Looking for a new video graphics card/processor whatever you call it

[ThatRoundHeadedKid]

Ok. I have a shitty intel integrated graphics card, and I want a new one. I have a dell 4600c thinline with a 80 GB hard drive, and a pent. 4 2.66 GHz processor. I am looking for the best video card money can buy. I want the best without paying ridiculous amounts of money, but still would be powerful enough to play some of the top games today, if not some of the games soon to come out later. I prefer nVidias, because I've had some good experience. If you have any suggestions otherwise, I am open to them. THanks.

[MasterChief1724]

If you want the best money can buy then you need to get only a few hundred dollars. Something like an ati x850 or a geforce 6800. I have a 9600 all-in-wonder and it supposedly runs the top games decent enough. But I am dead broke and cant get a new motherboard to try it out because I have no agp port(got it as a gift) But maybe get a card in the $200 range. Most of them are decent enough and can run up to Doom 3 on normal graphics.

Mkay

[ThatRoundHeadedKid]

is there anything extra I have to get besides the video card? I have a firewire card in one of the expansion ports already. There's another port, but I dunno which is 32-bit and 16-bit or something like that. Which port does the card need?

[eversio11]

For the top of the line graphics cards, you'll need an AGP port. It's usually above the PCI slots, and the slot will be back further than the PCI ones, as AGP cards are longer and bigger.

[ThatRoundHeadedKid]

ok, I think that's the one that.s free. The firewire card is in the short one. since the dell 4600C thinline is so thin, It only has one of each port lol. It doesnt even have a serial port.

[Twitch1]

Just go to Best Buy. They got 256MB GeForce 5700 for $119. That's quite good enough to fool around with gaming. WARNING- the problem with Intell Integrated Graphics is that there is no AGP slot to put it in. You will need a new Mother board also!

[ThatRoundHeadedKid]

so from what i hear it's going to cost me some money..

[Polygon]

Originally Posted by Twitch1

Just go to Best Buy. They got 256MB GeForce 5700 for $119. That's quite good enough to fool around with gaming. WARNING- the problem with Intell Integrated Graphics is that there is no AGP slot to put it in. You will need a new Mother board also!

That is not true!

I have worked on plenty of motherboards that have integrated Intel graphics but also have an AGP port. I have also seen them without. You might not need a new motherboard. My suggestion would be to open your case and look. Look for a brown slot above your PCI slots.

If you have an AGP port then the card I would suggest is the MSI Radeon 9800 Pro 128MB/256bit or 256MB/256bit. Then all you have to do is update the BIOS with the Radeon 9800 XT BIOS and you have a much more expensive card for free. However, you must have a card with the R360 core and Samsung memory.

I don't think that card is over $200 right now. It is one hell of a deal.

[ThatRoundHeadedKid]

Originally Posted by Polygon

That is not true!

I have worked on plenty of motherboards that have integrated Intel graphics but also have an AGP port. I have also seen them without. You might not need a new motherboard. My suggestion would be to open your case and look. Look for a brown slot above your PCI slots.

If you have an AGP port then the card I would suggest is the MSI Radeon 9800 Pro 128MB/256bit or 256MB/256bit. Then all you have to do is update the BIOS with the Radeon 9800 XT BIOS and you have a much more expensive card for free. However, you must have a card with the R360 core and Samsung memory.

I don't think that card is over $200 right now. It is one hell of a deal.

The Brown one is free, I saw that after cleaning the dust outta my PC. THe white one is being used by a FireWire card. What do you mean I have a much more expensive card for free, From what I understand, I can get a Radeon 9800 Pro, then I have to install the software which im sure Windows does automatically. cuz it does whenever new stuff is conencted to it. Whats an R360 core and Samsung memory, I have no clue. Do you mean RAM memory? My computer is a full out dell, and I dont think anything is is Samsung in it lol. Im good with software, but not so good with hardware.

[Polygon]

What I am talking about is the fact that you can buy a Radeon 9800 Pro and make it a Radeon 9800 XT which is a much faster video card just by flashing it with a new BIOS. The thing is that most of the new Radeon 9800 Pro cards have the R360 core which is the same one on the XT version of the card. Granted you have to buy a 256bit version of the Pro card.

So in a manner of speaking you buy a 9800 Pro, but you get a 9800 XT.

[ThatRoundHeadedKid]

Ok, so I buy the 128MB/256bit Radeon, and flash it with a new BIOS. I know what the BIOS is, but what do you mean flash it? and how do I flash it with a new BIOS?

PS, there are two 9800s here that I did a search at BestBuy for. Which is better?
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage....00&id=cat12085

[Plastic_Fork]

Flashing the BIOS means you overwrite the current BIOS with a newer version. You need a software utility that will erase the BIOS and write the newer version on the video card. Most manufacturers have the newer BIOS and utility on their website for download.

Just be careful you use the correct BIOS and flashing utility. If the write process has problems and corrupts the BIOS, you'll pretty much have to buy a new video card. The BIOS tells the card how to function on the hardware level, not the software level like video card drivers.

[ThatRoundHeadedKid]

if that were to happen, would the place I bought it from take it back if I went to return it? I wouldnt think so.

[Twitch1]

Polygon- of course open the case and look at what you got 1st. That's primary. I do forget that there are some folks who don't know to do that.
Roundheadedkid- don't mistake the BIOS of the video card with the BIOS of the motherboard or you'll be all goofed up.

Since fooling with video card core BIOS sounds alien to you just buy a card that you can plug in and GO with. For what you are going to use it for you can find one to do that since you're looking for gaming rather that doing CMYK color separation for pre-press or doing special effect for a movie studio. Expect to pay $2500 and up for a pro card. Otherwise $150-400 should cover anthing some wheezy game engine can throw at you. Have a gig of RAM too- 512MB absolute minimum.

[ThatRoundHeadedKid]

So the amount of RAM is affected by the new card also? this is getting to sound expensive.

Sorry for my inexperience with hardware, its the software I'm alot better at.