8600GT or 7600GT

[veeteegee]

I am wanting to upgrade my PC's graphics from onboard to dedicated,
I have been in huge confusion between the 8600GT and the 7600GT graphic cards and I want to know which card is safer for my PC to use. (Both cards are also XFX manufactured)
My PC's specs:
P4 w/HT @ 2.8 GHz
Intel 915G Chipset
1Gb RAM
305W PSU
My PC is also a Dell Dimension 4700, so upgrading the PSU may be hard (for me) and costly.

Help would be greatly appreciated

Veeteegee

[Miker]

8600GT is at least 2x faster then a 7600GT.

What do you mean by "safer to use"?

Also, you will need to make sure you have a PCI-e slot on your motherboard.

[veeteegee]

my PC has a PCI-e x16 slot and what I mean by 'safer to use' is that my PC can handle and run smoothly with a card inserted.
I know the 8600GT is a good and powerful card compared to the 7600GT but I am concerned whether or not my PC can handle the 8600GT.
On retail boxes of the 8600GT, I know that XFX recommends at least a 350W PSU, but then after reading a few reviews people have stated that it is okay to have a 300W PSU and even on the Nvidia's website it says 300W when selecting 'help me choose' tool. (not specifically to any brand)
I am in deep confusion and wanted to check with the experts before I buy.

[typh4u]

His chipset supports PCI express. The problem is he only has a 300Watt power supply. He is only running 2.8 Single core CPU. What else do you have hooked up to your PSU.
According to several sites the 4700 is a standard ATX power supply.

1 upgrade your PSU. The Choices are endless make sure it puts out plenty of amps on the 12v rail
2. Go with the 8600GT


Have a nice day
Typh

[veeteegee]

I don't really want to upgrade my PSU (sorry)
because my 'hands-on' level of experience is limited, i do want to take any risks in 'major' modifications to my PC (PC graphics i'm okay with though)
I have 2 Sata HDDs, dual channel RAM (512Mb each), 1 DVD/RW drive, 1 PCI Modem (which i can take out) and only a few USB devices attached.
Therefore it would be 'safe' for me to get a 8600GT?
the XFX model that i was thinking of was the standard 256Mb one, manufacturers code: PV-T84J-UDF3.

[Miker]

Personally, I would say get a 7600GT, it is no where near as fast as a 8600GT but I don't think you would see a differance.

[typh4u]

Personally, I would say get a 7600GT, it is no where near as fast as a 8600GT but I don't think you would see a differance.


I agree with Miker. Good luck

[tyle6]

I would say go with the 7600GT to be on the safe side... I have one myself, I am running it in a single core amd with 2x512mb of ram in XP and i am very pleased with its performance. Have been playing half life and such on it all week instead of my main rig actually.:smile:

[veeteegee]

Thank you all for your kind advices and recommendations.
i'm not trying to sound as if i am making you to say 'get the 8600GT',
but i was reading this review: http://www.legitreviews.com/article/486/16/
and it said that the 8600GT needs a 300W PSU.
I want to be 'convinced' in getting the ideal card for my PC at the moment. The 8600GT is also around $19 more to the 7600GT.

What i'll be doing with a new graphics card are 'casual' (and maybe at times intense) gaming and watching dvds, movies etc.

Also one thing to note, I once had a 6600GT which was made by Espco/Eagle and one time when I was playing a game (Rome : Total War), the monitor just shut off. After a few tests, the 6600GT was pronounced dead... I'm not sure why, but my PC became a radiator every time it was turned on and not the forget that the fan was very loud also.
Sorry for blabbering all this and making my posts look like a mini essay...

Veeteegee

[XFX Tech]

I wouldn't think twice about putting either card in a system with a 305W PSU. Either card should be fine. The 8600GT will be slightly better 3D performance wise and bounds better for video playback.

[veeteegee]

sorry for being longwinded, but the 8600GT will work even though XFX (on the box) says to have a minimum 350W PSU? I want to make sure.
I do respect and gratefully thank all of the advices and recommendations given.

Veeteegee

[Miker]

sorry for being longwinded, but the 8600GT will work even though XFX (on the box) says to have a minimum 350W PSU? I want to make sure.
I do respect and gratefully thank all of the advices and recommendations given.

