Nvidia 8600 GTS

[jordan835]

Hey again:wavey:,

so, i'm going to get a new graphics card, an nvidia 8600 GTS. I was wondering how well it would run COD 4?

I have a vga monitor but it outputs dvi, is it possible to get a cable or adapter to convert it over?

my psu is, well, not so good, its about 305W, would this cause a problem?

Finally, does it require any fan plug in things, or is it just plug into the PCI-E and install drivers job?

*edit* I have been looking around and there seems to be sevral diffrent versions of this model, each with diffrent looks and prices, can anyone fill me in on why and what the diffrence is?

Any and all help appreciated

 

[Rastalovich]

Couple of things.

All the 8600 cards I`ve had have had a DVI->VGA adaptor thingy - so ur ok there.

305W.. eek.. sounds like it could be generic too. IF u had a quality 400-500W, I`d say u`d be ok. @ 305W, I`d feel pretty edgey. Difference between a quality 400W and a generic 305W can be more than 95W effectively. Whether 400W is ok would depend on ur other kit.

It`ll plug into the pci-e, and had a rear plug to pick up some extra juice. NOW, some psus come with a pcie power plug, but not all of them seem to be either strong enough or comply with what the gfxcard people are doing. But to get around this anyway, the gfxcard people enclose a dongle that will allow u to plug in 2 regular molex connectors to make a pcie power thingy - so u be fine. (if u got spare molex connectors that is). So if u power up and it seems ok, but no picture, u may need to use the supplied dongle.

COD4 performance... never tried it tbh. All I can say on this is that the demo ran well on a 7600GT @ 1680x1050, with settings turned down obviously. I would trust that with a 8600GT - the settings can be turned up. Not maximum maybe.. dunno on how far u can go.

Differences? I think the base one runs @ 600 or 650 mhz. Quickest one I *think* I seen was a 720. Either way - the deal is here that the manufacturers have increased the clock speed before they sell them. A factory overclock if u like. May sound good to get one clocked really high, but I`d be careful as to how much extra they charge u for the relative increase. Some of these increases, that may cost an extra $30/$50, can be achieved by a user by changing a setting. But if u want it as fast as possible "out of the box", u pay the extra for it. An oc`er would be more inclined to buy a cheaper slower one and clock it themselves, perhaps with fancy cooling.

 

[jordan835]

ok, im going to couple it with a Q6600, i think, so a new PSU is a must then.

In that case i now have a few more questions. . .

Is there diffrent sizes of psu's or is it 'one size fits all'?

can you recomenc any psu's, cheaper ones if possible lower than £40/50 (im a bit short on money)?

Thanks

 

[Rastalovich]

Hmm. There are a wide range of psus out there, good for different purposes.

Usually it`s nice to spot the psu u want and either save for it or whatever. But seeing as ur in the market for 40/50 pound, I think u need to bare a small number of things in mind:

500w+

EPS 12v 8pin connector - if ur mobo needs one.

12v 4 pin connector - if ur mobo needs one.

20 or 24 pin connector - depending on what ur mobo needs.

Enough molex or SATA power connectors for the drives u have. Plus perhaps 1 or 2 spare for ur future additions.

Efficiency of about 80%+

And a good name brand.

OC3D reviews and test a whole bunch of psus, which is a good read here.

Don`t be waivered by the technicalities of the terms to look out for. A quality seller will always have the specs of a psu when u click on it.

 

[Toxcity]

Hmm. There are a wide range of psus out there, good for different purposes.

Usually it`s nice to spot the psu u want and either save for it or whatever. But seeing as ur in the market for 40/50 pound, I think u need to bare a small number of things in mind:

500w+

EPS 12v 8pin connector - if ur mobo needs one.

12v 4 pin connector - if ur mobo needs one.

20 or 24 pin connector - depending on what ur mobo needs.

Enough molex or SATA power connectors for the drives u have. Plus perhaps 1 or 2 spare for ur future additions.

Efficiency of about 80%+

And a good name brand.

OC3D reviews and test a whole bunch of psus, which is a good read here.

Don`t be waivered by the technicalities of the terms to look out for. A quality seller will always have the specs of a psu when u click on it.

lol you do confuzzel peeps rast!

But well done on the superb help you provide.

If I was looking for a nice new PSU I would have a look at Tagan. Very high quality PSUs.

Hopefully you have an ATX PSU.. which is the standard dimensions for computer power supplys. If not we might find ourselves hunting!

 

[Pat123]

Ide says corsair HX520W or something similar.

 

[jordan835]

Thanks for all the help.

I found out i have a BTX motherboard and did some looking about and found an ATX PSU will work with it:yumyum: