Can you use a ddr3 gpu in a ddr2 pc?

Can you use a ddr3 gpu in a ddr2 pc?


Yes, the DDR3 memory/RAM on the video card is not related to the DDR2 RAM on the motherboard. I have a Dell OptiPlex 755 running the IP/Insider Preview version of Win10 but it is a 'standard' or mini tower and takes only the standard profile cards. The low-profile cards are used in SFF and UltraSFF cases [SFF = Small Form Factor]. Some cards are available with both a standard and low-profile mounting plate.

As for the capacitors, they don't necessarily have to bulge to be bad and usually leakage will be brownish [I've replaced a few boards and even lost a board of my own]. There's images on the 'net that can be found by Search. The problem affected most brands and customs, was traced to manufacturing problems, sometimes takes a few years to show up.
Capacitor plague - Wikipedia

Do you have access to another PC that you could test the card in?

My guess (that's all it is) is that the card has failed. I'm a little surprised that the NVS 310 was introduced in 2012. A workstation graphics card with 512 MB of RAM? I would have guessed that it's older.

But to repeat: the type of RAM on the graphics card is unrelated to the type on the motherboard. The latest graphics cards use GDDR6 (graphics DDR 6). Current motherboards use DDR4.

I should have also said the capacitor issue affects motherboards but also power supplies, sometimes to the point of "blowing up" in the power supply, quite messy with paper and foil pieces everywhere. Visually checking the motherboard is easy but to check the power supply it is necessary to remove it and take it cover off. And the problem can cause unwanted shutdowns in which case one would have to start the checking.

According to this page with the data and image on it for that Nvidia nvs 310 card it has 2 DisplayPorts, are you using one of them as designed or using an adapter from DisplayPort to VGA, DVI or HDMI? I was give a 27" ASUS monitor that has the choice of any of the 4 types.
NVIDIA NVS 310 Specs | TechPowerUp GPU Database

That tower is the same as what I have and it takes the standard or full size adapter plate, not the low-profile plate. If push came to shove [no other choice] that plate could be left off but it wouldn't last, too many things can loosen it in the slot such as heating and cooling as happens with anything electrical, vibrations, bumps, etc.
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If the card is good it should work, I didn't have to do anything in the BIOS and really shouldn't because removing the card could disable any video preventing changing settings if one can't see them.

Over the years there's been 4 types of slots, ISA [long discontinued], PCI, AGP and PCIe X16, just have to use the right/matching type, believe yours should be a PCIe X16.