video memory upgrade

[mikew]

Can I put a 16 or 32mb video card in a P166, 64mb ram, 2gig hd that has 2mb video memory on the mother board. Will win98 recognize the video card and not the memory on the mother board.
All advise greatly appreciated.
Tanzie (The Old Fart)

[diurnal]

Yeah ,first go into the device manager and remove the existing video card.Then go into the bios,hit del on startup and disable on board video.It should be around there somewhere.As for the upgrade of the video card ,it might not work because your system is very old , but give it a try and see.If things start locking up then you know its not compatible.I would go with a 16mb card before i would go with a 32mb.The 16mb should be compatible.Make sure to shut down everything before putting in the video card and disconnect the power cord to you r cpu.Seeya

[Paleo Pete]

Just make sure you don't get an AGP video card, with a P-166 you most likely don't have an AGP slot, the motherboard was manufactured before AGP existed. That means find a good PCI video card.

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[mikew]

Thanks guys.
Here's a couple of options I have for cheap cards. I do'nt want to run fancy games etc.
1. Diamond Stealth S2000 PCI 4mb.
2. ATI Xpert 98 8Mb PCI bus. Rage X1 graphics & video accelerator.
3. Voodoo 2 1000 12Mb PCI Addon 3D Accelerator.

Do any of these sound like they would be OK. ???

Tanzie (The Old Fart)

[hiredgoonz]

I would go with the ATI over the Diamond...

And you can't use a Voodoo2 as a standalone vid card...it is only a 3d accelerator to allow you to better play games that support the glide api...

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When all else fails, read the instructions.

[mikew]

Went into the BIOS but see nothing that says onboard video, any suggestions on what to look for to disable the onboard video.

Thanks for any help.

[iisbob]

What brand is your system? if it's a Compaq you're only going to be able lower the onboard memory requirements, not totally free it up. http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/frown.gif

As for 16 over 32mb, the onboard memory on the video card does not affect how it is handled by your system, other than with the 32mb's it will allow the card to handle more of the graphics processing on the card as the PCI bus is very limited in bandwidth ( 33 mhz vs. the AGP with 66 mhz ). The problems from video cards and system incompatibilities arise more from driver issues than anything else. Get the most powerful card you can afford. Currently the 32's are as afordable as the 16's used to be. Being on a PCI bus, you're going to see limited performance anyways-so don't expect to run newer games full out all options. http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/frown.gif

Of the three you have listed i would go with the ATI Xpert 98 8Mb but check on eBay or Pricewatch for a good geforce2mx400 PCI, they're relatively inexpensive ( from around $50-$100 ) and will offer you at least some better performance with their more modern graphics processors.

The next thing i would suggest is get another 64mb's of RAM if possible, as the system memory ( or lack thereof ) will greatly influence the performance of your system overall-especially in gaming or graphics editing. http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/wink.gif

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iisbob
"Soap and education are not as sudden as a massacre, but they are more deadly in the long run."

"Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world." --Albert Einstein (1879-1955)

[mikew]

Thanks iisbob,
My system is not compaq it's a generic built by a local company no longer there.
I don't want to play high end games, just improve speed etc. of msgolf, flight simulator, internet site pictures, you know the simple stuff.
I would like to keep the cost to a minimum on this old system.
Any advise on what to look for in BIOS to disable the existing 2mb on board when I get a video card ???
I will look on ebay etc.
Thanks Again.

Tanzie (The Old Fart)

[iisbob]

In your advanced features portion of the BIOS there should be an option to either lower or completely disable onbaord video memory; you'll want to free up as much as possible obviously. http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/smile.gif

Seriously you should be able to find a reasonably priced TNT2 or old voodoo card on eBay; or if you'd like a great local warrenty try BestBuy, CompUSA, or Circut city.

if you know the make of your motherboard you can go to their website and download a manual for that board, it'lll have the exact steps to disable the onboard video.

I still suggest getting another 64mb of memory, that is probably the cheapest and most effective upgrade you can give that ol' geezer. http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/biggrin.gif

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iisbob
"Soap and education are not as sudden as a massacre, but they are more deadly in the long run."

"Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world." --Albert Einstein (1879-1955)

[This message has been edited by iisbob (edited 08-15-2001).]

[mikew]

Thanks for the tips.
Unfortunately the system had 2 x 16mb sticks and I have already added 2 x 16mb for a total of 64mb so all 4 slots are in use. Could I replace the 4 x 16mb sticks with 4 x 32mb if I can find them cheap on ebay.???

Thanks Again.
Tanzie (The Old Fart)