Best available *Low-Profile* PCI and PCIe GPU's?

[Mumps]

I happened into (also now known as "GregK'd" :-) ) an old workstation. It's a Lenovo Think Centre (MT-M6073-ATU (http://download.lenovo.com/pccbbs/thinkcentre_pdf/43c8797.pdf)) with two Low Profile slots. A single PCIe X16 and a single PCI. Combine that with the non-standard style 280 Watt PS, that doesn't even have an extra Molex plug for a second hard-drive, much less any 6 or 8-pin ones, I'm wondering if there's anything that will crunch that can get installed in it. I'm not having much luck finding GPU's that do Low-Profile. (http://www.xpcgear.com/pcielowprofile.html?gclid=COX456_ejLACFeUBQAodZyNJ ow) :) So, 9500GT or GT 520? Or maybe the 6570?

The one caveat I did previously run in to is that the ThinkCentre PC's (at least the older ones like this) refuse to work with ATI 5000 series cards. Not sure if that extends to the 6000 tough. (My 5770 produced a memory conflict with the BIOS that would not allow the system to even POST.)

Any thoughts?

[Beerdrinker]

From what I can read, the PCI version of GT430 will be at least 1.5times better than the GT520 - since it has more CUDA cores.

So my bet would be the PCI 430 if they comes in Low Profile versions...


2 sec Google:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121397

Well, what does my eye see??? :)

[DrPop]

Yep. I think Beer nailed it. The GT 430 or 530 has (96 cores) - twice the CUDA cores of the 510/520 cards, so will crunch twice as fast. I think the 430 / 530 are the "fastest" crunching cards you could get at this point that don't require more juice than what the PCI-e or PCI interface can supply. :)

Wait...take that back. Apparently there is a GT 545 with 144 CUDA cores (http://www.geforce.com/hardware/desktop-gpus/geforce-gt-545-ddr3) - that would smoke a GT 430 or 530...and they made a GT 440 (http://www.nvidia.com/object/product-geforce-gt-440-oem-us.html) that was OEM only - 144 CUDA cores and only 56Watts. Not sure where to find these though?:confused: ;)

[DrPop]

Hmmm...looks like there may be a trickle down effect someday. Take a look at the GT 640 OEM here (http://www.geforce.com/hardware/desktop-gpus/geforce-gt-640-oem/specifications) - there are models of the GTX 640 with 384 CUDA Cores, and it only uses 50 - 75W. That is actually pretty cool for older rigs where PSU or mobo or case size (for heat) is way limited. It looks like their "new" 630 is pretty much an O/Ced version of the 430 / 530 cards before it, with 96 cores, just a little faster, @ 65W.
The 620 now has 96 cores, and the 610 is comparable to the older 520 with 48 cores.

Hope that helps a little. :)

[Mumps]

From what I can read, the PCI version of GT430 will be at least 1.5times better than the GT520 - since it has more CUDA cores.

So my bet would be the PCI 430 if they comes in Low Profile versions...


2 sec Google:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121397

Well, what does my eye see??? :)

Nice card there Beer. Only problem is the heat-sink/Fan assembly. With the configuration of this silly workstation, that's not gonna work. The HD assembly is right butt-up against the slot, so having the heat-sink stick out that far will be obstructed. But I'll look for other 430 options after the comments.

[Fire$torm]

Does your Think Centre have the option for a horizontal card mount? If so you could use a PCIe extension cable.

[Maxwell]

If you're terribly interested in free, I have a 9500GT I could send you that would work...

[Mumps]

Does your Think Centre have the option for a horizontal card mount? If so you could use a PCIe extension cable.

I doubt it. Nothing I saw while inside would suggest it. If you look at the Maintenance PDF I linked, it's a mini desktop case and I don't see any space that I imagine would even be large enough to frankenstein-mount a card with an extender.

I think I'll take Maxwell up on "free" and spend more time thinking about the next option. I've got a couple other systems I can probably get cards in, it's just that those are only 235W power supplies, so while the case is less restrictive, the PS is more so. But they're also standard style PS's, so upgrading them will be easy.

NOTE: So, the 235W power supplies have extra Molex cables, while the 280W does not. How much sense does that make? ;)

[Fire$torm]

I doubt it. Nothing I saw while inside would suggest it. If you look at the Maintenance PDF I linked, it's a mini desktop case and I don't see any space that I imagine would even be large enough to frankenstein-mount a card with an extender....

