Can a PCI card bracket be hack-sawed to a shorter length??

My IBM NetVista is a great little PC! It must have been designed for small work areas, such as at department store checkouts and such. It's quite compact, and the monitor comes integral with the main (CPU) box. It has 2 PCI expansion slots that are of the "low-profile" specification. Because the monitor is already integral, there is no VGA output jack, but I want one now because I'd like to connect a TV as a secondary display (via converter box).

So I searched the web for a low-profile PCI video card, NOT PCI-express, but the old standard. These are virtually impossible to find, but one was seen for sale at 5rprocessors.com for $20 plus shipping. I bought it. 'Turns out they were mistaken, as the card they sent is FULL profile! [And it hasn't any provision for replaceable bracket]

Now resigned to the fact that there likely is no such animal as a low-profile (not PCI-e) video card, and since 5rprocessors.com has a rather unyielding return policy, I wonder if I could just hacksaw off the extra bracket length and pop the card into the contacts slot anyway. This procedure might jeopardize the card grounding firmly to the chassis. Does anyone know if that's critical or not? If so, I could ensure a good ground by simply soldering a jumper or something. Maybe it's not even critical that it affix securely to the designed bracketing, not sure!

And even if this procedure is possible (installing with a shortened bracket), I still anxiously await finding out if this mod will result in my existing monitor going completely blank when the PC boots with the new video card. I thought that perhaps since the monitor is integrated, that might not happen. I keep my fingers crossed.

Any advice appreciated -- many thanks!

What you were ideally looking for was a "low profile" "half height" PCI card.

The "half height" referring to the bracket. Many cards do come with the choice of bracket.

Anyway as long as you are not moving the case about there should be no problem with your bracket mod idea. If you were to do it well you could even rebuild the mounting "L" but the PCI socket should be fine for support as long as the computer remains stationary.

There probably is a BIOS setting for onboard VGA and PCI graphics however the VGA should carry through even with a card in place.

To use the card and TV out you most likely need to change the BIOS setting.

I seriously doubt you can use both at the same time.

Originally Posted by jephree

...the PCI socket should be fine for support as long as the computer remains stationary.

I thank you tremendously for that! It's worth a shot then.

Originally Posted by jephree

...There probably is a BIOS setting for onboard VGA and PCI graphics however the VGA should carry through even with a card in place.
To use the card and TV out you most likely need to change the BIOS setting.
I seriously doubt you can use both at the same time.

I also thank you tremendously for that info! But unfortunately, I am not following you completely there. Permit me to inquire further.

While the new video card does have a TV-out port, it is S-video or something, not composite, and so I'm not sure what to do with it. I suppose there's an adapter available to convert that to composite, but using the card's TV-out had nothing to do with my intended use. I was simply going to plug a TV One (brand) model AVT-3160 (that I got on the cheap at eBay) to the VGA output port, and that little box will convert VGA to composite video, via RCA plugs, which is how my TV (and most TV's?) take their auxiliary input. That TV One converter box is tested and ready to perform satisfactorily, as I have used it successfully on another PC.

I hope you understood, that my main plan is to have two simultaneous displays. I need to keep the integrated monitor enabled and active, in order to control the system. The TV output is too too blurry to read the fine system fonts and dialogs. YES, of course, I know about Magnifier; and about display themes and/or accessibility options that could permit me to show everything in much larger fonts and greater contrast. Okay, that also is a second line of defense, if needed.

But ideally, I want the existing monitor PLUS output to my living-room TV, so that my wife can watch certain web-available shows and movies, in comfort. Me, I never watch TV.

So, have you understood all that now? Maybe it's not feasible; such is life. But if it means fiddling with my BIOS settings, then be assured, I AM INTREPID!

Again, I thank you heartily for the reply. But about your statement, "the VGA should carry through even with a card in place" ...do you mean that the integrated monitor will be enabled despite the add-on card?? Any further clarification is highly appreciated.

Thanks for the further details. I do see what you are trying to do.

Can you please post the exact NetVista model as well as the exact make & model of that PCI card?

If we can pull the specs and manuals it would help us help you.

Sure. The new device is a GeForce MX4000 128MB DDR Dual Head PCI Video Card.

As for the NetVista, It's a model 6274-11U. Here are some further specs about it. Of course, there's much deeper depths of specs I could gather for you. I've cropped much, keeping what I thought immediately pertinent. I think the PCI slot in question is on PCI bus 2, as that's where the now-unused low-profile modem card I installed appears. I don't understand ultra-deeply of course. Hey and many thanks!

Okay, maybe 1 or 2 shows a week I watched but the cable is gone now

------ SPECS -------

120 lines, too lengthy to paste, see attached text file

Thanks for that. Is the card a Janton card such as:

https://www.keenzo.com/showproduct.asp?ID=26137

As to the NetVista we get this:

Lenovo Support & downloads - Overview (United States and Canada) - NetVista 6274

Correct?

If so give us some time to review the available data.

The Lenovo support page is the correct one, yes.

As for the card, it is without retail packaging, in a generic protective plastic case (likely a pull; I paid $19.99). I've looked and looked and I can't see what could be a mfgr. name on the card itself OR on the white bar-coded sticker. But the designation "VIDEO-208PCI-128TWIN" does appear on that little sticker.

Thanks!

Cool. Sounds like you got a deal on the card assuming it works.

Give us some time to review the data.

You're very kind, and please be assured of my patience.

You see, I only bought this particular card because it was thrifty and falsely advertised as low-profile. ALL I will employ is the VGA output port ...I can dispense with the fancy graphic tricks. Ironic, eh? So any cheap full-height PCI card would do, in case this one gives problems, and I'd have to mod the bracket.

BTW, the huge heat-sink on this card is missing 1 of its 2 retaining pins, and the glue to the chip has given way, and the sink is pivoting on the 1 retained corner. I understand that not just any glue will do, either. Elmers? Rubber cement? super glue? 2-ton epoxy?

Are you looking to glue/repair the mounting clips or do want to glue the heatsink to the GPU?

If the latter use a Thermal Adhesive but be aware that the process is permanent and not reversible.

Newegg.com - Arctic Silver ASTA-7G (2-PC-SET) Premium Silver Thermal Adhesive - Thermal Compound / Grease

Also clean the old compound first:

Newegg.com - Arctic Silver ACN-60ML (2-PC-SET) Thermal material Remover & Surface Purifier - Thermal Compound / Grease

If you want to try and reset the mounting bracket to the card then a "super glue" or 5 min. epoxy should work. You will still need to clean the GPU and heatsink and use a standard thermal compound:

Newegg.com - Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound - Thermal Compound / Grease

...............

Lenovo / IBM is having problems trying to find manuals for your model but I am looking elsewhere at the moment.

Lenovo Support & downloads - User guide - NetVista 2283, 6274, 6596