So you only have PCI slots and want to game?

[Tha General]

I see but then what is general's real computer specs if hes getting those benchmarks?

This is my computer:

http://www.emachines.com/products/products.html?prod=ET1161-05

I did those benchmarks using my 2400HD. And those are at 1280x960 or 1280x1024 some with aa and some not at high to very high settings and all of those run smooth. If you set your resolution to 1024x768 i get even more.

Speaking of COD4 using my 8400gs at 1024x768 i get up to 50-60 frames. at medium to high settings. But i play at 1280x1024 with AAX2 , high to extras settings and i get between 16-30

so how is left4dead running for general? with the settings he is using and a newer computer that is dual core cant even get what general is getting?

L4D is not a demanding game.

 

[LinkedKube]

The price is terrible tho, should of been 60 or 70 for it. As for the vga port, well i have like 2 adapters. I make sure to always keep them around. You can find them in stores for cheap tho.

Btw, i never listen to people lol. But seriously. For the new rig i got now, i plan to move on to PCIE next month sometime, but i am buying a secondary rig just for PCI , maybe a p4 or a celeron d. Only because well vista is nice, but i notice some games don't work on it, so its wise to keep 2 rigs.

But pCI cards get the job done depending on how your set up is, 20-30 or more at max or near max settings at 1280x1024 and its cool.

Just about all games work on vista. In fact I dont think of any game that wont run on vista. its not vista that's the problem(per say) Its trying to run games that need dx9 ready cards, and not pci versions...in most cases other than the most recent versions of pci cards. These people that create these "low end" pci cards expect they will be sold to less than 1% of the vga market.

 

[Tha General]

I am keeping a list of games that does not work in vista and so far:

Blood 2 - Need older OS
Secrert service breanch - works better in XP/W2K, major tearing in Vista
Ford Racing 2 - Crashes, need xp or w2k, you really do need xp or w2k to play this game. Vista is not supported.
Knight Rider - Slow as hell, works better in xp or w2k
Far cry - ?
Heretic II - Wont even install, need Xp or w2k
Sin - Same as above.

Trust me you need a secondary rig, and thats what i plan to do. Buying a gateway Quad Core as my secondary rig and i plan to install windows 2000 on it , and use PCI cards on it.
Plan on buying a albatron 8600gt. I want that model, its rare and the design is interesting

 

[mailpup]

Do you ever try changing the compatibility mode? Lots of games designed for older operating systems can be run on newer OS that way. There are some exceptions but most will.

 

[Tha General]

Tried that already, nothing. Its cool tho, i am buying a quad core from gateway later this year , the one listed on their site for 600 bucks and install windows 2000 on it, and use it for pci gaming and then i enjoy the games that does not work on vista on that rig. I always wanted 2 rigs anyway, so everything works out for the best

 

[Seaner71]

Windows Vista Has "Compatability" Mode

I am keeping a list of games that does not work in vista and so far:

Blood 2 - Need older OS
Secrert service breanch - works better in XP/W2K, major tearing in Vista
Ford Racing 2 - Crashes, need xp or w2k, you really do need xp or w2k to play this game. Vista is not supported.
Knight Rider - Slow as hell, works better in xp or w2k
Far cry - ?
Heretic II - Wont even install, need Xp or w2k
Sin - Same as above.

Trust me you need a secondary rig, and thats what i plan to do. Buying a gateway Quad Core as my secondary rig and i plan to install windows 2000 on it , and use PCI cards on it.
Plan on buying a albatron 8600gt. I want that model, its rare and the design is interesting

General Right click on the App Icon
Now go to Properties
Click on Compatibilty
Set to what ever OS you need, NFS High stakes only runs on Windows XP for me, so i set ti to windows XP. It works about 3/4's the time, try this then make your list.


BTW your Processor is not a dual core, i keep seeing people say that LE means single core and "low end"
Also Windows 2000 won't utilize a quad core, you should prob switch your theory around and get the quad and run vista on the with PCI-e and take you emachine with the single core and run Windows 2000 on that. Well it just makes more sense is all ;-), windows 200 only utilizes one core per CPU and supports dual CPU (was popular with Pentium II & III). Also you can't order directly from Gateway seeing as how they don't exsist, they were near bankruptcy and were bought by ASUS, so you have to buy at Best buy or Staple, believe me there are better companies to go with other than gateway, try HP.