OH OK. I asked because I seemed to recall that my old Think Centre M52 had a horizontal slot. Ack, might be recalling a different one.


NOTE: So, the 235W power supplies have extra Molex cables, while the 280W does not. How much sense does that make? ;)

It doesn't..............

[Beerdrinker]

So, the 235W power supplies have extra Molex cables, while the 280W does not. How much sense does that make? ;)

Does not make any sense at all!

But BTW....Those "old" 235W PSU´s where not to shabby from what I can recall. It will probably beat my crappy generic 400W any day of the week...:)

[rgathright]

Low profile, 1 PCIe slot wide? The EVGA Nvidia GeForce GT 430 with 1024MB DDR3 Memory Video Card (www.epinions.com/content_560881569412) rocks!

Here is an article I wrote about it:
www.epinions.com/content_560881569412

[Mumps]

Low profile, 1 PCIe slot wide? The EVGA Nvidia GeForce GT 430 with 1024MB DDR3 Memory Video Card (www.epinions.com/content_560881569412) rocks!

Here is an article I wrote about it:
www.epinions.com/content_560881569412

Thanks rgathright! Only bummer seems to be, at least at NewEgg, the "normal" version is listed at $49.99, but the "Low Profile Ready" one lists at $79.99. What a rip-off! :)

EDIT: OK, $59.99 with MIR, but it also costs $4.00 *more* to ship. :)

[kaptainkarl1]

I got one after RGathright made the suggestion to me and have been very pleased with the performance of the card.

[rgathright]

I got one after RGathright made the suggestion to me and have been very pleased with the performance of the card.

He he he... Kaptainkarl and I sandwich this little video card between two others on our ASUS KGPE-D16 motherboards! @-)

[kaptainkarl1]

The Zotac has a pcie and pci version of the 430 that is low profile and costs $55 bucks after rebate at compusa and you can buy two and get the rebate on both. I don't know which is a higher producer but they work!

[Mumps]

The Zotac has a pcie and pci version of the 430 that is low profile and costs $55 bucks after rebate at compusa and you can buy two and get the rebate on both. I don't know which is a higher producer but they work!

Doh. I should have known to check that. I have my eye set on that PCI 430 that's strictly passive cooling, but that thing is Full height, not Low Profile. So I presumed there wasn't a Zotac model that was Low Profile...

[kaptainkarl1]

Doh. I should have known to check that. I have my eye set on that PCI 430 that's strictly passive cooling, but that thing is Full height, not Low Profile. So I presumed there wasn't a Zotac model that was Low Profile...

They are skinny real skinny.

[Mumps]

They are skinny real skinny.

I checked on the Zotac site last night and no, they don't seem to have a single slot Low Profile model. Look at the view from the back in of the ZT-40609-10L (http://www.zotacusa.com/synergy-geforce-gt-430-zt-40609-10l.html) for example (http://www.zotacusa.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/z/t/zt-40603-10l_image4.jpg). Or the ZT-40603-10L (http://www.zotacusa.com/geforce-gt-430-low-profile-zt-40603-10l.html) The fan and shroud sticks out beyond the card-slot to a point I don't believe it would fit because of the PCIe slot being right next to the hard drive assembly in the system. If only they had put the PCI card next to the drives and the PCIe slot further away. :)

Am I just not spotting the right one?

[Fire$torm]

I checked on the Zotac site last night and no, they don't seem to have a single slot Low Profile model. Look at the view from the back in of the ZT-40609-10L (http://www.zotacusa.com/synergy-geforce-gt-430-zt-40609-10l.html) for example (http://www.zotacusa.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/z/t/zt-40603-10l_image4.jpg). Or the ZT-40603-10L (http://www.zotacusa.com/geforce-gt-430-low-profile-zt-40603-10l.html) The fan and shroud sticks out beyond the card-slot to a point I don't believe it would fit because of the PCIe slot being right next to the hard drive assembly in the system. If only they had put the PCI card next to the drives and the PCIe slot further away. :)

Am I just not spotting the right one?

Do you have an open PCIe x1 slot? If so you could do a JPM approved mod and install the card there?

[kaptainkarl1]

I cut a heat sinks fins off to get my pcie version in my old hp. Don't let something get in the way of a nice new card.

