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I'm looking at getting a new desktop for work and have narrowed down my choices to 2 at Best Buy. My question is about upgrading - in the past I have easily replaced RAM or DVD drives, but I have never removed or added graphics cards - how easy/hard is it to install more graphics card(s)? Also, will the computers I am looking at accept more graphics cards? I am not sure what I should be looking at to check. My biggest concern is being able to push more than 1 monitor basically. I don't need that function right away but it very well may be needed in the foreseeable future. Option 1 Option 2 I know these computers might be better priced elsewhere online but I have a significant chunk of Best Buy bucks I need to use from an online survey group I am a part of so my out-of-pocket will be acceptable. Thanks!
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They don't give any mother board specs so I'm not sure if they'll accept another video card or not. What you want to look for is a PCI or PCI express slot on the motherboard. Most video cards these days a PCI express, but there are still some pci cards out there(lower end cards).
Adding the card is easy. Just have to open the case and put the card into the pciex slot, add some power to it from the power supply and you're all set.
It's supposed to be hard! If it wasn't hard, everyone would do it. The hard... is what makes it great!
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Quote:
Adding the card is easy. Just have to open the case and put the card into the pciex slot, add some power to it from the power supply and you're all set.
and download and install the latest drivers. It is easy if you get the correct card for the board. The trick is not to overspend for your needs.
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I run double monitors, and changing a graphic card can be simple or difficult depending on the size of the card.
Some graphics cards require external power and are double wide.
I have a single wide card that has DVI and HDM outputs. No external power required.
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The folks at BestBuy should be able to answer your question. If you get someone who can't, ask for someone who can.
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Unless you are looking at heavy-duty gaming on those, I wouldn't bother at all with replacing the video card; they look to have fairly strong desktop graphics.
As for available expansion slots... you're most likely going to have to wait until you are in the store for that answer as the website lists nothing... but the process of installing an add-on video card is as simple as described here. Pop it in, install the drivers, reboot. Yes, most higher-end video cards require a secondary power connector, which your power supply must be able to handle... which will be another consideration you will need to deal with should you want to upgrade your video card.
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Thanks for the help everyone, going to have to investigate this further to see what expansion slots there are (hopefully).
To be clear - I am not looking to replace what is already in there, I just want the flexibility to add more monitors later.
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Here's what I was able to find on other sites and I am pretty sure this is the same model I am looking at. Any help on how to interpret what is available for expansion would be greatly appreciated. LINK 1 LINK 2
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Quote:
Adding the card is easy. Just have to open the case and put the card into the pciex slot, add some power to it from the power supply and you're all set.
What is involved in adding power from the power supply? That part I've never done before as the drives I've replaced already had power coming from the power supply so I just used that. I've never added something new to 'piggyback' on the power supply. I've been inside machines enough to see kind of how the power supply is run, but no clue how to add something new to the power supply.
Thanks everyone.
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Quote:
What is involved in adding power from the power supply?
Its just a cable/plug on the card that pugs into your computers power supply.
Why dont you give Lenovo a call?
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beware though.. Not all power supplies have the PCI-E power adapter plug. Especially on cookie cutter models.
We don't have to agree with each other, to respect each others opinion.
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According to the cnet link you have:
1 ( 0 ) x PCI Express 2.0 x16 - Half-length, full-height,
2 ( 0 ) x PCI Express 2.0 x1 - Half-length, full-height,
1 ( 1 ) x PCI - Half-length, full-height,
1 ( 0 ) x Processor - LGA1156 Socket
The number in () is what is available. You have the PCI express slot, but it's in use by the current video card. The other thing I noticed is the power supply is only 280 watts. That can limit your choice of video card in the future.
It's supposed to be hard! If it wasn't hard, everyone would do it. The hard... is what makes it great!
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Basically... you won't be upgrading the video in that system.
Unless you are going for an upper-tier video card, there's no point at all.
