Any Video Card recomendations?

[Wild Cobra]

I just hooked up a nice 1920 x 1200 monitor to my computer. As I thought, I now need a new video card. Mine is an older one and will only go 1600 x 1200.

Recommendations please?

This is an older Dell Dimension 3000 computer with a 2.4 Ghz processor and 2 GB Ram. It only has a 250 watt power supply which limits my options without upgrading. If I have to get a new power supply, I figure I may as well just just a new Windows 7 PC, but this XP system suits my fine still. I have had less trouble with this PC than any others, so I'm not ready to gamble on a new one.

Anyway, I'm thinking the GTS 250 (http://www.frys.com/product/5866223) meets my requirements fine and will go the next higher resolution as well. I didn't see a power consumption however. With 754 million transistors in the video processor, I doubt it's light on power. Seeing the power consumption on some video cards, I have realized I cannot just put any in that fits. I'm not even sure it works. It says PCI Express, as far as I know, I just have PCI slots. Is this the same?

Thoughts please?

[leemajors]

PCI Express replaced AGP.

http://www.cooldrives.com/lib/cooldrives/sata-pci-express-pci-card.jpg

Just look at the motherboard and see which slot you have.

[Wild Cobra]

Dammit. Radiacl difference, and I only have PCI. Maybe I should consider a new computer.

Suggestions for a card that will do 1920 x 1200 in a PCI slot? I'm not going back to a 1600 x 1280 tube monitor.

[cool cat]

To be honest I didn't even think they still made pci cards but I was wrong. Newegg.com usually has the best prices and looking through the cards nothing really stood out as being any better then the other cards. Pci is old tech and they have pretty much hit the roof on what it could do.


But what size is your new monitor? If it's only like 20-30 inches your really not going to tell the difference between 1900 x 1200 and 1600 x 1200.

[PM5K]

I'd just get the cheapest one you can find. I do agree with Cool Cat though, the resolution differences aren't that big to be noticeable, I'd probably just stick with the 1600X1200, otherwise I'd buy the cheapest 40.00 card NewEgg has.

[ElNono]

If you're not going to game with it, and since you're buying old tech, this card would probably work just fine:

PNY VCGFX522PEB GeForce FX 5200 256MB 128-bit DDR PCI Video Card (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814133233)

It's $30 after the $10 mail in rebate and free shipping.
Also specs says it works with 250W system and it's fanless.

[Viva Las Espuelas]

eww. yeah. gotta upgrade, man. welcome to the 2010s. i had to deal with AGP up until about 6 weeks ago and that was a pain. you should see my heatsink i have to put on my chip to run that along with every thing else.

[jacobdrj]

If you're not going to game with it, and since you're buying old tech, this card would probably work just fine:

PNY VCGFX522PEB GeForce FX 5200 256MB 128-bit DDR PCI Video Card (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814133233)

It's $30 after the $10 mail in rebate and free shipping.
Also specs says it works with 250W system and it's fanless.


In my experience, the nvidia 5xxx series cards were notoriously bad at producing non-standard (wide screen) resolutions, and they don't have very current drivers, so it makes things unstable.

Go with the 6200 or 8400.

[Wild Cobra]

But what size is your new monitor? If it's only like 20-30 inches your really not going to tell the difference between 1900 x 1200 and 1600 x 1200.
24"

It displays the 1600 x 1200 just fine. Things are a little fat however.

Maybe you cannot tell the difference, but I can. I would really like to open up some of my 11" x 17" schematic files properly.

[Wild Cobra]

I'd just get the cheapest one you can find. I do agree with Cool Cat though, the resolution differences aren't that big to be noticeable, I'd probably just stick with the 1600X1200, otherwise I'd buy the cheapest 40.00 card NewEgg has.
Wow...

The differences are clear. Sorry you guys have such bad eyesight.

[ElNono]

Upgrading should save you money on the electricity bill also. The P4 was a notorious power hog, and the newer processors should be both faster due to the multiple cores, and also consume quite a lot less with their speed-step technology.

