Considering upgrade to 8800GT. Will it work in my dell dimension e521?

Question

(Note I don't know that much about computers but do enjoy my computer games)

I'm considering buying a 8800GT graphics card but not sure whether my dell dimension e521 can run it. I bought the pc in January this year. These are the specs as far as I know:

AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual Core processor 5000+
2GB RAM
Motherboard Chipset Geforce6150 AMD hammer
305W standard Dell PSU
Running Windows Vista

It has a PCI-express x16 slot currently being occupied by a Radeon X1300 series card

So would my pc be able to run the 8800GT? Do I need some upgrading to run it or it the motherboard just not compatible at all.

I read somewhere that the stated power ratings for dell PSU's are actually average outputs not max so I think I would just about be fine on the power consumption side

Also my monitor is VGA so does that mean I will also need a DVI to VGA adapter if I can get the card

Answer 1

It should work provided you get a good power supply. The 8800GT draws 110 watts or almost 10 amps on the +12V rail of the power supply. Your current 305 watter may not be able to provide that.
Get a power supply that has at least 26 amps on the +12V rail. Most 450W power supplies w/ dual +12V rails would work but the bigger ones(>500W) should run cooler 24x7.

Answer 2

Your PSU is too low you need 550watt or higher to give your PC plenty of grunt. The 8800GTS requires 400 watt minimum for top performance, I would not go lower than the above. Have fun.

Answer 3

For a cheap solution that computer would work great. Just make sure it's in good condition. It was probably made late 2007 so it has a few years on it. Yeah, only certain is the age and the processor. 1.8ghz is a bit low, even for a dual core of somewhat modern times.

Answer 4

If you remove the Radeon X1300 your computer will be capible of running the nVidia 8800GT