Curse

Diana Belevere · Dec 20, 2009, 09:05 PM // 21:05

I'm not really a tech savy person, so I'm hoping you guys can help me out.

I'm looking at buying a new desktop. The graphics card in the computer is a NVIDIA GeForce G210 512MB.

1. Most likely I'll want to upgrade the video card in the future. What do I need to know about my computer in order to pick a new card that would be compatiable with my system?

2. I need to get a monitor for my new desktop. What do I need to know in order to pick out one that would be compatiable with the system? I was told it had something to do with the resolution supported by the video card and the types of connections the desktop accepts.To be honest, I really have no idea. So if someone could explain it, I'd be very grateful.

Here's the computer I'm looking at btw..
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16883227184

possible monitor
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16824236032

Thank You!

Burst Cancel · Dec 20, 2009, 10:23 PM // 22:23

1. Looking at the PC specs, you should be okay with any single-GPU graphics card upgrade. The things you need to know for video card upgrades are power supply (in this case, 480W) and interface bus (PCIe 2.0 x16). The only potential problem here is if the particular power supply used in this machine is of low quality and either has problems delivering its rated power or has a weak 12V rail; to find this out, you need to know the brand and model of the power supply.

2. Any monitor is okay with a modern graphics card. Most (all?) graphics cards support higher resolutions than any single consumer-level monitor can even display, and have dual-link DVI or HDMI connectors to provide the necessary bandwidth. The most common connection for modern desktops and monitors is DVI -> DVI, but you can use VGA-DVI or HDMI-DVI adapters also. In short, don't worry about it.

Elder III · Dec 20, 2009, 10:48 PM // 22:48

1. - It has a PCI Express x16 2.0 slot for the video card, so just about any standard video card will fit in there. Which video card to get depends on your budget, if you want a mid to high end video card you will need to upgrade the Power Supply as well.

2. The current video card in there has DVI, HDMI, and VGA ports on it, so literally any new LCD monitor will work. Once again, your budget (and desk space) is the only biggest here.

What games will you be playing? That and the size of the monitor you get are important to suggesting a new video card for you.

Lord Sojar · Dec 20, 2009, 11:14 PM // 23:14

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16883227200

^ Better deal that the system you linked, barring no other changes. Only 10 dollars more for double the performance.

Or this for even more kick.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16883229124

Only thing that concerns me about this one is that it only has a 420w PSU. That isn't very hefty, and the system above has a 680w. More upgrade room in the first system compared to this one.