hi
i have a graphic card gigabyte:
http://www.tigerdirect.com/include/AddCartfromGallery.asp?EdpNo=2056400&csid=ITD&Sku=G452-0554&imgcart=1
and i would like to buy a new monitor for gaming, like this :
BenQ XL2420Z - 3D actif 24 inches Résolution 1920x1080 (FHD)
BenQ XL2720Z - 3D actif 27 inches Résolution 1920x1080 (FHD)
I would like to know if my graphic card can use/support one of this monitor ?
It would have no problems with either monitor unless your a gamer. A 550 Ti is an okay card but it's pretty old and would struggle with a lot of games. I'd suggest a 970 and you'd be set for quite a while with non 3D games. If your interested in 3D games that means the video card will have to draw the graphics twice for each frame and I'm not sure if a 970 would cut it, you might need a 980 for 3D.
If i m forced to buy a new graphic card with PCI Express 3.0 , can i put this in my old motherboard GA-P55A-UD3 PCI Express 2.0 standard :
http://www.gigabyte.fr/products/product-page.aspx?pid=3439#sp
and after that, put my 550 ti PCI Express 2.0 on other PC with PCI Express 1.0
You'll have very few problems running a 970 in PCIe 2.0 x16 even with it being a PCIe 3.0 part. The standard is backwards compatible. As well there's been a fair amount of testing that shows most cards won't be starved for bandwidth in a PCIe 3.0 16 slot at x8 (some motherboard CPU combinations split the lanes when you install two cards.) which is the equivalent of a PCIe 2.0 16 slot at x16. A 980 might start to have bandwidth issues, again it's kind of hard to say.
On the other hand you do need to make sure you have an adequate power supply that isn't too old. What I mean is if the card calls for a 500 watt PSU and it's what you have, if the PSU is more then 2-3 years old it won't be putting out 500 watts anymore due to capacitor aging.
As for your 550 in a PCIe 1.0 x16, it should work, and I don't think there will be a bandwidth problem.
To be totally honest it sounds like you want to have a really immersive gaming experience and while you could get by with using most of your old computer you'd notice the defects pretty easily. I'd suggest considering just biting the bullet and building a new computer. I've found through experiance that trying to extend the life of really old components can end up costing more than a new build would of in the long run.
P.s. I do have one other suggestion have a look at both monitors before you pick one. For a 1080p resolution you might find a 27" monitor will look a bit pixelated if your sitting at a normal desktop distance. For an experiment, if you have a 1080p HDTV try sitting as close to it as you would a monitor. You'll notice what looked great from across the room doesn't look so good at 2 feet or so. Just something to think about.
