Graphics card help required!

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Ferj

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So Im trying to upgrade my PC on a very limited budget. Ive maxed out the RAM (4GB) now I think I need some sort of graphics card. Chap I know looked at my PC and said that I have limited space for one so I might have limited choice!

Currently I have

x64 based PC running windows 8 and NVIDIA Geforce 6150SE nforce 430 graphics card.

I dont play games really, but apparently a new card will enhance my photo processing and video editing?!?

Does anyone know of any cheap small cards that might enhance my PC's performance? I dont need top spec at all but from what I understand anything will be an improvement on what I have!
 
I cant afford a new system :( will it not do anything at all?
 
suprised you maxed the RAM that should be easily increased by replacing exisiting Ram chips with higher capacity ones. What I think he was trying to say there are no more Main board slots to add more RAM

4GIG RAM is the max windows XP can accept Windows 7 and above will accept lots more. My memory is thinking 64 GIG MAX.

If thats any help, you man has mislead you somewhat i think. If replacing RAM chips they need to be done in pairs and best to replace the lot so they all "balance". so if you have 4 slots if you bought 4 RAM chips each with 4 GIG RAM in each slot that would give you 16 GIG RAM total

THIS IS WHAT I USE

http://www.scan.co.uk/search.aspx?q=LN40235

you do need to see if they are compatible with your motherboard, ie connection contact points
 
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I only have 2x max 2gb slots both with 2gb in now :-( don't think I could put any more in?

It was a cheap pc at first so cheap motherboard!
 
no reason why they can't be replaced with higher capacity ones as I said. Your handbook/ paperwork should say what motherboard is installed and the max amount of RAM it will accept.

As I said windows XP will only take 4gig of RAM, maybe your computer was built with windows XP in mind but been upgraded to windows 8. Of course your processor will still only work at the same speed but extra RAM may allow more operations at the same time to be a bit faster.

I did a load of research on computer builds a few months ago and discovered loads about what to do as my son and I built one specially for photographic work. Air flow is of prime importance. the cooler the computer the better it works.

So make sure the vents arn't clogged up and the fan is dust free

One of the interesting observations was that intel core i5 is ok for stills but the i7 is better for video work

Ok the build we did was about £1300, now adding an ssd card at nearly £200 on the computer alone, excluding windows 7 professional and IPS monitor. ( I would hate to think what it would have cost to have built to my spec)
so a little different to what you have, but as Neil says Seriously think about saving for a better computer to suit your needs. he is giving good advice

Old shop built one



My hand built one which now has another hard drive fitted as well. Spot the difference in build care

dsc7667copy.jpg
 
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Thanks will do some digging to see if I can!
 
realspeed said:
suprised you maxed the RAM that should be easily increased by replacing exisiting Ram chips with higher capacity ones. What I think he was trying to say there are no more Main board slots to add more RAM

4GIG RAM is the max windows XP can accept Windows 7 and above will accept lots more. My memory is thinking 64 GIG MAX.

If thats any help, you man has mislead you somewhat i think. If replacing RAM chips they need to be done in pairs and best to replace the lot so they all "balance". so if you have 4 slots if you bought 4 RAM chips each with 4 GIG RAM in each slot that would give you 16 GIG RAM total

THIS IS WHAT I USE

http://www.scan.co.uk/search.aspx?q=LN40235

you do need to see if they are compatible with your motherboard, ie connection contact points
Click to expand...

All depends on the motherboard as to the maximum RAM it can handle.
 
Correct Mike which is what I said in my follow up post, glad you agree

" no reason why they can't be replaced with higher capacity ones as I said. Your handbook/ paperwork should say what motherboard is installed and the max amount of RAM it will accept.
 
realspeed said:
Correct Mike which is what I said in my follow up post, glad you agree

" no reason why they can't be replaced with higher capacity ones as I said. Your handbook/ paperwork should say what motherboard is installed and the max amount of RAM it will accept.
Click to expand...

Never read that far, sorry, not that long ago 4 gig was cutting edge :p
 
It took my son and I about 3 months choosing and rejecting everything about our computer build, even down to the casing. Even that had a change of mind about 5 times before getting that one. We wanted an airflow going straight through the computer, not one pushing the airflow at right angles above the processor, that only slows airflow down. every computer component was checked out to give the best within the price bracket so many times it got silly. We also wanted on that could expand considerably in the future, to the extent we even installed a 750 watt power unit. Way over the top but able to handle anything we threw at it.

With the "extras" I have/will add it works out to around a £1500 build, but what a computer.
The problem with shop bought ones they are built to cover every possible use and throw in things like anti virus programs free which someone may not want or even games. yet you still pay for them. By building your own first of all you know what the computer contains component wise, even down to graphic card sound card choice to name but 2.

Having said all that the computer isn't any good without a decent monitor which is why I went for a dell ultrasharp IPS monitor. ok not the most expensive on the market but produces a very good picture in my opinion.

