Graphic card buying choice serious help???

http://www.itreviews.co.uk/guide/hguide6.htm

Hello, look at the above web link... right now I've got Simpsons Hit and Run, it has been installed successfully but the game runs quite slowly and I can hardly say that it is playable, the stop scenes are ok, but it's the gameplay. Anyway I've finally realised that I NEED to upgrade and buy a new graphics card, because I currently have a S3 ProSavage DDR card which apparently is BAD.

I'm afraid of ruining my computer by getting the wrong graphics card. This page looks awfully complicated, saying to take SO many things into consideration, I have an Intel Celeron 2.00 Ghz processor and I'm certain my motherboard has a card slot, my computers roughly about 3 years old, I think. Please can someone give me a good answer backed with some reliable knowledge on this please?

Thanks

If you want to buy a good video card without hurting your pocket you must first ask to yourself: Are you a hardcore gamer? Becuse if you don't you can buy a decent one. A good decent card meets the following requirements:

At least:

• DirectX 8.1 enhanced.
• 128 MB.
• 166 Mhz core.
• AGP or PCI-E. Stay away from PCI cards.
• Pixel Shader 2.0.

Example: ATI Radeon 9500 or better or Nvidia GeForce 6 series or better.

These cards are decent, but not the best ones.

Thanks Butters, I think I'm gonna buy a Radeon card because they sound good, you've suggested that before. Will I be able to play some of the newer games and games which use 3D engines i.e. my newISH The Simpsons Hit & Run and games like Escape From Monkey Island at decent play???

Thanks!

do you have a budget and have you verified that your motherboard actually has an AGP slot?

Crazy! said:

Thanks Butters, I think I'm gonna buy a Radeon card because they sound good, you've suggested that before. Will I be able to play some of the newer games and games which use 3D engines i.e. my newISH The Simpsons Hit & Run and games like Escape From Monkey Island at decent play???

Thanks!

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Hmmm... gotta check the system requirements for that game...

OK, it doesn't require that much. With the one I recommended should run.

QUOTE=onewecallgod;64690]do you have a budget and have you verified that your motherboard actually has an AGP slot?[/QUOTE]

Ok, I have the Everest software I've checked on Motherbord Physical info and here is all that it says I think I have a number of slots, but I don't know if I've the one required? And a budget, when I'm back into work I'm definitely gonna buy a good one, my budget will probably be 60pounds or maybe 80, Heres my info -


CPU Sockets/Slots 1 Socket 478

Expansion Slots [ TRIAL VERSION ]

RAM Slots 2 DDR DIMM

Integrated Devices Audio, Video, LAN

Form Factor Micro ATX

Motherboard Chipset P4M266A

I'm guessing it's the expansion slots part, but it's only available on premium?????

And to Butters! Thanks I probably will be buying that card I really hope it can play those games good, anything has to be better than my shoddy S3 ProSavageDDR card!
Additonal info, about that 166Mhz core power, does mine have a higher speed or lower, there's so much info to look a, here I've copied all of my motherboard info too, sorry for the exhaustive info :

Motherboard Properties
Motherboard ID 09/05/2003-P4M266A-8235-6A6LWPADC-00
Motherboard Name Epox EP-P4MKI-S

Front Side Bus Properties
Bus Type Intel GTL+
Bus Width 64-bit
Real Clock 100 MHz (QDR)
Effective Clock 400 MHz
Bandwidth 3200 MB/s

Memory Bus Properties
Bus Type DDR SDRAM
Bus Width 64-bit
DRAM:FSB Ratio 4:3
Real Clock 133 MHz (DDR)
Effective Clock 267 MHz
Bandwidth [ TRIAL VERSION ] MB/s

Chipset Bus Properties
Bus Type VIA V-Link
Bus Width 8-bit
Real Clock 67 MHz (QDR)
Effective Clock 267 MHz
Bandwidth 267 MB/s

Motherboard Manufacturer
Company Name EPoX Europe B.V.
Product Information http://www.epox.nl/products/?product_cat_id=1
BIOS Download http://www.epox.nl/downloads/bios/?product_cat_id=1

EDIT X2 - Look at this ebay page, this card sounds great and really cheap, what'ya think? And about the power supply unit needing to be atleast 300W, how would I found that out about my machine??And also I think I do have an AGP sot coz of Everest it states that my AGP Device is S3 ProSavageDDR under AGP Controller Ebay page Here -

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Leadtek-Winfa...ryZ27387QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

No wonder why your Simpsons game won't run properly. The S3 Graphics ProSavage DDR is the crappiest video card ever. That's my integrated card and I swear it couldn't even run Need for Speed Hot Pursuit 2.

