Unsure about graphics card for my computer, please help

[Tim_G]

Hey guys,

My friend told me to come to this forum for graphics cards, as he said this is a very knowledgable forum.

My question is that I want to run an ATI Radeon HD 5670 PCI-Express card, Which seems to be an x16 card. I just recently checked my computer specs, and the motherboard only has two PCIe x4 slots..

"Slots Information :
Slot PCI-Express : x4 [3.3v] - Empty
Slot PCI-Express : x4 [3.3v] - Empty
Slot PCI : 32-bit [5.0v] - Empty
Slot PCI-X : 64-bit [3.3v] - Empty
Slot PCI-X : 64-bit [3.3v] - Empty "

Is there any way I can run this graphics card to play Skyrim? If not, what are some reccomendable graphics cards I can buy for such a game.. I tried to find PCI-X graphics cards, but they seem to be very oudated..

I think there's a PCIe x4 to x16 adapter, but this would make the card run max in x4, which im not sure is faster or slower..

If anyone could help it'd be very much appreciated..

Thanks

Tim

 

[Tim_G]

No, It's a Dell Poweredge SC1430. If you'd like ill post the specs if it helps..

 

[we1shcake]

if the slot is x16 sized but x4 electrical, it should still work, but you may lose a little performance compared to a proper x16 slot

 

[Tim_G]

if the slot is x16 sized but x4 electrical, it should still work, but you may lose a little performance compared to a proper x16 slot

Is there any way I could go about checking this via software? I don't really know what the slots look like, and i've tried checking pictures of them, but i'm mildy retarded lol.. Sorry for so many questions guys

 

[we1shcake]

http://www.indiastudychannel.com/attachments/experts/11481-24939-800px-PCI_und_PCIe_Slots.jpg

a picture of a pci next to a pcie x16 and a x1 slot

 

[Tim_G]

http://www.indiastudychannel.com/attachments/experts/11481-24939-800px-PCI_und_PCIe_Slots.jpg

a picture of a pci next to a pcie x16 and a x1 slot

Alright I checked and the PCIe x4 slots are the same size as a regular x4, not x16 size so I guess they're not electrical.. Is there anything I can do to make them x16 compatible to put the graphics card in?

 

[we1shcake]

not as far as i know dont think they make cards for that slot

 

[Tim_G]

Alright thanks we1shcake.

I've got one last question, If I were to buy an adapter from x4 to x16, and plug in the Radeon 5670, Do you think it'd be a lot slower than usual? Like i'm talking 50% slower...

At this point i'm considering buying the adapter, because I have another computer with an x16 slot, but the RAM is sort of low, and It is a dual core, whereas this is a quad core, so I think for gaming, this one is better, but I suppose it depends on the graphics...

Would the x16 running on x4 lower the graphics considerably?

 

[Tim_G]

the 5670 is not a powerful card, a PCI-E 2.0 slot at x4 will not affect it.

It's a PCIe 1.0, it shouldn't affect it that much correct? But thanks a lot for your reply. With that, I think I can finally get this graphics card thing off my mind somewhat, thanks a lot dirtyferret, and also you we1sh.

 

[Unolocogringo]

Could you post the specs of both/
A quad core @1.8 would be much slower at almost all games than a dual core @3.0.

 

[Tim_G]

well that would cut the bandwidth in half from 2.0. rather then looking at adapters, I would look at a new mobo

Could you post the specs of both/
A quad core @1.8 would be much slower at almost all games than a dual core @3.0.

I'm looking for stuff in about a 100 dollar budget to cover, I don't think I'd be able to get a new mobo and all that in a hundred, so I'd prefer just a graphics card with the adapter..

Rick, The quad core is

Intel Xeon Quad Core E5320 1.86 GHz
6 GB RAM
Integrated Graphics at the moment
1 TB Hard Drive
Win 7

Whereas the Dual Core is

Intel Pentium D Processor 820, 2.8 GHz
2 GB RAM
ATI Radeon x1800 at the moment
500 GB hard drive
Win 7

If I was to upgrade the dual core, I would most likely need to buy 4 GB Ram, and the graphics card. I'm not sure how much that would cost, but it would probably be quite a bit more than an adapter and the graphics card.