Would love to start GPU crunching but a new computer is out of the question. Is there any type of card compatable with an old Dell Optiplex 260?

Unless you have an available PCI Express x16 slot (not regular PCI) on your motherboard you're pretty much out of luck as far as I know.

Found the following specs: System BUS=PCI , Expansion slot=PCI1 (1h) PCI 32bit +5v +3.3v PME full length available , Video Adapter=Intel 845G PCI accelerated SVGA. Am I out of luck?

I think you have to have at least a APG PCI Slot to run several of the AGP Video Card's at some of the Projects, the following is a copied list of the Cards acceptable to run @ Milkyway: So your Motherboard has to be capable of running one of the following Video Cards to run Milkyway with the High End ATI Cards being the better choice right now at the Project ...

Milkyway@Home requires a GPU supporting Double Precision arithmetic.

NVIDIA:
Compute Capability 1.3 and Above
Geforce GTX 295
Geforce GTX 285
Geforce GTX 280
Geforce GTX 275
Geforce GTX 260
Tesla S1070
Tesla C1060
Quadro Plex 2200 D2
Quadro FX 5800
Quadro FX 4800
(Based on GT200 GPU)

ATI:
ATI HD Radeon 5970
ATI HD Radeon 5870
ATI HD Radeon 5850
ATI HD Radeon 4890
ATI HD Radeon 4870
ATI HD Radeon 4850
ATI HD Radeon 4770
ATI HD Radeon 4830
ATI HD Radeon 38x0

ATI Firestream 9270
ATI Firestream 9250
ATI Firestream 9170


For GPU Grid the last I knew you needed at least about a 8700GT Card to run their Wu's and even those were to slow to really use anymore when I stopped running the Project. So a GTX 260 would be about the minimum I would suggest even for that Project. ATM they are testing the 58xx Cards to use on the Wu's but haven't been having much headway on that.

Collatz I'm not sure about but about the same as GPU Grid Card Wise I think except the ATI Cards are being used & are a better choice for that Project too.

Further investigation reveals: System slots= (1) PCI, (1) AGP type 4x. Maybe its time to bow before the "wife" and head to MicroCenter to see what I can find.

Is your Optiplex a tower? Optiplexes come in a number of different sizes, and the tower is the only one that will take a regular size video card; the others don't have room. If there is an AGP CUDA card, you could probably do it. Not sure about data throughput on the old Pentium 4 chipset, though. Another thing to check is power; most Pentium 4 Dells only had PSUs in the 200 W range. Not sure what CUDA cards draw, but I'm guessing 200 W would be cutting it close--so you might be looking at an upgrade there as well.

Optiplex is GX260. Not sure if this qualifies as a tower or not. Went on the NVIDIA and ATI sites to see if they had compatibility checkers but couldn't find one. One site, however, did mention the power supply issue though.

If you are limited to an AGP card, about the most powerful card I can find (according to newegg.com) is an ATI HD4650. According to GPUReview.com an HD4650 only draws about 48 watts peak, so you should be able to get by with a 300 watt power supply (depending on what else you have in your system).

I think I have a 200w power supply if memory serves correctly. Trying to find system info without shutting down and opening box. If correct is this pushing it?

LOL, I'm really not sure ... but IMHO adding ANY devices (beyond what your computer came with) with a 200 watt power supply is "pushing it".

Assuming that the GX260 is some flavour of early P4 cpu the processor alone is probably consuming 50-80 watts. Add your motherboard, hard drives, fans, etc. and you're probably coming to at least 150 minimum right now.

Thanks for your quick and helpful responses. Even more so for providing me with the ammunition I need to convince the "wife" of a need for a new computer! Of course I'm gonna hear about how I spend enough time alredy on that stupid computer already. Perhaps I'll just have to tell her it's because it's so slow.

Optiplex GX260 is a series of Pentium 4 business-class computers, that share the same basic motherboard design and processor class. They come in about 4 different sizes, from a standard tower, desktop, mini desktop and "ultra small" form factors. Only the tower (see picture below) can take regular-sized cards. The desktop and mini desktop can only take half-height cards, and the USFF can't take any cards.

According to the picture you so kindly provided, I have the small form computer (1st on left). Are there any cards available?

Very few, none of them CUDA. Even if there were a CUDA card, I would be concerned about airflow in such a small enclosure. It's been a while since I've opened a small-form Optiplex, but I think the AGP slot may even be covered by the power supply; the same motherboard is used in all the form factors, so you can see how they have to get creative when cramming everything else in there... Hence the laptop floppy and optical drives to save on precious space.

So, if you want to do CUDA, you're looking at a new computer. Possibly what you wanted to hear? Don't tell your wife I said that, I get enough grief already

I've come to the same conclusion. The pictures of the cards I saw online had these big cooling fans attached to them-- dont even think they would fit! Thanks for your help.