Nvidia graphics card recommendation

Can anyone recommend a reliable card that works equally well with both XP Pro & Linux, and has:
1. DVI-I and component connectors
2. Does not take up 2 PCI-e slots
3. Good enough for Photoshop3, and moderate video-editing.

 

The problem is (1) you failed to tell us your budget and (2) slots. Understand most better cards today do take up two slots in the back of the "case ", but only one PCIe slot on the motherboard. This allows the card to support a larger and better cooling solution that pumps hot air directly out the back of the case - a very good thing.

Single cards tend to be much less capable cards and they pump their wasted energy (heat) back into the case. Not a good thing.

Plus, the double wide cards are physically secured with a second mounting screw reducing or eliminating pulling stresses on the motherboard - also a good thing.

See Toms Hardware Best Graphics Cards for the Money, November 2012.

 

Component?

 

Good catch. Did not even notice that. Did you mean component? Or something else, like a standard analog "D-sub" (VGA) connection?

 

Hello

Budget is not a consideration. I do not want any card that takes up the space of two PCIe slots (in such a way as to leave one slot unusable), and not too interested in "cards today "...more looking at older tech. I intend to have full tower case and fans everywhere. Ideas?

 

Exactly!

 

I meant component, but VGA would be icing on the cake. However, I require DVI-I & component. DVI-I for monitor and component for my TV.

 

Out of the 6,591 desktop video cards available at Newegg.com, none appear to have "component ".

 

I think you are thinking this wrong. A "full" tower case? Understand "full" tower cases are HUGE! Typically able to support EATX (extended ATX) motherboards used with servers and lots (like 10) hard drives and many expansion cards. Almost NO ONE needs a "full" tower case - even extreme users.

And in any event, the point of getting a "full" tower is so you have tons of room - for things like wide (and multiple) graphics cards, for example.

Look at your motherboard. Compare slot placement on the board to the slots in your case. Chances are the board does not have a slot and will not accommodate a second card right next to the primary card slot anyway - BECAUSE so many cards are double wide.

Also wrong thinking, IMO. If your TV only supports component (no D-Sub VGA analog or DVI or HDMI digital), it is clearly an antique TV - or almost. And you trying to take modern computer technology and cripple it by forcing it to support legacy TV hardware, I think that is a bad idea. What are going to do if you buy a new TV that does support the much superior digital inputs, and no or limited analog?

I recommend getting a modern card then to connect to your legacy TV, use a VGA to Component Converter. This will serve your needs now, but allow your graphics card to support you much further into the future.

 

Well, that's a pain in the rump! Was told elsewhere that if I cannot find motherboard with YPbPr connectors, then graphics card has to have it.

 

I'm aware of how big full size tower are, which is why I picked it...for air flow & fans up the kazoo, future expansion, and other reasons.

I don't want oversized graphics card because it will not fit the case. I need all the PCI/PCIe slots I can get, and for one graphics card to take up one slot plus overhang & block another slot is just silly...if I wanted to waste two slots on graphics cards, I'd go SLI route. I'm not looking for double wide cards.

Maids don't do windows, and I don't do HDMI, Display Port, or DVI-D...so to answer your question I will not be buying junk that does not support component, composite, s-video, or at the least... DVI-I!

As for graphics cards, my requirements are as they are. I'm looking for recommendations for Nvidia series 5**** to 7****. Been told that minimum memory for photoshop CS3 & GIMP is 256MB...videoediting & Internet TV requires more. Resolution minimum is 800x600, but 1024x768 would be better.

 

I MIGHT be able to buy the future expansion and other reasons, but not fans and air flow. There are many most-excellent mid tower cases that provide outstanding cooling (and future expansion).

Note the excellent Antec Nine Hundred Two V3 Mid Tower supports 10 drives, 8 expansion slots, comes with 3 120mm fans and 1 monster 200mm "blowhole" (top) fan - with the support for 2 more 120mm fans!

Plus, it has washable air filters - a requirement for any case I buy.

Huh? That does not make sense with your desire for a full tower case. And frankly, it does not make sense for most mid towers either. Note that Antec 900 mid tower can support graphics cards up to 16 inches long! That's huge!

Again, that does not really make sense with a cavernous full tower (or most mids) case.

Sorry but that too does not make sense. You are calling the newer (and much better) technologies "junk" because they do not support antiquated, obsolete, less capable, and performance limiting technologies of the past.

FTR, I am not happy with how HDMI has been shoved onto the computer world either. It came out the home theater world, pushed by the TV/monitor makers who don't want to support 2 digital connection technologies on their product. Sadly, HDMI has had implementation problems that still need fixing. So I prefer DVI digital over HDMI, but that is a minor problem.

Good luck with your search and let us know what end up with.

 

For me space and budget are no concern. Why would I want a mid-tower case, or something even smaller, when I can get the real deal, in which case internel space becomes of no concern as well. I'm sure full towers also have washable filters (I agree on need for this). We part company on the 'newest&greatest&best' fixation of most today. DVD quality video is quite enough for me..I got zero use for bluray/HD-DVD junk. Difference is you accept HDMI, Display Port, and such. I don't, never will, & not interested. I go with what I like, or can tolerate...not what the herd, TV/monitor makers, etc., want me to like. I picked my TV because of the component connectors, not in spite of it. Same for my DVD recorder.

 

As with yesteryear's starting crank handles, buggy whips and rotary dial telephones, component connectors are slowly fading away.

 

Real deal? If you are suggesting that mid tower cases are some how less capable, or of less quality - you are wrong. Understand a mid tower will easily support a full size ATX motherboard, and as I noted, many drives and expansion cards.

And just because money is not a concern, that does not mean wasting it on something you don't need is wise spending, or results in a better product.

More fans does not automatically result in better cooling. It also means more heat trapping dust will be sucked in.

When it comes to cases, bigger does not mean better. In fact, a smaller case may actually channel the air flow better, rather than a large case with lots of cavernous, potentially stagnant spaces.

I ask you this, how many drives will you be installing in this case?
How many expansion cards will you be installing?

See, now that - and I mean absolutely no disrespect by this, but that demonstrates you have not done much, if any homework on this. For that too is wrong. Most cases, full or mid, do not have removable, washable air filters. In fact, since most full sized cases are used by professionals supporting big file servers (where 10, 12, or more drives may be used), these computers are often found in facilities with controlled (cleaned and cooled) environments. No filters are needed in clean rooms.

Do not assume anything!

BluRay "junk "? Yeah, right. I'm 60, wear trifocals, have tinnitus and have 10% hearing loss from working around flightlines for 24 years. And even I can easily see (and hear, in many cases) the difference in BluRay and HD cable content from that provided by standard DVDs and TV signals.

You may not care about the vastly superior quality of BluRay, but no way is it junk.

We do part, but you do so with misunderstandings, and therefore, flawed logic for your decision.

You have failed to grasp the fact that even plain old DVDs and CDs, and every single pixel of graphics data displayed on your monitor/TV is being delivered to your graphics card in digital format. Not analog.

By you insisting on antiquated, less capable and inferior analog graphics, besides the inherent lower qualities of analog (except with good CRT monitors), you are forcing the data to go through digital-to-analog conversions in the card that must go through analog-to-digital conversions in the monitor again to be displayed by the LCD TV/monitor. Conversions take time and computing horsepower, and affect performance. There is no such thing as a seamless, perfect conversion.

Sorry to hear that. If those devices do not support any digital format, you greatly limited yourself in terms of quality, efficiencies, and longer service into the future.

I guess my confusion over your insistence comes from your mixed signals. You don't care about budget, but you don't want the best technologies that budget can buy.