graphics card + motherboard compatibility

[kellerlayi]

hello i'm new here and i already have a question ...

this is my motherboard:- http://www.asrock.com/product/product_k7vt2.htm - its getting on a bit but i'm very happy with it. i currently have the nvidia geforce4 mmx440 graphics card which is fine and so far hasn't given me that much trouble with gaming provided i keep the drivers updated.

BUT i want to play lego star wars the video game on my pc and my current graphics card doesn't support pixel shader version 1.0. can anyone recommend a card that supports pixel shader without my having to replace the motherboard? seems from my research so far that most of the nvidia 6600 and upwards card that i think i need are AGP 8x which my motherboard doesnt support.

can anyone help?

 

[vegasgmc]

Ive heard of alot of people having problems trying to run 6600GT at 4x. But the best match for your system would be a 9800 Pro.

 

[kellerlayi]

thank you for the advice. i have looked at prices and the 9800 Pro is in the region of about £100 (i'm in the UK). as i'm not exactly rolling in £££ and i dont want to upgrade my motherboard just yet, would i be better off buying an older card, say a geforce fx5200 128mb, which is compatible with the motherboard & the game (for about £20)?

then when i do want to splash out on a big upgrade later i can always go for something like a 9800 Pro ...

what do you think? thanks in advance :darth:

 

[vegasgmc]

The 9800 should work fine with your board. The 5200 cards are total crap. If you want something cheaper than the 9800 check Ebay for Fx 5600 Ultra or a 5700. Also the Radeon 9600 or 9500 Pro.

 

[C_Conqueror]

You should just get the 9800 pro now so you won't have to buy another graphics card when you upgrade later, that is unless you want get a even better graphics card when you upgrade again.

 

[kellerlayi]

good thinking .. ok i'm now seriously looking at getting a 9800 Pro and currently checking out ebay for cheapies. i see theres quite a few different makes - has anyone with experience of using this card noticed a big difference between the generic ATI Radeon version as opposed to say Sapphire or Hercules?

i have another query ... how can i tell what wattage my power supply is without opening up my case? i'm sure its not as high as 350 which is what i'll probably need. i have SiS Sandra but cant see anything about power supply when i run it.

thanks.

 

[DonNagual]

I had the sapphire version of the 9800 pro on my old system, and loved it. Good solid card.

As for your PSU, the easiest way is to open up your case and read what it says on the sticker.

 

[kellerlayi]

so here's what it says on the sticker ..

300 watt
mercury ATX switching power supply
+3.3/20A; +5V/30A; +12V/10A

i've actually not been able to find a new 9800 pro in my price range so have gone for the cheaper Sapphire ATI Radeon 9550 128MB which i hope will fill the gap until i do a full upgrade in a year or so. will my PSU be good enough for it? and what maker and wattage should i go for if not?

thanks

 

[DonNagual]

I highly doubt that your PSU is gonna do the job. Your 12v rail is only 10a.

You can use this to find out how many watts you'll need:
https://www.techspot.com/vb/topic35497.html

But you need a PSU with at least say .... 24a on the 12v rail. Mine has 34a on the 12v. This number is arguably more important than how many watts the PSU is. (Some have dual or even tripple 12v rails, so you just add the numbers together to get your total amps).

Look for Antec, or enermax PSUs.