[Mad Matt]

I am using an ATI 5450, passively cooled since a long time on my HTPC. 20 W TDP, still around 20k Collatz or so. However, it's the only card not allowed to crunch since there is some lag when watching football. :D

Today the smallest ATI using 28nm would be the 7750. And it seems low profile. 819.2 GFlops for 55 W TDP...Just little less GFlops/W than the 7970. And double precision. *-:)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Islands_%28GPU_family%29#Chipset_table

[kaptainkarl1]

Look at this Zotac even has a pci x 1 520 gt card and they are only $40 on ebay! Now I can fill more slots!

http://www.superbiiz.com/detail.php?name=ZT-G520_X1&c=FR&pid=7f0cba4e151fb43bdf024ef0149f7e32df7bc5fa27a79d 00572d56a012033750

48 Stream Processors

[kaptainkarl1]

I checked on the Zotac site last night and no, they don't seem to have a single slot Low Profile model. Look at the view from the back in of the ZT-40609-10L (http://www.zotacusa.com/synergy-geforce-gt-430-zt-40609-10l.html) for example (http://www.zotacusa.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/z/t/zt-40603-10l_image4.jpg). Or the ZT-40603-10L (http://www.zotacusa.com/geforce-gt-430-low-profile-zt-40603-10l.html) The fan and shroud sticks out beyond the card-slot to a point I don't believe it would fit because of the PCIe slot being right next to the hard drive assembly in the system. If only they had put the PCI card next to the drives and the PCIe slot further away. :)

Am I just not spotting the right one?

This is the low profile zotac 430 I was speaking of Mumps. It is now 49 after the rebate.

http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0373618#ta bs

[Duke of Buckingham]

I can not get any of those ZOTAC GeForce GT 430 here in Portugal. They say I am in Europe but I feel I am in the third world. Computer parts were way more easy to get in Brazilian black market than in Portugal. I wanted 2 or 3 depending the price and can not get one.

[kaptainkarl1]

I can not get any of those ZOTAC GeForce GT 430 here in Portugal. They say I am in Europe but I feel I am in the third world. Computer parts were way more easy to get in Brazilian black market than in Portugal. I wanted 2 or 3 depending the price and can not get one.

Hows about someone shipping you them. Or is it a customs and duty issue.

[Duke of Buckingham]

Thanks KaptainKarl. I had some news about it and it seems that I can do it by a Portuguese Company, I will see that monday.

In case of need I will do as you say or try to buy direct to any internet sale company on the USA. It seems that is possible also.

[kaptainkarl1]

Thanks KaptainKarl. I had some news about it and it seems that I can do it by a Portuguese Company, I will see that monday.

In case of need I will do as you say or try to buy direct to any internet sale company on the USA. It seems that is possible also.

If you need I will snag them for you and you can just pay pal me. Let me know how things go. I have 4 of these running and want to add a pci x 1 to an old dual core for 4 in one machine!

[Duke of Buckingham]

I will KaptainKarl. Let us wait for monday to see if I can solve things here. I will tell you something on tuesday. Thanks my captain.
916

I will have a nice coffee now that I have finnished lunch.
917

Ric aka Duke

[artemis8]

Which would be better for me to upgrade to? (I do like the lower energy use of the 7750)

AMD Radeon HD 7750
or
Diamond AMD ATI Radeon HD 6990

haha no I am kidding. I can't get the 6990. :(

But really, I would like to upgrade my card in one of my machines from an AMD ATI Radeon HD 5750 to something under $200

[John P. Myers]

Which would be better for me to upgrade to? (I do like the lower energy use of the 7750)

AMD Radeon HD 7750
or
Diamond AMD ATI Radeon HD 6990

haha no I am kidding. I can't get the 6990. :(

But really, I would like to upgrade my card in one of my machines from an AMD ATI Radeon HD 5750 to something under $200

Hmmm. Actually due to AMD changing their numbering scheme after the 5000 series (when they were still called ATI), the 5750 produces anywhere from 10%-25% more GFLOPS than the 7750 (depends on model) so you're actually better off keeping it since the 7750 seems to be the best 7000 series LP card :/

Drawbacks to the 5750 though are that it can't do DP and it does use a tad more power...but it's faster...i guess it just depends on how badly you want to crunch MW with it :)