I have a built-in video adapter... a sloppy adapter. i want to upgrade it. but the ONLY available PCI slot is the small size. what video adapter (a more powerful adapter)is available for this type of motherboard?

You will need to use a PCI video card. These are available on eBay, Best Buy and other computer parts stores.

Your restrictions are based on available slot size and version. So get one that fits PCI-e x16.


Could not locate PCI version so check your manual, because the slots are backward compatible. Meaning you can connect a Ver 1 card into a Ver 3 slot, but not the other way around.

Expansion Slots - 1x PCI-e x16 slot, 1x PCI-e x1, 2 x PCI slots

Okay,..........

1) You can download a wireless Ethernet adapter driver all day, but if you Do Not have a wireless adapter card installed in your computer, the drivers do you no good.

Or if you do not have a wireless USB adapter plugged into a USB port.

Example of a wireless adapter card,

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=4695358&CatId=2692

Example of a wireless USB device,

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=6367137&CatId=2692

Example of an Ethernet adapter card,

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=686143&CatId=200

If you are just going to hardwire the computer, just buy an Ethernet adapter card, (PCI version), and install it in your computer, (On the motherboard), in any available white PCI slot.

IF it is the Mini Tower model.

The Desktop, Small Form Factor (SFF), and Ultra Small Form Factor (SFF) computers, are too small in width for a regular size Ethernet adapter card.

They need a Low-Profile Ethernet adapter card,

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833114034

This is for a Dell Optiplex GX620 Mini-Tower computer,

http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/opgx620/en/ug/A02/mtabout0.htm#wp1051997

Scroll the page down until you come to the bold blue heading - System Board Components
This is an illustration of a Top view of the Mini-Tower's motherboard.

16 and 17 point to two PCI slots.
This is where an Ethernet adapter card that is the PCI version, will plug into.

PCI slots are White in color.
An example of a basic PCI slot, ( 3 are shown),

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:PCI_Slots_Digon3.JPG

If you do decide to go wireless;

1) Wireless networking operates at half of the speed of wired networking.

A computer that is wired directly to an Ethernet adapter card, is twice as fast on the internet, as a computer that is connected wireless.

2) Make sure your Router is capable of wireless.
Make sure the wireless router has a built-in Modem, or that you have a separate Modem.

[ For DSL.
Phone line connects to Filter. Filter has a place for a telephone cable, and an Ethernet cable.
Ethernet cable connects to Filter, and other end connects to Modem.
Ethernet cable goes from Modem to Wireless router that does not have a built-in Modem.

OR,
Phone line connects to Filter. Ethernet cable from Filter goes directly to wireless router, that has a built-in Modem.

Computer has to have a USB wireless device, or a wireless adapter card, installed.

For additional questions, or to clarify anything I have stated, please post in a Comment.
(Believe upper right of your page, blue Comment)

Regards,
joecoolvette

Hi,

PCI-Express videocards will not work in standard, older PCI slots. They are very different interfaces.

You can find older video cards that are PCI, but they are not very fast and have not been popular for ~10 years.

This dimension desktop was designed to minimize space usage and comes with a built in ati radeon x600SE graphics adapter which is pretty lackluster and why you want to upgrade I'm sure. The problem is the vacant PCI slots are only half hieght so you will need a card that will fit in a half hieght slot. There are a few good ones that will and are compatable. One suggestion is the ATI Radeon X1550 which is a pretty good card and takes up 2 half hieght slots and costs around $100 to purchase. Hope this helps you.

There is an adapter available if you look on computer sites for product purchases, try to google it as there or companies than make such items, might be harder to find as PCI and ISA are older connectors and even AGP is begin phased out an PCI express is the lading connector. Google ISA to PCI adapter and see what you can get your compangies to pruchases from. Your local computer hardware shop might have it call first and ask before driving out there, If you find nothing try calling Tigerdirect as they might have older stock, you never know, If to no avail you will have to try and locate an older Motherboard with the two conncectors on it and run that if possible, or find this certain ISA card you're talking about in PCI. Good luck! :)

You can get your systems exact specs on the Dell website under the support page. Hope this helps.

use the built in graphics adapter to start up then when in windows right click on my computer then click on the hardware tab . then clck device manager .. then double clck display adapters .. then double click on the display adapter that is built in.. and then in its properties window select disable/do not use this device.

You can put new Video card accordingly. Just buy an good Video card which have inbuilt memory and that support your operating system. There are loads of Video card available in the market.

Relevant link

Yes it does have an AGP slot, which you can confirm easily by looking at the motherboard. The AGP slot would be found at the top of the available slots and is brownish in color and slight smaller than the several white PCI slots.

As for what card to put in, that depends on your budget and needs.
If you're a gamer, spend as much as you can and go with a N-Vidia based AGP card.

Please rate this as solved once you've read it, unless you have further questions, then post another comment.
Thanks!

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