Installing a New Graphics Card

[Siena1383]

My graphics card may need replacing. How hard is it to install one, and what is involved? (Like, will I need to do any soldering or wiring?)

I have a desktop with a regular-sized (not slimline) tower, Windows XP Pro/Media Center and would be replacing an NVIDIA GeForce 6150 LE card with whatever fits and is compatible.

I've installed modems back in the days of dial-up, but never a graphics card. Is this harder, easier, the same, very different?

Thanks!

 

[aliasaid]

Its the same. No soldering or anything like that. You just insert it into the slot. It may need to be connected to the powersupply depending on the video card. The 6150 is an integrated chipset so you won't be removing anything; you will only be adding a video card if you have an available slot. You should have a pci-express slot free. So it depends on your powersupply whether it can handle your video card, depending how power hungry of a card you get.

 

[Siena1383]

Thanks for answering, aliasaid.

The label on my power supply says "Maximum output 175 watts" and even the least powerful graphics cards seem to require at least 300W output. So I don't know what to do.

Anyone have any ideas? Buying a new computer would mean I wouldn't be able to use most of my software, so I really want to save this one.

 

[memory]

You definitely need a new power supply. What kind of software do you have that you will not be able to use on a new machine?

 

[Siena1383]

MS Office 2003, old Visual Studio, old Adobe PhotoShop and probably other stuff I'm not remembering at this second.

 

[memory]

I would think you would be able to use that software on a new machine as long as you uninstall it from the old machine.

 

[Siena1383]

No, it's too old to be compatible with Windows 7. I'm told even Office 2003 won't work.

In any case, i can't really afford - and don't want - a new system.

Can anyone offer any ideas for fixing the one I have????

 

[Slaymate]

If you would list the components in your system, by Manufacturer and Model# if possible, it would help.
Motherboard
Power Supply

Is this a Dell, HP or something simular? Then we'll only need the make and model of the tower and not the components.

 

[DoubleHelix]

Who told you Office 2003 can't be installed on Windows 7? I haven't tried it yet, but I have no doubt that it can. Windows 7 has a compatibility mode that can be used to install software that might give fits, but unless we're talking about ancient software here, it would probably work.

You haven't provided any information about your computer, so it's hard to recommend anything. However, a 175W power supply indicates a very old, brand-name computer, so your video card options are probably very limited.

If your only problem is that you installed a piece of software that caused a problem with your system, reinstalling Windows would be a cheap option to get things back up and running if neither uninstalling the application or system restore work.

 

[Siena1383]

Okay, sorry. I have an HP Invent (or HP Pavilion 061 - it says one in some places, the other in other places). Model number is a1600n. Geez, I've got it memorized now!

Motherboard:
--- Mfr: ASUSTek
--- Product Name: NODUSM3
--- Version 3.07
--- Release Date: 08/02/2006 (interesting, since I bought it in January of 2006)
--- ROM: 512 KB

Chips: AMD Athlon 64 x Dual Core Processor 3800+ CPU:0
--- Speed: 1.75 GHz
and: AMD Athlon 64 x Dual Core Processor 3800+ CPU:1
--- Speed: 2.00 GHz

Total Physical Memory: 960 MB
Free Physical Memory: 448.44 MB
Total Virtual Memory: 2.00 GB
Free Virtual Memory: 1.95 GB

Hard Drive: ST3200820AS

Video Card: NVIDIA GeForce 6150 LE (integrated chipset, I'm told)
Sound Card: RealTek
Network Card: NVIDIA nForce Networking Controller

Ooperating System: Windows XP Media Center Edition Professional, Service Pack 3
DirectX: 9.0c

Good thing you don't need all this for an HP, because PC Doctor isn't listing the power supply. I'll log off and open the box and get that info on here anyway, for anyone willing to take a look who doesn't have access to HP model specs.

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DoubleHelix, a techie at a store told me that about Office 2003 not being usable on Windows 7. Glad to know he's wrong, but I don't want a new PC. I really want to use THIS hard drive. It occurs to me I'd be better off trying to find & buy a used HP, the model I have, and moving my HD to that box if I must.

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One more question. Yes, I'm a noob, and after all these years, too! Anyway, I ran chkdsk, something I have done since the days of Windows 95. So it ran, and then the DOS window closed and that was that. So, newbie question: Wouldn't it have generated a log file? And if so, where would that file be????