Review on ZOTAC GeForce GT 710 1GB DDR3 PCIE x1 Graphics Card - DVI, HDMI, VGA, Low Profile (ZT-71304-20L) by Marcus Hussain

The last time my father visited, he brought a massive ATX tower desktop computer. Knowing the requirements (and looking inward at how empty the case was), it became clear that this was too big a case and not enough PCs. We bought a scrapped Dell Optiplex 755 SFF PC, then I cleaned it up and added more RAM and a hybrid hard drive. One problem remained: the Core 2 Duo's internal graphics were ridiculously terrible and struggled to render 1080p. It was obvious that he needed a video card, almost any video card, to be able to use it. The case is thin, only about 4 inches side-to-side, and there's no PCIe riser, so I've limited myself to half-width cards. He didn't need much and didn't want to spend much, so this card was a lucky owner. an opportunity to jump in and see how their lowest-level devices work. I end up *really* wanting to get a feel for this before settling on a GTX 1070 model. The GT 710 was more than enough for my dad's needs, the profile form factor was great and the passive cooling made it completely silent. 1080p playback was flawless. YouTube looked and sounded great with no stuttering or distortion, and local media played flawlessly. The map gets a little warm, but it's true. expected from a passively cooled GPU in a compact package. That didn't stop me from overclocking it, although for an hour. Having already pushed this cheap OEM power supply to the limits, not to mention the card's temperature limits, I haven't gone too crazy. I have a nice little core +60MHz, memory boost +200MHz. Since I was absolutely stable there and only hit my thermal limits, the card probably has more headroom for better overclocking in a larger case with more ventilation. However, under no circumstances would I consider a GT 710, let alone DDR3 powered, if I was going to buy a gaming rig. The card just isn't designed for that, and even low settings at 720p offer choppy frame rates and poor graphics quality. For comparison: I still have a GTX 260 from my old PC. That the GTX 260 could beat the GT 710. 260 is from 2009. GT710 - 2015. Keep this in mind if you are thinking about using this card for gaming, light as it may be. 710 as a playing card. It sells for what it is: a card to add HDMI support to a PC without a built-in HDMI port, or for older PCs that need a cheap replacement for outdated, buggy graphics that can't keep up. With that in mind, lower your expectations and understand that for $40 you just can't get a brand new, high-end gaming card (or even a worthwhile gaming card) that you'll be very happy with this purchase.