Hey guys im new to the whole computer hardware thing so i have a quick question. I currently have a Asus M3A78-EM Mother Board With a AMD Anthlon 64 x2 Dual Core Processor 5000+ 2.61ghz A Geforce 8600 GT 256Mb And 2Gb Ram On Windows Xp 32 Bit I was wondering if my computer is capable of upgrading to a Galaxy - GeForce GT 520 1GB DDR3 PCI Express 2.0 Graphics Card http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Galaxy+-+GeForce+GT+520+1GB+DDR3+PCI+Express+2.0+Graphics+Card/2344226.p?id=1218322060851&skuId=2344226&st=graphics%20card&cp=1&lp=4 and if it is, is it worth the $72 I will also be adding 2Gb of ram for a total of 4Gb which is the absolute max i would want in 32bit from what ive read. Summary: Am i capable of upgrading to a GeForce GT 520 1GB DDR3 PCI Express 2.0 with my current mother board, and if so IS IT WORTH $72 Thanks for the help
Hi, According to Asus, your motherboard has a pci exrpress expansion slot that supports 2.0 architecture so in that respect, you should be able to use it with this motherboard. ( http://www.asus.com/Motherboards/AMD_AM2Plus/M3A78EM/#specifications )However, you need to make sure your power supply meets the minimum wattage for the card (i think this card only needs 300w powersupply, but should check just to be sure in its specifications). Also, check to see if the card you want needs additional power leads to be plugged into it (many newer cards these days need to have a 6 pin power connector plugged into them from the power supply) but this varies by card so just check out the specifications to be sure. I dont think this card needs them, but double check just in case. Also, you may be able to find that card cheaper, you can try tigerdirect.com or newegg.com just to compare prices. I have ordered many times from both of them with no issues.
