Best slimline/lowprofile videocards?

Shannow · Nov 8, 2011

Anyone have any idea on this? The PC I am working with for this is a dell htpc slimline, and I am looking to see what is available for it. I replaced that videocard in it back in February, and it plays WoW pretty decently on a 24 inch screen and medium/high settings.

I am just wondering if there has been anything released this year in that niche market (I am not expecting much, and nothing that will run high end games etc. as it is a slimline box and not a gaming rig.) Any ideas/suggestions? What I have in there now is:

1 x SAPPHIRE 100293L Radeon HD 5570 1GB 128-bit DDR3 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready Low Profile Ready Video Card

Again, I expect probably nothing, but I am trying to find comparisons to what is available now to that card for slimline.

PatrThom · Nov 8, 2011

Would be best to find out what your power budget is before you go hunting.

--Patrick

Shannow · Nov 8, 2011

eh, working with a slimline, it is not much. Cant rememebr, off the top of my head. I am really just looking for comparisons/reviews of card for slimline opcs, if any. Seems hard to find anything. It may be that what I have in there is what is best for this type of PC as it is.

Shannow · Nov 8, 2011

Actually, more searching, and I came across a great monthly article on it, with answers to exactly my question:

http://www.squidoo.com/best-low-profile-video-graphics-cards-for-gaming-2011-pci-express

PatrThom · Nov 8, 2011

Say what you will, those 9800GTs are still hanging tough* (they're just a low voltage redo of the 8800GT, so that's really no surprise).

--Patrick
*EDIT: Even against today's cards.

Shannow · Nov 8, 2011

Yeah. I am thinking I may jsut end up getting this as an upgrade option for the quad core slimline pc:

http://www.amazon.com/PowerColor-Profile-PCI-Express-AX6750-1GBD5-LHG/dp/B005HMKHH2?SubscriptionId=19BAZMZQFZJ6G2QYGCG2&tag=squid1391830-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=B005HMKHH2

I do not feel like rebuilding apc from the ground up, and since I am not into heavy gaming anymore, this should do exactly what I need for the games I do play on the pc (WoW, Sc2, Diablo 3 when it hits, etc.) Everything else I play is over on the xbox. I may snag battlefield 3 and play it on low settings with friends, but eh, I do not do a heck of a lot of gaming on it.

that 6850 is sexy as all hellt hoguh. Wonder if I could fit it in there if/when it hits stateside.

Necronic · Nov 8, 2011

I think I mentioned this in another thread, and I think someone told me it wasn't as much of an issue anymore, but from my experience the Radeon HD series cards run crazy hot, which isn't good for a build like this.

Shannow · Nov 8, 2011

Well, I have a radeon in there now, the 5450, and for a card with no fans and jsut heatsinks, its been rock solid ofr the last 9 months in the slim tower.