Best single-slot card out there right now? (PCI-e)

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Mac Truck

Limp Gawd
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My next rig will either be a Shuttle or mATX box so space is going to be a premium.so what's the best single-slot solution on the market, performance-wise? I'm leaning towards a 7950GT and want to see if there's anything else out there I should be looking for.

Value, for the most part, is not really what I'm after.
 
Zero82z said:
The 7950GT is the fastest single-slot card out there now.
In order from most to least powerful:
7950GX2
7900GTX
7900GTO
7950GT
7900GT

That would put the 7950 as 4th on the list...

Granted, even the 7900GT at the bottom of the list can be overclocked enough to pass up a 7900GTX, but that 7950GX2 is an absolute monster.
 
Unknown-One said:
In order from most to least powerful:
7950GX2
7900GTX
7900GTO
7950GT
7900GT

That would put the 7950 as 4th on the list...

Granted, even the 7900GT at the bottom of the list can be overclocked enough to pass up a 7900GTX, but that 7950GX2 is an absolute monster.

Um. Dude. Single-slot.
 
The 7950GT is the fastest single-slot card out there right now. The 7950GX2, 7900GTX, and 7900GTO are all dual-slot cards.
 
i wonder if theres anaftermarket cooler that would cool something liek a x1900xtx, as im in the delema of only having a single slot atm (dam u gateway :mad: )
 
Cyrilix said:
Um. Dude. Single-slot.
Sorry, I thought you were looking for the best card period because you didn't have a PCIe motherboard.

In this case, the 7950GT is the best card that has a single slot cooler
 
They are single slot cards, but use double slot space. They don't use 2 slots.
 
Dell4 said:
They are single slot cards, but use double slot space. They don't use 2 slots.

We tend to call those cards that use one slot (since they all use one slot if it's only one PCB) but use two slot spaces "dual slot cards".
 
They take up two physical slot spaces in a case. Therefore, they are dual-slot cards.
 
Well, the terms tend to be confusing.

I have a single 16x PCI-e motherboard (Asus M2N-E) yet I have the space for the over-sized card.

This is a big deal.

-Sky
 
the terms are kind of misleading

dual slot generally means it takes UP 2 slots, not needs 2 slots

no current graphics card needs 2 slots, unless ure sli'ing, but thats 2 CARDS
 
Ah, semantics.

I think the point is, if a card is only connected to one slot, but extends down to cover up another slot, should it really be called a single-slot card? You can't use the second slot anyways. :)
 
Even with a single-slot vidcard, having a PCI card in an adjacent slot will cover up some or all of the fan on the vidcard, depending on the height of the PCI card in question. This can cause cooling problems if airflow is already congested in the case. I don't know the layout of the mobo and case you're using, but you might want to look into a cooling solution like the Thermalright HR-03. With that, you can move the fan to the other side of the vidcard, leaving space for a PCI card adjacent to your vidcard.
 
RexPokinghorn said:
Ah, semantics.

I think the point is, if a card is only connected to one slot, but extends down to cover up another slot, should it really be called a single-slot card? You can't use the second slot anyways. :)

As my grandma used to say "The devil is in the details". :)

I can use a single card that has a 2 slot solution, but not a card that requires 2 sockets.

Terms should be slots vs sockets.

Would make things a bunch easier. :)

-Sky
 
Skystalker said:
As my grandma used to say "The devil is in the details". :)

I can use a single card that has a 2 slot solution, but not a card that requires 2 sockets.

Terms should be slots vs sockets.

Would make things a bunch easier. :)

-Sky
Is there even such a thing as a "dual socket" card, using your term? Not that I know of, which makes this argument moot. If there's no such thing as a dual socket card, then the term "dual slot" is very obvious in its meaning--a card that takes up one "socket" (as you call it) but covers the space of 2. Nothing confusing about that. If there is such a monster, I'd love to learn about it simply for the novelty aspect of it.

But back on topic, by all accounts the 7950GT would be a nice choice, but I reiterate my concerns about cooling in such tight confines and suggest the OP look into alternative cooling options besides stock.
 
MentatYP said:
Is there even such a thing as a "dual socket" card, using your term? Not that I know of, which makes this argument moot. If there's no such thing as a dual socket card, then the term "dual slot" is very obvious in its meaning--a card that takes up one "socket" (as you call it) but covers the space of 2. Nothing confusing about that. If there is such a monster, I'd love to learn about it simply for the novelty aspect of it.

Okay, Fair post. Let me use visual stimuli.

