New Graphics Card Solution?

shimo

shimo

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It looks like my graphics card went kaput, but I don't know what card I should buy to replace it.

This is my old card: http://i.imgur.com/8glkhl.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/wL5Eql.jpg

This is its listing from Newegg Newegg.com - ASUS EN9500GT/DI/1GD2/V2/A GeForce 9500 GT 1GB 128-bit DDR2 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card

I think for my next card, I would like two DVI output instead of one DVI and one VGA. HDMI is optional (I don't use it, but I would like to in the distant future.)

I primarily use photoshop on my computer (large files), and casually play games like sims 3, starcraft 2. So framerate is not a major concern... but I was really happy with the performance I got out of my old card (60fps easy). Three or four times a month I also edit and process videos.

I only want to spend about a hundred bucks on a new card, and I'm hoping it will be an nVidia-based chipset.

My concerns are:
1. Should I buy the same card ($75) and SLI bridge the old card with the new card? The old card will output onto HDMI but it will not output to DVI or VGA.
2. Are PCIe2 and PCIe3 graphics cards interchangeable? (both PCIe x16?)
3. What are all the numbers that are measured with mHz? Are these numbers important if I want to SLI bridge?
4. It looks like geforce is not popular anymore. What is the new graphics card naming scheme?

This is my motherboard: http://www.msi.com/product/mb/P6N-SLI-Platinum.html#/?div=Basic
I run windows 7 but I want to update to windows 8 next year.
 
Last edited:
1. Should I buy the same card ($75) and SLI bridge the old card with the new card? The old card will output onto HDMI but it will not output to DVI or VGA.

I thought your old card is going kaput, why need to SLI bridge them?

2. Are PCIe2 and PCIe3 graphics cards interchangeable? (both PCIe x16?)

Basically, you can put PCIe3 card in PCIe x16 slot, but you won't get PCIe3 level. It will work.

3. What are all the numbers that are measured with mHz? Are these numbers important if I want to SLI bridge?

Um, what mHz? Where do you get that from?

4. It looks like geforce is not popular anymore. What is the new graphics card naming scheme?

AMD and nIVIDA are popular now, they both are pretty good chipset for graphic card out there. MSI, Sapphire, XFX, and few more are good card manufacturer. I have heard that XFX company are best for replacing any of XFX card if it's problem.

Before you considering getting SLI or CrossfireX (AMD) or newer graphic card, you should concern about your PC ablility to handle power hungry graphic card(s). Some computers would have 400 Watt PSU (power supply unit) and if you added a newer card that may draw more power and then your PC will have power problem.

Just wanted to give you a head up on this.

There is a link for list of graphic card that will work with MSI motherboard: http://www.msi.com/file/test_report/TR1_1140.pdf So, before considering buying a card, look at the list to see if it's comparitablity.
 
I don't think power will be an issue.

I replaced the power supply only a couple years ago with the assumption that I was building a gaming rig.

I was thinking SLI because the card seems to be working... it will output to HDMI, but it won't display anything from VGA or DVI. My initial thought was to buy a new card (I figured since the card was over a year old, it must be really cheap now) and SLI bridge them just for the hell of it, but it turned out 9500GT is still kind of expensive. So I don't think I will SLI.

I got a couple good suggestions as to what kind of graphics card I should aim for, but I'm not sure what the difference is between nvidia's GT and GTS naming scheme.

For example, which card is better?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/MSI-Cyclone-OC-NVIDIA-GeForce-GTX-550-Ti-1GB-PCI-E-2-0-x16-Graphics-Video-Card-/330825157823?pt=PCC_Video_TV_Cards&hash=item4d06b74cbf
Newegg.com - ASUS GT630-2GD3 GeForce GT 630 2GB 128-bit DDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready Video Card

They're both around the same 80~90$ price range. One clearly has more RAM, but otherwise I can't tell which is better.
 
speaking of budget gaming PC? I spend alot money to build my own high-end PC gaming.
 
I agree with JMH and would add that you need to consider the case and fan as well, airflow and heat are going to be a factor.

I'm looking at an SLI box now as I'd like to move to a new card as well. My current box, a dell, can't handle the power and the case can't handle the heat. As I understand it, the board needs to handle SLI too.
 
shimo said:
I don't think power will be an issue.

I replaced the power supply only a couple years ago with the assumption that I was building a gaming rig.

I was thinking SLI because the card seems to be working... it will output to HDMI, but it won't display anything from VGA or DVI. My initial thought was to buy a new card (I figured since the card was over a year old, it must be really cheap now) and SLI bridge them just for the hell of it, but it turned out 9500GT is still kind of expensive. So I don't think I will SLI.

I got a couple good suggestions as to what kind of graphics card I should aim for, but I'm not sure what the difference is between nvidia's GT and GTS naming scheme.

