The server running this blog (and other sites and other software) is a repurposed desktop.

It was a pretty hefty desktop in its day, and except for scavanging its RAM (I just noticed today it only has 4GB...I'll fix that), it's a pretty good workgroup server. One thing that it had, but didn't need, was a massive gaming video card.

The NVidia 8800GTX that was in it can still hold its own. There are a handful of better cards out there now, but especially for its time, it was a rocker. The card is a hand-me-down from a pal who upgraded to something also awesome.

There are two problems with using the video card for a system that doesn't really do anything video related any more. The first is that it's a big power sucker. There's a 750W power supply in there with extra-special dual 12v supplies for such a card. That forces a lot of draw and heat. The video card generates a lot of heat, too, and it doesn't have a quiet fan by any stretch of the imaginiation. Dropping the power and cutting the noise were my two big reasons for removing the video card.

The motherboard doesn't have built-in video, and I didn't want to deal with incompatibilities, so I took my time seeking a lower power, but largely compatible video card. I eventually got an e-mailed flyer announcing a sale on a fanless 8400GS card. It's got about 10% of the throughput, but is otherwise completely driver-compatible.

Since I'm not trying to push 120 frames-per-second at full-screen 1920x1200 resolution, the drop in throughput isn't a problem. In fact, the monitor it's on is a crappy LCD that caps somewhere just under 50Hz, and only supports 1280x1024 resolution, so the new video card is actuall well overpowered for the desktop.

I kept meaning to do this at some point when no one was looking. The hardest part of maintaining this server is that it's under my desk in the office, instead of downstairs with the other servers. This is largely a legacy placement, since it was originally a desktop system. Additionally, it was one of the few GB switches in the house, but now all of them are GB (except the Internet and WiFi routers, which are 100MB). I could move the box to the server area in the basement (where it could benefit from additional cool temperatures), but then there'd be a space to fill under the desk...

I finally took the time to make the swap (about two weeks after buying the replacement card). Pulling the box out was pretty simple (video, two Ethernet, power are all that are connected in the back). It's a nice thumb-screwed case, and the cards are held in with little flip-switches (instead of screws), so removing the card was pretty simple, too. It's got a modular PSU, so I was even able to clean up the cabling by removing the now-spare plug.

Putting the new card in was pretty simple, too. Nothing to plug into it on the inside, so I put it in the slot, and put the case back on. The old card took two slots, and I didn't have a blank handy (and didn't run downstairs where I have a handful), so there's a little extra hole in the back. I gave the inside of the case a peek for dust (minimal) and build-up on the fans (none), and put it all together. Cabling is tight under there (the cables are bound to stay out of the way, so there's just enough slack).

I booted the system, and it came up, but without video. This was disappointing. Not only did the montior report "no cable," but doing a quick "lshw" didn't show a video card, either. I didn't know the system could boot headless, but I'm not sure what the desktop OS might complain about without the card, so I shut it down and opened it again.

A re-seating of the video card and reassembling of the unit fixed the deal. The display popped up (reminding me of the slack 4GB of RAM), and moments later the desktop appeared. I popped open the NVidia settings app, and was rewarded with the right video card in the display. I checked the desktop settings, and found that the extra tools were still an option (although turned off as I don't need the eye-candy on the "server"), so my driver-compatibile plan worked.

Now I need to decide if I'm going to put the rocking video card in my new, 6-core desktop (replacing its way-weak by comparison 9500G-something), or if I should just let well enough alone. The power draw and heat were still a problem, and the 9500 doesn't have those distractions. Thinking about it, I'm not sure the 6-core has the PSU to handle the dual 12v required by the 8800GTX. I know that I don't want to dig into swapping PSUs at the moment, so for now the 8800GTX is going on the shelf.