Solved Video card vs graphic card?

[nottaclue9]

OK, folks I'm going in now. I hope I don't screw up!
Good instructions, DocBrown... Thank you for color coding stuff for us remedial students.

 

[nottaclue9]

Is this it? My fingers are all pinched and swollen from trying to get the side back on. It will only re-attach on the top part, not the bottom.

 

[DocBrown]

If this is what is under the HD, we have NO slot here for an add-in video card except for the first white PCI in post #53.
I see a round large watch battery that maintains the CMOS/Bios memory info. The aluminum finned heatsink is probably on top of the CPU (Central Processor Unit). I see Dimm 1 to the right side of the pic which indicates a RAM memory slot/chip.
The square Intel chip could be for the onboard video or for onboard sound.

I am sorry about your fingers. Yes, some computer cases are a pain to open & put back together.

Is this the only pic you took with the harddrive out of the way ? Which side of this pic is the back of the computer ?

 

[nottaclue9]

That's what's under the box that I surmise is the hard drive. It was in the back lower left part of the computer, and it readily lifted up when I pinched the two blue clips... Do you mean that I can't upgrade this thing?

I finally did get the side back on. Got a free manicure in the process.

 

[AddRAM]

This looks like one here to me :/
View attachment 339164

Thrash picked the pci express slot out right here, you can just see it, it`s definetly a pci express slot like I said the specs say it is.

It`s black nottaclue, the video card only goes in one way, the card and the slot both have a key/notch you use to line it up, and of course the end with the video ports go to the back of the pc so you can plug the video cable in.

Your card and the slot are both PCI-Express, now let`s get that card in there

You can do it.

You can see here my Quadro 600, your Dell is just silly with where they put the hard drive, my ssd is under the power supply, but you get the jist of it. If you`re gonna use the blue vga port you have to use both low profile brackets, like I already told you.

And you don`t use a hex wrench, you use a 3/16" socket, like I`ve already told you But I suppose you could use a pair of pliers if that`s all you have, just be careful.

And here`s Mike`s picture again showing you how it should look when you`re done, if you`re gonna use your vga cable and the blue vga port. Don`t forget to connect the gray ribbon cable from it to the video card again.

 

[DocBrown]

I have not hit my head with that drumstick too many times

The notches on the PCI-E card are in the wrong place to fit into the one slot I see in post #53

 

[nottaclue9]

Well, OK, then. Is this card usable or not? What do I need to take a picture of? I'm sorry to be dense, but I'm not understanding what else I have to photograph, or where it is.

 

[DocBrown]

Notch in the Dell PCI slot matches my PCI slot in post #86 above DOES NOT match PCI-E slot

 

[AddRAM]

Will you guys forget about the white pci slot, Doc look at the card again, it and the black pci express slot on the board match up perfectly, there is no AGP slot on that board.

Nota, I can see the black pci express slot right there in your picture, that`s where the new card goes.

 

[DocBrown]

So you are saying the black HD rail is obscuring my line of sight of a Black PCI-E slot ?

If so I apoligize, better get cataract surgery

 

[AddRAM]

Yes, and you can even see the blue retention device at the end that locks in the video card, don`t confuse it with the blue at the end of the hard drive rail.

This and the notch on the pci e slot will match up perfectly, just look.

 

[DocBrown]

Holy Crap

That angle of the pic in #53 and the black slot & black HD rail really played a trick on my eyes.

What about clearance of the MSI card fan next to, or will it be just under the HD ?

 

[AddRAM]

We can only hope it does

 

[nottaclue9]

You guys are the best. Thank you so much for figuring out that I actually didn't buy the wrong product. However, I don't think I can really pull off this installation.

AddRAM, is that whited-out picture with the drawn-in black outline really my computer? It looks like a table in Vegas full of stacked chips, not my ancient Dell. If I'm supposed fit that card into that spot, I'm doomed. I'll never even be able to find it!

Life is going to get strange pretty quickly. I'll be gone a while tomorrow, then I've got my dad coming into town till Thursday night. I will definitely check in here with y'all, but as for having a long chunk of time when I can do this, I'm not so sure. My dad (88 years old!) loves a challenge, so he might want to give this a go. I'll keep y'all posted.

 

[ThrashZone]

Notaclue's card does not go past the silver mounting bracket at all on the sides so it should go in quite easily,
Clearance on one of these slim machines is close but even after mine was installed it still had 3/8" clearance
And it went past the silver mounting plate 3/8"

For what it's worth Notaclue I had never disassembled and installed a video card before either buddy,
Mine was a first and it was easier than reading about it
Watch a few videos refer back to the youtube video I posted and I'm sure there's some others in the related videos listing
Check them out too

 

[nottaclue9]

I thought I had to take off the bracket that came on it and replace it with one of the ones that came in the box? Then I slide it through the open slot in the computer, right? I need to review Thrash's video after I get company out of here.

 

[ThrashZone]

No you don't slide it through the back your correct it would never fit through the little slot in the back
You insert it from the inside
The entire plate is on the inside of the box,
There is on the bottom a small part of the plate that fits in another slot in the back wall of the computer,
I'll see if I can find you another video but the other one clearly shows how to install it :/
Cheers.

 

[AddRAM]

Are you serious ? You are not done yet ? My daughter can do this in her sleep

Of course that`s not a picture of your board, but it is a picture of the PCI-Express slot that the card goes in, you have the same slot on your motherboard. Install the brackets (both of them) and put the card in.

The brackets go on the video card 1st, I told you this a long long time ago LOL, Once again it will look like this when done.

This video shows you exactly what to do. The next post I want from you is one with a picture of the finished install

Or jus PM me again

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4iTNW1UsU9Q

 

[nottaclue9]

Got the right bracket on. Am going to try to install...

Got it to fit, but then the lid wouldn't go back onto the computer without forcing. Got the lid back on, then got dire black screen message about monitor cable being plugged into integrated video connector. ?? Supposed to plug the monitor cable into the graphics card connector, but the whole thing was in crooked. So took it out and am GIVING UP!! Will return it and live without it.

Nothing is worth this much headache. The card isn't going to make my videos play, anyway. Not sure what that's about...

Thanks to all of you guys who tried to help me with this. I am just not capable of pulling it off. Old ladies should stick to gardening or crochet or something.

 

[ThrashZone]

Take one last picture of both the black and white connections your computer has