Galaxy GeForce 9600 GT 512MB DDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 Low Profile Ready Graphics Card 96GFF6HVDCXX

Pros: low power consumption. doesn't require a 6-pin connector (which my dell insprion 530 does not have).

no snags at all on a dell inspiron 530 with a 300W power supply, 3gb ram, 2 hard drives, optical drive and intel core 2 duo e6550.

VERY easy to install.

Cons: this card is LOUD during boot up and under load. the fan ran at full blast until i installed the proper drivers. fairly quiet at idle.

perhaps it's my dell's layout, but i had to snug the card under the edges of my ram clips. this means that i'll have to remove the card in order to open unsnap the ram clips if/when i want to upgrade my ram then reinstall the card after the ram clips are closed.

the box was missing the advertised full-sized mounting bracket. i had to install it with my old mounting bracket, which covers the hdmi port. i contacted galaxy and they've offered to send me the full-sized one free of charge. i will update if they don't follow through on their promise.

Overall Review: i wasn't looking for the hottest gaming rig of the century. i just wanted to extend the life of my dell inspiron 530, which had an 8600gt installed previously.

i haven't run into any of the heat issues that other people seem to be having, but this may be because i have the standard sized case, not the slim. speedfan tells me that it idles at around 49-51C and runs up to 61C under load. ambient temperature in my apartment is about 70-75 degrees F.

i've been playing dragon age origins and world in conflict without incident. this card still can't handle max settings, but it's head and shoulder above the 8600gt that i was running previously.

i needed a graphics solution that had low power requirements and a reasonable price point. this galaxy card fit the bill perfectly and though it's only been a week, i'm very pleased with it.

Pros: Amazing card for the price.

Cons: Low lifespan, it only took 9 months or so to burn out. For the price I was hoping it'd at least live for a couple years. You get what you pay for, so beware.

Overall Review: Great card while it lasted. It started acting up a few months ago and just today it finally died. It didn't quite last a year which is a disappointment. In it's final days, I finally decided to see how hot it was getting and was surprised by 125c idle. It was too late to save it, I still recommend it if you only need a short term card.