what is the best graphic card to my PC?

[hisham76]

hey mates
hope everyone is ok
i need somebody's help in here
im planning to replace my graphic card as my existing one is really uncompitable with some good games although i updated the driver,i have no idea what to choose, here is my PC specifications

System model:

Hewlett-Packard HP d240 MT(PC851PA)
Processor:
2.80 gigahertz Intel Pentium 4
8 kilobyte primary memory cache
512 kilobyte secondary memory cache

Motherboard :

Board: Lite-On Tech. 08FCh B04
model Number: HP-D2547F3P
BIOS: American Megatrends Inc. 1.14 02/23/2005
Module: Hyundai HYMD216 646C6J-J

Memory
760 Megabytes Installed Memory

Slot 'DIMM1' has 128 MB
Slot 'DIMM2' has 512 MB
Slot 'DIMM3' has 128 MB
Slot 'DIMM4' is Empty
Module: Hyundai HYMD216 646C6J-J

Display:
Chip Type : Intel(R) 82865G Graphics Controller [Display adapter](integrated)
DAC Type Internal
Memory Size 96 MB

Video Adapter Manufacturer
Company Name Intel Corporation
Monitor: Philips 170S [ (17.1"vis, s/n BZ 114217, July 2004)

i have no idea what things relevent to this matter but i gave most of them.

could you please tell me what video cards compitable to my pc ignoring the bugdet?!(all right ...my bundet is 100 to 400 AUD) hint:please give me as many choices as possible.
thnax a million

[azzey]

If your computer has an AGP slot, then you could install an AGP video card... if not, then you'll have to go PCI.

[hisham76]

thanx mike for your reply
but how do i know if my card is AGP or PCi, really dont know the difference!!
how can i check this out!
ta mate

[hisham76]

ok mike,i think i got it, there is a long thin slot above the modem, is that what you mean??

[azzey]

There are PCI slots (usually more than one, about 3 of them) and then at the top there is a slot that is usually a different colour and it isn't in line. That's the AGP slot. If all the slots are the same, then they're all PCI. Take a [icture if you want to be sure, and upload it here.

[azzey]

According to HP support, that board only has PCI slots. You'll have to use a PCI card if you wish to upgrade.
http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/DocumentIndex.jsp?&lang=en&cc=ca&contentType=SupportManual&docIndexId=179166&prodTypeId=12454&prodSeriesId=379339&lang=en&cc=ca

Links
I dug up some links to good graphics cards (this is a Canadian site)
PCI Video Cards
GeForce FX5500, 256mb, PCI video card--link (http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1520540&CatId=0)
GeForce 5500, 256mb, PCI video card--link (http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=2227160&CatId=0)
GeForce 5200, 256mb, PCI video card--link (http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=2148789&CatId=0)

[mjc]

Sorry, it doesn't look like there is any way at all to upgrade the graphics card on that machine (well...not quite any way, there are three PCI slots, but...going with a PCI card isn't an upgrade, really).

No AGP slot...no way of turning off the onboard controller...basically, you are stuck with it.

Parts Diagram (http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bc/docs/support/UCR/SupportManual/TPM_349336_rev001_us/TPM_349336_rev001_us.pdf)

[hisham76]

thats right azzey , u r a 100% right, there are 3 slots but the other slot isnt there,is it really that baaaad? mjc, please tell me somthin i dont know.....im so desperate to get red of this graphic card, i have good games i would love to play and its so frustrating that a 2000 dollar machine isnt running some games i got recently, these must be some way but what is it??!

[azzey]

mjc is right--PCI cards isn't really an upgrade. However, you might see a small performance increase with the FX5500. The problem is that PCI is just too slow for a video card to perform all that fast.

[mjc]

There is...and it isn't something you'll really like...get a different computer.

That machine isn't really designed to be a gaming platform (very, very few ready-mades are). If the game won't run on the onboard video then more than likely it won't run on available PCI video cards (which are getting pretty hard to find and climbing in price--heck even AGP cards aren't all that common anymore--at least good ones).

Nvidia PCI (http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.asp?N=2010380048+1069609642+1305520548 &Submit=ENE&SubCategory=48)

ATi PCI (http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.asp?N=2010380048+1069609642+1305520549 &Submit=ENE&SubCategory=48)

Those are what newegg.com has, and out of those...this is what is any 'good' ATi (http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.asp?N=2010380048+1069609642+1305520549 +106790788&Submit=ENE&SubCategory=48) & Nvidia (http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.asp?N=2010380048+1069609642+106790727&Submit=ENE&SubCategory=48)

All of them have fairly low clock speeds and you will suffer from running TWO graphics adapters, because the onboard one CAN'T be turned off...

No, for the most part, off the shelf machines are not gaming systems, no matter what the price...(one exception to the rule is Alienware...but there you pay a premium for the name)

[saphalline]

PCI only, huh? Bummer. That's the gaming world's equivalent of trying to buy a burger off the dollar menu with 7 pennies. In other words, it ain't gonna happen! You can't game on PCI. Sorry, but you are SOL.

