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Did I Do Something Wrong

Paratus

Lifer
I was at Comp USA today (laughing at the Compaq gaming PC with the A64 3800+ coupled with an FX5700) when I saw an older couple holding a really old agp video card. I asked them what they were looking for and they said they were looking to replace their old nvidia 8mb card from their 4 year old compaq. The guy wanted to know whether the PNY FX5200 would work. I asked them what they were going to use it for. The guy said his wife occasionally played games (Harry Potter).

I looked desperately around for a better card but all they had were ATI 9250s and 5700LE with 256mb of ram.
So I told them it would be fine.

Should I be flogged for letting them walk out with an FX5200? (Was an uncrippled version - if there is such a thing with the 5200)
 
You should be flogged for not telling them to go to a better store at best if that's all they had for selection. But if all she does is play some stupid children's game, who cares if it's an FX?
 
The FX5200, like all agp cards, uses a 3.3V supply from the AGP slot. It is the signaling voltage that differs. 3.3V,1.5V,.8V for 1X, 2X4X, and 8X.

We would have to know if the old Compaq is at least 2X or not.
 
Your recommendation was certainly better than one of the others which would be even more overpriced. 256 MB RAM in a 5700LE is not a good way to spend money.

Somehow I think telling them to get a GeForce 4 off ebay wouldn't have worked 😉

It probably works in a 2000 machine so all should be well.
 
Anything bigger would undoubtedly be horribly bottlenecked by their aging system. I think maybe the 5200 even may have been too much now.
 
Originally posted by: Paratus
I was at Comp USA today (laughing at the Compaq gaming PC with the A64 3800+ coupled with an FX5700) when I saw an older couple holding a really old agp video card. I asked them what they were looking for and they said they were looking to replace their old nvidia 8mb card from their 4 year old compaq. The guy wanted to know whether the PNY FX5200 would work. I asked them what they were going to use it for. The guy said his wife occasionally played games (Harry Potter).

I looked desperately around for a better card but all they had were ATI 9250s and 5700LE with 256mb of ram.
So I told them it would be fine.

Should I be flogged for letting them walk out with an FX5200? (Was an uncrippled version - if there is such a thing with the 5200)

There is only one penance for your sins. You have to send me, Rollo, a X800 XT PE or 6800Ultra and thereby show you care about the quality of your fellow man's video card. When I receive it, I'll post that you are a good guy looking out for my interests, and the good karma of this deed will balance the bad of letting an old couple who plays Harry Potter escape without a GT.

PM me for my address.

 
What's wrong with the 5200 for a basic card? I have a 32mb PCI card in my xp-2800/A7N8X, and it works great for all the basic stuff I do. I don't do gaming, but was looking at getting a slightly better AGP card and the 5200 seemed like a fantastic deal for only $40-50. I'm sure this card is a joke to a serious gamer, but for the price, the 128mb 128-bit version seems like a winner. If I'm missing something, say so before I buy one.
 
What's wrong with the 5200 for a basic card? I have a 32mb PCI card in my xp-2800/A7N8X, and it works great for all the basic stuff I do. I don't do gaming, but was looking at getting a slightly better AGP card and the 5200 seemed like a fantastic deal for only $40-50. I'm sure this card is a joke to a serious gamer, but for the price, the 128mb 128-bit version seems like a winner. If I'm missing something, say so before I buy one.
 
An FX5200 is about as entry-level as you can get nowadays, for AGP, and as long as it's the 128-bit memory model, and they don't plan on playing any cutting-edge games on it, I think it was probably a fine choice. (As long as it was under $50 or so.)
 
Yes a 5200 was under the bar for a gaming card upgrade, even on an old box. Problem is, old Compaqs often had miserly-sized power supplies, there's no assurance their box would've even been able to power something like a GF4. 5200 would be fine for Harry Potter and might be best upgrade box (including it's cooling) could handle, but then the issues expand exponentially, might've been better to suggest whole system replacement, blahblahblah.
 
Originally posted by: Reliant1
8mb card? Hmm hope the 1.5volt FX5200 likes 3.3volts.

I know I asked them whether they had a 1X a 2X or a 4X slot. The husband said what do you mean "X"😕
 
Originally posted by: Rollo
Originally posted by: Paratus
I was at Comp USA today (laughing at the Compaq gaming PC with the A64 3800+ coupled with an FX5700) when I saw an older couple holding a really old agp video card. I asked them what they were looking for and they said they were looking to replace their old nvidia 8mb card from their 4 year old compaq. The guy wanted to know whether the PNY FX5200 would work. I asked them what they were going to use it for. The guy said his wife occasionally played games (Harry Potter).

I looked desperately around for a better card but all they had were ATI 9250s and 5700LE with 256mb of ram.
So I told them it would be fine.

Should I be flogged for letting them walk out with an FX5200? (Was an uncrippled version - if there is such a thing with the 5200)

There is only one penance for your sins. You have to send me, Rollo, a X800 XT PE or 6800Ultra and thereby show you care about the quality of your fellow man's video card. When I receive it, I'll post that you are a good guy looking out for my interests, and the good karma of this deed will balance the bad of letting an old couple who plays Harry Potter escape without a GT.

PM me for my address.



I wouldn't want your FX5800 to get jealous😛
 
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