Video card for DELL 2005FPW LCD 1680 by 1050 res

[graemenz]

Hi,
I've just bought a 2005fpw LCD monitor and need a video card that supports 1680 by 1050 resolution. I don't play games or watch movies on my PC. Dell support told me GEForce 5200 series was ok, and also X800 (expensive). I don't need a high performance card but I'm concerned the 5200 isn't quite good enough and being fanless might overheat. Any ideas for an average card that is also fairly quiet and has a driver that supports 1680 by 1050, and not PCI express.
e.g. something around $200 on here
http://www.ascent.co.nz/mn-product-template.asp?cname=Video+cards

Thanks
Graeme

 

[SynthDude2001]

If you're not going to play games at all, a 5200 would actually probably be quite sufficient...just about anything recent with a DVI output should be able to drive 1680x1050.

 

[Bateluer]

I wouldn't go with the 5200, its a joke. An X800 will work, an AGP 6600(GT) will also work. A lot of cards support 1680x1050, its whether or not you will be able to run anything beyond Windows Solitaire.

 

[Peter]

Radeon cards are much safer for highres DVI than NVidia's - the signal integrity at high pixel frequencies is considerably better. Anything from a 9250SE to an X850XT will do - your call to balance budget against 3D speed requirements.

 

[graemenz]

So would a Radeon 9600 PRO be ok? Any idea how much noise its fan would make - is it reasonably quiet?

Would the powercolor 9550SE also be ok - it's fanless. I've heard that fanless cards risk overheating. If it's not being used for games or movies but is powered on 24/7 , there shouldn't be any risk of overheating should there?

Thanks everyone

Graeme

 

[Jeff7181]

9600 Pro would be overkill... get the cheapest ATI card you can get that has DVI.

*EDIT* Fanless cards are fine. If it would overheat they'd put a fan on it. 😉

 

[Peter]

Fanless-by-design cards are fanless because they don't need one - lower power consumption, lower speed, no heat problem to begin with. However, then there are 3rd party and aftermarket fanless hackjobs of higher specification cards around. Those I don't trust further than I can throw them.

9550SE would be totally sufficient, so would the Sapphire 9600 (non-Pro). Both are fanless, the latter is lots faster. H.I.S make an interesting 9550SE with VIVO (video input) capability, which might be a handy feature if you want to transfer videos to DVD or something.

If the machine is on 24/7, I'd exactly not use a card w/fan. Those tiny fans are a prime source of system downtime - and even when they still run, they're noisy, they clog up, sometimes they even fall off. Fanless card all the way.

 

[graemenz]

Thanks. That's a big help.
This looks like a great forum.

Graeme

 

[Jeff7181]

Originally posted by: graemenz

Thanks. That's a big help.
This looks like a great forum.

Graeme

Oh, you haven't visited Off Topic or Politics and News yet? 😉

 

[deejayshakur]

Originally posted by: Jeff7181

Originally posted by: graemenz

Thanks. That's a big help.
This looks like a great forum.

Graeme

Oh, you haven't visited Off Topic or Politics and News yet? 😉

made me lol.

this is redundant, but my 9600 (regular) will run the 2005 fine right? i can't wait til it comes!

 

[SynthDude2001]

Originally posted by: deejayshakur

Originally posted by: Jeff7181

Originally posted by: graemenz

Thanks. That's a big help.
This looks like a great forum.

Graeme

Oh, you haven't visited Off Topic or Politics and News yet? 😉

made me lol.

this is redundant, but my 9600 (regular) will run the 2005 fine right? i can't wait til it comes!

It'll be fine. A friend of mine just got a 2005FPW and is running it on a 9600 Pro - and I'm pretty sure the only difference between the two is clockspeeds. 😛

 

[TheToOTaLL]

Glad to see this thread!

Just picked up an 2005FPW and I have a 9800 Pro, so I dont' have to worry about running it at widescreen resolutions.