The computer this is being written on is useless for my Nikon D800 camera it can't handle the NEF file size nor can the Adobe Elements 9 running on it for those pictures, its just an old one in my office for my DOS programs and internet access really, I do have another office computer as well which is a little better but nowhere near the one i described above
 
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realspeed said:
4GIG RAM is the max windows XP can accept Windows 7 and above will accept lots more. My memory is thinking 64 GIG MAX.
Click to expand...

That depends whether you had 32 or 64 bit XP...

Same with 7, either OS 32 bit will only handle 3.2ish gb memory.

We need to know what motherboard and what bit the OS before we can advise on whether more memory can be added.
 
the clue is here

Memory upgrade information
Dual channel memory architecture
Two DDR3 DIMM (240-pin) sockets
Supported DIMM types:
PC3-8500 (DDR3-1066)
PC3-10600 (DDR3-1333)
Non-ECC memory only, unbuffered
Supports 2GB DDR2 DIMMs
Supports up to 4 GB* on 32 bit PCs
*32-bit operating systems cannot address a full 4.0 GB of memory.

If you have a 64 bit computer or a motherboard that can take 64 bit then you could upgrade RAM
 
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realspeed said:
I did a load of research on computer builds a few months ago and discovered loads about what to do as my son and I built one specially for photographic work. Air flow is of prime importance. the cooler the computer the better it works.
Click to expand...

If its running hot you run the risk of thermal issues i.e shutdowns and thermal slowdowns but these are typically pretty high like 90c, processor varying. If you're running that high then yes you need to address your cooling issues.

But having a cold CPU won't make it run any better/faster.
 
realspeed said:
It took my son and I about 3 months choosing and rejecting everything about our computer build, even down to the casing. Even that had a change of mind about 5 times before getting that one. We wanted an airflow going straight through the computer, not one pushing the airflow at right angles above the processor, that only slows airflow down. every computer component was checked out to give the best within the price bracket so many times it got silly. We also wanted on that could expand considerably in the future, to the extent we even installed a 750 watt power unit. Way over the top but able to handle anything we threw at it.
Click to expand...

Psu is system dependant, spec it right and there is no need to go ott (unless you're running chunky gpu(s)).

With the "extras" I have/will add it works out to around a £1500 build, but what a computer.
The problem with shop bought ones they are built to cover every possible use and throw in things like anti virus programs free which someone may not want or even games. yet you still pay for them. By building your own first of all you know what the computer contains component wise, even down to graphic card sound card choice to name but 2.
Click to expand...

Depends who builds it. Novatech for example use good branded parts and don't even install an OS unless you want to spec one let alone other stuff. Research your system builders..
 
Think mine runs at around 32c if my memory is correct.

You can check out if your morthboard will accept 64 bit which i think it should if you have windows 8. but download belarc Advisor which will imterrogate your computer inside

Link
http://www.belarc.com/free_download.html

Great bit of info free on your computer, even your OES serial number if you don't have it
 
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Neil totally agree with you and what you say. Everything installed in mine was down to personal choice and not necessarily what we could have put in much cheaper to do the same job.

Mainly my thought processes were " I have a budget of up to £1500 to spend on a build, so go for either the best or what was intended nearest the best cost wise for each component within a price bracket for each"

Yes the pick and choose time even went as far as that, selecting each component against cost and the best affordable.

Have to say at this point it took some persuading to get my son to understand the purpose of the build, but once he grabbed onto the fact it was for photographic work it was a bit easier in the selection process.

OK hands up time, without my son having built computers before I would have been at a complete loss,but seeing all the bits and pieces come together and then working was ,strange to say, rather exciting

We did upgrade the case fans and have 3 spare unused fans still that came with the case
 
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Alright then saving for a custom pc it is! Thanks for all the advice, really much appreciated :-)
 
Ferj said:
Alright then saving for a custom pc it is! Thanks for all the advice, really much appreciated :-)
Click to expand...

Good thinking!!!!!! you wont regret it. Don't go rushing out and buying just for the sake of getting a new computer, take time as the choice is never ending. Take advise from anyone and everyone especially computer experts.

See PM for good computer site for help and advise
 
Can't afford to and wouldn't anyhow, will read and learn a bit and it will take a while to save for so no rush!
 
Replacing your graphics card could have a huge impact on performance of video editing and motion graphics applications.

Premier and After Affects make extensive use of Nvidia's CUDA and Apple's FCPX and Motion utilises OpenCL an OpenGL to speed up processing.

I understand that Photoshop CS6 also makes better use if GPU acceleration.

In a nutshell, a graphics card update could be worthwhile and choose the right one, you could use it in a new PC when you have the funds to build it.
 
MarcM said:
Replacing your graphics card could have a huge impact on performance of video editing and motion graphics applications.

Premier and After Affects make extensive use of Nvidia's CUDA and Apple's FCPX and Motion utilises OpenCL an OpenGL to speed up processing.

I understand that Photoshop CS6 also makes better use if GPU acceleration.

In a nutshell, a graphics card update could be worthwhile and choose the right one, you could use it in a new PC when you have the founds to build.
Click to expand...

If you read the adobe spec its actually very few areas that gpu acceleration helps for photo work.

