Need cheap PCI Video Card recommendation

[Fis]

This is for a child's computer. It's a 2.5GHz P4 with 1GB RAM but integrated graphics. I am looking for a PCI video card and I am a neophyte with regard to graphics.

This PC will never be used for first-person shooter type games, but my son recently got some fairly graphics-intense games like Rollercoaster Tycoon 3, which have all these settings for things like like anti-aliasing quality, shadows & detail level, draw distance, geometry imposter distance, Z-bias, visibility alpha, reflective surfaces, etc. I'm sure we need a graphics card to utilize these features with a 1280x1024 monitor, but I also don't want to spend a fortune getting more than I need.

I do have a PCI Radeo 9100 with DVI installed on this PC right now (purchased for about $40 a couple of years ago), it but it's dying. The fan on the video card was making noise for a while and finally stopped (I have absolutely no technical skill or desire to try replacing the fan myself). The rollercoaster game looks great but things are hiccupping and flashing on and off and I am assuming it's because the card is overheating.

Advice? Thanks in advance!

 

[Mloot]

Aside from a FX 5700LE PCI or FX 5600 PCI, there really aren't any other PCI cards that are in the same league as the 9100. What is your budget for the new card?

 

[Fis]

My budget is "as little as I need to spend to get smooth performance."

My standards aren't too high. By smooth performance I mean no hiccups or crashes.

Should the 9100 be enough? Do I just need a new one that's not going to overheat?

 

[Fis]

I'm not seeing a wide range of PCI cards at Newegg and other sites -- mainly Radeon 9200SE, Radeon 9250, and GeForce MX4000, FX5200, FX5700LE. All are pretty inexpensive except for the FX5700LE.

The only thing I know about the model #s is that higher is not always better.

 

[MonkeyWrench4000]

I would probablly go with the FX5200, its a very popular mainstream graphics card. Very reliable, cool running. the 9100 would work too. There really is not to much to over in the PCI arena. I suppose a radeon 9200SE (although the 9200 would be better then the SE version) would also work for you. go with one of those two cards, there probablly both around $50-$60 dollars?

When you see SE at the end of a title with ATI, it means its 64-bit memory, which is half the speed of any ATI card without the "SE"

example: Radeon 9200 is faster then the 9200SE, because the 9200 has 128bit memory, and the SE had 64bit memory.

This shouldnt really concern you, as your going to be buying a PCI slot graphics card.

Im going to put a vote in for the 9200 or the fx5200

Both of these cards should be fanless, or be reffered to as "passive cooling" which means theres nothing mechanical on the card to go dead. You can get either of these cards from newegg.com. Some companies will offer a model with a fan, and a smaller heatsink, stay away from that, its noisy and pointless. the cards mentioned above dont need a fan, the brands that dont incorporate a fan simply include a bigger heatsink to do the job.

 

[housecat]

The best one is this $89 5700LE http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=14-140-041&depa=0

Its the same price as the 9250s, the ATI 9250 is $125.

It still sucks, but all PCI cards do. They used to sell a 5700 non-LE and I think a PCI 5700 Ultra.

Either way, a 5700 is a halfway decent card on its on merits.

 

[housecat]

i was looking at some reviews and it appears the 5700LE is the only card that will match, and beat that 9100 you already have.

IF the card you have is a 128mb that is.


I would personally replace the fan with a thermaltake crystal orb.
but if you need a replacement and dont want to take a nosedive in performance, get the 5700LE

 

[Fis]

OK I'm not so intimidated anymore now that I've removed the card. The fan on this card is small and it's definitely not spinning. Removing the fan part was a simple matter of loosening 4 screws.

My new question: How do I know what product fits in this card as a replacement?

It looks very much like this one , where the fan is small (under 40mm) and round and is seated inside the black square via 4 screws (most of the fans I see online are larger and square and have screws at the corners). It also has a 2-pin connector (most of the ones I see have 3 or 4 pin connectors).

 

[Fis]

Should I just take the vid card to CompUSA and (god forbid) ask for their help with a replacement fan?

 

[housecat]

Originally posted by: Fis
OK I'm not so intimidated anymore now that I've removed the card. The fan on this card is small and it's definitely not spinning. Removing the fan part was a simple matter of loosening 4 screws.

My new question: How do I know what product fits in this card as a replacement?

It looks very much like this one , where the fan is small (under 40mm) and round and is seated inside the black square via 4 screws (most of the fans I see online are larger and square and have screws at the corners). It also has a 2-pin connector (most of the ones I see have 3 or 4 pin connectors).

I crystal orb will fit fine. You'll see it at newegg.

Heres what I do, put the card in a antistatic bag, then put that in a ziplock bag..

then put the whole thing in the freezer for 30minutes or so, whatever it takes to get it nice and chilled.
make sure its wrapped very good in the ziplock bag, I use two of them.

then take it out, and pull the fan/heatsink that is making noise off.
you might have to use a bit of force, and maybe pry it off with a putty knife.

if its cold enough, any heatsink will come off easily.

make sure it is attached this way (it prob is) and not put on with plastic rivits.
if its plastic rivets, it could be thermal adhesive AND the rivets.

its really easy.. and why not try it?
if you break it, who cares?? it didnt work well for you anyway any longer.. and its a learning experience.



then when you order and get your crystal orb, it comes with thermal adhesive, you might want to clean the GPU off with 91% alchohol (like $2 at walmart), then put the crystal orb on.. and plug it in where the old fan was plugged in.

if the old fan had a different connector (it shouldnt tho), then get an adapter.. just use a google search if its some odd plug that is uncommon.. someone will have made an adapter.





good luck, and remember you have nothing to lose..
only $86 on that 5700 if you break it. but that will be an improvement anyway so you win either way. :thumbsup:

but if thats a 128mb 9100, thats a really awesome PCI card.
the 64bit i'd shrug at (but still try to fix).. but the 128mb is really a sweet card and definitely worth fixing.

