GeForce 8800 GTS 640MB PCI Express x16 Video Card - VCG88GTSXPB

* DRS:

Don't buy another Dell.
Why not? Dell makes good computers...

You can do better especially for high end stuff.

I disagree. I regular buy highend stuff (dual processor workstations and
professional gfx cards), but I yet have to see any self-made system that
comes close to reliability and support to our Dell Precisions and HP
xw-Series systems. And just forget about any software certification for
self-made systems...

And if you select the
components yourself you don't have to worry about Dell buggering up by
specifying non-standard OEM configurations (ie, like they did with X-Fi
boards).

And if something fails you have to talk to lots of different vendors of
which most of them just don't know the meaning of "support". It's ok if
building yourself is a hobby, and if you can live without i.e. a failed
gfx card for several weeks, but for those that just want a system that
works trouble-free Dell is a viable option.

Benjamin

"Benjamin Gawert" wrote in message

* DRS:

Don't buy another Dell.
Why not? Dell makes good computers...

You can do better especially for high end stuff.

I disagree. I regular buy highend stuff (dual processor workstations
and professional gfx cards), but I yet have to see any self-made
system that comes close to reliability and support to our Dell
Precisions and HP xw-Series systems. And just forget about any
software certification for self-made systems...

And if you select the
components yourself you don't have to worry about Dell buggering up
by specifying non-standard OEM configurations (ie, like they did
with X-Fi boards).

And if something fails you have to talk to lots of different vendors
of which most of them just don't know the meaning of "support". It's

That pretty much describes Dell where I am. At least when I spec a
component I know what I'm getting, unlike Dell's OEM debacles where they
cripple components to cut costs but without specifying precisely what
they've done. Case in point, X-Fi Extreme Music OEM cards from Dell (model
#SB0467) without certain decoders like DTS and Dolby Ex.

ok if building yourself is a hobby, and if you can live without i.e.
a failed gfx card for several weeks, but for those that just want a
system that works trouble-free Dell is a viable option.

"Trouble-free"? That's highly arguable but this isn't really the right
forum for it.

Benjamin Gawert wrote:
* DRS:

Don't buy another Dell.
Why not? Dell makes good computers...

You can do better especially for high end stuff.

I disagree. I regular buy highend stuff (dual processor workstations and
professional gfx cards), but I yet have to see any self-made system that
comes close to reliability and support to our Dell Precisions and HP
xw-Series systems. And just forget about any software certification for
self-made systems...

And if you select the components yourself you don't have to worry
about Dell buggering up by specifying non-standard OEM configurations
(ie, like they did with X-Fi boards).

And if something fails you have to talk to lots of different vendors of
which most of them just don't know the meaning of "support". It's ok if
building yourself is a hobby, and if you can live without i.e. a failed
gfx card for several weeks, but for those that just want a system that
works trouble-free Dell is a viable option.

Benjamin


Good points, Dell could be a lot worse for end user support, but buying
a Dell, particularly for enthusiasts, made as much sense as buying an
Apple computer.

Lack of open hardware, limited hardware selections, generic build
quality and uncompetitive pricing on high-end boutique models, these
weaknesses compelled Dell to absorb Alienware to gain share in a
demographic where they never could befo the lucrative non-price
conscious discretionary spender.

I guess you can say Dell is an enthusiast computer company now...ugh, my
innards grumble when I write that but Alienware has lots and lots of
still satisfied customers....any NG lurkers have experience with Dell's
Alienware?

No. Your old 5200 card uses an AGP slot, and the 8800 GTS uses the newer
PCI-E type slot. Incompatible. Plus, you didn't list their specs, but I
suspect your power supply unit is too underpowered for the newer video card,
AND your CPU is too slow and would be a bottleneck.

--
--------
DaveW
"AIANDAS" wrote in message
...

Hi,
I currently have the GeForce FX5200 AGP 128MB and wanted to know if I
upgrade to the one in my subject matter that my machine will accept it?
Thanks in advance!

**********************************************
Another Caesar
-Cicero

WOW I can't believe what a debate this topic has started. I just got done reading everyone's comments. Thank you. From my perspective I am known, from what I am reading now, as a Prosumer. The current box has 250W power capacity and indeed it would be too weak to handle the newer cards. What I am thinking to buy is the Precision E520, sans monitor and then I would upgrade to some video card NVIDIA most likely. I want to buy a high def camera because I have a family and also like to visit mountains and make videos there as well.
Your opinions will be highly appreciated if you believe the E520 will not be good value for the money. The way I have it priced right now is @ $600 including shipping, taxes blah blah.
What I was thinking if I was to stay with the current machine is this card,
Sapphire Radeon X1650 Pro Video Card
which evidently can be handled by PowerEdge from a power perspective. It maxes out @ 512MB. Can I go higher, or is this going to be a power problem? Thanks guys!

