The best low-profile PCIe x16 video card?

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Blitzrommel

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So far, the best I've found is a Geforce 7300GS, but I was hoping for something more "midrange" like 7600-ish. Or, an ATI offering, I don't care either way. I've seen ATI x600 SE cards but I bet those are junk compared to the 7300GS.

So what's the absolutely best low-profile PCIe x16 card I can get for gaming? I am willing to shell out a few hundred bucks. And yes, I've searched.
 
The 7600 GS is fairly short (only 190mm, or about 7.5 inches), if that's the kind of "low profile" you need. But if you need a "slim" card, that's tougher to find.


For a real low-profile card, Sapphire will release an x1600 Pro HDMI card soon.

Really man, if you got a case in mind that only accepts low-profile cards, don't expect miracles. These cards are mostly low-end because the market for media PCs doesn't really cater to high-end gaming. In addition, midrange and high-end cards are going to remain full-size for the most part because it's just not cost-effective to design them as low-profile cards, with all those components on them.
 
Well, it really depends on how much you want to spend, ATI just lowered their prices on the X1600 (basicly egual to the 7600GS) to $99, whilst the 7600GS is about $110-$120. But if you wanted a bit more performance, go with the 7600GT (for abour $170-$180), whitch is, imo, probly the best bang for the buck deal out there right now. But just my 2 cents.
 
MYSTic Jedi said:
Well, it really depends on how much you want to spend, ATI just lowered their prices on the X1600 (basicly egual to the 7600GS) to $99, whilst the 7600GS is about $110-$120. But if you wanted a bit more performance, go with the 7600GT (for abour $170-$180), whitch is, imo, probly the best bang for the buck deal out there right now. But just my 2 cents.
Click to expand...
:rolleyes:

Low-PROFILE, not low-cost. There is no such thing as a low profile 7600 GT.

The problem is not deciding which one of a plethora to get, it is determining if there is any selection AT ALL.
 
The 7300GT DDR3 should be a better buy compare to the 7300GS. Some reviews even show the card out performing a 7600GS with DDR2 ram equiped
 
I think your best bet would be that x1600.. I cant think of any "midrange" low profile cards.. all the low profiles are all 6200s.. you might get lucky and find a 6600.
 
What kind of PC do you have? Does it have PCI-Express? Is it feasible to get a riser card so that you can possibly use a standard sized PCI-Express card?
 
I built a budget gaming rig for my cousin for ~$450.. And it used the EVGA 7300GS which I got for about 80 bucks.. It has a performance bottle neck which is its memory controller (more on that later) - The card has 256MB onboard GDDR2, BUT, if your system has 1GB or more of RAM, it will allocate an additional 256MB from system memory to use as sort of an "L2 cache" of video memory.. making it effectively a 512MB card for $80.. I've seen this card in a system with 512MB ram (which means it doesnt use the turbocach) and in a 1GB system (my cousin's) and the GPU performance difference is substantial, esspecially in oblivion. I would compare the cards performance to being slightly less than a 9600.. It's performance is however bottlenecked by its 64bit memory controller, as I mentioned.. and for ~$20 more you could obtain an ATi X1600XTpro, which has a 128bit memory controller, and will outperform it nicely and still come in at around 100 bucks (In fact, there is a banner on the right side of this page as I'm posting this for $99 X1600pros at monarch computer), and theres one at the egg too that is 99$ up front but $84 after mail-in rebate:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814102651
 
well that link isn't really a low profile card... we're talking about half height cards... i don't think nvidia has anything stronger than the 7300GS in low profile right now unfortunately.
 
Jason Isom said:
What kind of PC do you have? Does it have PCI-Express? Is it feasible to get a riser card so that you can possibly use a standard sized PCI-Express card?
Click to expand...

It's a Dell Optiplex GX620 SFF that I got from work, it's for my fiancee. As for me... I'm stick with AGP at this time. lol
 
sniperwolf said:
The 7300GT DDR3 should be a better buy compare to the 7300GS. Some reviews even show the card out performing a 7600GS with DDR2 ram equiped
Click to expand...

I haven't been able to find any of those. Anyone else know where I can get this? Otherwise, looks like I may be getting a 7300GS.
 
The 6600 reg is faster than the 7300's available in low-height are they not? Though there are users with complaints that put them in those tiny Dell's. They are passively cooled, and it's tight quarters in there. 6600 WAS the fastest, hands down. I have not seen most post anything better. I don't know about Ati, but look into it.
 
Man the one I'm seeing on newegg says to only have 64 bit memory now. I couldn't have missed that back in the day I don't think. *puzzled*
 
I wouldn't mind a 6600, but the thing is all of the low-profile cards, besides like some Radeon X600's (blech), don't have low-profile brackets. They have the normal height PCI bracket.

