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Resolved Graphics Card Installation

Discussion in 'PC Hardware' started by howardparsons, 2017/03/10.

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  1. 2017/03/10
    howardparsons Lifetime Subscription

    howardparsons Well-Known Member Thread Starter

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    Hi,
    I have a Dell Inspiron 545 that is still going strong under Windows 10. I would like the machine to support two monitors. There are scads of cards out there which will do the trick, but that's not my problem.

    My problem is that the current graphics/video car is integrated with the motherboard. There are no jumpers to disable/bypass the integration. Do I simply install a graphics card (and drivers) & let the machine sort this out on its own?

    I am not a gamer. I only want this for dual monitor capabilities. Should I upgrade the power supply as well?

    Thanks in advance.

    Howard
     
    howardparsons,
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  2. 2017/03/11
    PeteC

    PeteC SuperGeek Staff

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    Installing a graphics card should not be an issue as the onboard graphics should be disabled by the new card - according to the specs you have a PCIe x16 slot on the motherboard. As you intend to run only a second monitor a low end card will be more than adequate and will take power from the motherboard.

    You do not require stacks of RAM on the card, 1 GB or less will suit fine. Do check that the monitor outputs on the card will suit the monitor connections of the monitors you intend to use. I note that the onboard graphics are VGA - a current graphics card is likely to have both VGA and DVI connectors - DVI to VGA adapters are available should the second monitor have a VGA connection.

    I can find no mention of the capacity of the PSU in the specs, but with a low end card the existing PSU should be able to cope even though PC manufacturers are notoriously mean when sizing the PSU.
     
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  4. 2017/03/11
    Bill

    Bill SuperGeek WindowsBBS Team Member

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    Yes, and it is usually that simple.

    One word of caution. Make sure you power down the computer then UNPLUG the computer from the wall, then touch bare metal of the case interior to discharge any static in your body before touching the card or reaching into the computer.

    Because graphics cards are often the most power hungry devices in our computers, it is common to need a larger supply when installing or upgrading the graphics card. As Pete notes, an entry level card may not be that demanding. But as Pete also correctly notes, factory computer makers are notorious for including supplies that are barely adequate to handle the components they come with. Have there been any other hardware upgrades (more RAM or additional drives)?

    Finding the specs for that power supply has been a challenge. I found this which says it came with a 300W supply that is an ATX non-proprietary (a very good thing) supply. But it says there is Dell Inspiron 545s (slimline) model that came with a TFX 250W supply. If you have the 300W supply, then I agree and it should handle an entry level card. But if your computer is the slimline version, 250W may be too small, and you may also need to look for a "low profile" card.
     
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  5. 2017/03/12
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    howardparsons Well-Known Member Thread Starter

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    Pete,
    I suspected that was all there was to it. OTOH, I couldn't find a manual or anything which said such a thing explicitly.

    I've worked on a lot of PCs but they already had their own graphics card so the switch wasn't an issue.

    Thanks for your prompt & helpful advice. I'm going to leave this thread open until the graphics card is installed and tested.

    Cheers!

    Howard Parsons.
     
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  6. 2017/03/12
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    howardparsons Well-Known Member Thread Starter

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    Bill,
    Thanks for jumping in on this. I have a 300W supply. It still has the same 6 Gig. of RAM it came with & only 1 HDD.

    Howard
     
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  7. 2017/03/12
    Bill

    Bill SuperGeek WindowsBBS Team Member

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    Well again, it all depends on the card you get. 300W still is not a lot. Make sure any card you are considering does not require any additional power connections directly from the PSU.
     
    Bill,
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  8. 2017/03/12
    howardparsons Lifetime Subscription

    howardparsons Well-Known Member Thread Starter

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    No Additional Power connections.
     
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  9. 2017/03/12
    Bill

    Bill SuperGeek WindowsBBS Team Member

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    It sounds like you already settled on a card. Did you ensure it has the right graphics interface connections (DVI, HDMI, Display Port, D-Sub) for the monitors you will be using?
     
    Bill,
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  10. 2017/03/12
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    howardparsons Well-Known Member Thread Starter

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    Yep. It has every thing I need and it should be here tomorrow. Whether I have time to install it is another matter. ;-)
     
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  11. 2017/03/12
    Bill

    Bill SuperGeek WindowsBBS Team Member

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    Let us know how it goes.
     
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  12. 2017/03/12
    howardparsons Lifetime Subscription

    howardparsons Well-Known Member Thread Starter

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    Will do!
     
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  13. 2017/03/13
    howardparsons Lifetime Subscription

    howardparsons Well-Known Member Thread Starter

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    Bill & Pete,
    The graphics card installation went with out a hitch & I'm now running w/ 2 monitors. So far, no problems.

    I have sourced a PSU upgrade & will probably order & install @ a later date.

    Howard
     
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  14. 2017/03/14
    PeteC

    PeteC SuperGeek Staff

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    Excellent!
     
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  15. 2017/03/14
    Bill

    Bill SuperGeek WindowsBBS Team Member

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    Super! And thanks for posting your follow up!

    BTW, I've been running with 2 monitors for close to 20 years now. I don't understand how anyone can live with just 1! ;)
     
    Bill,
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