So I'm planning on getting a new graphics card today. I was thinking, since I have very little money, an NVIDEA 8600 with 1GB DDR2 RAM.
My question is, is it easy to install onto the computer and get up and running? Also, how do I check what my current power supply is?
Thanks in advance.
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warcrack
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Open up your case and look for how many watts your PSU is, and the 8600 is fine. I had one and it did me good.
Installation as in physically getting the card intact or the software? Both are easy and straightforward.
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( ArcticFrost )
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Yeah, both. If I have a card in now, do you think I'll have to remove and uninstall the current card? And how would I go about doing that, because I'm not that computer smart when it comes to stuff like this @_@
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warcrack
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Yes you will. The only way to have 2 cards simultaneously running is with an SLI bridge.
Just make sure for that card you have an x16 slot. If you have AGP or PCI your going to have to get a different card.
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Darkane
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Just a tip, the 8600 line of cards can't make full use of the 1gb of memory that comes on it, so you're probably paying a bit more than you should when a 512mb variant of the card will give you the same performance. To find the power you'll have to open the case and read a label on the side of the power supply. After everything's checked out, you simply clip the graphics card into the PCI-E slot (which will be labeled in the booklet with the graphics card) boot the pc, install the drivers that came on the disk and you're set.
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Just a tip, the 8600 line of cards can't make full use of the 1gb of memory that comes on it, so you're probably paying a bit more than you should when a 512mb variant of the card will give you the same performance. To find the power you'll have to open the case and read a label on the side of the power supply. After everything's checked out, you simply clip the graphics card into the PCI-E slot (which will be labeled in the booklet with the graphics card) boot the pc, install the drivers that came on the disk and you're set.
Indeed. Make sure to NEVER mess with with the insides of a computer of carpet.
You'll fry everything.So do it on a solid ground and tap the side of the case to ground yourself.
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warcrack
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Quote: from pleaseremove at 4:24 pm on April 22, 2008
Yes you will. The only way to have 2 cards simultaneously running is with an SLI bridge.
Just make sure for that card you have an x16 slot. If you have AGP or PCI your going to have to get a different card.
not that it affects this user, but you can have two cards running without SLI or crossfire being involved.
True but it's kind of worthless.
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Dickij03
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like he said, some of us have 3 monitors...
Ans SLI limits both cards to one output so you wont even be able to dual monitor when SLI is enabled.
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Dumbledor123
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Make sure you have a PCI-16, check your power supply (there should be a label on one of the sides. However instead of going with that 8600, I think you should got with the 9600 GT. It has 512 MB of GDDR3. DDR2 on a video card is slow, so I don't recommend that video card you are trying to buy.
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Just a tip, the 8600 line of cards can't make full use of the 1gb of memory that comes on it, so you're probably paying a bit more than you should when a 512mb variant of the card will give you the same performance. 
