Help with video card upgrade [ Edited ]

[thedub]

Hi. I'm trying to find a new video card that will fit in my case. A year ago I tried to get a top of the line Nvidia card and I had to return it. It would not fit in there, it was too long. Now I'm using a GTS Nvidia 250 with an upgraded power supply. Here are my specs.

Pavilion d5100t

Spoiler

Time of this report: 11/13/2011, 13:12:46
     Operating System: Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit (6.1, Build 7601) Service Pack 1 (7601.win7sp1_gdr.110622-1506)
           Language: English (Regional Setting: English)
System Manufacturer: HP-Pavilion
       System Model: FT863AV-ABA d5100t
               BIOS: BIOS Date: 12/17/08 16:25:45 Ver: 5.21
          Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Quad  CPU   Q9300  @ 2.50GHz (4 CPUs), ~2.5GHz
             Memory: 4096MB RAM
Available OS Memory: 4096MB RAM
          Page File: 3700MB used, 4488MB available
        Windows Dir: C:\Windows
    DirectX Version: DirectX 11
DX Setup Parameters: Not found
   User DPI Setting: 120 DPI (125 percent)
 System DPI Setting: 96 DPI (100 percent)
    DWM DPI Scaling: Disabled
     DxDiag Version: 6.01.7601.17514 32bit Unicode

So my question is, how can I find out what video cards will fit without trying them out? I'm looking to max this d5100t out as I am a gamer. (upgrading to 8 gigs of ram already)

[lasvegaswireman]

First off, it doesn't look like your OS is using all 8GB of RAM. From your post;

Memory: 4096MB RAM
Available OS Memory: 4096MB RAM
SO, you want to click the Windows start "ORB", then type "msconfig" in the search bar and press ENTER. If that doesn't work, you can also click "RUN" under "Program", "Accessories" and type the same. Now click the "boot" tab, click "advanced options" and uncheck "Maximum Memory".

As for the graphics card, measure the room in your case and select a card that fits in that space without obstructing any other devices. Also make sure your PSU is al least rated for the minimum wattage recommended for the graphics card.

Frank