Recommend a PCI Graphics Card

[DB_Hunter]

OK I know most of you will laugh at me... but I just got my new pc today and............... IT DOESNT HAVE AN AGP SLOT!!!!!!! Damnit I was sooo stupid I overlooked checking if it had one because I didn't THINK, being the stupid way I am, that a motherboard wouldn't have one.

Anyway, I can't stick in my old 9200 Series Radeon 128MB card... so.... can anyone reccomend a PCI graphics card?

I've been browsing on the web... and I've found the Creative FX 5200 128MB card... is that any good?

[Krbadass]

Yes its a good card, better then your radeon, id get it.

[hiroshi]

Rather than spending a ton on a new GFX Card, why don't you simply buy a new motherboard? Motherboards are tons tons cheaper than a Graphics Card is.

Reasons i think you should get a new motherboard:
1) Cheaper
2) PCI isn't as fast as AGP
3) Is it really a good motherboard if it isn't an AGP slot? I don't think so.

Also if your PC is a package type (One which you buy with everything already in it), then the chances are they would have cut back on a lot of hardware to save themselves money and increase the profit margin. If they don't mention it in the specs, it's going to be cut back and suck a ton.

A package PC normally comes with:
1) A crap motherboard.
2) A crap and inefficient heatsink.
3) No Case fan at all.
4) Low watt PSU, which results in computer instability if you expand your PC with powerful (but power consuming) hardware.
5) The cheaper version of anything they promised.
(EG: If they say a GeForce 4 GFX Card, it's probably a GeForce 4 16mb Graphics Card, which is pure crap and junk. It's even cheaper than the GeForce 2 128mb Graphics Card.)
6) They limit the computer as much as possible so you can't expand, and instead charge you to 'upgrade' your computer, as well as void any warrenty you have for simply opening your computer.

That is why i NEVER buy package PC's. Companies Rip you off. They not only charge 200% more than what it would of cost if it was as good as they said it was (I worked out i was ripped off by over 1,200 pounds by Tiny.), but they also rip you off by giving you cheaper hardware which is allowed as long as it isn't mentioned in the spec. Always make your own PC and you could save yourself between 500 to 1,000 in costs, and you also get 5 times better quality hardware, because you would of picked it yourself and not cut corners like the companies do. Also once you're on a package PC, you're Stuck in their money ripping ideas. For instance, if you want to replace a dodgy part and you know what it is, you can't do it yourself. You have to ring the company up you got it from, and send it to them to find and sort out. Which they charge you to do, or if they don't charge you, they instead charge you for extended warrenty, and then they pretend to fail to find the problem 5 times and then threaten to charge you 60 odd if you send it back to them again.

The lifetime of their hardware is also exceptionally short in comparison to ones you would buy yourself. That's because when they put the computers together, they don't use the correct procedure. Hell they even stack hardware on top of each other and let the weight and static destroy them.

Also you can't simply upgrade a part with the newest thing, because you void your warrenty as soon as you open your case >_<
Even if you could open your case, they limit you as much as possible so you can't expand. Like getting a motherboard with No AGP and even if it has one, they limit as many PCI slots you have as possible and try to melt the IDE Cables down, and place tons and tons of Cable Ties to stop you from taking hardware out. Also their customised cases are normally so chunked up together, that you can't do custom stuff to the case, or expand the IDE Slots at the front, or change the Disk Drive because they rip the cover off theirs to get it into their so called customised case.

So instead, they charge you to 'upgrade' your hardware. They charge you 200% more than it would originally cost for the upgraded parts, and even then they STILL give you the cheaper versions of those parts with a very small lifespan.

When you buy stuff yourself, you get a warrenty on each part you buy. Which means if you can figure out what part it is, you can get that exact part replaced instantly instead of sending off the entire PC and being charged for it and crap. Also you can't void your warrenty for opening your case, because the case was made specifically for people who are going to be building the PC up all the time, and also the parts you buy won't be as limited as possible or have tons of crappy cable ties everywhere, becaue your the one building it here. Even the cases you would buy to build your own PC will have expandability in mind because they would of had a ton of spare IDE Slots at the front for more CD-ROMs or whatever you wanted.

Anyway... i would suggest buying a new motherboard and forgetting the warrenty crap the company give you. If a part goes wrong, just buy the part separatly and change it yourself. Never use company crap.

Edit:
Besides, it's probably a ton cheaper to buy a new motherboard than a new Graphics Card. The motherboards cost tons and tons less than a Graphics Card does.

[Xollence]

Haha i feel your pain. I'm using gforce4 mx440, works fine for what i do.

Btw hiroshi, if he gets a new motherboard, wouldn't he need new ram and maybe new cpu?

[SaSuKeRuLeS]

i dont think he wants to buy a new mother board just for a vid card seems to me likes its a big inconvenience besides he just got his new computer today. i reccomend the Conquerer FX 5200 Plus 128 mb ddr pci video card or u can get the 256 mb one.

