cpu heatsink.

So now i need to either exchange the card for a single slot card or rip out the heat sink and replace it with a different uber one that will keep it cool but no take up that much space.

Can anyone recommend a mega single slot card? I cant find a 7950gt anywhere local or in uk and it seems pretty sweet.

Any one changed a heat sink in a dimension E520?
What did they use?

TerrorFirmer

I'm not really familiar with the E520 but what is it about the heatsink thats so nasty? Is it a stock intel cooler or something else?

Also, single slot cards, there are plenty. Some X1950Pros, X1950GT, the 7900GS, etc. While the X1950XT is a sweet card, you do realise that the power supply in the E520 isn't very powerful and isn't guaranteed to work with some higher end cards....though it'll probably work with most.

saddare

Not sure what the steel intel on is.. but the genral heatsink is enclosed in a big bulky rubbish structure designed to hold the sink on the cpu.. takes up lots of room.
12cm by 12cm ish.

The pcie x16 slot is right beside this.. let me find a link to the system board.

E520 manual

In the case view you see the big funny plastic thing the funnels the fan air from the cpu.
In the system overview you see the small distance between the pcie card and the cpu.. imagine that squared off and a few cm closer the pcie slot.... it is really only the pin hole nearest the pcie slot that is the big issue.

Contemplating hacking the plastic thing to bits to fit it in but then all null and void = warranty.

saddare

A pic to help you.
IMG_3242.jpg

papu

pull the sucker out of there?

the big plastic thing that is , maybe it'l fit then?

astrofool

Looks like Dell Messed up the design of a BTX case, the PCI-E x16 slot should be down one further, you don't have a backplate space for the second slot anyway.

saddare

Astrofool.. by backplate space you mean the opening through which the vent should expel air? Yes correct.. if i decided to hack the plastic thing i would have to hack the slot and make it bigger... also hack the card too cos the integrated usb housing on the mobo above the vent area is in the way of the plain metal support of the graphics card.
It is doable but very messy and totally voids all warranties.... card and pc.

The E520 is a single slot card only.
Now i bougth it only for games So i need the best single slot card i can get my hand on.

Any suggestions? Havoc says X1950Pros, X1950GT, the 7900GS...i am looking for a 7950gt but cant find one in stock anywhere in PCIe.
8600's suck... i think!

Everything else is too low spec or double slotted.

Thanks for the posts.

TerrorFirmer

http://overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=GX-064-OK

http://www.dabs.ie/productview.aspx?Quicklinx=4N0Q&SearchType=1&SearchTerms=x1950&PageMode=3&SearchKey=All&SearchMode=All&NavigationKey=0

http://www.komplett.ie/k/ki.aspx?sku=331534

Some decent single slot cards at cheap prices, X1950Pro and X1950GT. 7900GS's generally cost more and aren't as good, and it's impossible to find 7950 cards.

8600GTS, the one worth considering in terms of performance at least, doesn't really suck, more its poor value for money. In the latest games though, it's starting to gradually get better, so it's not as bad an option as it used to be, but, to be honest, its still not great for the price.

Anti

just get a x1950pro. and i dont think you can rip the plastic off from the cpu cooler, as far as i know its used to hold the aluminium block down.

saddare

If i could get my hands on a 7950gt from usa.... would you recommend it over the 1950pro and 8600gts?

Not worried about delivery... i can order something else that will save on cost of delivery...?


Is it bad that its already overclocked... never understood concept of OC!

saddare

Anyone>??

Cassiel

there is a 7950gt on ebay right now.
Seen misco.co.uk have the 7900gs but it is around €160. I know they get absolutely slated but the 8600gts has comparable performance to the 7900gs and it is a silly €115 on www.dabs.ie. both cards are very good for 1280x1024 res gaming.

TerrorFirmer

The 8600GTS for 115 on dabs is actually a 8600gt with the wrong heading...:)