Video Woes

[lynxreign]

I believe I need a new video card for my PC. Every time I've tried to play CoH lately, everything is heavily pixillated and after a short time, the program crashes.

Unfortunately, I have no idea what to look for in getting a new card. Can anyone make suggestions for what card I should buy? Or which cards would be worth choosing?

Thanks!

Comments

[telepresence.livejournal.com]

DO you know if you have an AGP slot or a PCI-e slot?

[lynxreign.livejournal.com]

Not off hand. Let me see if I can find out.

[lynxreign.livejournal.com]

OK, I give up. How do I find out?

[telepresence.livejournal.com]

http://reference.techpowerup.com/wiki/images/1/10/AGP_PCI_PCIE_PCIEx1_Bus.jpg

http://img.zdnet.com/techDirectory/_NVPCX.JPG

Alternatively tell me your computer model and ideally the motherboard model, if you can find it printed on the mobo.

Alternatively bring your computer tomorrow and I'll just look at it.

[lynxreign.livejournal.com]

I believe I have determined it is a PCI card.

[telepresence.livejournal.com]

Plain old PCI, or PCI-E?

[lynxreign.livejournal.com]

DOOOM!
I don't know.
I'd done a search on Google for Dimension 8300 and on the Radeon 9800 card I currently have. I got hits for both PCI and AGP. I tried letting Dell check my system and suggest upgrades: It suggested both PCI and AGP. Finally, I looked at My Computer again, and while the Hardware List was less than helpful, I did fine another tab where it listed my video card as PCI.

[telepresence.livejournal.com]

Okay, a Dimension 8300 won't have a PCI-E slot, so we're talking plain PCI. However, if you have a Radeon 9800, that's almost certainly AGP.

Really, if the board is PCI/AGP only, it's time for a new computer. But if you don't want to get a new computer right now, then this:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102730


Is about the best AGP card you're going to get nowadays, and Sapphire is a good manufacturer.

[lynxreign.livejournal.com]

I'd love a new computer. However, I don't have the $3K to plunk down on one right now.

[telepresence.livejournal.com]

I understand. Although keep in mind I could build you a lovely modern gaming rig for 1000 (I don't know if you do something exotic that would require a 3000 dollar box).

[lynxreign.livejournal.com]

I tend to buy a high-end machine because of the programming I do.

[telepresence.livejournal.com]

Do you have a sense of what you need for the programming?

[lynxreign.livejournal.com]

Mostly.

In the email you sent me, would I have to put the machine together myself?

[telepresence.livejournal.com]

If you wanted to? I don't know if you find putting computers together fun. Otherwise I was proposing to do it.

[lynxreign.livejournal.com]

I do not! : -)

I appreciate the offer. Let me check and see what the software I usually get bundled with it will bring it to and compare it to other machines.

[telepresence.livejournal.com]

Any time, I'm not trying to pressure you.

[lynxreign.livejournal.com]

Thanks, I appreciate all the information. It hadn't even ocurred to me to build my own machine.

[telepresence.livejournal.com]

It would look something like this, plus or minus:

http://secure.newegg.com/Shopping/ShoppingCart.aspx?Submit=view

3 gig dual core processor, 2 gigs of memory, 1TB hard drive, nice powerful video card, etc. 4 gigs of memory for ~50 dollars more, upgradable to a quad core processor later, etc.

[telepresence.livejournal.com]

Enh, I realize that cart view is useless. I'll email it to you.