[hisham76]

thank you guys for your help. i learned alot of you,i should have paid some attention to this matter before i bought my pc.
now im so confused to buy a PCI card or not to buy.

[mjc]

I wouldn't, because you won't see that much of an improvement, if any and the card, still, may not play the games...the money not spent could go toward more RAM or toward funding your next computer purchase.

[saphalline]

i should have paid some attention to this matter before i bought my pc.Hindsight is 20/20. Don't beat yourself up over this - we've all been there. When I got into PC gaming, the little Compaq that my parents had was definitely not up to the task. I did some upgrades to it, but nothing could help the fact that it just wasn't meant for gaming. I learned what I could about computers, and later built my first gaming system.

Like mjc said, you aren't likely to find an OEM system that can play games. They just weren't meant for it. There's such a large difference between a "family" PC and a gaming PC that the gap cannot be crossed by the OEM's and still stay cheap. So they just don't bother. Money talks, and selling computers over time has told them that it isn't worth it on a large scale.

I agree that you shouldn't bother buying a PCI vid card. They're ancient, and so far behind the curve that they can't play the latest games. Older games like MoHAA and Battlefield 1942 would run better, but newer games like HL2 and FEAR would increase from 10 frames per second to 15. :rolleyes: Big deal. That's still nowhere near playable. Save up your money. Get a new system. Or build your own. But don't sink any more money into your current non-gaming system.

[hisham76]

what outraged me is the fact that my PC turned out to have a PCI video card.obviously wasnt ment to be, but its my bad damn luck...i believe i can get over it for a while till i think of gathering all the facts togather to build my gaming PC.....
thanx again for your precious advises.....

[hisham76]

hey guys
im back again
now im seriously thinking of selling my pc, please tell me some important tips that i need to consider other than the grathic card(AGP), RAM, and CPU.
thanx a million

[i an not a nerd]

Open up a new thread in "Buying and Upgrading Advice"

[hisham76]

im still wating for your advises...... thanx

[hisham76]

hey guys

sorry to bother you again. i looked in the manual and i found
only this regarding the graphics:

Internal Graphic
Mode Select
(d240 and d248 models only)
Selects the size of memory for internal graphics adapter.
• Disable: Internal graphic mode select disable
• 1MB: Share 1MB
• 4MB: Share 4 MB
• 8MB: Share 8MB (default)
• 16MB: Share 16 MB
• 32MB: Share 32MB

does that mean it can be turned off from BIOS? it looks like but really need your advice
thanx very much

[jlreich]

Yes if it has a disable option is the BIOS you can manually turn it off. ;)

[UkGamer]

If you think you are up to the task, I would buy a new motherboard. You will be able to pick up a cheap one for about £60 with PCI-Express ( which is the newest and fastest interface for connecting graphics cards ) and as you have a Pentium 4 you will have a wide choice of boards.

Im not sure what currency "aud" is (austrailian dollars?) but say for £200 you would be able to get a fast graphics card say a 7600GT for £140 and a PCI express motherboard for £60 and you will have turned that "family" machine into a mean gaming rig!

There are a few things to note though, installing a motherboard is fairly difficult so you can either do alot of research before attempting it , or get a somebody from a local computer shop to do it for you, saving you the hassle.

Well thats what i would do of course, and as the others pointed out there is no point in getting a new PCI card . That is the only one that will fit your motherboard so if you really want to play some new games i would get a new mobo and new gfx

by the way, if you dont mind me asking , what games are you trying to play anyway?

[hisham76]

thanx guys
for the advice, i have fear,quake4, serious sam SE,serious sam2, painkiller, doom3 and resurrection of evil,battlefield2, fifa 2005,farcry,hitman contract and other games..... im not sure if i want to buy another one now if the onboard card can be turned off..all i want is to play these games and minimize the cost due to some money problems... but i will if the onboard card wont be turned off even if i have to borrow some money of friends.....but i would be happy at the moment to play these games if i pick the right card.. which i dont know at the moment...but im still searching online for the best one that fits the job and a 350 AUD budget...

[UkGamer]

Im surprised that you can even play any of those games at the moment with your onboard card (especially fear and BF2 ) And i know i am repeating myself but i still don't think an old style pci card will be any better. But if you still want to find out if you can deactivate your onbooard graphics , go into the BIOS by pressing del when you turn on your computer then have a look around and see if you can find it.

[saphalline]

If it's an HP desktop, then F2 will most likely get you into the BIOS.

As for a PCI vid card to buy, the best you can get is a GeForce FX 5700. Quite old and pathetic by modern standards, but nevertheless better than your onboard video. Not by much in the face of such power-hungry games, but better.

I'm afraid that an FX 5700 is as high as you can go. Even if you had a million dollars to throw at a PCI vid card, the FX 5700 is the most powerful PCI vid card ever made. You simply cannot buy anything better.

[mjc]

Finding one may be a bit of a struggle...newegg doesn't have any that are PCI :(