[Wild Cobra]

If you're not going to game with it, and since you're buying old tech, this card would probably work just fine:

PNY VCGFX522PEB GeForce FX 5200 256MB 128-bit DDR PCI Video Card (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814133233)

It's $30 after the $10 mail in rebate and free shipping.
Also specs says it works with 250W system and it's fanless.
I might get that one. I might just use this as an excuse to buy a newer PC.

Thanx.

[phyzik]

If all your motherboard has is PCI slots, ot even AGP, then yeah... its time to upgrade. I would be suprised if your motherboard didnt have at least 1 popped capacitor on it by now.

[DMX7]

I might get that one. I might just use this as an excuse to buy a newer PC.

Thanx.

PCI cards have a huge bandwith cap. You should have an AGP slot, which is better. If you don't, it's really time for a new computer. I'm running on a PCIexpress slot which is ideal but not required if you don't play demanding games or watch high definition movies.

[xellos88330]

You definitely need a new computer man.

Maybe it is just me, but I wouldn't be caught dead with a 250 Watt power supply.

My Graphics card is a ATI Radeon HD 5850. It requires a 500 Watt Power supply.

[Wild Cobra]

You definitely need a new computer man.

Maybe it is just me, but I wouldn't be caught dead with a 250 Watt power supply.

My Graphics card is a ATI Radeon HD 5850. It requires a 500 Watt Power supply.

Well, I bought a new system about 2 hrs ago. Just took it out of the box, haven't hooked it up yet. Believe it or not, what sold me on this particular one I bought is it comes with XP Professional installed, and uninstalled Windows 7 disks. I doubt I will install the Windows 7.

Lenovo M58e 7259-B3U (http://www.frys.com/product/6136119?site=sr:SEARCH:MAIN_RSLT_PG) for $549.99:

2.8 ghz Intel Pentium dual core E6300 w/2MB L2 Cache
3 GB DDR2 800 (PC2-6400) upgradable to 4GB
500 GB SATA 7200 RPM
Intel Graphics Media Accelerator X4500, up to 2560 x 1600 (now I need a new monitor)
16X DVD?R/RW SuperMulti Drive
Gigabit ethernet on planar, Marvell 88E8057, Wake on LAN

I don't need this much computer, but it suit my desire of graphics resolution.

[DMX7]

Well, I bought a new system about 2 hrs ago. Just took it out of the box, haven't hooked it up yet. Believe it or not, what sold me on this particular one I bought is it comes with XP Professional installed, and uninstalled Windows 7 disks. I doubt I will install the Windows 7.

Lenovo M58e 7259-B3U (http://www.frys.com/product/6136119?site=sr:SEARCH:MAIN_RSLT_PG) for $549.99:

2.8 ghz Intel Pentium dual core E6300 w/2MB L2 Cache
3 GB DDR2 800 (PC2-6400) upgradable to 4GB
500 GB SATA 7200 RPM
Intel Graphics Media Accelerator X4500, up to 2560 x 1600 (now I need a new monitor)
16X DVD?R/RW SuperMulti Drive
Gigabit ethernet on planar, Marvell 88E8057, Wake on LAN

I don't need this much computer, but it suit my desire of graphics resolution.

You got integrated graphics, which means the graphics processor is built into your motherboard. Those are the weakest kind. You need a dedicated graphics card if you're going to do anything graphics intensive like play new games or watch HD movies.



My Graphics card is a ATI Radeon HD 5850. It requires a 500 Watt Power supply.

I've got that one too. It's a beast.

[Wild Cobra]

You got integrated graphics, which means the graphics processor is built into your motherboard. Those are the weakest kind. You need a dedicated graphics card if you're going to do anything graphics intensive like play new games or watch HD movies.
I know it's integrated, but I have a slot if i want something better. If i wanted a serious computer, i would have bought one from Alien Ware, or some other spendy beast. I think I did good for $550.

the only thing I foresee doing to this computer is adding RAM.

[DMX7]

3 Gigs is plenty on Windows XP if you're not running anything too demanding. Alienware is a ripoff. The economical rigs from traditional vendors usually offer decent value but high end rigs are always a rip unless you build them yourself (what I always do).

