Graphics card confusion

[Guest]

So I went to my local PC world to check about upgrading my graphics card, and they said I could only fit a low profile one, so I've been looking at low profile graphics cards, mainly this:
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=GX-058-KF

and this

http://www.amazon.com/Zotac-GeForce-Express-Graphics-ZT-61008-10M/dp/B00BM1PA9C

However looking at my computer, I only have the HDMI port and the plug thing where the monitor is connected to, like the top bracket on the fourth picture of the zotac card. So will either or these graphics cards fit? Sorry I'm not to clever with this sort of thing!

 

[bigpinkdragon286]

How about list the make / model of computer you have, or what chassis / enclosure you are using if it's a custom built machine? We might be able to give you suggestions or answers that make better sense to you.

 

[Guest]

http://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/computing/desktop-pcs/desktop-pcs/packard-bell-imedia-s2185-desktop-pc-21656681-pdt.html This is the computer, I don't know much more than that unfortunately.

 

[bigpinkdragon286]

That is definitely a low profile chassis.

In the picture you can see the back of the chassis with two identical metal plates, near the top, each having two plus shaped holes in them. Those are removable for the installation of add-in boards, such as the low profile graphics card you are interested in purchasing. The cards will have their own video outputs which will supersede the graphics outputs already on the computer.

Your question seems to be, are the cards you listed going to fit, and the answer would be, most likely. There are two factors that usually govern whether a card is considered low-profile, the PCB and the bracket. The PCB (Printed Circuit Board) is the main board that houses all of the components. These have to be specifically designed to fit within the limits of a low-profile chassis. The bracket is simply the metal end cap that fits where your removable back plate covers usually sit in the computer chassis. Since low-profile cards can be used with standard profile computers also, there are usually two different brackets included, which is why when you look at some of the pictures on web sites, it looks like the bracket may be too long to actually fit a low-profile chassis. The brackets are usually held with two screws, and the hex-nuts holding the output sockets to the bracket, making them easily interchangeable.

Notice, for low profile cards, if there is a third connector, it is often attached to the main PCB via a ribbon cable. This is because in low-profile systems, it often won't fit the main bracket, so there might be a need to use a second low profile bracket to hold the extra connector. The ribbon cable allows the end user to locate the extra connector in another location, or if the connector is not needed for your particular display type, there is no harm in simply removing the ribbon cable and connector and just using the connectors that are soldered to the PCB.

The link to the card at Amazon is a perfect example. It shows how the card ships, with the regular bracket attached, and then in the fourth picture down, shows the two low-profile brackets that are included. Simply remove the bracket the card ships with, and attach the primary low-profile bracket, and the card is then fully low-profile compatible. Use the second bracket (with single output hole) if you wanted to keep the ribbon cable output attached to the card.

The other link, to the card on overclockers.co.uk, is not going to be compatible out of the box. If you read below in the specifications for the card, the low-profile bracket is not included. so you would be left to find a low-profile bracket for that particular card separately. Brackets can vary, so you would need to ensure it is compatible to the card purchased.

I hope this helps with your question.

 

[sora]

So I went to my local PC world to check about upgrading my graphics card, and they said I could only fit a low profile one, so I've been looking at low profile graphics cards, mainly this:
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=GX-058-KF

and this

http://www.amazon.com/Zotac-GeForce-Express-Graphics-ZT-61008-10M/dp/B00BM1PA9C

However looking at my computer, I only have the HDMI port and the plug thing where the monitor is connected to, like the top bracket on the fourth picture of the zotac card. So will either or these graphics cards fit? Sorry I'm not to clever with this sort of thing!

I personally think that the GTX 650 should fit fine.