[hiroshi]

No you wouldn't need new RAM if you got a new motherboard. If you've been given SDRAM (It should say on the RAM Chip and it's more than likely it is if it's a package PC), then you simply buy a motherboard which supports SDRAM and move it over. Simple as that ¬_¬;

Anyway, the amount it would save you is worth the hassle.
For a decent graphics card it can cost between 200 - 400. For a half good graphics card it's between 100 - 200. For the best motherboard possible it's only just over 100.

I think that speaks for itself. A graphics card is either double the amount of 4times the amount of a motherboard. Plus AGP is faster than PCI anyway, and if he buys a new motherboard he will have a ton more to expand on in the future, as well as be able to support a lot more which his current one dosn't allow.

Edit:
Nor would he need a new CPU. If he got a new motherboard, it will most likely support whatever CP he is using and future CPU's. All he has to do is make sure his motherboard supports the type of Processor he has. He most likely has a Socket A, Slot A Processor, so all he needs is another Socket A, Slot A Motherboard which are the most common type of motherboards available.

[SaSuKeRuLeS]

yeah but the point still remains i dont think he knows about motherboards and stuff (no offense) and besides he just got a brand spanking new computer so his motherboard has to be good whether it only has pci slots or not.

[DB_Hunter]

Hehe this sure is an emmotive topic for you guys.

As for my knowledge on motherboards, SasukeRules you more or less hit the nail on the head lol.

The thing is I don't really have the time, honestly, to start undoing the parts from my motherboard and stick in a new one make sure it all works etc. The new term is around the corner and I know my system is stable, I may not even have time to use the Graphics card!

The RAM I'm using is PC2700 333MHz DDR RAM. The computer is a Dell. The motherboard is an Intel 845GV+ chipset.

Right now I may go with what Krbadass is saying... because it seems the most efficient time-wise, though I fully appreciate the points you have made hiroshi. Maybe if I had had the time I may have knocked togather my own PC, but since I don't do this sorta thing regularly I would have needed time to read up on this stuff.

[hiroshi]

Ahh ok. Then i shall leave it to you guys.

Hm.. Dell are good quality which is why they are expensive in comparison to a lot of others. But i still have issues with the fact the motherboard dosn't have AGP. Most motherboards have AGP as standard.

Pretty cool you're using DDR though. Double Data Rate is the best type of RAM to get. ^^

Hope you get everything you need to on time

[Raven]

I didn't even know they made non-AGP motherboards these days. It seems to me the board must be totally out of date or something, or maybe just a piece of crap.

I think hiroshi is correct though, it's much better in the long run to just get a new board, you can get decent ones for fairly cheap now.

But, if you really don't have the time to muck around with it all, then don't bother. It really depends how high you hold gaming in comparison to other things.

[DB_Hunter]

Yea the reason I bought from Dell is because my last computer was a Dell and it's a tough old workhorse... whatever I did to it it was cool with it yet both my brother's had the same Compaq model and they BOTH broke down... for one reason or another. Last night though with my new computer I tried installing a hard disk but I couldn't do it... the case is really crap and my HD is thicker than 1 inch so it isn't fitting.... it's lucky I have a network and I can just access the hard drive through there but man I am dissapointed with Dell.

[Naruto]

</div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (Xollence @ Jan 6 2004, 08:54 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> Haha i feel your pain. I&#39;m using gforce4 mx440, works fine for what i do.

Btw hiroshi, if he gets a new motherboard, wouldn&#39;t he need new ram and maybe new cpu? </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'>
me too
such a fuckin card

[Legendary Nin]

Hiroshi.Can you suggest a motherboard.I have a P4,but it only supports up to 2GHZ I believe.I have 1.7 now,but when it comes to upgrading,it needs to go.It&#39;s cool and everything,2 SDRAM slots,2 DDR,an AGP,a PCI and other stuff.But a new would be good.Also,what type of benefits would I get from a better motherboard?

[KakashiSensei]

Legendary Nin if you live in toronto check out this web site.

Filtech

Its a really good store on College and Spadina. Great prices. The only really benefit you get from a new motherboard is the new Processor you have to buy with it. If you dont double the speed of processor to 3 Ghz then your doing great.

[KakashiSensei]

</div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (DB_Hunter @ Jan 6 2004, 03:40 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> The computer is a Dell. </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'>
DB_Hunter. This may be a little off but I know when you buy stuff from places like Dell you get amazing customer service but the reason why i think they didn&#39;t put an AGP slot in is if you want to upgrade you cant b/c Everything is integrated so the upgrading is done by them and they make more money that way. I know alot of Companies do this.

[hiroshi]

hm, yeah sorry i can&#39;t help much when it comes to Pentium motherboards.

I have a habit of being AMD loyal, no real reason i guess. So i don&#39;t really know much about the current pentium motherboards. Hopefully you will find something useful from the link suggested by the post above this one

Sorry about that =/