[xellos88330]

Alienware is a piece of shit. Friend of mine bought one once instead of letting me build one for him for cheaper. It died 3 weeks later.... so he brought it to me to let me check it out. They sold him some badly refurbished shit. He sent the computer back and got a new one (Props to them for noticing they fucked up), then that one fucked up 2 months later. Alienware computers look pretty.... but can't be trusted IMHO.

As far as your new computer goes Wild Cobra, it is a decent barebones comp. If you don't expect to do anything graphics intensive, it is a solid choice. 3GB Ram is plenty for you running XP. I don't think you would need any more RAM than that.

[xellos88330]

I've got that one too. It's a beast.

I used to go with NVIDIA, but they pissed me off. A few old games that I like to play (Kohan Immortal Sovereigns) graphics are all fucked up. The reason why was because NVIDIA stopped supporting backwards compatability with older games. I waited for them to release new drivers or something that will support it (they said they would) and nothing ever came. So now I am going with ATI. So far I am glad that I did. This card rules.

[Wild Cobra]

As far as your new computer goes Wild Cobra, it is a decent barebones comp. If you don't expect to do anything graphics intensive, it is a solid choice. 3GB Ram is plenty for you running XP. I don't think you would need any more RAM than that.
That's the way i see it. I don't do very much with a computer. I haven't even installed a game for maybe 6-8 years. This computer is way more than i need.

Got it all updated as of a few minutes ago. Office 2007, SP3 and other updates, all my device drivers, programs, etc.

I didn't need this much, but it was the only new computer I found available without mail ordering it that had XP. I just called Fry's, had them hold it, and drive 40 minutes to pick it up.

One of the best things about this computer is no extra BS software. bare bones on the software too.

http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x262/Wild_Cobra/Misc/Properties.jpg

[eisfeld]

tbh... upgrade your system before you upgrade your video card.

Even if you have a nice video card other parts of your computer are slowing you down.
NBA 2k10 looks nice on better video cards but without a sufficient processor like at least a core 2 duo 6000 it's bogus to upgrade anything.

There are also some cheap power supplies for sale for under 100 bucks wich are sufficient for your system. The only thing you have to take into consideration is the brand. There are a lot of manufactures out there providing up to 1000 Watts power supplies with insufficient power supplie on the 12V rail which is most important for a system.

Enermax, Be Quiet, Coolermaster, Seasonic or OZC provide good power supplies where less watts are sufficient to power your computer.

And honestly, before you upgrade your system with a shitty card like the GTX 250 - get a new mainboard, processor and power supply beforehand.

[DMX7]

I used windows XP from 2002-2009, and it was a great great operating system but Windows 7 has it beat in so many ways. Better interface, better stability, better security and pretty cool graphics. I especially love the new tool bar.

[Wild Cobra]

I used windows XP from 2002-2009, and it was a great great operating system but Windows 7 has it beat in so many ways. Better interface, better stability, better security and pretty cool graphics. I especially love the new tool bar.
It's a better system for those not wanting to tweak it through their own file manipulation. I have heard from two people now who are great with computers that it's not a system for more advanced users.

[jacobdrj]

It's a better system for those not wanting to tweak it through their own file manipulation. I have heard from two people now who are great with computers that it's not a system for more advanced users.

I don't really understand why they said that to you.

Windows 7 generally has the same 'advanced tweaks', so long as you have the Windows 7 Professional, Ultimate, or Enterprise. The Starter, Home and Home Premium are less configurable, but so is XP Home.

Where a year ago I would still recommend people stick with XP (Vista was SOOOOO bad) I can't recommend it any longer. It is too prone to viruses, and is just not as functional as Windows 7. XP is slower, less responsive, more prone to glitches and viruses. Unless you have a printer or something that is XP only, I would HIGHLY recommend before you get too comfortable with your rig that you upgrade.

I even put W7 on netbooks.

But either way, congrats on the new system.

Don't forget to put MSE on and take of McAfee/Norton...

[Wild Cobra]

Windows 7 generally has the same 'advanced tweaks', so long as you have the Windows 7 Professional, Ultimate, or Enterprise. The Starter, Home and Home Premium are less configurable, but so is XP Home.

I have been using XP for some time at both home and work. I have had very few stability issues. I'm not ready to give up a known good.