That then leads to two issues for that system:
1. You're going to need an available PCI-E slot.. .which it doesn't have.
2. Your Power Supply will NOT have the juice to handle it. Don't even think about one of the upper-tier cards with less than a 450-500 watt PSU, and you really should consider 550w your minimum.
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Well that stinks. So basically I'm stuck w/ what is there and no potential to upgrade.
Ugh, back to the drawing board.
Thanks for the help everyone!
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That is generally the case with most budget level machines.... they're cheaper because the extra stuff is cut out to shave costs.
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Quote:
That is generally the case with most budget level machines.... they're cheaper because the extra stuff is cut out to shave costs.
I was hoping that the $1k model would avoid that, but guess I was wrong. Just glad I asked here first.
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oh, jeez... I didn't even see the prices. From the specs and it saying Lenovo, I just assumed. Zoinks. 
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I was hoping to use up my best buy bucks, but that may not be an option for this machine. Might just have to head over to TigerDirect and see what's over there.
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I wouldn't ever buy a PC from best buy, but that's me, if you have the ability to put one together yourself, you can get a ton more for your buck at tiger or new egg, i just put together a gaming rig:
x2 CORSAIR XMS3 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model CMX4GX3M2A1600C9
Plextor PX-64M1S 2.5" 64GB SATA II Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)
AMD Phenom II X6 1090T Black Edition Thuban 3.2GHz Socket AM3 125W Six-Core Desktop Processor HDT90ZFBGRBOX
ASUS M4A89GTD PRO/USB3 AM3 AMD 890GX SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 HDMI ATX AMD Motherboard
X2 ASUS EAH5830 DIRECTCU/2DIS/1GD5 Radeon HD 5830 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video
Thermaltake TR-800P TR2 BRONZE 800W ATX 12V V2.3 / EPS 12V 2.91 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC Power Supply
Thermaltake Armor A60 AMD LEO Edition VM200P1W2Z Black SECC ATX Mid Tower Computer Case w/ Side Swap HDD tray & front USB 3.0 port
Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 ST31500341AS 1.5TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
COOLER MASTER Intel Core i7 compatible V8 RR-UV8-XBU1-GP 120mm Rifle CPU Cooler
PLEXTOR Black Blu-ray Disc Burner SATA PX-B940SA-11
all together with parts and shipping it cost me 1085.00
this rig will let me overclock safely to 4.0ghz and has usb 3.0 support.
Tomorrow is the most important thing in life. Comes into us at midnight very clean. It's perfect when it arrives and it puts itself in our hands. It hopes we've learned something from yesterday. -John Wayne
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I agree that Best Buy is probably not the best buy but I have almost $300 in credit to spend there along with some Xmas gift cards. So turns out that BBY sells one brand that provides the expansion slots - Asus. Here's the 2 I am looking at now: Intel based AMD based I'm really hesitant to touch an AMD model as I had a bad experience with a custom built one that used an AMD chip. The AMD one is more expensive so in theory that would mean it has better stuff, but I'm not sure. It appears on the BBY site that both models have 'expansion slots'. Intel one: 2 PCI, 1 PCI-E x16 AMD one: 2 PCI So if I am reading that right, the Intel one has the 'old' PCI and 1 'new' PCI express slot vs. 2 old PCI ones on the AMD. Computer helpers - what do you think knowing that I would plan to add at least 1 video card to run more than 1 monitor. One other question - if the current video card is junk, can I remove that and put one in so I don't use up one of the available expansion slots? Edit - here's the spec sheets directly from Asus: Intel AMD
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The intel and amd both have a pci express x16 slot on them. The difference is the AMD comes with a ATI radeon card which takes up the x16 slot, where the intel has an integrated graphics card and does not take up that slot.
How many monitors are you looking to connect? On the amd build, there is already two monitor ports on the radeon card to hook two monitors up. If you want more than that, you'll probably have to go with a build it yourself rig to get a mobo with multiple pci x16 slots on it. I don't think you'll find anything like that at Best Buy.
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Quote:
The intel and amd both have a pci express x16 slot on them. The difference is the AMD comes with a ATI radeon card which takes up the x16 slot, where the intel has an integrated graphics card and does not take up that slot.
