I love Video Cards - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

Oxygen-Supply · 01-01-2006, 09:32 PM

My Week with Video Cards.

Like any young adult I know a few things about computers, but when it comes to installing or adding hardware I have no idea. I want a small upgrade on my old school computer so I can play NHL 2006.

My friend told me I should have an AGP slot. So I buy an AGP video card, open up my CPU and find no place to put the card.

The guy at Future Shop says I should have a PCI slot. He exchanges it for a PCI express card, which does not fit because an express chip is different. And when I exchanged it, the lady at Future Shop forgot to give my VISA back to me and I had to go back later to get it.

I finally track down a PCI video card and buy it. It is a PCI bus and the connection part has 3 prongs to fit in to 2 slots in my motherboard. But the instructions that came in the box are for an AGP card. But it fits and I have been told it will work.

I tried the web help page only to find that it has the same instructions which tell me to plug the power supply into stuff that my PCI card does not even have.

I have the card in a PCI spot in the back of my computer but when I turn on the computer it can not find any new hardware.

I expect I’m doing something very wrong, but right now I just needed to vent and let off some steam.

Next step…..

If I take my CPU in to Best Buy’s PC help desk, can they install the hardware? Does any one know?

I-Hate-Hulse · 01-01-2006, 09:38 PM

What is your old computer, got a model number? You may have gotten some stripped down special that lacks an AGP slot and has only onboard video (ie no video card).

That Future Shop droid should have known better to sell you a PCI-e card... unless you had the latest & greatest computer chance are you can't use one.

Future Shop / BB can do it for you but to be honest, I think NHL 2006 will be slower than tar trying to play that graphically intensive game on what seems to be an older computer. Probably won't have all the on screen bling. How much RAM / what version of Windows are you running?

Calgary Flames · 01-01-2006, 09:40 PM

Never go to Futureshop. Buy from places like Memory Express chances are you find someone who know's what their talking about.

arsenal · 01-01-2006, 09:49 PM

Yah, go to Memory Express. FS/BB have no clue.

ken0042 · 01-01-2006, 10:35 PM

I agree with the Memory Express option. They are awesome for customer service.

If you can take your card back to FS I would, and then take your PC into Memory Express. They will sell you what you need, and if you want they will get it up and running.

By "my old school computer" I am assuming it's one you bought from your school? Odds are it's a desktop version (the type a monitor can sit on.) If so you may have issues getting a good enough video card that will fit; and for the money you might be able to upgrade your PC to handle the latest and greatest.

Last time I compared AGP vs PCI video was when 64 MB cards were the thing, and the PCI version cost about $150 more than the AGP version. $150 might get you a new case and motherboard.

Oxygen-Supply · 01-02-2006, 11:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ken0042

I agree with the Memory Express option. They are awesome for customer service.

If you can take your card back to FS I would, and then take your PC into Memory Express. They will sell you what you need, and if you want they will get it up and running.

By "my old school computer" I am assuming it's one you bought from your school? Odds are it's a desktop version (the type a monitor can sit on.) If so you may have issues getting a good enough video card that will fit; and for the money you might be able to upgrade your PC to handle the latest and greatest.

Last time I compared AGP vs PCI video was when 64 MB cards were the thing, and the PCI version cost about $150 more than the AGP version. $150 might get you a new case and motherboard.

Dell Dimension DIM3000
2.40GHz
256MB
Crap eh (but I just got a car so I have no money for anything new CPU or motherboard)

Used it for school

Madden 2006 works ok, but NHL 2006 comes up with a message to upgrade my graphics card.

I-Hate-Hulse · 01-02-2006, 12:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mileflames

Dell Dimension DIM3000
2.40GHz
256MB

Well that's actually not bad at all. Problem is your Dell has a weak video chipset and zero expansion capabilities:

Graphics are definitely the weak spot for the Dimension 3000 as it is for most budget systems. It uses the Intel Extreme 2 integrated graphics which has very limited 3D capabilities. To make matters worse, the system lacks and AGP or PCI-E slot for a graphics upgrade.

http://compreviews.about.com/od/budg...Dimens3000.htm

Further hobbling your system is that your 256MB of RAM has 64 MB of it stolen by the video card. I suspect that's one reason why you can't play much. You should consider adding some RAM to your machine, it'll do wonders even for non-gaming usage (should reduce the amount of time it swaps to disk)ATI still makes a few PCI vid cards, I'll echo the advice from everyone here - take your system down to MemEx and they'll fix you up.