--
**********************************************
Another Caesar
-Cicero
"Benjamin Gawert" wrote in message ...
* AIANDAS:

Sorry about that, didn't know that detail was relevant. I have the Dell
PowerEdge 400SC.

You're using a server as desktop system?

But from the research that I've been doing it looks like
it'll be a no-go since it's an AGP and not a PCI Express

Correct...

Albeit I am now thinking to buy a new machine to upgrade so I can get this
great card for the brilliant graphics.............and as I'll be doing High
Def work too

If you tell us about what exactly you do we might provide you with
alternatives to buying a new computer. If you don't play games then it's
just silly to replace a nice working computer just for the Geforce
8800GTS card. Especially since there still are powerful AGP cards...

Benjamin

* AIANDAS:

WOW I can't believe what a debate this topic has started. I just got
done reading everyone's comments. Thank you. From my perspective I am
known, from what I am reading now, as a Prosumer. The current box has
250W power capacity and indeed it would be too weak to handle the newer
cards.

It depends. It's probably more than enough for midrange cards like the
7600 series...

What I am thinking to buy is the Precision E520, sans monitor and
then I would upgrade to some video card NVIDIA most likely. I want to
buy a high def camera because I have a family and also like to visit
mountains and make videos there as well.

So if I understand you right your main application is HD editing, right?
So why do you want to buy a 8800 then? Don't you know that for video
editing the gfx card does almost *nothing*? For HD editing a lowend gfx
card like a GF6200 is more than enough, much more important is a very
strong CPU (if your editing program has SMP support then dual core is
even better), lots of RAM (2+GB, better 3GB) and very fast disk
subsystem (i.e. RAID0 for editing). The gfx card is the least thing you
have to worry about...

Your opinions will be highly appreciated if you believe the E520 will
not be good value for the money. The way I have it priced right now is @
$600 including shipping, taxes blah blah.

The Dell Precisions are good systems, we have several of them running
24hrs/day without problems...

But the Precision E520 is a ba choice not because it's Dell but because
it uses the old Pentium4/Pentium D technology which is just way
outdated. These processors are based on the old intel Netburst
technology which reaches high clock rates but offer a very low
performance per clock rate, and it generates lots of heat (which usually
means more noise). Netburst is just dead. For HD editing you definitely
don't want to buy that any more...

The best horse for you is probably a Core 2 Duo based system like the
Precision 390 or 490 or a Dimension E520....

What I was thinking if I was to stay with the current machine is this card,


Sapphire Radeon X1650 Pro Video Card

which evidently can be handled by PowerEdge from a power perspective. It
maxes out @ 512MB. Can I go higher, or is this going to be a power
problem? Thanks guys!

Video editing doesn't care how much memory your gfx card has. And just
for video editing you don't need a X1650 Pro, an GF6200 or ATI X300 does
it just fine...

Benjamin

Benjamin,
Actually the new box will be a Intel Core 2 Duo Processor E4300 (1.8Ghz 800
FSB) running no Vista Home Premium and 1 gig DDR2 SDRAM @ 533Mhz 2DIMMs. I
believe this should a good machine judging from your comments?
Also, the other reason I wanted a faster card was for the brilliant colors
one gets with the more powerful cards. OK, maybe then I don't really need
the 768MB card, as that is a gamer's delight and that does not describe me.
I have seen a 640MB model, but would 512MB suffice? Thanks!

--
**********************************************
Another Caesar
-Cicero
"Benjamin Gawert" wrote in message
...
* AIANDAS:

WOW I can't believe what a debate this topic has started. I just got done
reading everyone's comments. Thank you. From my perspective I am known,
from what I am reading now, as a Prosumer. The current box has 250W
power capacity and indeed it would be too weak to handle the newer cards.

It depends. It's probably more than enough for midrange cards like the
7600 series...

What I am thinking to buy is the Precision E520, sans monitor and then I
would upgrade to some video card NVIDIA most likely. I want to buy a high
def camera because I have a family and also like to visit mountains and
make videos there as well.

So if I understand you right your main application is HD editing, right?
So why do you want to buy a 8800 then? Don't you know that for video
editing the gfx card does almost *nothing*? For HD editing a lowend gfx
card like a GF6200 is more than enough, much more important is a very
strong CPU (if your editing program has SMP support then dual core is even
better), lots of RAM (2+GB, better 3GB) and very fast disk subsystem (i.e.
RAID0 for editing). The gfx card is the least thing you have to worry
about...