How many monitors are you looking to connect? On the amd build, there is already two monitor ports on the radeon card to hook two monitors up. If you want more than that, you'll probably have to go with a build it yourself rig to get a mobo with multiple pci x16 slots on it. I don't think you'll find anything like that at Best Buy.
Great catch on the AMD one, didn't notice that it can push 2 monitors out of the box (which is really nice). I may push this up to 4 monitors total at some point. Maybe 6.
So if I get a card with 2 monitor hook ups (like what is in there currently) that will take up 1 expansion slot but give me 2 monitors correct?
I'm just trying to figure out what will be the max amount of monitors I will be able to run on each machine. If I got this right, I think ...
Intel can run up to 7 (1 on board, 3 pci slots x 2 per card)
AMD can run up to 6 (2 already on board, 2 pci slots x 2 per card)
Is my math/thinking right there or am I missing a part of the puzzle?
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The intel one has the pci-e slot that you need.
you won't be able to remove the graphics card as it is more than likely onboard (built into the motherboard)
The real issue is going to be the power supply as previously mentioned. And this all goes back to what you are doing, what kind of resolution you want to put out, and what for.
If you are just planning on getting another card, to extend your desktop, to say have 2 windows of online poker going, then you could probably find a card that might not need external power and be fine.
But most new cards (if not all) need extra power and bigger power supplies....cheat on that, and you might fry everything.
this might not be bad since you are trying to use the BB credit, but prebuilt systems are designed to just do enough to run whats in them. Upgrading more than the ram and maybe adding an extra burner and you usually have issues...sometimes the video cards won't fit in the case either.
then you will also have to find out if the new video card can support 2 monitors. Its a crap shoot either way. My experience has always been that prebuilts suck for upgrading...
start building your own, and while the outlay might be alittle more at first, you can reuse some stuff down the road and save.
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Quote:
The intel one has the pci-e slot that you need.
you won't be able to remove the graphics card as it is more than likely onboard (built into the motherboard)
The real issue is going to be the power supply as previously mentioned. And this all goes back to what you are doing, what kind of resolution you want to put out, and what for.
I will be running streaming stock charts. Very basic in terms of graphics and such, just need the screen real estate.
In terms of the power supply, I can put a stronger one in the machine, correct? Is that difficult to switch out?
Quote:
If you are just planning on getting another card, to extend your desktop, to say have 2 windows of online poker going, then you could probably find a card that might not need external power and be fine.
That would probably apply here as I don't need anything fancy, we are talking very basic graphics.
Quote:
But most new cards (if not all) need extra power and bigger power supplies....cheat on that, and you might fry everything.
this might not be bad since you are trying to use the BB credit, but prebuilt systems are designed to just do enough to run whats in them. Upgrading more than the ram and maybe adding an extra burner and you usually have issues...sometimes the video cards won't fit in the case either.
then you will also have to find out if the new video card can support 2 monitors. Its a crap shoot either way. My experience has always been that prebuilts suck for upgrading...
start building your own, and while the outlay might be alittle more at first, you can reuse some stuff down the road and save.
I would eventually like to learn how to build one from scratch, but I don't have the time to do that now. Gotta find something preferably at BBY that I can later upgrade if need be.
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Just to pass along,
I have an ATI 5670 card, it is good for 3 monitors. It is a simple plug in.
I believe that the 5800 series can do up to 6. But that is double wide and externally powered.
Whatever computer you look at, just look at the back. Count the number of outputs on the video card, and you ususally can run all of them at the same time. You may have a mix and match of analog (15 pin) DVI and HDMI.
Integrated cards normally just have a single out. Today it is split between DVI and HDMI.