 

[electromagnetic]

Can you guys post game benchmarks? for all your PCI cards?

Here is some fps of games.









No fps here just how L4D looks on a Nvidia 6200.

 

[Tha General]

Here is some fps of games.

Not bad for a 6200.

General Right click on the App Icon
Now go to Properties
Click on Compatibilty
Set to what ever OS you need, NFS High stakes only runs on Windows XP for me, so i set ti to windows XP. It works about 3/4's the time, try this then make your list.

I'm using Vista 32bit, trust me i tried that already, games either will not install or just run like a POS. Vista is meant for newer games only, even tho some older games i have install work, but most don't.

BTW your Processor is not a dual core, i keep seeing people say that LE means single core and "low end"

I have this model and its not a dual core:
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=9170835&type=product&id=1218043607320

Also Windows 2000 won't utilize a quad core, you should prob switch your theory around and get the quad and run vista on the with PCI-e and take you emachine with the single core and run Windows 2000 on that. Well it just makes more sense is all ;-), windows 200 only utilizes one core per CPU and supports dual CPU (was popular with Pentium II & III).

I look around in google, i heard it was ok to use. And if it doesn't work out too well, i i have a XP disc. Xp plays older games without too much hassle, much better then vista thats for sure.

Now the main reason why i plan to make the Quad core into a PCI gaming machine and use it for my older games is because. #1 I spent too much money on my pci cards and i don't want to just throw them away. #2 I still like PCI, so it would make sense for me to use it in the secondary rig. #3 My AMD slot setup is set up so its not meant to use for PCI. Meaning, i have 4 slots, one pci and 2 pcie x1 and 1 full x16 pcie. My 2400HD or 8400gs didn't fit in the PCI slot, so i had to move a cord from that area so i can use my 2400HD or 8400gs. Obvioulsy this computer is meant to be use for newer cards , thus pcie.

The Gateway quad core has 2 PCI slots, and 2 PCIE slots.
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjOf4n6Nr2M[/ame]

I plan to use a sound card for one slot and a pci card in the other. And in the PCIE slot, plan to buy this:
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8523181&type=product&id=1186007074476

Now if my AMD system had 2 or 3 pci slots, then it would be the other way around. Either way, should be interesting anyways. My AMD system is really powerful, but using PCI with Vista is bad, but then again, Vista is slower then XP which is weird. So its best for me to just move on with pcie for this amd system.

You may be wondering why didn't i just buy the Quad core first, well i would have, if the system was over at bestbuy. They had a gateway model, but it was 500, and i only wanted to spend 300.

Also you can't order directly from Gateway seeing as how they don't exsist, they were near bankruptcy and were bought by ASUS, so you have to buy at Best buy or Staple, believe me there are better companies to go with other than gateway, try HP.

Most likely i will look around in offline stores first and if i can't find it , i will order from newegg or elsewhere. Going to buy it this summer or late this year, when i move to burbank, which will be my resting place I always wanted to move there and later this year i will be able to too.

 

[LinkedKube]

I'm using Vista 32bit, trust me i tried that already, games either will not install or just run like a POS. Vista is meant for newer games only, even tho some older games i have install work, but most don't.

Vista is meant for newer games, but there are a few selected games that you say "run like crap." above in retrospect, its not the game that runs like crap, its your pc.

No offense.

Vista is slower then XP which is weird. So its best for me to just move on with pcie for this amd system.

And yet again, hardware issue, not an OS problem.

 

[Tha General]

Alright before you say my system is crap, you may want to ask what games i am talking about. The games which i am talking which runs like crap on it, is old games , not to mention one of them is a 2007 game, and it runs like crap on my pc, but ran just fine using XP.

So before you talk nonsense, know the facts bud

 

[lynnex1138]

Thanks for this article...

First, thanks alot for this very helpful article, and thanks for keeping it updated.

I am doing research on dell gx520s, both mini tower and SFF. I want to game on both machines which means I'll want a new card with 512MB and it must be PCI.

My concern is about the power supply requirements for an older pc and a new card.

