clmisiu Posted January 24, 2010 Share Posted January 24, 2010 G'day! I'm running FSX on a Dell Inspiron 530s (Core 2 Duo 2.6 GHz; 3 GB RAM; ATI Radeon 2400 256 MB). I've decided to do a GPU upgrade as it's the weakest point of my machine (case and power supply unit must be changed too because currently I have a slimline case). 1. The best card which I can afford is GTX260. Can you give me an advise on the brand, please? Here is a XFX with a 216 core: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/896MB-XFX-GeForce-GTX-260-EXTREME-1GB-Graphics-Card_W0QQitemZ110481740456QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Computing_Computer_Components_Graphics_Video_TV_Cards_TW?hash=item19b93992a8#ht_4143wt_1166 2. My motherboard is designed for Micro ATX cases (G33M). Will the GPU fit into it? I'm in doubt because the guy on eBay says a full seize case is needed and my ATX is "micro". Help will be appreciated Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sniper31 Posted January 24, 2010 Share Posted January 24, 2010 Hi, I have a GTX 260, and you will definately need a full size tower case for that card. Also, make sure your MB will support such a GPU in that it has the proper PCIe slot. Lastly, you will need at least 650w of power with TWO PCIe connectors to plug into the GPU. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest strider Posted January 24, 2010 Share Posted January 24, 2010 I would get a DX11 card... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve31000 Posted January 24, 2010 Share Posted January 24, 2010 Hello there, Glad to see a Cracovian on the forums. I spent a year living in Krakow next to the Wawel Castle. Great city. As for your query, I wouldn't worry about DX11. I have a ATi 5870 and whilst very nice and good for FSX, I don't think it performs any better than a 260 would. FSX is CPU bound as we all know. I can't comment on whether a 260 will fit your case/motherboard but I have heard so many good things about FSX and the 260 that I would say go for it if you can. Dobranoc , Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Harris Posted January 25, 2010 Share Posted January 25, 2010 GTX260 is 10.5 inches (267 mm) from end to end, get a measuring tape and check you have room first Coolermaster 690 is a great roomy case at a cheap price ($99 here in OZ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest strider Posted January 26, 2010 Share Posted January 26, 2010 If you only play FSX then a GTX 260 if fine ! Get a DX11 card If you like eye candy and want to play the newest games that take advantage of DX11 graphics !!! I think Storm of War is going to be DX11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clmisiu Posted January 26, 2010 Author Share Posted January 26, 2010 Firstly, thank you guys for the response! The only game I play is FSX so there is no point in buying DX11 card (besides, I have Win XP and no plans to change it in the near future). Moreover, I fly IFR jets most of the time. So far, I have been satisfied with a 256 MB ATI so GTX260 will be a huge jump. Sniper, I think a full tower is a bit too much. GTX 260 can fit into Micro ATXs but for better airflow I've decided to look for a Coolmaster proposed by Meatycus (thanks a lot mate for the proposition). It is quite big and supports up to seven 120 mm fans (one or two are included in the price). Furthermore, I don't have many components so there will be plenty of room. How about the brand? The XFX from the first post is not available anymore but I have found a Zotac GTX260 216 for a good price. Any disadvantages of this brand? Michal PS. Steve, my house is a ten minutes walk away from the Wawel Castle; looks like we were neighbours for a year Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sniper31 Posted January 26, 2010 Share Posted January 26, 2010 Well, I suggest an EVGA GTX 260, because then you can download (free) EVGA Precision which is a great tool to O/C the GPU card. That card is what I have since it came out, and I have been VERY happy with it. Great card! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jblb2009 Posted February 1, 2010 Share Posted February 1, 2010 Just a quick question on graphic cards, what is the better card? I owned a Geforce 9800 GX2 but it stoped working and luckly under warranty I am getting it replaced with a GTX 285. Would you consider this card better then the GTX 260 for FSX? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maurice_King Posted February 1, 2010 Share Posted February 1, 2010 Good God people are worried about DX11 and it's NOT in the market place nor are PC's that are affordable to run the FPS many demand and you want to load it up some more??? Seriously a quality 650-750 Watt PSU and a nVidia GTX 285 1 Gb will be a very good start point. and put this in the BIGGEST case you can place in the space available , BUT make sure you can move the hot air away. ALWAYS make sure you air in and air out of the case do not come into contact with each other any more than is necessary. IMHO Airflow is the key to keeping your PC in good nick and reliable and clean, all the fancy liquid cooling etc isn't worth didly if you cannot efficiently remove the heat from the coolers and the case. I am lucky as I draw Air in via a duct under the floor via an A/C Filter and expel it the same at a rate of about 2 Cu Mtrs/ Min. Great in winter I use the PC to heat the room Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alainneedle1 Posted February 1, 2010 Share Posted February 1, 2010 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
macca22au Posted February 1, 2010 Share Posted February 1, 2010 Maurice is absolutely right. The ambient room temperature must be low enough to allow heat dissipation to occur. Also the case needs to be as free standing as possible to allow air in, and out. And never the twain should meet. Cases, or enclosures as the manufactures call them, are often a matter of personal preference. But I have an Antec case ... they come in many versions ... that has big fans, plenty of space around the hardware, and therefore an excellent cooling effect. I ran my computer one day in a room temperature of 38C. The result was a visible break-down of visuals on the screen as the CPU screamingly overheated. I learned from that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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