all games are garbled dx8 issue? dx9?

[killster1]

so my buddy called me over for a gfx card i installed old fx5500 thinking his onboard gfx didnt work with games but when i tried to test the game he had bought (some lame game called spartan from 2004?) it was all garbled and he said it was this way with the onboard as well. (he didnt tell me that just said wouldn't run heh) so my question is

Is this a dx8 problem as the games say they require dx8?
Are both on board and fx5500 faulty?
is it a windows xp pro sp3 problem?
Maybe bring driver cleaner over and install drivers again?

Im planning on going back over to his house with a fresh xp disc and a newer game to test, he has a 300watt psu so didnt try any decent gfx cards (slowest spare card i have is a 8800gts)

SORRY for more lame questions thanks for replies

 

[ViRGE]

It sounds more like a problem with NVIDIA's drivers and that game. There may not be any way to correct it if their recent drivers flat-out can't handle the game correctly.

 

[Sylvanas]

Well what chipset specifically is the Onboard video? Also sounds like a driver issue, get the latest drivers for the FX5500 (may have to search Nvidias' legacy archive). If it's not ok for any 3D (DX9) then it may in fact be a hardware issue.

 

[killster1]

NIce some replies, i tested the computer with a newer (yet still old) Comand and Conquer plays fine. I tried running driver cleaner and then reinstalled driver same thing, i tried reinstalling xp same thing.

The chipset is p35 tho it says g33 onboard, i updated bios still same thing. I told him the games are garbage and ment for 2003 but he really wants to play them. I am thinking about trying a 7300le pcie that i can steal from another friend that i gave a 7900gt to. Newest driver for fx5500 pci would be 90 series? i tried 101 said to new tried 197 said to new hehe so i went to 77 and it worked and played the c&C fine. Thanks for input