NationStates Jolt Archive

I'm looking into buying a new video card, as mine is approaching three years old and sometimes struggles on today's games and such. I'm wondering what would be a good/great card that is reasonably priced, say in the $0-200 range.

I have a ATI Radeon 9600 Pro. I believe its a PCI slot, but not sure. How do you know? And I've been reading about PCI express. What's that? Is there a difference between PCI and PCI express? Anyway I can get a PCI express card to work in a PCI slot (if mine is one)?

FYI, I don't even pretend to know much about computer hardware. My comp is a custom built one, but a friend of mine basically told me what to buy and he put everything together for me.

Please, someone help!!! I would love to be able to play games where it wasn't skipping or sluggish!

I'm looking into buying a new video card, as mine is approaching three years old and sometimes struggles on today's games and such. I'm wondering what would be a good/great card that is reasonably priced, say in the $0-200 range.
Not sure if this is possible. I got a X1600 AGP card for $200 through ATI and then got a $50 rebate when I mailed in my old card.

I have a ATI Radeon 9600 Pro. I believe its a PCI slot, but not sure. How do you know? And I've been reading about PCI express. What's that? Is there a difference between PCI and PCI express? Anyway I can get a PCI express card to work in a PCI slot (if mine is one)?
Yes, there is a difference between PCI and PCI Express. No, a PCI Express card will not work in a PCI slot. You'd have to buy a new motherboard.

I have a ATI Radeon 9600 Pro. I believe its a PCI slot, but not sure. How do you know? And I've been reading about PCI express. What's that? Is there a difference between PCI and PCI express? Anyway I can get a PCI express card to work in a PCI slot (if mine is one)?

I'm pretty sure the 9600 Pro is an AGP card. PCI express is faster than PCI and you cannot use a PCI express card in a PCI slot. You will need a new motherboard if you want to upgrade your video card.

PCI and PCIe are not compatible. PCI cards are no longer made because the PCI slot was to slow to keep up with the graphics card. You might be able to get something quite old (but newer than what you have) which would be a marginal improvement for a six months to a year before you are in the same situation.

Even then, games will be coming out that are just flat out incompatible with what you got.

To upgrade, you are basically going to need a new system. A new graphics card will need a PCIe slot, which will mean you need a new motherboard too. A new motherboard means a new CPU and new RAM too. That is going to need more power than your current power supply can handle, so that will have to be replaced. That is basically a new system there. All that is really missing is a case and hard drives.

So, how do I tell if my card is a PCI or AGP? Best I can do is look at pictures and see which one's look close to the setup on the back of my computer. :(
I tried looking on the ATI website, but for the life of me couldn't fine the 9600 listed.

PCI and PCIe are not compatible. PCI cards are no longer made because the PCI slot was to slow to keep up with the graphics card. You might be able to get something quite old (but newer than what you have) which would be a marginal improvement for a six months to a year before you are in the same situation.

Even then, games will be coming out that are just flat out incompatible with what you got.

To upgrade, you are basically going to need a new system. A new graphics card will need a PCIe slot, which will mean you need a new motherboard too. A new motherboard means a new CPU and new RAM too. That is going to need more power than your current power supply can handle, so that will have to be replaced. That is basically a new system there. All that is really missing is a case and hard drives.



....crap....

Well, guess I need to do a bunch of saving. Anyone suggest a book that could help me build a computer, since that would probably save me a ton of $$$. God bless Newegg for that!

So, how do I tell if my card is a PCI or AGP? Best I can do is look at pictures and see which one's look close to the setup on the back of my computer. :(
I tried looking on the ATI website, but for the life of me couldn't fine the 9600 listed.

AGP slots are usually brown, PCI slots are white normally. Saying that, the motherboard manufacturer can make the slots any colour they like!

PCI slots are the smaller ones, rhe AGP one should be longer.

I think you are using AGP 8X
http://ati.amd.com/products/radeon9600/radeon9600pro/index.html

While we're on the subject of graphics, just how useful is video RAM? If you're only running one display, do you really need 256MB?

While we're on the subject of graphics, just how useful is video RAM? If you're only running one display, do you really need 256MB?Depends. If you are playing a game with allot of textures, then you can easily use it all up, but if you are just doing your desktop and msn, you will use less that 10MiB.

Depends. If you are playing a game with allot of textures, then you can easily use it all up, but if you are just doing your desktop and msn, you will use less that 10MiB.

I was reading a comparison somewhere (?) between a gaming computer with 128MB and 256MB, and there was virtually no boost in performance from the 256MB computer.

256MB is enough for most people unless you like playing at the higher screen resolutions at insane frame rates.

So charging $600 for the upgrade is therefore not justifiable?

While we're on the subject of graphics, just how useful is video RAM? If you're only running one display, do you really need 256MB?

256MB is enough for most people unless you like playing at the higher screen resolutions at insane frame rates.

I was reading a comparison somewhere (?) between a gaming computer with 128MB and 256MB, and there was virtually no boost in performance from the 256MB computer.Again, it depends. The games they used may not have used many textures, so it never needed more than 128MiB of VRAM, or the 128MiB card could have had more shaders or faster VRAM. It really depends on what the game needs.

PCI and PCIe are not compatible. PCI cards are no longer made because the PCI slot was to slow to keep up with the graphics card. You might be able to get something quite old (but newer than what you have) which would be a marginal improvement for a six months to a year before you are in the same situation.

Even then, games will be coming out that are just flat out incompatible with what you got.

To upgrade, you are basically going to need a new system. A new graphics card will need a PCIe slot, which will mean you need a new motherboard too. A new motherboard means a new CPU and new RAM too. That is going to need more power than your current power supply can handle, so that will have to be replaced. That is basically a new system there. All that is really missing is a case and hard drives.
You can still get AGP cards inculding the 9600 I think the X700 comes in AGP too it was fairly decent

I have used the 9600 XT before ... decent card for the price

Edit btw I got Beryl running on my ubuntu machine its been awhile ... tis sweet

So charging $600 for the upgrade is therefore not justifiable?

The real speed of the card is determined by the GPU - the more features like shaders you use, the more memory you need for the game. If you like your "Bling" on your games - get more video memory.

You can still get AGP cards inculding the 9600 I think the X700 comes in AGP too it was fairly decent

I have used the 9600 XT before ... decent card for the price

Edit btw I got Beryl running on my ubuntu machine its been awhile ... tis sweet

I had an X700 256MB (PCIE) and it could not handle Doom 3 on high (fine at medium).

I'd suggest an 256MB nVidia 7600GS or 7600GT in AGP.
Doom 3 in Ultra high in 1024x768 on my PCIE 7600GT runs fine.

I had an X700 256MB (PCIE) and it could not handle Doom 3 on high (fine at medium).

I'd suggest an 256MB nVidia 7600GS or 7600GT in AGP.
Doom 3 in Ultra high in 1024x768 on my PCIE 7600GT runs fine.I think that my Radeon X1800 Series can play it at 1280x1024 with all other settings maxed.

I think that my Radeon X1800 Series can play it at 1280x1024 with all other settings maxed.

An X700 was about the same as an nVidia 6600 ... the 7600GT is twice the speed of an 6600. The X1800 is about 7600GT level which is about right.

An X700 was about the same as an nVidia 6600 ... the 7600GT is twice the speed of an 6600. The X1800 is about 7600GT level.I thought it was 7800 level, as that was what it was produced to compete with. However, Doom is OpenGL so it probably is only as good as the 7600GT.