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Ok now I am confused. Just checked out the Dell and Gateway computers that Best Buy has and assuming I am reading the info correctly, there's ALOT more computers that have the 'available expansion slots'. Sorry to know so little on this, but can someone or a couple take a look at the following models and confirm that I am seeing it correctly? DELL I3 INTEL Available Expansion Slots 1 PCI Express x1, 1 PCI, 1 PCI Express x16 DELL I7 INTEL Available Expansion Slots 4 DIMM, 1 PCI Express x16, 2 PCI Express x1, 1 PCI GATEWAY I3 INTEL Available Expansion Slots 1 PCI, 2 PCI-E x1, 1 PCI-E x16 GATWAY I7 INTELAvailable Expansion Slots 1 PCI, 2 PCI-E x1 Doesn't that mean the slots I need for future video cards are there?  Keep in mind some kid just kinda told me at the store that Asus was the only option. And after reading some online reviews, I'd like to look at other manufacturers. I know and recognize Dell and Gateway.
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The I7's have the video card installed. It is a model up from mine. The 5700 series cards are nice. They can handle 4 monitors. http://www.amd.com/us/products/desktop/g...overview.aspx#2It is roughly the same as the 5750 card. http://www.amd.com/us/products/desktop/g...overview.aspx#15600 and below can handle up to 3 monitors. Bottom line, Integrated graphics are probably not a good idea if you want a multiple monitor setup. Get a computer with a stand alone video card ATI 5000 or above and you will be ready to go.
Welcome back, Joe, we missed you!
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Quote:
Here's what I was able to find on other sites and I am pretty sure this is the same model I am looking at. Any help on how to interpret what is available for expansion would be greatly appreciated.
LINK 1
LINK 2
These appear to have stand alone NVIDiA Cards GT-320's
NVIDIA are not quite as popular as ATI's but fine, they have 3 outputs DVI, HDMI and VGA.
http://www.nvidia.com/object/product_geforce_gt_320_us.html
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If your looking at slots for graphics cards, you need PCI Express x16 (the x16) is important. Alot of those list PCIE x1 which are too small. This wiki article has more info, if you scroll down a bit youll see a picture with yellow expansion slots, the long ones are PCIE x16 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PCI_ExpressFrankly if your looking for work only you can buy a budget graphics card or find a motherboard with graphics on the board for cheap. If you want to play 3D games youll need a dedicated card, I recommend the AMD/ATI 6xxx series. I have the 5850 from a year ago and it still crushes current games without a hitch. I love Nvidia but their current "Fermi" line is notorious for running way too hot so I'd look to skip this current product cycle.
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Ok, I am slowly understanding everything.
1) The onboard graphics (whether just a cheapy that has it integrated or something nicer like the ATI) may or may not have multiple outputs out of the box. Looks like the nicer models with the ATI Radeon may have more than 1 monitor hookup right away, which is great for me.
2) The PCI slots are not created equal. PCI Express x16 is what I need for a graphics card and the others are not useful for graphics cards then? What exactly are the non x16 slots used for?
Thanks all, I'm getting there. Looks like Dell, HP or Gateway will be the choice. Another trip to the store later it looks like and hopefully find someone that knows what they are talking about this time.
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 In the ATI Card there are 4 connections, but are all of those available to plug a monitor into? Trying to read these spec sheets to a non-tech guy is not easy. I can't tell if you can plug 4 monitors into that card or 1-2. Thanks!
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Yes, you are getting it, you want a true video card, not integrated graphics.
The ATI cards will recognize the number of monitors attached and set them up accordingly. Once you load the software go into control panel to select which is main, and the desired resolution. Some may be HDMI, DVI, or VGA, it does not matter. I know this for a fact. I have had at one time or another all of the above attached.
It has been this way for a few years, I run a CAD department and when we stumbled onto the fact that we could hook up both DVI and VGA, I became the "boss of the year" for a day.
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Looks like I'll be looking for a new graphics card. I've outgrown two monitors when working on CAD projects. So many times I've wished I've had just one more monitor.
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Quote:
Yes, you are getting it, you want a true video card, not integrated graphics.
The ATI cards will recognize the number of monitors attached and set them up accordingly. Once you load the software go into control panel to select which is main, and the desired resolution. Some may be HDMI, DVI, or VGA, it does not matter. I know this for a fact. I have had at one time or another all of the above attached.
