# what graphics card to use? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 26, 2013, 10:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-graphics-card-to-use/648425 "2013-01-26T10:03:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sevenbone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4bbf92/32.png) [@Sevenbone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sevenbone)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2013, 10:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-graphics-card-to-use/648425/1 "2013-01-26T10:03:00Z")
I want to play project entropia on my computer i have a dell optiplex 745 desktop which graphics card should i use that works in my computer? 3.2 ghz dual core with 2gb memory and 80 gb drive ---
**Author:** ![Sevenbone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4bbf92/32.png) [@Sevenbone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sevenbone)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2013, 10:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-graphics-card-to-use/648425/2 "2013-01-26T10:05:37Z")
entropia website suggests geforce 7800 series or better for high settings but i dont know if thats pci or pci express or if compatible with my system ---
**Author:** ![andrewbub](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@andrewbub](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andrewbub)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2013, 10:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-graphics-card-to-use/648425/3 "2013-01-26T10:10:06Z")
according to dell’s site, you need a low-profile card. the newest cards that are low-profile (only take up one expansion slot), are the 7750/70 on the AMD side or a nvidia 650 on the other. a single slot card: [http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814161403](http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814161403) a dual slot card: [http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814202011](http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814202011) ---
**Author:** ![andrewbub](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@andrewbub](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andrewbub)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2013, 10:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-graphics-card-to-use/648425/4 "2013-01-26T10:13:27Z")
[http://www.dell.com/us/dfb/p/optiplex-745/pd](http://www.dell.com/us/dfb/p/optiplex-745/pd) > [@](#): > > 1 low-profile PCIe x16 graphics > -(H: 2.5" X L: 6.6") i’m not sure if those measurements are talking about the size of the video card…but if so, you’ll have to take that into consideration too. you also might need a more powerful power supply, which you might not be able to find to fit that chasis. ---
**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2013, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-graphics-card-to-use/648425/5 "2013-01-26T15:17:17Z")
> [@andrewbub](#): > > [http://www.dell.com/us/dfb/p/optiplex-745/pd](http://www.dell.com/us/dfb/p/optiplex-745/pd) > > i’m not sure if those measurements are talking about the size of the video card…but if so, you’ll have to take that into consideration too. > > you also might need a more powerful power supply, which you might not be able to find to fit that chasis. Neither of the cards you linked will fit most of the optiplex 745 models, the low profile cards does not refer to how many slots they occupy. Low profile cards refer to the width of the case when standing upright or height on its side. Unless he has the mid size atx case version of a 745. IME most people have the smaller form factor cases. ---
**Author:** ![Sevenbone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4bbf92/32.png) [@Sevenbone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sevenbone)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2013, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-graphics-card-to-use/648425/6 "2013-01-26T15:49:55Z")
how do i tell which type of optiplex 745 computer i have ? ---
**Author:** ![Sevenbone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4bbf92/32.png) [@Sevenbone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sevenbone)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2013, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-graphics-card-to-use/648425/7 "2013-01-26T15:55:09Z")
ok i found i have mini tower type ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2013, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-graphics-card-to-use/648425/8 "2013-01-26T19:41:53Z")
This is why I try to talk people out of buying manufacturer-configuration systems. They may as well be welded shut when it comes to upgrades or cost-effective replacement parts. I think your 2GB of RAM is going to limit your high-end game-performance quite a bit. I also doubt, with a system so “efficiently” designed, that the power supply has much extra margin. Between the limited selection of video cards for the form factor, the low RAM size and (possibly) power supply limitations, you may be better off with an upgrade to a more capable system overall. Sticking a miniaturized form-factor video card in a system that may not be able to make very good use of it - or run at all - doesn’t seem like a good choice, value-wise.