Video Cards: The Eternal Question

Wed Dec 01, 2004 2:00 pm by Eh_Steve

Okay, I was looking into getting a new videocard for Christmas (to replace my 32 MB Intel Onboard *spit*) on my Dell. I have numerous questions and I know you guys here at TLR will be able to answer at least one or two of them. First things first.

System:
Dell Dimension 2350 *spit*
Intel Celeron @2.19 GHz
384 MB RAM
Yeah, you know the drill.

I've also heard of Dell systems rejecting certain PCI cards that aren't Dell Certified, but I plopped a Network Adapter in there ten minutes ago and It's running that like a beast. So now to the questions.

1. Do you think a new video card would work in this thing? I don't want to even talk about it unless I am pretty sure it'll work.

2. If it will work, what kind should I get, my price range is probably around $100 (US).

3. Answer #2 again, without your fanboyish attitudes for some of you, I want something that's at least 128 MB, effective but still in a decent pricerange.

4. If I do get a 128 MB V-card, how well do you think newer games like HL2 or Far Cry will run, I don't think very well, but then again I can always keep the card if I switch systems.

Christmas, is that a BF1942 mod or something?
Delayed Gamers: The short bus of gaming.

Wed Dec 01, 2004 2:38 pm by mustang

1. Do you think a new video card would work in this thing? I don't want to even talk about it unless I am pretty sure it'll work.

If you've got an AGP slot, it'll work. You can buy PCI Vid cards but they are few and far between and won't perform as well as AGP

2. If it will work, what kind should I get, my price range is probably around $100 (US).

I have no idea what $100 will get you in the US, prolly an ATi 9600 is the best way to go for the budget concious. Though I must admit I haven't had a look a Vid Card performance and prices for a year or so, but if you can get a 9800 for that price then by all means.

3. Answer #2 again, without your fanboyish attitudes for some of you, I want something that's at least 128 MB, effective but still in a decent pricerange.

No fanboy attitudes here, I've got an Nvidia fx5900 and Im promoting an Ati. That's not to say the 5900 isn't a good card but the 9800 is a smidgen better.

4. If I do get a 128 MB V-card, how well do you think newer games like HL2 or Far Cry will run, I don't think very well, but then again I can always keep the card if I switch systems.

My 128Mb fx5900 runs both games without breaking a sweat, FarCry gives it a good push but HL2 will run flawlessly. I'd personally look at boosting your RAM to at least 512Mb though.

Wed Dec 01, 2004 3:47 pm by Eh_Steve

Thanks Mustie, I'll take it into consideration. (Note: 256 MB of Dell RAM is $60!)

Christmas, is that a BF1942 mod or something?
Delayed Gamers: The short bus of gaming.

Wed Dec 01, 2004 5:48 pm by Indy11

Dell Dimension 2350 has no AGP video slot

There are PCI video graphics cards that are better than your onboard Intel video and for less than US $100 but it isn't clear that you'd get all that much improvement. HL2 and Doom 3 probably won't play as perfectly as you would want.

But here are some of thosePCI video card.

I'd go for the highest number series GeForce or Radeon GPU chip available... which looks like the GeForce 5200 or the Radeon 9250.

Wed Dec 01, 2004 6:22 pm by Esquilax

You'll have a lot of trouble even *finding* a PCI graphics card these days, and the performance would not be as good as an AGP card. I would probably suggest something like a "Geforce 4 Ti", as I doubt that you will be able to find a 9600XT or something similar in PCI. May I suggest a new PC?

Wed Dec 01, 2004 6:26 pm by Eh_Steve

@Eskie: I would get a new PC but *pulls out pockets, showing a lack of contents* Christmas is really my only hope for parts and I'm not gonna get enough for a new PC unless someone wins the lottery.

@Indy: I know nothing's going to run perfectly, or even well. I deal with lag every time I get on Desert Combat. I tried playing the Galactic Conquest mod for Battlefield and it was like playing with a polaroid.

Wed Dec 01, 2004 7:56 pm by Indy11

Also,

Buying compatible RAM away from Dell is cheaper for you in the long run.

Thu Dec 02, 2004 7:30 am by Dark_Shadow2004

To be honest, if you are looking for preformance for you video in this pc, alas you are not goingto get it...unless you had AGP or PCI-X

I have 2 pc's one with an AGP8x Geforce fx6800 256mb on my MSIathlon 3000+ kM4M MOBO with 1gig pc3200 ddr
and the equivilent Nforce 3 PCI-X for my K8 MB with the athlon 64 fx DDR400 2 gig mem

you honestly need a new MOBO...try and Asus or an MSI...usually 80 or so USD and they have an onboard 64mb graphics card...some MSI MOBO's have geforce 4 onboard gpu's.

so give the MSI website a look over. [http//www.msicomputer.com

"To live is to die....but living is to die slowly..why waste time on trivial things just play as hard as you can"

Edited by - Dark_Shadow2004 on 12/2/2004 7:34:33 AM

Thu Dec 02, 2004 1:56 pm by Indy11

Before you buy a new mobo, better check to see whether your Dell will accept an industry standard mobo. Mine didn't and it is not something you can very safely jury rig as it has to do with the positioning of the standoffs needed to secure the mobo to your PC case as well as where case cooling fans are situated in relation to the mobos CPU, RAM and video card.

Thu Dec 02, 2004 4:44 pm by Dark_Shadow2004

damn... are dell PC's the much of a pain in the rear? Glad i built my systems...So what makes dell PC's so popular? is it price or something?

Thu Dec 02, 2004 5:03 pm by Eh_Steve

It's not really the price or anything that makes Dells so popular, it's the advertising. I bought the dell when I seriously needed a new computer (my parent's computer had lag with Age of Empires I) and I didn't know anything about computers. I see it as my exploration computer, I learned about computers with the Dell, but I know I'm never going to buy a Dell or any mass-market computer again. I could build my own now, but I don't quite have the money.

As for swapping out the mobos, I don't think the Dell case is designed for that, but I'll do some research and see if I can. (I don't really see the point in this, I could just get a new case and all, since I'd have to put in new RAM and all.)

Thu Dec 02, 2004 7:46 pm by Indy11

Which is what I ended up having to do. Eh_S

Essentially, I was able to take out the guts of my Dell, drives, cards, cpu and RAM and transfer them to an Intel mobo but I also had to get a new case.

The point of this, of course, is that I may as well have bought a new setup altogether rather than recycle old technology. But it is possible to do if you must (which I had no choice but to do at the time, regretfully).

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