Calgary Flames · 01-02-2006, 03:58 PM

You definetely need more Ram, 1GB at least if you want to play games.

Also, in the future, stay away from Dell or Compaq for Desktop's Go with a budget to MemEx and tell them you want a Computer than can play games, tell them what kind of games you play and how serious a gamer you are and they'll get together great parts for your budget. Dell is horrible for upgrading.

I went in this past fall with $1400 and got a great machine with great parts and a 17" 8ms LCD monitor. Plays NHL 06 like a dream.

Calgary Flames · 01-02-2006, 03:58 PM

double post

Oxygen-Supply · 01-02-2006, 05:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by I-Hate-Hulse

Well that's actually not bad at all. Problem is your Dell has a weak video chipset and zero expansion capabilities:

Graphics are definitely the weak spot for the Dimension 3000 as it is for most budget systems. It uses the Intel Extreme 2 integrated graphics which has very limited 3D capabilities. To make matters worse, the system lacks and AGP or PCI-E slot for a graphics upgrade.

http://compreviews.about.com/od/budg...Dimens3000.htm

Further hobbling your system is that your 256MB of RAM has 64 MB of it stolen by the video card. I suspect that's one reason why you can't play much. You should consider adding some RAM to your machine, it'll do wonders even for non-gaming usage (should reduce the amount of time it swaps to disk)ATI still makes a few PCI vid cards, I'll echo the advice from everyone here - take your system down to MemEx and they'll fix you up.

I have a Radeon 9250 PCI - but don't know how to get it to work. I will take it in tomorrow. Do I need to bring the CPU or every thing?

Resolute 14 · 01-02-2006, 05:54 PM

Just take in the tower and whatever hardware you want added. They will have all th cables, monitor, etc on their test bench.

Vulcan · 01-02-2006, 06:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mileflames

I have a Radeon 9250 PCI - but don't know how to get it to work. I will take it in tomorrow. Do I need to bring the CPU or every thing?

I have the same computer. I figured I couldn't lose at $350. Let us know how it works out as I might like to upgrade my video card too.

Hack&Lube · 01-02-2006, 06:52 PM

Your computer cannot be fitted with either an AGP or a PCI-Express card, the Radeon 9250 PCI should be installed in a free PCI slot.

Make sure your monitor is connected to the 9250 PCI and not the integrated video. Turn it on and if you get a signal, the card is working. When you arrive in windows, it should automatically detect new hardware, if it doesn't, you could bring up device manager (windows key - pause/break, hardware, device manager) and see if anything pops up under display adapters.

If not, you could just try to install the ATI Catalyst Drivers, either by the install disk that should be provided, or by downloading the newest version from the ATI site:
https://support.ati.com/ics/support/...ge&folderID=27

You may need to change an option in the DELL bios to disable the integrated video, but this is unlikely. It'll probably just operate as a second video card.

And Vulcan, yes you can lose and go wrong with $350. This dell is a good budget system but it was never intended for games or upgrading/expansion.

Oxygen-Supply · 01-02-2006, 11:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vulcan

I have the same computer. I figured I couldn't lose at $350. Let us know how it works out as I might like to upgrade my video card too.

I got it to work, it works great so far
$150 video card 256MB
And I got
$70 another 256 RAM card

I upgrade for two reasons
-Play games
And
-Get ride of some lines that come a go on my screen

(But the lines still come and go, I will have to try some thing else)

Hack&Lube · 01-02-2006, 11:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mileflames

I got it to work, it works great so far
$150 video card 256MB
And I got
$70 another 256 RAM card

I upgrade for two reasons
-Play games
And
-Get ride of some lines that come a go on my screen

(But the lines still come and go, I will have to try some thing else)

What are these "lines that come and go"? You might want to make sure to set the maximum refresh rate of your monitor.

Oxygen-Supply · 01-03-2006, 01:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hack&Lube

What are these "lines that come and go"? You might want to make sure to set the maximum refresh rate of your monitor.

They are brown lines from the right side, that you can see thought but can some times make reading any thing pain. (They move all over the place)

I maxed out my screen refresh rate

Thank you everyone for your help

Oxygen-Supply · 01-03-2006, 10:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mileflames

They are brown lines from the right side, that you can see thought but can some times make reading any thing pain. (They move all over the place)

I maxed out my screen refresh rate

Thank you everyone for your help

The lines still come and go.
But when I take a screen shot they do not show up on the photo.

I'm thinking it is my monitor?