adding a video card to old machine

[narutofan36]

im planning to add a pci video card to my computer (specs belong) but ive heard people say that if you add a fast graphic card to a slow machine, it will slow it down even more


whats the highest pci graphic card my computer can take before it goes downhill


thanxs

 

[ta8689]

it wont do you any good dont even try. You can build a great budget pc for under 400 bucks these days. Id say do that. Dont put a dime into that.

 

[narutofan36]

well, the problem is that i am stuck with this for a long time -_- and adding money to buy a new machine is just too much on my budget

 

[ta8689]

Well the video card wont be worth it. Your stuck with a slow computer. Period.

 

[narutofan36]

cant i add a 64 mb pci card. wont i see a major difference in performance

 

[keeleysam]

SLi Voodoo2's

 

[Trippytiger]

http://www.chumbo.com/Info.aspx?id=304966

nVidia 6200 PCI card. Probably the best you can do.

EDIT: You run XP on that thing? Yikes.

 

[markkleb]

I cant believe xp runs on that.

The best pci card is one of the ATI 9200 or if they make them 9250's.

But you REALLY need some memory and a 7200 rpm hd.

 

[dnuggett]

I'm haveing a hard time believing XP Pro runs on that box as well (96MB of RAM?) Did you chop it at all.

I'm curious, go into task manager and read the 2 commit charge #'s to us, Total, Limit and Peak. Thanks!

 

[narutofan36]

commit charge number?


well i used nlite to bring to total insallation of windows xp pro on this computer to ... i think 500-600 mg. saved a lot of space when i just insalled retail xp.. almost 2 gigs of my 9 gb harddrive gone =(


before i only had 64 mb of ram running windows xp and that was pretty harsh.. now its not that bad with 94 mb

 

[narutofan36]

also i forgot to mention (back to the video card subject) will having like a 6200 slow my computer down? cause like i mentioned before people say a fast graphic card on a slow processor will make it even worse.

and i have a 500 mhz intel celeron processor




.....those video cards use ddr sdram... will it work with my computer that just uses sdram?

 

[CrispyFried]

why do you want to add a vid card? it wont make it faster at all. the new vid cards make some games faster but not the computer in general. a new vid card, no matter how powerful, wont ever slow your computer down either.

take the money and add more RAM, that will increase its speed.

edit: a vid card with ddr ram is fine for your comp.

 

[StrangerGuy]

If you are adding a new video card because your old video adapter is broken, get the cheapest one. If not, forget about any upgrading anything except the RAM. Gosh, XP on 256MB RAM is already quite slow IMO, it must be hell to run XP on 96MB RAM.

 

[markkleb]

A video card will help ur comp because it has its own memory so it frees up memory of your comt to do other stuff.

The ddr mem will work fine on ur comp. Check out newegg "refurbished" stuff first.

 

[narutofan36]

awsome, thnak you for all your help ^_^

 

[markkleb]

Nothing wrong bout being poor. If you need help I have lots of stuff. Mark

 

[Maxspeed996]

ya , I have a similar rig that I slapped together for my garage.... Intel Celeron 533 mhz , 256 megs of ram. Can't remember the mother board manufacturer. But it has integrated Video , and I disabled that in the device manager , and put in a 128 meg PCI video card. I found that it runs a bit faster because the onboard video isn't taking up memory like it used to. Still , it's just to program the ECU's on Bikes , and my car..and the occasional movie or something while I'm out there....

 

[Nick5324]

Is this your motherboard? If so, is your reason for wanting a PCI video card instead of AGP strictly a cost issue?

I ask, b/c as I'm sure you realize, with specs like that, the only benefit from adding a video card is to free up system RAM (by no longer sharing with the onboard video). It might actually be easier to find an old AGP card then a somewhat current PCI card. Since what video card it is doesn't matter, as its only purpose is to free up system RAM, I'd poke around for an old AGP card.

Then again, maybe that isn't your MB, and you don't have an AGP slot

 

[LiquidImpulse]

i think you need to create a donate to Narutofan fund for a new computer!

 

[Maxspeed996]

LOL! I get 900 MHZ systems given to me........My uncle runs the salvage yard for the university here! pay for shipping and I'll send parts.

 

[SparkyJJO]

Just to give you an idea, I built a system with a socket 754 Athlon 64 3000+ with a cooler master copper heatpipe HSF, ASUS mobo, 512MB PC3200 RAM, 80gig seagate HD, DVD/CD-RW combo drive, with a decent sturdy case, 450W PSU, and a gforce fx5200 for about $500. And the thing is dead silent too. So for you, if you did something like that, ditch the fx5200 and get a radeon 9800 pro or xt 256MB - there you go, cheap PC that can play most games, several (such as UT2004, MOHAA, COD) at max graphics.

Whatever you do, do NOT put money into your current comp - it just isn't worth it.

Maxspeed996 can you get me a 900MHz PC? I need a cheap simple server box

 

[narutofan36]

what kind of stuff do u have? ^_^

but i dont have paypal... so would you like anything from my fs/ft thread? (to cover shipping and such)

 

[narutofan36]

Originally posted by: Nick5324
Is this your motherboard? If so, is your reason for wanting a PCI video card instead of AGP strictly a cost issue?

I ask, b/c as I'm sure you realize, with specs like that, the only benefit from adding a video card is to free up system RAM (by no longer sharing with the onboard video). It might actually be easier to find an old AGP card then a somewhat current PCI card. Since what video card it is doesn't matter, as its only purpose is to free up system RAM, I'd poke around for an old AGP card.

Then again, maybe that isn't your MB, and you don't have an AGP slot

yeah its not my motherboard, close though but mine is a bit older i think (p2)

btw Maxspeed996, i would really like to consider your offer.. can u pm me please? somehow i cant pm u X_X

 

[narutofan36]

Originally posted by: LiquidImpulse
i think you need to create a donate to Narutofan fund for a new computer!

I would LOve THAT!!


... i would go crazy if this thing really happened ^_^


pls check out my fs/ft thread!!!


OMfg TRIPLE POST!! sorry first one was really a private pm.. didnt notice it >_<

 

[M16Grenadier]

Lol I got a better system for 60 bucks at a school auction.

Dell Optiplex
667 P3 Coppermine
192 MB Ram (I then upped to 384)
10 GB ATA-100 7200RPM HD
i810e Dell Mobo
15 inch CRT (I'm using another 17 though)
Keyboard + Mouse
Windows 2000 Installed, but it would run XP np



BTW, I found a system not too much older than yours in the trash once. Must've had a 400 Cel-A, 64 MB Ram, and a 4 Gig HD. I upped RAM on the badboy to 128 and it ran XP fine.