Veeteegee

Well the XFX tech said he wouldn't think twice about doing it. :lol:

[XFX Tech]

I have personally put plenty of 7600GTs in HPs and Dells straight out of the box. Those usually have 305W PSUs. They don't give you much head room in those systems but it is enough for a 76 or 86.

[trueg50]

You shouldn't have an issue with a 7600 GT.

As for performance the 8600GT will be a little more powerful than the 7600 GT, but overall you might as well save your money and just pickup a $40 7600GT off Ebay.

[veeteegee]

I want to again thank everybody for their kind advices and recommendations.
I actually i live in the UK, whereby i don't get the same XFX warranty as when buying a card in the US. I get a 2 year warranty.
I was 'inspired' to get a new graphics card after finding out that the PCI-e x16 slot in my PC was still working as I thought it was faulty after my 6600GT died on it.

Therefore i began my search, i was really thinking about the 7600GT but then when i encountered the 8600GT, i became heavily confused between the two (hence, i turned to this forum :)). Because I wanted to buy brand new, the price difference between the two were only like a £10 (around $19) difference, I don't doubt the 7600GT's performace but for something a bit extra i can get something better.
I also do need a warranty just in case if anything happens to the new card, i need something that i can fall back on.

To be even more sure (i know i'm being 'over-worried'), I have also checked with XFX UK Sales (I do believe and respect advices from XFX Tech and others) and they also said that it should work with a 305W PSU despite them saying 350W.

Therefore, as you may have guessed it, I have decided to go with the XFX 8600GT. I have just ordered one and will continue to post updates on how the card will be working in my system. :)
and again...
Thank you all for your kind advices and recommendations.

Veeteegee
p.s. sorry again for my 'mini-essay' post...

[veeteegee]

yesterday i was dust-cleaning my PC and to my 'amazement', changing the PSU of my PC may not seem as hard as when i thought it would be. Before i was being 'over-scared' of wrecking my PC.
I know it sounds very and 'intensively' silly of me to say that i want to upgrade a PSU just for my newly owned 8600GT now, but one thing i want to know, if i upgrade my PSU to 350W-400W, are there any chances of a meltdown in my PC? I spoke to Dell about this and they said that my motherboard may not be able to withstand the power?

Veeteegee

p.s. just a reminder, my PC is a Dell Dimension 4700 with P4 w/HT @ 2.8 GHz processor, 915G Chipset, 1Gb RAM and (currently) a 305W PSU.

[Miker]

You could run a PC that needs 50watt with a 1000watt PSU if you wanted too, but it would be over kill. I would just put that 8600 in and don't even worry about the PSU.

[trueg50]

Yea, I agree with Miker, just slap in the card.

The PSU will only provide what is needed. The issue is buying a cheap PSU, as it is one of the only components that when it dies, it usually takes a few things with it.

That is why buying a high-end +800 watt PSU might sound like newbism, however it is an excellent investment, as PC power is only going to increase, and not only do standards rarely change, but adapters are cheap and plentiful.

$120 for 1 PSU now is better than a cheap PSU now, then a more expensive one next time you upgrade, then finally a much more powerful one in the +800 watt range a bit later.

[veeteegee]

I just installed the 8600GT into my PC and it works fine :grin:
the installation process wasn't much difficult and was fun too :P
although... as what other people have said about this card, the fan is absolutely noisy... i wouldn't really mind the noise, since i can 'hush it' a bit by closing my computer case (yes, my PC case is always open to help cooling it) and adding more fans to help the ventilatation of my PC as a whole or listen to some music...
i haven't tried any games yet, will do some time later.

one of the main reasons why i decided to go for the 8600GT and not the 7600GT was not mainly on the price but to think of the future, if suddenly my Dell Dimension 4700 suddenly fails (hopefully not..) or i decide to go for custom built, i will not have to focus too much on the graphics card but on the other components. This graphics card will last me longer than the 7600GT, even if by several months or even years.
but anyways, thanks you guys for your help and support over these few weeks in advising me to get the right graphics card for my PC and also sorting my worries out of my PC.
If i have said anything during these posts that makes you feel uncomfortable, please do accept my apologies, i did not mean to.

Thanks again.

Veeteegee