Can it be bad to have powerful graphic cards for my computer?

Question

I need to get a new graphics card, as i need to upgrade . someone told me that if i was to get a powerful graphic card like a Geforce 512MB or 256MB that it could melt something ( cant remember what :/ )
so he advised me to stay with 128MB, i dont know if its true though =)
what card would you recommend me to get if i need a 128MB one?

Answer 1

HUH ??? Someone is giving you very bad info. Newer card can run hot but it has heatsink and fans to cool it down just like the one you have in your pc right now. It can't hurt your pc. 128 mb of RAM is ok for most game but 256 mb is even better. Get a Nvidia card that has 256 mb or Ram. Remember that to get the most out of games you also need a powerful CPU along with the newer card and check the power requirement on the new video card too. Higher end video card requires lot of power from your power supply.

Answer 2

Yes, it can melt something. But you should still buy one. It has nothing to do with how much memory the card has, rather the higher end cards all tend to have a lot of memory and run at very high temps when pushed to their limits. It’s a correlation, not a causal factor. Geforces tend to be built poorly (really games and editing cards), so that they run less stable and are more prone to damaging themselves than ATI cards. However, any of these high end cards can produce so much heat that they melt surrounding components, so you just want to make sure there's a good amount of space around the card, even if it means leaving the slot right above empty. The most likely thing to melt is actually the power connector that you plug directly into these cards, as the pins and power path tends to be smaller than they really should be. This higher resistance from a smaller path, combined with very high graphics duties will generate high temps on the plastic connector coming from your power supply. Add to that the thermal energy traveling along the conductor path to that same connector from the GPU (the hottest part of the card) and you can definitely melt that connector end, especially when overclocking. It won't hurt the power supply, but could melt the connector plastic to the point of sealing out the conductors, needing the end replaced or forcing you to use another line from the supply. Oddly enough, the premium power supplies you should be using with these cards due to cheaper supplies tending to hiccup under these kinds of currents also tend to use these crummy "premium" proprietary connectors with the black plastic. The generic white ones that come on cheap power supplies are actually longer-lasting and safer, which is why they're used on so much electronics and industrial equipment. If a premium connector melts through, you should be able to get a replacement end, put new jackets on each conductor, and slide them into one of those white ones and get the best of both worlds. Actually, I've got to go order a replacement end myself right now ;-)

Answer 3

no, just as long as you have enough power from the computers power supply to run all the cooling fans at normal operating speeds then you dont have anything to worry about, i think that person doesnt want you to have nice things lol
and you definitely dont want a 128mb card or even a 256mb get the 512mb that way your machine can handle graphic intense apps and games better than the 256 & 128mb

Answer 4

whoever told you this is BS. Nothing will melt. Its just if you have a slow PC a real fast videocard wont perform its best thats all. Its like a team race if one of your teammambers runs slow you wont be in first place.
Depends what game your gonna play 256MB is fine for most games. Anyway your computer wont run any high graphic games. It might not have enough CPU power RAM etc to run those games.

stick with 128 or 256 u can use 512 even but your computer is gonna be a backbone.

P.S Vido Card has its own built in ram to run it so dont worry about PC RAM that much.
The video car thats integrated (sodered) to your motherboard thats what shares with your ram.
AND

Answer 5

Ouch. No, you won't be able to run a 7800GT. I've got a 7800GS, and it needs at least a 450 watt power supply. The 7800GT needs a little more than that. The only video cards you could run off a 250 watt power supply are low-end PCI cards. Anything else will over-tax your power supply and blow it. Most newer PCI cards will want 300 watts or higher. If you want to upgrade to a better video card, your first step needs to be getting a better power supply. Something with 2 separate +12V rails totaling more than 36A would probably be best. You can find some 500 watt power supplies with high enough ratings, but you'll likely need to look in the 550 watts or higher range to find one.

Answer 6

a powerful graphic card produces more heat than your average one, i haven't known any instance where it could reach the point that it could melt anything inside. probably wires could melt if you have wires sticking to your card's heatsink, other that that i can't think of anything else. if you are a gamer and can afford it i suggest getting a powerful card, if not get a lower end card. it would your system regarding what type of card you could get. if you have an agp slot you could go for an fx6600 or lower for a 128 one. if you have a pci most of these these cards are 256 and above, i think a 7100gs is 128mb or 256.. hope this helped.

Answer 7

Your friend is full of crap. He just don't want you to have better looking games then he do. No, but on some computers for you to upgrade to a kick butt card you might have to buy more power. Yes, more power...you might have to change the 250W power supply to a 500W power supply. You have to the read the requirements of the Graphics card itself. If you going to also put that beast in there it probably won't hurt to maybe think of a more powerful fan. If anything melts its probably b/c someone installed it wrong...

Good luck

Answer 8

I've never heard such rubbish said about a graphics card if your computer supports it get it more memory is better not less
a good graphics card has at least 256Mb onboard memory and an onboard processor some even come with their own cooling fan
I think you friend is just jealous of you

Answer 9

It's not that bad to get one with more memory, but if you don't have enough ram to support it then it could slow down your comp. (for a 512mb card, you might want 1gb ram) usually a video card gets half its memory from ram. (512mb card has 256 of its own and shares 256 with the ram.) I would say the higher is better along with ram to support it.

I would recommend ATI for gaming.

Answer 10

No, Video Cards can't "melt" anything, a card with 256 or 512 would be perfectly fine for your computer.