Graphics Cards for BTX Motherboards?

[cambertian]

I'm looking to purchase a graphics card for an older computer. I don't think I can afford a new computer, unfortunately, so this is as good as I'm going to get.

All I know is that my dad (who works an IT job for credibility) told me the card would need to fit the BTX standard, though most cards don't seem to be built for it. I'm not sure if any of the standards are interchangeable. The computer itself is a Dell Optiplex 580 Desktop (the middle option, not the Mini-Tower or Small Form Factor.)

I'd prefer an NVIDIA, but at this point, I don't care. I've done too much searching to have those sorts of expectations

If you can help me out, it would be greatly appreciated.

[Blzut3]

The BTX form factor doesn't really change part compatibility, it just mounts the cards upside down vs ATX. In fact, I'm not sure there's actually such a thing as a BTX graphics card since when BTX was a thing, it was still possible to get high end cards in a single slot form factor. With that said there are a few things to keep in mind.

First, your motherboard has two PCI express 2.0 slots. The top one is x16, the bottom is electrically x4 but physically x16. This means for optimal performance you'll want the card in the top slot, but in theory it can work in either (I think this can depend on the BIOS though). However due to BTX mounting this means you'll be limited to a single slot ATX card in the top slot. As you will see below it might be worth investigating if the x4 slot will work with a graphics card anyway.

Check your clearances: It's possible you may be able to use a card with a dual slot heatsink/fan as long as the IO shield is only one slot. If so this increases your options a lot. Also determine how long the card can be, based on what little I find in a 10 second search it looks like you don't have much room beyond the end of the slot for the card to hang. Maybe it's just the perspective though.

If you do require a single slot card then the unfortunate news for you is that it looks like the pickings are gone. I believe some single slot GTX 750s were sold in Europe and I seem to recall some single slot R7 260s. But these designs apparently didn't carry over into the current generation of products. If you're OK hunting down used then the previously widely available most powerful single slot card was the Radeon HD 7750.

If there's room above for the cooler, there does seem to exists some 750s with dual slot coolers but single slot brackets. But you might be better off looking for a card which doesn't have any IO on the second slot and modifying the bracket (or carefully using the card without a bracket). In that route a 950 or 970 can be had.

It's a shame though since the big reason every card has a dual slot cooler these days is for show (people equate big with power so bigger cards sell better). In the professional graphic cards there are the FirePro W7100 (Comparable to an R9 285 or R9 380) or Quadro M4000 (Similar to I think a 970 but many of the numbers I see look closer to a 960). However the cost of these cards is more than a new computer (and not because the cooler is really anything special).

Honestly, my recommendation would be to just start saving for a new computer. There really isn't a good/safe solution given that BTX is a dead form factor.

Last thing to keep in mind is that it's possible you'll need to get a new power supply to support a graphics card that you do try to cram in there. Any decent ATX power supply should work from my understanding.