I am considering the SPARKLE geforce 9400 gt 512mb gddr2 pci hdcp ready low profile video card; Manufacturer Part Number: SP94GT512D2LHPP

I was told by tech support at one company that this card requires more than the 220w power supply that comes with the gx520 SFF. I'm not sure I can replace the small form factor power supply very eaisly.

The mini-tower has a 230 watt supply, I figure I can replace that one pretty easy without worrying about finding one that fits.

So far I have not found any reference to power requirements at sparkle's website or anyplace else.

Am I on the right track here? What are the power considerations?

Thanks again for this article and for any advice or links!

Lynne

 

[LinkedKube]

Alright before you say my system is crap, you may want to ask what games i am talking about. The games which i am talking which runs like crap on it, is old games , not to mention one of them is a 2007 game, and it runs like crap on my pc, but ran just fine using XP.

So before you talk nonsense, know the facts bud

I have games from 2004 that run on vista, very similar to xp, Lineage 2, an mmo, Doom3. Not much difference. My point is that 90% of problems concerning games are hardware related. besides that its trying to run something on an os which just doesnt support some games, hmm like Linux. Or yet windows 95/98/ and even 2k, sometimes, 2k can be fixed with most games through properties.

Anyway, go on, get back on subject.

 

[Tha General]

I was told by tech support at one company that this card requires more than the 220w power supply that comes with the gx520 SFF. I'm not sure I can replace the small form factor power supply very eaisly.

I guess if you can replace the PSU which 400 that should be fine, but pci cards don't really required alot, really only draws about 40w.

I have games from 2004 that run on vista, very similar to xp, Lineage 2, an mmo, Doom3. Not much difference. My point is that 90% of problems concerning games are hardware related. besides that its trying to run something on an os which just doesnt support some games, hmm like Linux. Or yet windows 95/98/ and even 2k, sometimes, 2k can be fixed with most games through properties.

Most games which i play, and want to play on Vista, i am pretty sure you don't play or have. So again, you really have no idea what i am talking about. One game for example called: Heretic will not even install, neither will Blood2 or sin, or wages of sin. As for game performance, games that ran fine on XP , a few of them, well maybe 2 SOF3 and GTA 3 runs like POS on this rig. I am not saying Vista is the problem as of yet.

The problem might be solve when i pick up a sound card, put the sound card in the pci slot and use the new PCIE card in the fullx16 slot. Meaning using onboard might be a problem with some games.

But none of these issues is a problem as for my pc specs are concern, my computer is powerful. But one thing i notice, vista is weaker then XP, and i think everyone can agree. So anyways, its best for me to buy another computer, i want to keep PCI gaming anyway, and i still plan on buying more pci cards, starting with the albatron 8600gt. So my secondary rig should be cool.

 

[teklord]

My concern is about the power supply requirements for an older pc and a new card.

I was told by tech support at one company that this card requires more than the 220w power supply that comes with the gx520 SFF. I'm not sure I can replace the small form factor power supply very eaisly.

The mini-tower has a 230 watt supply, I figure I can replace that one pretty easy without worrying about finding one that fits.

Am I on the right track here? What are the power considerations?

You should be fine with what you have, just don't OC (overclock) the card at all or you will blow it out and possibly your PC also. It is easy to install a new PSU (power supply), I just upgraded mine from 250W to 585W for 25 dollars off of Newegg.com. Unplug the old connections and plug the new ones in the same place, just make sure what you buy has the same connections. If you're using an older IDE computer, make sure the power supply has IDE connections, you can read the review on Newegg to find out.

 

[red1776]

a $25 585W psu Tek? thats a big risk

 

[teklord]

Working well so far, I don't OC much so it should last. Holding on to the old PSU if that isn't the case. Newegg wouldn't stock something with a high failure rate I would think.

 

[Rage_3K_Moiz]

Newegg wouldn't stock something with a high failure rate I would think.

LOL that's like saying BestBuy wouldn't stock trashy Dynapower PSUs or overpriced GeForce 6200 cards.

However good Newegg is, they're still running a business. It is upto you, the consumer, to buy the right thing. A quick Google would have shown you at least 5-6 good-quality PSUs in your price range.