EDIT: It appears that Aopen's offering (AOpen PCX6600-DV128LP Geforce 6600 128MB GDDR3 PCI Express x16 Low Profile Video Card on Newegg) comes with half-height brackets. w00t!
 
texuspete00 said:
The 6600 reg is faster than the 7300's available in low-height are they not? Though there are users with complaints that put them in those tiny Dell's. They are passively cooled, and it's tight quarters in there. 6600 WAS the fastest, hands down. I have not seen most post anything better. I don't know about Ati, but look into it.
Click to expand...

Seems the best ATI has is the X1300, which seems to be inferior to both the GeForce 6600 and 7300.

Are 6200's any good?
 
6200s are worthless

for any game made within the last three years
 
Zinn said:
6200s are worthless

for any game made within the last three years
Click to expand...

I'm gonna have to disagree with that. I have a 6200TC (not as my main card, just a spare) and it runs source engine 30-40fps on high detail at 800x600, runs WoW just fine at similar details, runs Farcry fine, et cetera. The only games it completely chokes on are Doom 3 engine games and FEAR.

Now it's certainly no speed demon and it's definitely not a "gaming" card, but it is definitely not worthless...really damn good, actually, considering they cost like 30 bucks. :cool:

Anyway, to the OP it looks like you're gonna have to go with a 6200 or 7300 if you need a low-profile pci-e card. But like I said above I was pleasently surprised with how well the 6200 actually does, and a 7300 should be considerably better than that even.
 
defaultluser said:
The 7600 GS is fairly short (only 190mm, or about 7.5 inches), if that's the kind of "low profile" you need. But if you need a "slim" card, that's tougher to find.


For a real low-profile card, Sapphire will release an x1600 Pro HDMI card soon.

Really man, if you got a case in mind that only accepts low-profile cards, don't expect miracles. These cards are mostly low-end because the market for media PCs doesn't really cater to high-end gaming. In addition, midrange and high-end cards are going to remain full-size for the most part because it's just not cost-effective to design them as low-profile cards, with all those components on them.
Click to expand...

WOW...$499 bucks!
http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=326845
 
7600 or if you can squeeze more money in to your card then the 7900 and luckily these cards have gone more down due to the 7950 release. :)
 
nooh said:
7600 or if you can squeeze more money in to your card then the 7900 and luckily these cards have gone more down due to the 7950 release. :)
Click to expand...

perhaps you missed the whole low-profile thing?

He needs a low profile card. No 7600's or 7900's come in that form.
 
sorry dude answered the wrong thread.

After i did check and what is one of these cards and why are they so long ?

Whats the major difference. :confused:
 
found what it is .

Another thing these cards are based more for media center but media center would need a lot of power for the future , meaning a high profile card and this card is only a 1600 , which is not bad but still quite limited dont you think, is there new cards coming that would fill this gap in the market cos i have noticed that these media center craze is growing day by day. You have your ATI all in one cards but they are big too.
 
bbzidane said:
might be of interest to you,
a low-profile 7600gs

pic

aopen link
Click to expand...

Nice find! If you could find the 7600gs in low-profile, go with it. It would give you much better performance than anything else in low-profile.
 
we just got in some dells with x600ses in them at work. i could not get dual monitors to work to save my life. then i called dell and they said it wasn't possible with the se. FYI.
 
There's plenty of evidence showing that if you get a 6200 that has a NV43 A2 or A3 core, there's a good chance of you being able to use RivaTuner to unlock another 4 pipes, making it almost as good as the 6600. Lots of the 6200's have cores that overclock like beasts as well. Do a google search. In the end tho, my vote goes for the half-height 6600 you found on newegg.

Dang... Interesting 7600GS and 7600GT...I doubt they'll ever make it here in time for him to buy them tho.
 
Can any low profile card be used in a system that only accepts half height cards?

most of the cards mentioned in this thread are low profile, but one of the systems I'm using is a Dell 9200C that has 2 half height slots...1 PCIe x1 and 1 PCIe x16.

thanks.
 
Raikiri said:
Who said a low profile 7600GT did not exist? Lies I say! ;)

http://www.galaxytech.com/news/listst1.asp?s_id=13

Click on GF7600 then the 7600GT LP, they use an animated site hence the link only being to the main page.
Click to expand...

The direct link is http://www.galaxytech.com/news/36/7600GTLOWPROFILE.htm.

There is one oddity however, it says "Dual dual-link DVI supports two 2560x1600 resolution displays". If (like the VisionTek X1300) there was a DMS59 connector I could believe it, but the Galaxy Tech picure shows an ordinary DVI connector.

Could be a simple mistake ...

Adrian
 
defaultluser said:
...For a real low-profile card, Sapphire will release an x1600 Pro HDMI card soon.
...
Click to expand...
That card does single link HDMI + VGA + S-Video.

This GECube x1600 card does dual DVI via a DMS59 connector ... unfortunately 8 months after it's annoucement at CeBit it still isn't on the GeCube website, so I wouldn't hold my breath ...

Adrian
 
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