Dual Slot (the "monster" as you say) **1x7950 GX2 (no SLI)**:

http://tweakers.net/ext/i.dsp/1151231413.jpg[/I

[u]Dual Socket[/u] (by my definition) would be anything SLI **2x7900GT's in SLI**:

[IMG]http://www.pctuning.cz/ilustrace2/stefek/GF7900/Fotky_nvidia/Boardshot_GeForce_7900_GT_SLI.jpg[/I

[color=cyan]EDIT: Unless those are your sites, don't be ganking bandwidth by hotlinking images. And stop "signing" your posts with your nick again. - Lethal[/color]

I hope this makes my point a bit more clear. :)

-Sky
 
Sky - With that being said, you've still failed to show a "dual socket" single card. AFAIK none exist. Hence he was asking for a single slot (single card) solution.
 
Wilson said:
Sky - With that being said, you've still failed to show a "dual socket" single card. AFAIK none exist. Hence he was asking for a single slot (single card) solution.

<sigh>

If you look back, you will see everyone is using the term "slot" when they mean "socket" (PCI-e 16x connector on a motherboard) or "slots" (a physical space that does not necessarily have a socket). This was causing confusion.

My post was trying to maybe clear up confusion that I was having-- not to get into a pissing match with the "slot nazis".

How 'bout we agree that a "dual socket" video solution is all SLI/Crossfire two card video solution, and "dual slot" card being a single socket card of similar physical dimensions to the 7950 GX2 I picured in my previous post. This make you happy?
 
This is a pretty pointless argument to be having, even for the Video Cards forum...and that's saying something. There's no such thing as a card that uses two PCIe slots. There are extended form factor expansion cards, and there are standard form factor expansion cards. Done?
 
finalgt said:
This is a pretty pointless argument to be having, even for the Video Cards forum...and that's saying something.
I thought that was the point of the Internet--to have pointless arguments with complete strangers :p

Skystalker said:
<sigh>

If you look back, you will see everyone is using the term "slot" when they mean "socket" (PCI-e 16x connector on a motherboard) or "slots" (a physical space that does not necessarily have a socket). This was causing confusion.

My post was trying to maybe clear up confusion that I was having-- not to get into a pissing match with the "slot nazis".

How 'bout we agree that a "dual socket" video solution is all SLI/Crossfire two card video solution, and "dual slot" card being a single socket card of similar physical dimensions to the 7950 GX2 I picured in my previous post. This make you happy?

-Sky

So people who use well-established terminology are nazis? Nice one.

No, everyone was not using the term slot when they meant socket. When talking to just about anybody who follows video card technology--participants in this thread included--the term "dual slot card" has a very clear and precise meaning, i.e., a card that plugs into one slot but takes up the mobo space of 2 slots because its thickness covers up a 2nd slot making that 2nd slot unusable. There is no ambiguity here. Hence, there is no need to "clarify" by coining new terminology such as "dual socket card", because there is no such thing as a single card that plugs into two slots (or "sockets" as you're calling them).

But what about 2-card solutions that actually plug into 2 slots, you say? Obviously from your visual aid that's what you really mean when you say "dual socket". We already have the terms SLI and Crossfire, which are also unambiguous, so why coin another term for that?

So in summary, there's no need to coin a new phrase for any existing video card configuration available on the market today, because unambiguous terms already exist for each possibility:

- "Single slot" = 1 card that plugs into 1 slot and takes up 1 slot of mobo space
- "Dual slot" = 1 card that plugs into 1 slot and takes up 2 slots of mobo space
- "SLI"/"Crossfire" = 2 cards that plug into 1 slot apiece, regardless of how many slots of mobo space each one covers

So with existing terminology you could have SLI-ed single slot cards, or Crossfired dual slot cards, for instance. Seems pretty clear to me.
 
^^^ QFT end of discussion.


And now to steal bandwidth again:

http://www.pctuning.cz/ilustrace2/stefek/GF7900/Fotky_nvidia/Boardshot_GeForce_7900_GT_SLI.jpg[/IM

[color=cyan]EDIT: Stop it, or I'll ban anyone who deliberately quotes stolen bandwidth. - Lethal[/color]

Does anyone know why only ONE of those cards has a fan connector at the top of the card, near the DVI port and support bracket?

Not to mention the screwy Svideo port on the card closest to us!
 
They should be referred to as "double wides", just like the trailers Cleetus!
 
my bfg 7900gtx takes two of my molex power cord, imagine in SLI, it will need to use 4 molex cords, ouch!
 
Termongoloy aside, I'd like to see you stuff a 7950GX2 into a small form factor case!

That would rock.


Or set it's self on fire.
 
You could make a 1950XTX fit in a single slot.. you'd have to take off the cooler and replace it with a Zalman VF900 or something and then get creative with the metal part. Choppy choppy.
 
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