video card Recommend Me A Video Card For An Older Desktop PC

[UncleSpellbinder]

I recently came across a Dell Dimension E520, Pentium D, manufactured in 2007... for free. I plan on using this as a Linux/Windows 7 dual-boot machine. It only has 1 GIG of memory for now, but I'll be upgrading to 4 in the near future. It has no PCI Express video card installed, but It must have some sort of on-board video capability.

Can anyone recommend something to use for this 5-year-old Dell?

Opinions/recommendations encouraged.

[xendrome]

Specs show http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/dime520/en/SM_EN/specs.htm

It does indeed have a PCI Express 16x slot, and a PCI Express 1x slot. And the standard power supply is a 305 watt.

So now searching can begin!

[UncleSpellbinder]

Thanks for the additional info there, xendrome. I found the exact PC by using the service tag number. Though no info was given regarding detailed specs. Couldn't locate anything like the link you provided. Apreciate it!

[Ambroos]

If you don't really need gaming performance (and if it fits in your case) I highly recommend getting a passive card. They make no noise at all, which is pretty nice.

This one should be more than fine: http://www.newegg.co...N82E16814500222

(and stick with nVidia if you're going to be using Linux)

[UncleSpellbinder]

From Fedora to Gentoo and Ubuntu to Debian. If it's one thing I've learned, it's stick with nVidia. ATI and Linux are horrible bedfriends.

Should have stated that in the initial post. And thanks for the link, Ambroos. Not sure if it will fit or not. Seems to be a mid-sized case at 16" high and 7 1/4" wide.

[Ambroos]

From Fedora to Gentoo and Ubuntu to Debian. If it's one thing I've learned, it's stick with nVidia. ATI and Linux are horrible bedfriends.

Should have stated that in the initial post. And thanks for the link, Ambroos. Not sure if it will fit or not. Seems to be a mid-sized case at 16" high and 7 1/4" wide.

If a card like this fits that 430 I linked should fit too. http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k78/nightpath/DSCF0196.jpg

Basically any card from the 400 range and up should be pretty good, but spending more is completely unnecessary if you're not going to game. And still, I can play Team Fortress 2 at 1440x900 on my GT330M in my laptop at 60 FPS :p

[UncleSpellbinder]

Tentatively, I'm looking at the EVGA GeForce GT 430 or the EVGA GeForce GT 520

Any real difference between the two? Is one that much better than the other?

[Ambroos]

The amount of stream processors in the 430 is double, so for video processing or GPGPU the 430 would do quite a bit better. For games the 430 would be better too. The 430 uses more power, so it will produce more heat and run less quiet. In theory the 430 should be much faster and the better choice here.

[UncleSpellbinder]

Thanks, Ambroos :D