Your opinions will be highly appreciated if you believe the E520 will not
be good value for the money. The way I have it priced right now is @ $600
including shipping, taxes blah blah.

The Dell Precisions are good systems, we have several of them running
24hrs/day without problems...

But the Precision E520 is a ba choice not because it's Dell but because it
uses the old Pentium4/Pentium D technology which is just way outdated.
These processors are based on the old intel Netburst technology which
reaches high clock rates but offer a very low performance per clock rate,
and it generates lots of heat (which usually means more noise). Netburst
is just dead. For HD editing you definitely don't want to buy that any
more...

The best horse for you is probably a Core 2 Duo based system like the
Precision 390 or 490 or a Dimension E520....

What I was thinking if I was to stay with the current machine is this
card,


Sapphire Radeon X1650 Pro Video Card

which evidently can be handled by PowerEdge from a power perspective. It
maxes out @ 512MB. Can I go higher, or is this going to be a power
problem? Thanks guys!

Video editing doesn't care how much memory your gfx card has. And just for
video editing you don't need a X1650 Pro, an GF6200 or ATI X300 does it
just fine...

Benjamin

* AIANDAS:
Benjamin,
Actually the new box will be a Intel Core 2 Duo Processor E4300 (1.8Ghz 800
FSB) running no Vista Home Premium and 1 gig DDR2 SDRAM @ 533Mhz 2DIMMs. I
believe this should a good machine judging from your comments?

Yes, but better go for 2GB RAM. 1GB is very low for HD editing...

Also, the other reason I wanted a faster card was for the brilliant colors
one gets with the more powerful cards.

Whoever told you that you will get more brilliant colors with more
powerful cards has told you BS. Faster cards are only that, faster (and
that only in 3D applications - something you don't use). You will see
zero difference between a GF8800 and a ATI X300...

I have seen a 640MB model, but would 512MB suffice? Thanks!

Anything over 256MB is just wasted (basically 64MB would be enough for
you). As I said, neither your applications nor the brilliance of colors
care about how much gfx memory you have...

Benjamin

The current box I have, PowerEdge 400SC has 3 gigs of memory............now,
don't I want to upgrade my card from the paltry 128MB AGP I have for better,
what? Performance? I mean what gives that brilliant effect on the screen? My
monitor is the Samsung 172MP and I have been thinking about upgrading it to
a higher resolution screen, another Samsung most likely with a high def
resolution. Appreciate your help!

--
**********************************************
Another Caesar
-Cicero
"Benjamin Gawert" wrote in message
...
* AIANDAS:
Benjamin,
Actually the new box will be a Intel Core 2 Duo Processor E4300 (1.8Ghz
800 FSB) running no Vista Home Premium and 1 gig DDR2 SDRAM @ 533Mhz
2DIMMs. I believe this should a good machine judging from your comments?

Yes, but better go for 2GB RAM. 1GB is very low for HD editing...

Also, the other reason I wanted a faster card was for the brilliant
colors one gets with the more powerful cards.

Whoever told you that you will get more brilliant colors with more
powerful cards has told you BS. Faster cards are only that, faster (and
that only in 3D applications - something you don't use). You will see zero
difference between a GF8800 and a ATI X300...

I have seen a 640MB model, but would 512MB suffice? Thanks!

Anything over 256MB is just wasted (basically 64MB would be enough for
you). As I said, neither your applications nor the brilliance of colors
care about how much gfx memory you have...

Benjamin

* AIANDAS:

The current box I have, PowerEdge 400SC has 3 gigs of memory............now,
don't I want to upgrade my card from the paltry 128MB AGP I have for better,
what? Performance?

If you need more 3D performance then upgrading is the way to go. For 2D
apps like HD video editing going for a faster gfx card is just wasted
money. The only thing that would make sense is going for a low end card
with HD support (i.e. GF6200 or ATI X1300)...

I mean what gives that brilliant effect on the screen?

Not the 3D performance of the gfx card. And for 2D apps generally there
is no performance difference between gfx cards of the last ~8 years or so.

The "briliance" of an image is basically the same on all gfx cards, no
matter what 3D performance or how much gfx memory they have. If you use
an analog monitor (CRT or TFT with VGA input) then there are some
differences in image quality due to the varying quality of analog output
filters on most gfx card. However, buying a faster gfx card doesn't
necessarily lead to a better analog image quality which is totally
indendent of the 3D performance. It depends on how much bucks the card
manufacturer wants to save. There are cheap card with good analog image
quality and there are highend cards with awful analog image quality.

However, with TFTs with digital input (DVI) becoming more common, this
is a no-brainer because the image quality over DVI is always the same.

Benjamin