Actually, I'll consider your words. The disks that came with this computer are Windows 7 Professional. I do like the XP Professional though. I'll just have to play with my younger daughter's new laptop sometime and see if it limits what I want to do, talk to mu father about his system, and a coworker first.


Where a year ago I would still recommend people stick with XP (Vista was SOOOOO bad) I can't recommend it any longer. It is too prone to viruses, and is just not as functional as Windows 7. XP is slower, less responsive, more prone to glitches and viruses. Unless you have a printer or something that is XP only, I would HIGHLY recommend before you get too comfortable with your rig that you upgrade.

I may have a printer that doesn't work with it. I am getting a Epson Stylus CX7800 (http://files.support.epson.com/pdf/cx78__/cx78__ba.pdf) we bought for my daughters system years ago. The reason I want to continue to use this is it has true 2400 x 2400 scanning, and a bracket and backlight for scanning 35 mm negatives. the scanned files in bmp format are around 20 megabytes. Nice resolution. I have not seen negative scanning equipment for some time now. Window's 7 Compatability Center (http://www.microsoft.com/windows/compatibility/Windows-7/en-us/Details.aspx?type=Hardware&p=Epson%20Stylus%20CX7800%20All-in-One%20Printer&v=Epson&uid=C11C614001&pf=2&pi=3&c=Printers%20%26%20Scanners&sc=Multifunction&os=32-bit) says it's compatible, but could there be issues?


Don't forget to put MSE on and take of McAfee/Norton...

Well, Norton is a resource hog, but I get it free with my Comcast cable internet. It has operated flawlessly on the other two systems in the house. Again, I'll stick with what I know works.

[xellos88330]

I have 7 Ultimate and it is rocking at the moment. No problems and ease of use so far. I wasn't looking forward to it because of the Vista debacle. It has proven to be quite good for me.

[DMX7]

It's a better system for those not wanting to tweak it through their own file manipulation. I have heard from two people now who are great with computers that it's not a system for more advanced users.

I tweaked my Windows XP massively (including turning off most of the services to save ram and clock cycles). Windows 7 doesn't need tweaking because it's fundamentally more efficient. It just does so much more, I can't imagine anyone who has used it thinking that XP tweaked or untweaked would be better. That's just doesn't make any sense.

[MannyIsGod]

Dude I paid 50 bucks more for a laptop with better specs than what you got and you got a desktop?

[Wild Cobra]

Dude I paid 50 bucks more for a laptop with better specs than what you got and you got a desktop?
Must be stolen then.

Your laptops video card will go 2560 x 1600?

Came with Windows 7 professional?

better than Dual core 2.8 GHZ and 3 Gbytes

Just $50 more?

I say bullshit, unless you bought stolen goods.

[MannyIsGod]

LOL I bought it online at staples so I'm pretty sure its not stolen. You just said it came with XP, not windows 7 Pro but mine did come with Windows 7 64 home. I have an I5 processor so I'm going to give myself the edge over your core duo there.

Your Passmark CPU benchmark score is 1100 - my I5 has a 2389 score. Its not even close, really.

I have more a gig more RAM and we both have the same hard drive specs.

We both have integrated graphics so quite frankly I think they both suck ass but considering my display's native is 1366x768 I'm fine with that.

For the amount you spent I personally think you could have done much better than that.

[xellos88330]

LOL I bought it online at staples so I'm pretty sure its not stolen. You just said it came with XP, not windows 7 Pro but mine did come with Windows 7 64 home. I have an I5 processor so I'm going to give myself the edge over your core duo there.

Your Passmark CPU benchmark score is 1100 - my I5 has a 2389 score. Its not even close, really.

I have more a gig more RAM and we both have the same hard drive specs.

We both have integrated graphics so quite frankly I think they both suck ass but considering my display's native is 1366x768 I'm fine with that.

For the amount you spent I personally think you could have done much better than that.

Does your manufacturer for the laptop allow for upgrading of processor/video card?

If it doesn't, desktop will win because he won't have to buy a whole new computer to upgrade later.

If it does. What brand is it?