 

[Cazzini]

I have d201gly2 motherboard and want to buy saprkle 9400gt pci. Are there any problems with compatibility?(I have read about d201gly2+radeon HD2400 problem silentpcreview.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=46988 )

 

[teklord]

a $25 585W psu Tek? thats a big risk

A calculated risk because I read each and every review of my PSU on Newegg and there were no reports of this destroying people's systems, mostly the usual DOA and nothing any other PSU hasn't ever done.

LOL that's like saying BestBuy wouldn't stock trashy Dynapower PSUs or overpriced GeForce 6200 cards.

However good Newegg is, they're still running a business. It is upto you, the consumer, to buy the right thing. A quick Google would have shown you at least 5-6 good-quality PSUs in your price range.

I made an educated guess, this PSU works well for low to mid PC's and that is what I have. This is one of the best no name cheap PSU's you can get and anyone else wanting to bump their older low to mid PC should give my PSU a shot. Any PSU can fail no matter how reputable the maker is or how much you pay for it.

 

[VintagePC]

What's the best choice PCI [not PCIe] graphic/video card for my old system?

hi All,

i want to upgrade my old computer with best PCI graphic card it will run
note, that upgrading power supply is impossible, so newer cards are no go

i made some research over internet, also this thread is very interesting...

computer specs are:
Pentium III 1.2GHz Tualatin [max what this board supports]
RAM 1Gb [max already]
PCI 5V 32-bit [according to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PCI_Local_B... ]
actually it is Dell Latitude C610 laptop + C/Dock II docking station with PCI slots..

now i founded out that GeForce 6200 will be best for my needs as i want it to support DirectX 9.0c and Pixel Shader 3.0 [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GeForce_6 ] and this card can be bought in PCI form
also it will work with m C/Dock II, ATI will not [ http://en.community.dell.com/forums/p/18551500/18683868.aspx#18683868 ]

now to the point, i have dilemma, should i go for 64-bit Memory Bus or twice as expensive 128-bit one?
i know that 128-bit is 2 times faster than 64-bit [4x faster according to some people...?]
but how it will perform with my PIII 1.2GHz, 1Gb RAM and 32-bit PCI host?
will i see any difference between those two?
is the difference worth twice as much money? - the only GeForce 6200 128-bit that i was able to find is JATON VIDEO-338PCI-DVI GeForce 6200 256MB 128-bit DDR PC

there are even better PCI cards, like GeForce 8400, but i'm afraid that i would need extra power to use them, and as i stated before, this is not possible to supply such extra power
as for power, in another PCI slot in C/Dock II i have USB2.0 adapter PCI card, and i wonder if this two will get enough power to work together.... but that's different story...


also one thing concerns me: is this Jaton VIDEO-338PCI-DVI really 128-bit???
newegg states that it is [ http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814139010 ]
but manufacturers website states it is 64-bit !!!! [ http://db.jaton.com.tw/VGAProductDetail.aspx?P_ID=84338KL-T256 ]
so who should i trust then???


thanks for your answers

 

[teklord]

Don't OC and you should be able to use any PCI card as none have a power adapter for the bus type. Recommend the Jaton 9500GT from Newegg for maximum PCI benefits. Should always get 128-bit bandwidth if it is in your price range.

 

[Genesis09]

Thanks for the helpful post

 

[Cazzini]

Hi,again!
No one answers my question.I have d201gly2 intel motherboard with only one pci slot.I would like to buy nvidia 9400gt sparkle pci video card.PSU is 230 watts,I think it`s enought.I have read, there are problems with d201gly2+radeon hd2400 and d201gly2+nvidia 8400gs.I don`t know, will d201gly2+9400gt work?Any suggestions?

 

[Tha General]

Hi,again!
No one answers my question.I have d201gly2 intel motherboard with only one pci slot.I would like to buy nvidia 9400gt sparkle pci video card.PSU is 230 watts,I think it`s enought.I have read, there are problems with d201gly2+radeon hd2400 and d201gly2+nvidia 8400gs.I don`t know, will d201gly2+9400gt work?Any suggestions?

you have this?

http://pixel01.cps.intel.com/Products/Desktop/Motherboards/D201GLY2/D201GLY2-overview.htm

You only have one slot?

 

[Cazzini]

Yes,this is it.And only one slot...
( silentpcreview.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=46988 about d201gly2+hd2400 problem)