Need a cheap but decent Quake 3 card for my desktop case at work

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BoberFett

BoberFett

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
37,562
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I routinely get my ass handed to me while at work because I'm playing a slideshow version of Q3 on a Rage 128.

I've got a Dell 4300 Desktop case (sucks to be me) so it uses the thin video card. Anybody know what that size card is called so I can try to look for something that would fit in my case, but still run Q3 at a decent pace?

Please help! I have a reputation to uphold! ;)
 
kylebisme

kylebisme

Diamond Member
Mar 25, 2000
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lol, i don't realy know what size the case is but i am guessing it is one of those i have seen where people cut a hole in the side for a full size videcard. as for what you need to run q3 well, anything as low as an origninal radeon or gefoce2 will accomplish that; and above that things only get better becuase you can run even higher resolutions and beter image quality settings on the cards. are you needing a pci card i take it?
 
sandorski

sandorski

No Lifer
Oct 10, 1999
70,677
6,250
126
Don't really know what you are talking about, is it a half-height card? If it is, you might be able to find a half-height Geforce 2MX. I suspect though that you may need to goto Dell's site to find a vidcard that will fit.
 
kylebisme

kylebisme

Diamond Member
Mar 25, 2000
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i think that a gf2mx would be dissapointing upgrade from a rage128 though, i should have been more clear when i said gefoce2 up above, not a 2mx! ;)
 
BoberFett

BoberFett

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
37,562
9
81
Yeah, I guess you'd call it a half height card. It's a desktop case that where the motherboard is flat on the bottom and the AGP card sits upright, so it can only be a couple inches tall. I'm having a hard time finding a card that's small enough and also has that small a bracket. Most use the full size standard bracket.

Would a GF2MX be a bad upgrade? Also, is the 2D going to suck on an GF2MX? I have a 19" monitor and run at 1280, 85Hz.

Damn these desktop cases!
 
kylebisme

kylebisme

Diamond Member
Mar 25, 2000
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well, a lot of 2mx cards have horbale image qualty, and others would be closer to your rage; but as for half height ones, i have no clue. as for if an mx2 would be a bad upgrade, a used one for like 20$ would be cool; but you would basicly be replaceing your 1998 technology with 1999 technology, i don't recomend spending much on that.
 
V

Vrangel

Golden Member
Jan 12, 2000
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As I'm pretty sure you know all too well Q3A requires 125fps for certain jumps.
So GF2MX is out of the question. You need at least GF2 GTS to get
125fps at all times, and even that will be in ugly mode.

Here is GF4MX card, half-hight.
Looks like the right stuff to me.

EDIT You will need a separate bracket according to review.
 
sandorski

sandorski

No Lifer
Oct 10, 1999
70,677
6,250
126
Originally posted by: Vrangel
As I'm pretty sure you know all too well Q3A requires 125fps for certain jumps.
So GF2MX is out of the question. You need at least GF2 GTS to get
125fps at all times, and even that will be in ugly mode.

Here is GF4MX card, half-hight.
Looks like the right stuff to me.

EDIT You will need a separate bracket according to review.
Click to expand...

bleh, more fps is certainly better, but the sucky 2mx can play Q3 fine. That said, I wouldn't want one. :)
 
I

Intelman07

Senior member
Jul 18, 2002
969
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Yeah the Geforce MX 420 and 440 are thin. I'd get the 440 if you could because that has ddr ram but the 420 ain't bad for quake! I used to own one and played Medal Of Honor Allied assualt with it :)
 
kylebisme

kylebisme

Diamond Member
Mar 25, 2000
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Originally posted by: Vrangel
As I'm pretty sure you know all too well Q3A requires 125fps for certain jumps.
Click to expand...


actually, 80fps works even better, 125 is just a little shorter.
 
S

steelsnake

Junior Member
Dec 4, 2002
7
0
0
Originally posted by: BoberFett
I routinely get my ass handed to me while at work because I'm playing a slideshow version of Q3 on a Rage 128.

....
Please help! I have a reputation to uphold! ;)
Click to expand...

Does anyone else find playing Q3 while at work unusual ???? I noticed there are some good video card suggestions in previous replies, but no one else questioned gaming while at work.

I need to find a new job.....


BoberFett: Good luck with your reputation!

:confused:
 
V

Vrangel

Golden Member
Jan 12, 2000
1,259
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0
TheSnowman,
load Q3DM13 and try to jump up to megahealth.
No mega for you with 80fps.

I am not even talking about bridge-to-rail jump on Q3DM6.
 
