Member Avatar for somjit{}

im planning to buy a graphics card.. as of now, i have none. iv seen the specs of ATI radeon HD 6670 model, and i like it... but a few queries remain.. mainly compatibility oriented.
my system:
CPU- 3.2 GHz AMD Athlon X2 250
2 GB DDR2 800 MHz ram
inbuilt graphics- 256MB GeForce 7025 / NVIDIA nForce 630a (that's what speccy tells me!)
500 watt smps,( nothing extraordinary, just the standard stuff that comes with the cabinet.)

can i run this graphics card on this system? my main cause of worry is all those GDDR5 stuff that i see in its spec sheet. is it that these(the GDDR5 graphics cards) need DDR3 memory to run or something?? or can i run them with DDR2 memory as well?
Really confused :( please help

thanks a lot :)
somjit{}

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A concise, practical add-on for that ties together the existing replies from and and fills gaps they did not cover.

The GDDR5 vs DDR2 confusion: the GPU’s GDDR5 is onboard video memory and completely separate from the system’s DDR2. Discrete PCIe cards use their own memory and talk to the CPU over the PCIe bus; only integrated GPUs share system RAM. That means system DDR2/DDR3 type is irrelevant to whether a GDDR5 card will run.

Power and safe checks: the unknown in the OP’s setup is the actual +12V capability and connector availability of the bundled 500W PSU. The safest diagnostic steps are: open the case and read the PSU label (note total wattage, +12V rail amperage and any PCIe 6‑pin connectors), or look up the PSU model online. Avoid trying to measure current with a multimeter unless experienced — measuring voltage across a +12V pin to ground with the PC on is safe and will show whether the rail is grossly out of tolerance. A simple PSU tester or trying the card with a known-good spare PSU is a practical, low-risk way to confirm reliability.

Motherboard, PCIe and BIOS: PCIe versions are backwards-compatible so the 6670 will run in an older x16 slot but at the older slot’s maximum bandwidth. For very old motherboards, check for BIOS updates or known compatibility notes — some legacy BIOSes can cause boot/display issues with newer GPU firmware. Also confirm physical fit (card length, dual‑slot cooler clearance) and case airflow.

Quick checklist

  • Read PSU sticker and note +12V amps and available PCIe power plugs
  • Confirm free PCIe x16 space and measure card length vs clearance
  • Verify the exact 6670 SKU’s external power requirement on its spec sheet
  • Update motherboard BIOS if an official update exists before install
  • If PSU specs are unclear, test with a known-good PSU or replace with a reputable unit

For potential CrossFire later, prefer identical cards and ensure the board and PSU support two cards and the extra power draw.

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Member Avatar for dimsums

The memory on teh video card has nothing to do with the memory on your system, as long as your motherboard can take the PCI-e card and your power suplly can cope with the power, some 6670 required a 6pin I think, then you should be ok.

Member Avatar for somjit{}

the 6770 model required a 75 watt 6 pin connector. this one doesn't. Also, i read that for the card to perform like it should, the PSU should be able to provide continuous power on its +12V rail. but, as mine came with the cabinet, i don't have any specifications of how much power it can actually give... is there any simple ways i can find that out?? some software maybe?? or with multimeter??

Edited by somjit{} because: n/a
Member Avatar for dimsums

I doubt you will hit problems with the 6670 on a 500W, we run some FireGL cards that uses more power than the 6670 on cheap 400W for years, playing with a multimeter may sound fun but I have seen, and heard a few big bangs in the wrong hands so be extra careful with the toy.

Member Avatar for somjit{}

i was reading on the internet that the HD 6670 was a PCIE 2.1 card, but the slot on my motherboard is PCIE 1.0 . can i use this slot for the HD 6670 card? i read somewhere that the PCIE 2.0 slots are backward compatible with PCIE 1.0.??

Member Avatar for caperjack

PCIe 2.0 motherboard slots are fully backward compatible with PCIe v1.x cards. PCIe 2.0 cards are also generally backward compatible with PCIe 1.x motherboards, using the available bandwidth of PCI Express 1.1. Overall, graphic cards or motherboards designed for v2.0 will work with the other being v1.1 or v1.0.

taken from this link ,this web site is usually a good source for correct info .
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PCI_Express

Member Avatar for somjit{}

thanks caperjack :) i did read a few wiki links, but still was a bit confused coz it said SO many things there... just wanted to be sure about it. that takes care of my basic queries i guess :) but one more i wanted to ask is that if i upgrade my pc in the future, and buy a mother board with multiple gpu slots( ie multiple PCIe slots) then can i use SLI(assuming that motherboard will support SLI) with this radeon 6670? i read that u need a SLI version gpu along with a normal gpu, and connect them together to run the two cards as one. can that be done with Radeon HD 6670?

Member Avatar for somjit{}

thanks caperjack i did read a few wiki links, but still was a bit confused coz it said SO many things there... just wanted to be sure about it. that takes care of my basic queries i guess but one more i wanted to ask is that if i upgrade my pc in the future, and buy a mother board with multiple gpu slots( ie multiple PCIe slots) then can i use SLI(assuming that motherboard will support SLI) with this radeon 6670? i read that u need a SLI version gpu along with a normal gpu, and connect them together to run the two cards as one. can that be done with Radeon HD 6670?

i wrote sli in place of crossfire here!!!! :sad::X really sorry abt that...:(
what i wanted to say is that if in the future i upgrade to a crossfire compatible motherboard, then can i connect my Radeon 6670 with another (crossfire edition) card and run them together? i read something like although the cards need not be exactly the same model(as is the case with SLI) but they have to belong to the same family. this is the link to from where i read it .
The problem is that i dont understand what "belonging to the same family" implies here..

Member Avatar for caperjack

the same family meas the same brand name ,like brothers and sister ,not exactly the same but from the same family,
i can only assume that it will work on a new motherboard ,i don't have time right not to search for exact answer .

Edited by caperjack because: n/a
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