 

[housecat]

and all you need to know about the crystal orb fitting is if there is a ton of stuff surround where the heatsink/fan already is that will block the crystal orb.

but its not very big at all. it should fit.
they do make other models. but they are similar size and crystal orb is the most popular, easiest to get ahold of.

i need to get one for my old geforce3 that the fan was dying on as well.

 

[Fis]

OK this is cool. You taught me a few things. I did what you said, popped it in the freezer, and then pried off the heatsink pretty easily. Frankly, I had no idea until now that a heatsink was just a flat piece of plastic at the bottom attached with glue. I imagined it to be more complicated than that.

DISCLAIMER TIME: I guess I must have been lying at the beginning when "I said I have absolutely no technical skill or desire to try replacing the fan myself."

So I guess I have to assume this PCI 9100 video card (64MB version, sorry..) has not been damaged, and I am starting to believe that replacing this heatsink/fan won't be so complicated.

You've recommended the Crystal Orb, but the heatsink I removed is 45mm square and has a 2-pin connector. The Crystal Orb is 50mm and has a 3-pin connector. A quick Google search for adapters turned up this page, which suggests that installing the Crystal Orb on such a card may be a problem.

So shouldn't I try to find something small with a 2-pin connector?
(like this?)

 

[BillyBobJoel71]

actually replacing the heatsink is really easy. i had to on my geforce 6800, pictured HERE, which was harder since the big heatsink around it because the fan wasn't spinning, it was snapped at the center.

try for a 2 pin and make sure it will fit in your card. personally, i have never seen the card you have, so i couldn't really help that much. but if it is only the fan, try hard for a fan that will work or if you can't, take it to some store like circuit city, compusa, etc. sorry.

 

[housecat]

Originally posted by: Fis
OK this is cool. You taught me a few things. I did what you said, popped it in the freezer, and then pried off the heatsink pretty easily. Frankly, I had no idea until now that a heatsink was just a flat piece of plastic at the bottom attached with glue. I imagined it to be more complicated than that.

DISCLAIMER TIME: I guess I must have been lying at the beginning when "I said I have absolutely no technical skill or desire to try replacing the fan myself."

So I guess I have to assume this PCI 9100 video card (64MB version, sorry..) has not been damaged, and I am starting to believe that replacing this heatsink/fan won't be so complicated.

You've recommended the Crystal Orb, but the heatsink I removed is 45mm square and has a 2-pin connector. The Crystal Orb is 50mm and has a 3-pin connector. A quick Google search for adapters turned up this page, which suggests that installing the Crystal Orb on such a card may be a problem.

So shouldn't I try to find something small with a 2-pin connector?
(like this?)

that would work fine.
make sure it comes with thermal adhesive, you'll need some of that. it should, but its not in the pic or description that i notice.

if you call and they dont know or it doenst have it, i'd find a site with that and a hs/fan that works
cuz you dont want to pay $8 shipping at two places for a little bit of thermal adhesive and a small heatsink/fan

i only suggested the crystal orb because it is popular and fits most. these ppl make it http://www.thermaltake.com/ and if that site indeed doesnt have adhesive, then you might find another one of their vga coolers at another site (i believe all of theirs do have it included)

if you live in a big city, the local computer shops might carry vga coolers/adhesive.
i live in a city of 200,000 and no one carries adhesive!!

in fact all the stores here think im talking about arctic silver or something like that (which is not adhesive, but only a thermal conductor)

 

[Fis]

Looking everywhere online, I can't find anything that looks like this replacement fan, so I think I've got to replace the whole heatsink/fan.

They have this one at CompUSA. Looks cheap and loud, but it has a 2-pin connector... Not finding too many 2-pin options.

Question: If I see one that has a 4-pin power connection like the one above, does it need to connect to the video card at all? i.e., can I just forego the 2-pin connection to the graphics card?

 

[housecat]

Originally posted by: Fis

Looking everywhere online, I can't find anything that looks like this replacement fan, so I think I've got to replace the whole heatsink/fan.

They have this one at CompUSA. Looks cheap and loud, but it has a 2-pin connector... Not finding too many 2-pin options.

Question: If I see one that has a 4-pin power connection like the one above, does it need to connect to the video card at all? i.e., can I just forego the 2-pin connection to the graphics card?

yes if it will reach to a header on the motherboard.
the 4pins are for the motherboard connections.

if you got an adapter a 4pin fan could prob be used on the 2pin card.

if i were you, i'd stick with a 2pin hs/fan for simplicities sake. if mine used a 2 pin (i dont even remember) i'd just get a 2pin hs/fan just so it reduced time i was dinking around.

but yes, if you found a way, you can forgo the 2pin adapter to the graphics card. it doesnt affect that model (as in, it does not monitor and require a fan is plugged in).



as far as just replacing the fan, i'd suggest against it.
hs/fan combos are so cheap like that BFG.. you get your thermal adhesive with it and everything.
otherwise you gotta get some adhesive on the side, and a fan that fits and has a 2pin connector.