Member Avatar for CArlh

My mom has a Dell Dimension 4500. The video card is finally going I think. The screen kinda flickers. The card she has in it now is a GeForce4 MX 420 64mb. Can I put my Radeon 9550 256 Mb in her motherboard? I don't know if the motherboard can handle it cause I think hers is running at about 264 MHz and my Radeon 9550 is 400MHz. I can't find upgrade specs. for it anywhere. If someone can please help me I would be greatful.

Thank you,
Carl

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Quick summary tied to the thread: the real compatibility checks are the AGP slot voltage/keying, the card’s physical fit, and the power available — the GPU core/memory MHz itself is not a motherboard “limit.” was right to point toward the slot and power; ’s Dell support report is worth noting but is not printed as a video‑memory cap in Dell’s owner manual. (manualowl.com)

How AGP compatibility works (what to look for): AGP slots are keyed and run at specific signalling voltages (AGP 1.0 = 3.3V, AGP 2.0/4x = 1.5V, AGP 3.0/8x commonly 0.8V). A faster (8x) card will only work in a 4x slot if the card supports the slot’s voltage; otherwise it may not function. The Radeon 9550 family was built as AGP 8x cards, with multiple memory variants — check the exact board revision/spec for voltage and whether it needs extra power. (flylib.com)

Practical checklist to follow before swapping cards:

  • Power down, unplug, open the case and visually inspect the AGP slot notch/key and the card’s golden‑finger notch.
  • Verify the system PSU wattage on the label (Dell 4500 OEM units are typically rated around 250W). (dell.com)
  • Look up the exact model number of the Radeon board you own (vendor sticker or PCB marking) and confirm it lists AGP 1.5V/4x compatibility or “universal” support and that no external power connector is required. (techpowerup.com)
  • Check physical clearance (full‑height vs slimline/low‑profile cases), update the Dimension 4500 BIOS/drivers from Dell if available, and be prepared to clear CMOS if the system won’t POST. (dell.com)

Bottom line: if your specific 9550 board explicitly supports 1.5V (or is listed as universal/4x/8x) and it draws no external power, it is likely to work — otherwise pick a guaranteed 1.5V/4x AGP card. Follow the checklist above and consult the Dimension 4500 owner manual and the GPU spec page before powering up the swap. (manualowl.com)

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Member Avatar for jbennet

first you need to find out what type of slot the graphcis card is and what type of slot she has (it will be either agp, pci or pci express). Any card aught to workj so long as its the correct type for her slot and her pc has enough power to run it.

Member Avatar for CArlh

Okay thank you. I wasn't sure if the MHz had anything to do with it or anything. Wasn't sure if there was a limit to it... I didn't wanna fry anything haha. Thanks again for your reply.

Member Avatar for EleanorD

I too have a Dell Dimension 4500 with a failing graphics card. I contacted Dell with a view to replacing it and they advised that any AGP card with 64Mb or 128Mb would be suitable, but that the system board won't handle higher-memory cards in excess of 128Mb.

Member Avatar for jbennet

You can get a 128mb AGP gefoce 5 series on ebay for like $20

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