It has been this way for a few years, I run a CAD department and when we stumbled onto the fact that we could hook up both DVI and VGA, I became the "boss of the year" for a day.
That is super cool then. That ATI one has 4 connections. That's a bunch all on 1 card. May not even need more than that.
Follow up question then - I have always just used the VGA output. How do you hook up those other connections? Is it a separate cord you buy that plugs into the video card and monitor (assuming the monitor can run that connection, which I think is DVI or HDMI)?
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So it looks like these 2 are the top of my list: 1) DELL 2) GatewayThe only real difference I can see is that the Dell has 1 PCI Express x16 slot and the Gateway has zero. Gateway is cheaper, but if I can't add a graphics card to the box, I may be stuck if the time comes and more screens are needed. The Dell is more than I initially planned on this but I want the ability to add a graphics card in later. The i5 processor selection is very small at Best Buy so the next option would be the i3's but those all come with the onboard graphics, so I'd have to buy a new card anyways and then I can't upgrade that anymore... So I think the Dell i7 gives me the most flexibility to get the stronger video card initially (and plug multiple monitors into that) along with having another x16 expansion slot for later use that I can add another 4 monitor card to and now have access to 8 monitors. And a company that I recognize. Asus has gotten some rotten online ratings for service if you need it. Hey, that almost sounds like I know what I am talking about.
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The Dell has the video card installed. It is probably sitting in the PCI X16 slot.
The Gateway has essentially the same card.
My personal preference has been Dell.
I don't know if you can fit a second graphic card of the type listed. Cards of this type are generally double wide, and you may not be able to fit it in.
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Quote:
The Dell has the video card installed. It is probably sitting in the PCI X16 slot.
The Gateway has essentially the same card.
My personal preference has been Dell.
I don't know if you can fit a second graphic card of the type listed. Cards of this type are generally double wide, and you may not be able to fit it in.
I see - another great point, thanks!
I am off to the store soon and I'll see what they say today.
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Quite the learning experience this has turned into be. So on the Best Buy site, apparently when they say 'Available Expansion Slots' just means that's what is on the motherboard but takes no consideration into the actual open slots AFTER what is put on the board once the manufacturer puts together the box. TALK ABOUT FRUSTRATING. And misleading if you ask me. Wonder if that is common practice or just the easy way out for Best Buy. The Geek Squad guy flat out told me that they just copy and paste from the motherboard manufacturer's site. He also then suggested checking out Dell Direct. It was nice to talk to someone that 1) knew what they were talking about and 2) took the time to open the boxes up and explain how it all worked. So in the end what I found out was that the Dell box has 1 open slot left and that is a regular PCI (not express). It does have that nice ATI card that can push at least 2 monitors. But further expansion is limited to a normal PCI slot. The 1 thing he was not sure is how many connections can be plugged into that card at once and have the monitors run, so I need to find that out soon. If anyone knows how that would work, I would great appreciate it. Just need to know the max # of monitors that can run off that card at 1 time. The Geek Squad guy was thinking it was 1 monitor pure slot and 2 slots are being used, so 2 monitors is the max but he was not sure.
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Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 6,651
Hall of Famer
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Hall of Famer
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 6,651 |
I believe the answer is 3.
Last edited by ChargerDawg; 12/23/10 10:50 PM.
Welcome back, Joe, we missed you!
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Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 3,259
Hall of Famer
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Hall of Famer
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 3,259 |
Each card has different specs. My 5850 has the ATI EyeFinity which means up to 6 monitors. I am using dual monitors now though, that takes up both DVI connections. If I wanna add more theres an adapter you have to buy that plugs into the Mini DisplayPorts on the back but those usually fan out into 2 or 3 extra connections. The card you showed earlier looked like it had the mini display ports as well as the regular DVI hookups.
#gmstrong
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DawgTalkers.net
Forums DawgTalk Tailgate Forum New computer question about
upgrading
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