Butters said:

swear it couldn't even run Need for Speed Hot Pursuit 2..

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nope, never could run well off of an onborad card. My old pc-shop sold this crap and NFS HP with it,... they all came back.. lol

Butters said:

No wonder why your Simpsons game won't run properly. The S3 Graphics ProSavage DDR is the crappiest video card ever. That's my integrated card and I swear it couldn't even run Need for Speed Hot Pursuit 2.

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Haha, yeah I know believe! I'm glad you're shocked this means there definitley is a solution, BUY A NEW GRAPHICS Card... Anyway so this is an onboard card right?? so will I be able to insert a new card, is is just a case of taking out the S3 card and easily slotting in the new one, or is it more complicated, what are the main things I have to take into consideration, power supply unit, processor speed etc.

I just don't want to mess the computer up, it's good of me really, my family will kill me if I wreck the computer, we all use it...you can see I don't really have a clue about the inside of a computer, but it does sound simple enough?

the 6600GT is a very good card, but if you're not a heavy gamer and only play emulations, it's way overkill.

onewecallgod said:

the 6600GT is a very good card, but if you're not a heavy gamer and only play emulations, it's way overkill.

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EDIT X1- Hey! Thanks, is this the card you mean just found after reading your reply, sounds like an almighty card and amazingly affordable aswell, I can't believe it, I might buy this card, here, go check- http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/XFX-GEFORCE-N...ryZ27387QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

No I don't ONLY play emulations, I don't play the emulations that much as alot of them aren't 100% quality right now, I do enjoy playing PC Games but I've only been able to play older PC games i.e Broken Sword 2, The Curse of Monkey Island, I haven't really tried playing newER games except for Simspons Hit and run (which is a couple of years old and still doesn't run that well) any newer games i.e Simpsons Hit and run, Escape from Monkey Island won't play well at all. My Graphics card is ancient and I need to get a new one for sure, the card you suggested....mmmmmm... I'll look it up to see if it is a good as you said and if it is affordable.

I'd liked to be able to play much newer games though, games released this year, last year which have 3D acceleration, the game Elder Scrolls IV looks amazing, but I've read it requires a very fast graphics card and that it won't play on any card lower than a GeForce 6800.

Thanks alot, I'll get back and tell you which one I'm think I'm gonna get!

yeah I'm definitely gonna buy the 6600GT, will it be able to play Elder Scrolls IV and all other new games???, thanks!

If you want to play Elder Scrolls IV don't buy a 6600GT.

I have an AMD 64 (1.8ghz), 1gb of RAM, and a Geforce 6800, and the game chokes my system even on some of the lower quality and resolution settings.

ES:4 is an exception however. ES games always push the edge of PC technology when they come out, and up to a year or more later. You could probably play it, but if you wanted to play it with any kind of decent frame rate, it would look butt ugly on your machine. Don't buy anything less than a Geforce 6800 series card, maybe even a 7800 series.. But pay attention to the models, some are crippled while others are not. Don't let prices fool you into thinking you've gotten an awesome card for less than $200.

Thanks Zach, that's helped, I just want a really good card that I can play new games with and if possible Elder Scrolls. I can't even play Simspsons Hit and run with my sh***y S3 Prosavage DDR card, I seriously need to upgrade, even if its a little!

Another thing, I've got Broken Sword 2 and The Curse of Monkey Island and I've played Monkey Island all the way through without any color problems but I'm having often color crashes on both games, the background color goes wacko and glitchy. Is it to do with the fact that the games are 32 bit games using different types of graphics (2D), how can I fix it??

Thanks!

I have no idea why you would get those whacky crashes.. It could be your card going bad, bad drivers, or it could be corrupted installs. If you're desperate to get off the Savage, then a 6600GT wouldn't be a bad step in the right direction, but I'd try to get something a little more powerful if you could afford it.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/GALAXY-GLACIE...ryZ67864QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Look at the above link, I think when I get enough money I'm going to buy this card it will a huge upgrade for my system and will handle all/most modern games, this is all I want for now! Thanks

Isn't that like an aunction where you have to bid higher prices and the one who offer more takes it?

Butters said:

Isn't that like an aunction where you have to bid higher prices and the one who offer more takes it?

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Yeah it's the 'World famous' ebay auction site, I wasn't going to make a bid for this particular card right now, but I was giving an example of a card I'd like. I am torn between the GeForce 6600GT or one of those slightly higher ones, no matter which ones I get it'll be a MASSIVE upgrade on my current graphics adapter. I can't even play Breath of fire IV on full resolution without small slowdowns, only tiny mind, I can play it on 800x620x16 almost if not perfectly but if anyones seen the games overal graphics they'd be shocked!