Some novice questions before I order a new card

[miseryguts]

OK so I'm just about (all being well) to order a GTX680 but want to make sure that it will fit & be compatible with everything else currently in my system:

Coolermaster CM690 Dominator case
P5K3 mobo
ATI HD 5870
6GB Kingston DDR3
i7 920 (3.8GHz OC)
Noctua NH-D14 cpu cooler
XFX Pro 750w PSU

Am I good to go..?

EDIT:

Are there any special install instructions as I'm a complete novice at upgrading.. the Noctua being the limit of my 'experience' & would I (should I) flash my mobo's bios prior to installing the card.. I have the correct updated bios, but am a bit nervous of the process & have so far put it off.

Thanks.

[dJabba]

Re: Some novice questions before I order a new card

make sure the size fits your case, then it should be as simple as:

uninstall ATI drivers - shut down system and pull ati card, put in nvidia and bootup, install drivers and done.

[miseryguts]

Re: Some novice questions before I order a new card

make sure the size fits your case

Hopefully this Isn't too stupid a question.. but how do I do that?
How do people usually find out if an upgrade/new component will fit in their case..? I mean you can't exactly just stroll into a store (If there was one near you) & get out your measuring tape.

[dJabba]

Re: Some novice questions before I order a new card

usually it would be as simple as opening the website from the case manufacturer and check the case specs for "max gfx length", in this case: CM 690 - Cooler Master - Leading Provider of Computer Case | Cooler | Power Supply

But doesn't look like coolermaster provides that info... maybe someone else here can help.

Else, its shouldn't be harder then sliding open the sidepanel of the case and measuring the available length with a measuring tape :)

All newer graphic cards will tell their length in the description or package. A little side note, some gfx cards have their power attachments on the side, some on the rear. If on the rear you need to make sure there is some headroom :)

I'm not familiar with your PSU, but it should have the correct power cords to connect it looking at the name and Watt-size

[profJim]

Re: Some novice questions before I order a new card

Your new GTX 680 should fit your case without problems.
The GTX 680 requires that your psu has 2 pci-e power cables.

If the model that you are buying is based on the Nvidia reference design, the overall card length is probably about 10 inches long.
With some video cards, you have to allow about one more inch of clearance if the pci-e power cables plug into the end of the card.
Video cards that have their pci-e power connectors on the top edge of the card don't need additional clearance.
Sometimes there can be fitment problems because of the way the hard drives are installed.

I have the original CoolerMaster 690 case and my 9.5 inch long MSI Hawk video card has no problem in my case, even though my pci-e power cable connectors are at the "front" of the card, next to the hard drive cage. One of the best ways to confirm that a new card will fit without problems is to read a review for your computer case where they discuss how well their video card fits. They will usually mention how long their video card is.

Keep in mind that your P35 system's video slots have pci-e 1.x bandwidth and your GTX 680 is capable of pci-e 3.0 bandwidth. This means that your motherboard has lower maximum bandwidth, but your card should work fine. My MSI Hawk (GTX 460) video card has pci-e 2.0 bandwidth and the performance is excellent in my P35-DS3L and N650SLI-DS4 systems, where both systems are "limited" to pci-e 1.x bandwidth. My graphics benchmark scores are similar to more modern systems that are running with a similar Core2Duo processor, and are just a bit behind modern quad core systems that are running similar video cards.

Before you add or remove any hardware, always:

1. turn off your system
2. unplug the psu power cord from the wall outlet or the back of the psu
3. press and hold the front panel on/off switch for 10 - 20 seconds to discharge residual power from your motherboard

Before you install your new card, download the most recent WHQL drivers for your video card and operating system from Drivers - GeForce
Right now the most recent version for the 680 series, win7 64-bit is 301.10 - WHQ, release date: March 22, 2012

[miseryguts]

Re: Some novice questions before I order a new card

Many thanks for the explanation profJim very helpful.