[Wild Cobra]

LOL I bought it online at staples so I'm pretty sure its not stolen. You just said it came with XP, not windows 7 Pro but mine did come with Windows 7 64 home.
If you followed the thread, I said it came with Windows XP Professional on the machine, and the Windows 7 Professional operating system on two DVD's.

I have an I5 processor so I'm going to give myself the edge over your core duo there.

I agree there.


Your Passmark CPU benchmark score is 1100 - my I5 has a 2389 score. Its not even close, really.

Where do you get 1100 from? I see mine at 1918. If your I5 is 2389, then it is the Intel Core i5 M 430 @ 2.27GHz. It's 24.6% faster. So what? Is the memory fast enough to use the extra benchmark speed? Mine is built as a business computer. I'll bet the memory bandwith is better on mine. Is your memory better than DDR2-800?


I have more a gig more RAM and we both have the same hard drive specs.

I can go larger but i figured 3 gigs was adaquate.


We both have integrated graphics so quite frankly I think they both suck ass but considering my display's native is 1366x768 I'm fine with that.

Yuck...
A 1440 x 900 display isn't adequate for me. I'll bet you cannot go past 1280 x 1024 or 1440 x 900 with an external monitor.


For the amount you spent I personally think you could have done much better than that.

Sure, if I didn't get one with as good of memory, or one had Windows 7 on it. A system is no better than it's weakest link. I think I'll stick with the 6400 MB/s bandwidth. What's yours?

Besides, bottom line...

I bought this system for the XP Professional. Hard to find these days.

I doubt yours is anywhere close to better. Can you put memory as fast as PC6400 in a laptop? can you drive a 2560 x 1600 monitor? Can you drive my 1920 x 1200 24" monitor?

[Wild Cobra]

Manny, mine came with the Seagate Barracuda 500 GB (http://www.seagate.com/docs/pdf/datasheet/disc/ds_barracuda_7200_12.pdf). SATA 3 Gb/sec. What does yours have?

Like I said, this is built as a business workstation.

Oh...

ST33500418AS benchmark (http://www.harddrivebenchmark.net/hdd_lookup.php?cpu=Seagate+ST3500418AS)

I do have a video slot if I need better than what my on-board video gives me.

[DMX7]

Yuck...
A 1440 x 900 display isn't adequate for me. I'll bet you cannot go past 1280 x 1024 or 1440 x 900 with an external monitor.


He probably has the exact same integrated graphics model as you do, so of course it can go higher than that.

[Wild Cobra]

He probably has the exact same integrated graphics model as you do, so of course it can go higher than that.
Sure, it's possible.

A laptop with only 768 display height... Ouch. I don't care what else the system can do.

Thing is, he is claiming for $50 more, he got a better system. I've seen some decent $600 laptops, but my standards make my minimum laptop around $1400.

What about the memory? Can a laptop do DDR2-800 memory speeds, and have a battery that lasts more than 30 minutes?

How about drive speed? can a laptop drive compare to the Barracuda I have?

His CPU benchmarks a little faster. It doesn't matter if you don't have the memory and drive bandwidth to keep up.

Do you think he has a better system?

[DazedAndConfused]

Eh, for nearly $550 I don't think you got much computer.

[MannyIsGod]

I sadly don't have DDR2 memory expandable to 4gb.....

I have 4gb of DDR3 memory expandable to 8gb with a 4 hour battery life.

Your hard drive is a bit faster but thats about it. That is the only component that you have that is better than what I have and I could easily upgrade that.

http://us.acer.com/acer/productv.do?LanguageISOCtxParam=en&kcond61e.c2att101=75697&sp=page16e&ctx2.c2att1=25&link=ln438e&CountryISOCtxParam=US&ctx1g.c2att92=447&ctx1.att21k=1&CRC=1719571399

[MannyIsGod]

Anyway - my point was not to try to go toe to toe with you on systems. You have some desktop advantages that my laptop will never have such as being able to upgrade the video card should you want to.

The point was to tell you that you paid to much for what you got and if you can take it back do so and get something better.

