Help Tassadar get a Video Card

[Nubclear]

I need a new video card. I'm completly ignorant in this area. Don't know the differences between them, don't know how to install them....So help free me from my ignorance by guiding me to the right video card. Preferably good but cheap. Better than an Intel 82810E Graphics Card (Integrated).

[Sonic]

I myself use Geforce 3 card, it still does everything great. You can buy worse card (Geforce 2, etc.) if you want (it would be cheaper), but everything depends on what you are doing with your computer. If you are playing newest 3D action games or multimedia such card could be too bad. You might even consider getting Geforce 4 then, cause it wouldn't age so fastly.
If you are only working with computer and/or playing low-requirements games (TBS, etc.), Geforce 3 should be more than enough and gerforce 2 should be OK in my opinion.

[alva]

Are you sure you can put one in?
(some MOBO with integrated grafic cards, have no AGP slot)
You could have an PCI one though

I would go for ATI. Better all-round quality
(Prices should/will drop later this month, when the Nvidea cards hit the market)
Could be februari though, not sure)

[alva]

What the rest of your config btw...

No real use putting a ATI 9700 or geforce4600 in a PII pc...

[Nubclear]

PIII 700 MHz, 128MB Ram. Ask for more info....And I'm not sure if I can install it or not How would I find out?

[Dis]

One way to find out (other than looking at documentation that came with your computer) is to take a peek inside your case. Look for a video card, also take note what kind of slots you have. If you have a onboard video card, that can be disabled through jumpers or some other means.

I was able to look a motherboard up on the internet to disable a mobo using jumpers. But it helps to have the documentation.

If you aren't certain what slots you have. Maybe you can draw a crude picture. And sometimes the name of the slot is in small print written on the motherboard. Look for an AGP slot. This is the best one to use for graphics cards. Other slots include PCI and ISA.

[Inverse Icarus]

Originally posted by Tassadar5000
PIII 700 MHz, 128MB Ram. Ask for more info....And I'm not sure if I can install it or not How would I find out?

i've never messed with overriding integrated video, but i'm fairly sure you'd need a new motherboard for this job.

if you still want to look, check your manual for your motherboard for an AGP slot.

if you dont have the manual, pop open your box and look for it. it's usually brown and shorter than the PCI slots (white ones), and theres only 1 (if it's there at all).

if you dont have one, you're limited to PCI-based graphics cards, which will eb cheaper but crappier in terms of preformance (high end anyway).

if you do have one, it's either 2x or 4x, and that'll determine which cared is best for you.

[Dis]

an easier solution is to look it up on the web.

I helped a guy with his. All I had was some writing on the motherboard. It was called Florida and had some letters and numbers.

I was able to find it on a google search. This will bring you to the company website which will show you a picture of the board. If you do find the correct picture- compare it with your board, post it here.

Again you need the type of motherboard. Knowing the computer isn't all that usefull. I think the guy I helped had a gateway. And they used cheap motherboards that had onboard video

and onboard video can be overridden. Unless you have some whacky motherboard that won't let you do this for some strange reason.

[alva]

for a PIII700:
I would say, go for a second hand geforce 2 or 3 and add some memory(not for the grafic card, memory for your MOBO), this should put you back 50$, if that much at all.
The MOBO brand and type would be handy

[Dis]

yes. Just for your info. I have a p3 700 with 256 megs of ram. I bought a geoforce 2 MX400 that has 64 MG of video ram. Fairly cheap and it can run games like Morrowind fairly well.

[Skanky Burns]

Yeah, a GeForce2 MX is a fairly decent cheap card, it can run 3d games fairly well. It won't be able to do the more modern games well, but that is ok as your cpu wouldn't be able to handle the newer games either.

[Dis]

don't be bad mouthing 700's. I can still run Morrowind just fine. I was thinking about upgrading, but I really don't need to. so I won't upgrade my processor any time soon.

[alva]

Whatever you do, don't go for the geforce MX series, their crap...the 2 and 4 series(well the 4 series is the same as the 2 series, just costs more )

you would far better of buying a second hand geforce 3 classic

Sorry Dissident
don't worry ,I still have the original geforce (with SDR mem )

[Paul Hanson]

Get yourself a S3Trio64, 2mb of video RAM. Works fine for me.

[OneFootInTheGrave]

Well.. as for motherboard... you certainly do not need to change it.

It must have at least one free PCI slot, but most likely has an AGP slot too. If it has AGP, you can buy any card you want... the slot will be probably black or brown and first (or in the middle of the motherboard) after it there will be a couple of PCI slots (usually white).

If you get a card you will need to disable the on-board video after you put the card in. That is done in your BIOS... you should have some manual... or if you do not have a manual find in system info what type of motherboard you have, and check on manufacturers website for the manual. All should be decribed in enough details in the manual to make you understand what options you have to choose. (actually the manual will tell you if you have AGP slot and how to find it ) ....

To figure out what motherboard you have you can try downloading this http://www.belarc.com/free_download.html and running, I haven't tried it myself but I have heard it can detect what motherboard you have, it is a ~654 kb file only. (alternativley Sisoft Sandra) but that is a few MB download.

Ok once when you figure this out, my advice for the product would be either a GF3Ti200 that can probably be well under 100 USD maybe 60, 70 if there are still prdoduced. Or even better go for ATI RADEON 9000, 9000 pro is better but 9000 will probably do what you want. Actually ATI 9000 pro is quite a bit faster than GF3TI200, and the normal (just 9000) is probably a little better too, still both cards have the functionality you need for a PIII 700 and will serve you well, as they are DX8 generation cards. Buy whatever is cheaper.

If you are in US (and I think you are) buy from here www.newegg.com, as many have been quite happy with the prices and service from there. So just checking quickly, the cheapest was a Radeon 9000 for 66 USD (i think without shipping) here http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduc...codevalue=3045

If you want to save money this is the product to go for. (assuming you have an AGP slot.

If you don't have an AGP slot you will surely have a PCI slot and there was a Radeon 9000 PCI for 99 USD. So here you go.

As they said previously a Geoforce 4 MX or 2MX is not worth going for as you don't get all the features most new games already use. (UT2003/Morrowind/Battlefiueld 1942... there is more) And all new 2003 games certainly will use.