Video work more so but if the system tops out at 4gb I'd suspect its also on the old core2 architecture so a system overhaul would be more beneficial than spending on a card. You could lob in a new Titan but have a huge CPU and memory bottleneck.
 
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I've read the spec and the areas where new acceleration is provided are likely to be to be of interest to anyone preparing images for video and motion graphics.

Since the OP himself said that the system is used for video editing as well as stills editing, I stand be my advice that a video card upgrade would be worth considering.

I agree, an outright new build, spec'd from scratch would be ideal, but the OP has stated several times that the finances aren't available to do so. Adding a new graphics card therefore could provide a performance boost now and can later be transferred into a new system in the future.

As for bottlenecks, you never get rid off them, you only move them elsewhere!
 
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Mind you the board does support a quad core AMD looking at the specs. That might help a bit.


The memory is the (major in my opinion) weak point, especially for serious photo and video editing.
 
MarcM said:
I've read the spec and the areas where new acceleration is provided are likely to be to be of interest to anyone preparing images for video and motion graphics.

Since the OP himself said that the system is used for video editing as well as stills editing, I stand be my advice that a video card upgrade would be worth considering.
Click to expand...
In which case, it is better to ask what applications are being used first. Someone with such an old and constrained computer may well not be using the latest and greatest from Adobe.

Unless you know what software is in use, your advice might be right (depending on the amount and type of video editing done and the software used) or it could be completely misguided and cost the OP money which could go towards a new PC (you can build a good PC for the cost of a high end graphics card).

The key thing to do is to ask questions first, and recommend second ;)
 
Like a good debate!

I'm using Adobe Lightroom 5 + Elements 11 and Premiere Elements Ms office 2010 if that helps...
 
Ferj said:
Like a good debate!

I'm using Adobe Lightroom 5 + Elements 11 and Premiere Elements Ms office 2010 if that helps...
Click to expand...
Yup, it helps :)

Save for a better PC - those apps aren't GPU accelerated so a better graphics card won't help one bit.
 
Steep said:
http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?lc=en&dlc=de&cc=de&docname=c00906129#N131

The above HP link says you can put up to 8gb in the mobo if you have a 64bit operating system as you do. 8Gb (2x4Gb) would cost you in the region of £150. You would notice an improvement but I'm not sure if it would be £150 worth.
Click to expand...

that looks like a slightly different revision to what the OP posted..

OP if you can confirm what your motherboard looks like compared to the pics in:

http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/Document.jsp?objectID=c01925534

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?lc=en&dlc=de&cc=de&docname=c00906129#N131
 
Hmm so it is, 4 slots as against two, since Ferj said earlier he has only two slots I expect it's back to a max of 4gb.
 
Have you run the memory adviser tool at www.crucial.com/uk ?

Often you will find that your board supports more than the manufacturer said it would at the time of manufacturer.

This usually happened when certain denomination chips (e.g 4 or 8GB) were rare and / or difficult to get hold of.

By running the memory scanner, you will find out exactly what your board will take and Crucial will guarantee that what you buy is suitable.
 
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realspeed said:
no reason why they can't be replaced with higher capacity ones as I said. Your handbook/ paperwork should say what motherboard is installed and the max amount of RAM it will accept.

As I said windows XP will only take 4gig of RAM, maybe your computer was built with windows XP in mind but been upgraded to windows 8. Of course your processor will still only work at the same speed but extra RAM may allow more operations at the same time to be a bit faster.

I did a load of research on computer builds a few months ago and discovered loads about what to do as my son and I built one specially for photographic work. Air flow is of prime importance. the cooler the computer the better it works.

So make sure the vents arn't clogged up and the fan is dust free

One of the interesting observations was that intel core i5 is ok for stills but the i7 is better for video work

Ok the build we did was about £1300, now adding an ssd card at nearly £200 on the computer alone, excluding windows 7 professional and IPS monitor. ( I would hate to think what it would have cost to have built to my spec)
so a little different to what you have, but as Neil says Seriously think about saving for a better computer to suit your needs. he is giving good advice

Old shop built one



My hand built one which now has another hard drive fitted as well. Spot the difference in build care

dsc7667copy.jpg
Click to expand...

TBH £1500 for a computer for editing photos seems MASSIVELY overpriced!

I'm running an i7 PC with 16GB RAM (approx 3.5GB used by XP), 2 SSds and a 500GB HDD which cost me FAR less!

And I'm only using XP Pro.

I'm not using Photoshop but Serif PhotoPlus X2 and it runs fine.

I can also batch process hundreds of TIFF files (just under 100MB for each one) in Neat Image with no problems whatever at about 20-40 per minute.

And it can also play Blu-Ray movies perfectly using just the onboard video.

.
 
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I agree that £1500 is a lot for a PC. A good price point for a PC is about £800-900. You are really getting the most bang for your buck in that price range!

Don't be scared to build it yourself either, its Lego for adults!
 
Yep mine was the first one. I thing 4gb is the max and like you say spending £100+ is a tad pointless! Should have gone custom in the first place but wasnt brave enough :)

I'll get there one day though but in the mean time mine is still working and its a tiny bit faster now :)
 
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