BFG10K

BFG10K

Lifer
Aug 14, 2000
22,709
3,002
126
The GF2 MX will be a large upgrade over the Rage 128 but it's still probably not going to be fast enough. You might be able to find some GF4 MX variants with small footprints though, and also a Radeon 7500/9000 would be a nice choice too.
 
kylebisme

kylebisme

Diamond Member
Mar 25, 2000
9,396
0
0
Originally posted by: Vrangel
TheSnowman,
load Q3DM13 and try to jump up to megahealth.
No mega for you with 80fps.

I am not even talking about bridge-to-rail jump on Q3DM6.
Click to expand...

the bridge to rail jump just takes bunny hopping at any framerate, and you can get the mega on dm13 with 80fps just fine, 45fps actualy works great too.
 
BFG10K

BFG10K

Lifer
Aug 14, 2000
22,709
3,002
126
You can probably rocket jump up there at almost any framerate but I'd certainly like to have 125 FPS if possible. ;)
 
V

Vrangel

Golden Member
Jan 12, 2000
1,259
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I stand corrected.
Tried with \com_maxfps 45 and indeed jumps work.
They must've fixed it along the way and I missed it somehow.
 
BFG10K

BFG10K

Lifer
Aug 14, 2000
22,709
3,002
126
Make no mistake though, there are moves and shots that are impossible at low framerates and this is true of any FPS, not just Quake III.
 
Schadenfroh

Schadenfroh

Elite Member
Mar 8, 2003
38,416
4
0
voodoo4/5, great anti aliasing and runs quake 3 at very high fram rates at huge detail. Dont reccomend it tho if you use windows xp

EDIT: I need to read the rest of the circumstances before i answer next time. dang, i have the same problem on tests at school.
 
BoberFett

BoberFett

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
37,562
9
81
Originally posted by: steelsnake
Originally posted by: BoberFett
I routinely get my ass handed to me while at work because I'm playing a slideshow version of Q3 on a Rage 128.

....
Please help! I have a reputation to uphold! ;)
Click to expand...

Does anyone else find playing Q3 while at work unusual ???? I noticed there are some good video card suggestions in previous replies, but no one else questioned gaming while at work.

I need to find a new job.....


BoberFett: Good luck with your reputation!

:confused:
Click to expand...

It's not playing games at work. It's a team building exercise. ;)

We usually play a couple quick games to 50 frags every day. If you had my job, you'd understand the need to relieve some stress by blowing the crap out your co-workers. :)

And I have no idea what kind of jumps you guys are talking about.
 
kylebisme

kylebisme

Diamond Member
Mar 25, 2000
9,396
0
0
Originally posted by: Vrangel
I stand corrected.
Tried with \com_maxfps 45 and indeed jumps work.
They must've fixed it along the way and I missed it somehow.
Click to expand...


nope, it is the same as it has been, i even installed the game and tested just to make sure i was right before speaking up as i had not put the game back on my computer seance i got my new raid array. but it was a default instal, no patches at all; that is the way it has been. like i said, 80fps works great too, and there are a few other numbers as well, and it can even vary a frame or so from one setup to the next from what i understand. interestingly, it is a rather complicated issue of an ideal jump arch being realized though the sampling of various frames over the time intervals of the game clock. so it is not a matter of higher is better, but rather some framerates alow for a more ideal jump than others. so 80fps will treat you just fine, you can still make all your jumps and even better you can turn on vsync and not have to look at unsynchronized images anymore; unless you like that sort of thing that is. ;)
 
F

Ferocious

Diamond Member
Feb 16, 2000
4,584
2
71
And I have no idea what kind of jumps you guys are talking about.
Click to expand...

Strafe jumping perhaps.

It's quite impossible to be really good at Quake without being good at strafe jumping.

EDIT: and strafe jumping is pretty much a no go without fast framerates. Another one is the "double jump" which is also extremely difficult without fast framerates.
 
kylebisme

kylebisme

Diamond Member
Mar 25, 2000
9,396
0
0
well just a plain old jump is higher and longer if you set your framerate right, that is basically what we were talking about. then there is bunny hoping, aka strafe jumping, which is a whole other ball game. when you turn in the air while moving sideways, due to the simulation of gravity, you move a little faster, repeat that same procedure in the opposite direction and you move a little faster yet; keep that rhythm up and before too long a little really starts to add up. ;)


btw, please don't hate me for hijacking your thread BoberFett, just filling the time with q3 trivia and a bump for a good little q3 card! :D
 
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