I'm considering upgrading the Dell computer I've used for work over the past 2 years into a gaming computer. The graphics card is clearly the weak point, but any additional advice would be appreciated.
My primary monitor is a 19" Dell monitor, but I would occasionally also play on my 46" Sharp Aquos.

By the way, for the most part I know little and am rather dense about building/upgrading computers, so explanations aimed at newbie-level would be appreciated.

Here are the details:

Dell OptiPlex 745 (http://search.dell.com/results.aspx?s=gen&c=us&l=en&cs=&k=optiplex+745&cat=all&x=0&y=0)
Intel Core 2 CPU  6600@2.4GHz
2GB RAM
Intel Q965/963 Express Chipset Family

Big question is does it have PCI-Express x16 expension slot on motherboard ?

If yes radeon 4670 would be inexpensive but powerfull enough for 19" gaming upgrade.

And what kind of power supply is in there ?


Sorry but i can't find any normal specification in this oem bullshit documention they put on their site.

Thanks for the reply. Sorry I forgot to include motherboard info. Here's what the manual says (translated from Japanese, so I apologize if some of the jargon is incorrect):

This Dell computer supports serial adapters, and has slots for the following PCI cards and PCI Express cards:

• Low-profile PCI card slot x 2
• Low-profile PCI Express x16 x 1

Note: This computer has only PCI and PCI Express slots. It does not support ISA cards.

Is the computer full size or is it smaller than normal? I was wondering about this. " Low-profile PCI Express x16 x 1 "

My guess would be low-profile suggests it'll only support half height cards.

It is a slightly compact desktop computer.
I found the following on Wikipedia regarding low-profile PCI busses:

The PCI organization has defined a standard for "low-profile" cards, which basically fit in the following ranges:

• Height: 1.42 inches (36.07 mm) to 2.536 inches (64.41 mm)
• Depth: 4.721 inches (119.91 mm) to 6.6 inches (167.64 mm)

The bracket is also reduced in height, to a standard 3.118 inches (79.2 mm). The smaller bracket will not fit a standard PC case. Many manufacturers supply both types of bracket (brackets are typically screwed to the card so changing them is not difficult).

These cards may be known by other names such as "slim".

Will this cause a problem in finding a good graphics card?

Yes, thank you. In that same Wikipedia article, it indicates that "low-profile" and "half-height" are the same.

Get a Radeon HD 4830!

It's 50% faster than a 4670 but only cost 30 bucks more.

If I'm understanding the physical dimensions correctly, the HD 4830 is not "low-profile" and therefore will not fit into my computer. :(

 Wth is "low profile"?

I've always been told from reviews that only 2 factors are relevant:

1. If card is single slot or double slot (very few are double slot)
2. length of the card