[Wild Cobra]

Eh, for nearly $550 I don't think you got much computer.
Please show me one for less that comes with two "professional" versions of operating systems, the 16x writer, high spec 500 GB drive, video card that goes to 2560 x 1600, and the memory bandwidth, etc.

Then remember. I specifically bought this one because I could stay with XP.

Can you show me a better choice?

[Wild Cobra]

Anyway - my point was not to try to go toe to toe with you on systems. You have some desktop advantages that my laptop will never have such as being able to upgrade the video card should you want to.

The point was to tell you that you paid to much for what you got and if you can take it back do so and get something better.
You started by saying you got a better computer for $50 more. Your opinion.

I'm curious. What is the model of your HD so i can look it up?

What is your max screen resoultion to an external monitor?

Do you have a full keyboard? (NO!)

I'm not going to take it back. What other new system can I get that has such a fast hard drive, a DVD writer twice as fast as yours, resolution to 2560 x 1600, and running on XP out of the box?

[ElNono]

WC, I thought you did ok. Basically, you got what you wanted, and even if you paid a little more, it does what you need it to do.
As far as a better deal, a cursory look finds this Acer box (http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=6270994&Sku=A180-0109) is probably it. Quad core, 6 gigs of RAM, 1TB HD... at $589.99, it's a pretty decent deal.
It doesn't come with XP though, and you couldn't pick it up after a short drive from home. You probably have to add shipping too.

Ultimately, the best deal is to build it yourself, once you know what you want. But then you have to also factor in how valuable is your time, and the fact that each piece has a guarantee as opposed to the entire system.

I though you got what you wanted and paid a fair price. Might not be the best deal, but I don't think it's a horrible deal either.

[Wild Cobra]

Ultimately, the best deal is to build it yourself, once you know what you want. But then you have to also factor in how valuable is your time, and the fact that each piece has a guarantee as opposed to the entire system.
I consider my time rather valuable. It was a painfully long process the last time I dealt with just the operating system aspect from scratch, and hardware drivers. I have no problem putting components together, but I don't need the software headache. I don't have the patience required.

I though you got what you wanted and paid a fair price. Might not be the best deal, but I don't think it's a horrible deal either.
I did. As for the best deal, I cannot imagine getting a better deal that meets my specifications without going mail order. If I add anything to this, it might be a BluRay burner and larger 2nd drive. For now and the foreseeable future, this does everything I need. Who knows. I may want dual monitor capability at some point, and I will buy a 2560 x 1600 or better monitor when they get cheaper.

Really though...

How many drives have the performance and price of the Seagates Barracuda? I can see getting a 1TB version, or larger when they come out. With as much as operating systems and program load, I don't have the patience for slowness. This is a sweet hard drive. The large pdf files I have load surprisingly fast. Did you open this link:

Barracuda ST3500418AS benchmark (http://www.harddrivebenchmark.net/hdd_lookup.php?cpu=Seagate+ST3500418AS)

I doubt I will ever need to upgrade the CPU. If I recall, it's a socket 775.

[DMX7]

resolution to 2560 x 1600

He has Intel HD Graphics as his integrated chip which supports that resolution and is actually slightly faster than yours.
http://software.intel.com/en-us/articles/quick-reference-guide-to-intel-integrated-graphics/

http://www.notebookcheck.net/Intel-Graphics-Media-Accelerator-HD.23065.0.html

[Wild Cobra]

He has Intel HD Graphics as his integrated chip which supports that resolution and is actually slightly faster than yours.
http://software.intel.com/en-us/articles/quick-reference-guide-to-intel-integrated-graphics/

http://www.notebookcheck.net/Intel-Graphics-Media-Accelerator-HD.23065.0.html
Yes, I already looked it up. Still, I'm not doing anything that requires fast video. Just high resolution. My needs:

Fast loading.

High resolution.

Reliability... lack of lock-ups.

Now I have looked at some "On Demand" programs through my cable provider, and it gives me higher quality than the HD programming to the 1080P flat screen. Doesn't miss a beat. That's probably as fast as I need the video to be.

I have...

A faster HD.

A faster DVD writer.

Proven OS.

Very nice resolution on my 24" monitor.

That Acer is weaker in my requirements.

[phyzik]

Wild Cobra, check your PM's.