For example, which card is better?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/MSI-Cyclone-OC-NVIDIA-GeForce-GTX-550-Ti-1GB-PCI-E-2-0-x16-Graphics-Video-Card-/330825157823?pt=PCC_Video_TV_Cards&hash=item4d06b74cbf
Newegg.com - ASUS GT630-2GD3 GeForce GT 630 2GB 128-bit DDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready Video Card

They're both around the same 80~90$ price range. One clearly has more RAM, but otherwise I can't tell which is better.
Click to expand...

If I'm going to pick one of two you mentioned - I will go for MSI card.
 
Evo Dragon said:
speaking of budget gaming PC? I spend alot money to build my own high-end PC gaming.
Click to expand...

Yes, this is what this machine was intended for initially.

My budget was about $1200. But I built this machine in 2008, so of course..
it's not really that amazing anymore 8)
but it still does what I need from it. (photoshop, light video editing, starcraft 2)

But the problem is not that it is a custom built computer,
but that I need to replace the video card and I don't know what to pick.
It's been a while since I've paid attention to computer hardware,
so it's hard to tell if the new stuff will be compatible with my older machine.
 
Primary reason - memory.

Sure, MSI have 1GB and ASUS have 2GB - BUT ASUS is using DDR3 memory which is bit older version of memory. MSI got GDDR5 which is newer and more powerful than DDR3. That's why I picked MSI over ASUS.
 
Ah dear..
Unfortunately, it looks like there's more to this problem than a faulty graphics card. I hooked up my computer to a different monitor, and it was able to display with no problems... let me just list everything I did to troubleshoot this issue:

1. connecting my computer to my monitor using a DVI cable: No display
2. connecting my computer to an HDMI TV using a VGA cable: Display
3. connecting another computer to my monitor using a VGA cable+DVI adaptor: Display
4. connecting another computer to another monitor using my DVI cable: Display
5. connecting my computer to an HDMI TV using a HDMI cable: Display
6. connecting my computer to a different monitor using a DVI cable: Display
7. Reseating the graphics card and then 1.: No display
8. Installing the video card into the PCIe x8 slot on my motherboard and then 1.: No display
9. Trying the second DVI port on my monitor and then 1.: No display

from 2, 5, and 6, I can tell my video card is functioning properly.
from 3, I can confirm my monitor still works.
from 4 I can tell that my DVI cable does not have any issues.

The only thing I haven't tried now is
10. connecting another computer to my monitor using DVI cable.
11. connecting my computer to my monitor using a different DVI cable.

If this displays nothing, then there's something wrong with my monitor's DVI connection.... or is there? If it can display VGA with a DVI adaptor, then isn't my monitor functioning correctly?

My monitor only has DVI in.

I am so confused! The video card is working, there is no issues with the DVI cable as far as I can tell, and the monitor is functioning. Yet when I hook my computer up to my monitor, even though it has worked fine for over 2 years, there is nothing displayed, not even the bios boot up.


Well, on the plus side, because I was able to get my desktop to boot to windows using a different monitor, now at least I can access files on it over network. But it would be able to use the computer directly... especially for games :(
 
PCIe 8x slot? I think you need upgrade motherboard with PCIe 16x 2.0 or 3.0 is better video quality with Digital Dual Link cable (DVI)
 
Evo, if you read carefully, he moved his video card from x16 to x8 to test it. ;)

There must be some setting somewhere that caused the DVI disabled when DVI is using on your #1 PC. It's weird issue...
 
...ok... even more bizarre..

I plugged my monitor into a different computer using DVI: Display

Since my desktop was already on right next to where I was, I tried plugging in the DVI cable into my computer: Display!

So... now there is no problem...

I wish I could know what I was doing wrong the first few times I tried unplugging and replugging in everything -_-
 
lol, maybe the solution to the problem: unplug everything and plug it back. Bang! It's fixed.
 
MHz on graphic cards are usually about the GPU/Shader clock rates. It's the same as CPU/Processor frequencies. Higher it is, the faster.

You might find two companies that make the same product, for example like your 9500GT

Newegg.com - ASUS EN9500GT OC/DI/512M GeForce 9500 GT 512MB 128-bit DDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card

Asus 9500GT:
Has a GPU clock of 600MHz, Shader clock of 1375MHz, and DDR2 Memory clock running at 800MHz.

Newegg.com - EVGA 512-P3-N954-TR GeForce 9500 GT 512MB 128-bit DDR2 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card

EVGA 9500GT:
Has a GPU Clock of 550MHz, Shader Clock of 1400MHz, and DDR2 Memory clock running at 1000MHz.

Other companies also make that 9500GT, but may have higher or slower frequencies. You generally won't notice a difference between same technology and slightly different speeds, but you will notice a difference in double or triple the rates as technology improves. General rule of thumb higher then number, is faster is better but really that depends on what you are using it for.


As for your problem, it sounds like a fluke. Did you try using your non-working DVI monitor on another computer using the DVI cable only? Maybe just some static electricity on your stuff or something generated from Sandy.
 
Maybe it was static electricity or something.. not sure.

I just know right now the setup is working, so I'm going with
"If it ain't broken, don't fix it!"

Thank you for the graphics card suggestions.
If my card breaks in the near future, now I know what to get :)
 
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