Seeking quick estimate: pwr consumed with older-gen nVidia

[ocre]

I dont see what was wrong with the OPs first thoughts. Dump both the 9600gt's and get a gtx750ti. (or even a 750 non ti)

save nearly 100watts at idle (and in everything else he does) while having significantly more GPU power. You say he still uses the PC several times throughout the day and he isnt really wanted a complete upgrade. Why bother?

Go with your first thoughts, in the OP. Swap out his 9600gt's. It is a simple and very effective solution with no drama and takes very little time.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

I dont see what was wrong with the OPs first thoughts. Dump both the 9600gt's and get a gtx750ti. (or even a 750 non ti)

save nearly 100watts at idle (and in everything else he does) while having significantly more GPU power. You say he still uses the PC several times throughout the day and he isnt really wanted a complete upgrade. Why bother?

Go with your first thoughts, in the OP. Swap out his 9600gt's. It is a simple and very effective solution with no drama and takes very little time.

I think all of us here -- obsessives, enthusiasts, techno-addicts -- have a similar e-mail inbox pattern: The daily, ubiquitous Newegg "Spesh-ul Dee-uls." I search through those things, looking for bargains I can't wait for, looking for ideas, reading customer reviews to get my bearings. But in the end -- my purchases are scheduled, planned -- budgeted (with exceptions.)

You may be right about this, though. Mom and Bro aren't eager to get a new computer. They don't know what a NUC is. Mom's cellphone was a Motorola flip-flop model from the year 2001, which she still uses. I showed her she could upgrade to in Iphone 5 for free, but she went ballistic about the touchscreen and all the little icons: "I don' wanna do that!"

For their "bidnis," those LGA775 systems are fine. THEY think so. The longer they think so, the more money I save: it's likely up to me and my wallet to upgrade them. I'm just starting to get a tad impatient . . .

So if I bought that low-power eVGA card, it would easily be ripe for popping into a Z87 or Z97 motherboard (or something concurrent but "less.")

And like I said. Maybe when the brandy bottle is empty, I can get Bro to allow me to "reduce" his fan installations, pull the second 9600 card, and proceed.