Dell Dimension 2300 and ATI 9250 Video Card

[wraydp]

Hello all,

I have a Dell Dimension 2300 which only has 4 PCI slots. The current video card is an integrated Intel Extreme graphics card. No AGP. Therfore I bought the ATI 9250 PCI card. First I disabled the Intel Extreme Graphics card under Device Manager. Then I restarted my computer and when the blue DELL screen came up pushed F2 to get into BIOS and was going to allow the PCI card and disable the on board Intel graphics, but there was no option for this. My BIOS looks like this:

http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/dim2300/syssetup.htm#1097056

Since I could'nt disable the on boad grahics I shut down and installed the new ATI in PCI slot 1 which was at the bottom of the computer. Then I booted up and installed the software. When I went into device manager The Intel graphics was disabled and I had 2 ATI 9250 options. I'm niot sure why I had two. Does it support 2 monitors?

Basically my question is my new card installed and how do I tell for sure?

Thanks.

 

[DonNagual]

Sounds like you are good to go. My device manager also shows two entries of the video card (one as a secondary device). I did research it once, and I believe it had something to do with the TV out, and is perfectly normal.

By the way, that link shows that you DO have an option for disabling onboard graphics under the advanced option. Sounds like your board has automatically done it for you though (which many boards do).

 

[vnf4ultra]

By the way, that link shows that you DO have an option for disabling onboard graphics under the advanced option.

I don't see it anywhere. I have a 2300, and it had no option to disable the onboard, it might do it automatically though. If you got a 9250 to work, congrats, many people have had issues getting the 2300 to work with pci cards.

 

[DonNagual]

I don't see it anywhere.

You're right. On second look it says "integrated AUDIO" not video.

Hey, I wrote that at 5:00 am, no coffee. Can I get some leeway here?

 

[wraydp]

Thanks for the replies. I also don't see that option for disabling the on-board graphics.
How do I know if my new ATI card is working properly? Is there some way to test it? Also, I have read that if I update by BIOS it then give an option for disabling the on-board graphics. I know ther is a version A02 of my BIOS and I'm sure I have the origional being that my computer is about 3 to 4 years old and has never been updated.

 

[vnf4ultra]

If you can see things on your screen with the monitor attached to the 9250, and if you can install the ati drivers for your card, and have it still work, then your good to go.

I've heard the 2350 has a bios that can enable/disable the integrated, but the 2300 never had one released(AFAIK), I'm pretty sure my 2300 came with bios ao2 from the factory, and that didn't have the option.

Hey, I wrote that at 5:00 am, no coffee. Can I get some leeway here?

Sure man, at 5 am, I'd likely do the same... .

 

[FeloniousMonk]

wow, old thread. sorry for digging it up.

I also own a Dimension 2300 and I'm trying to upgrade the video card.

the support docs say that it is an AGP video card, but I've looked at pictures of what an AGP slot looks like, and mine doesn't have it. it just has the 4 PCI slots mentioned above. so my 32mgs is integrated, I'm assuming?

*I tried posting a link to the doc here, but this site requires a post count for links*

do I get a standard PCI video card and install it in one of the free slots, or am I just stuck with the integrated video? because 32 is just way too low for streaming video and such these days.

thanks

EDIT: the device manager says it's located in PCI bus 0, device 2, function 0. so is this integrated, or in one of the PCI slots?

 

[ddavel544]

graphics for dell2300

Hey FeloniousMonk,
I also have a Dell 2300...and I installed a:
BFG nVidia FX5200 PCI ( PCI-e...won't work I've been told) 256MB graphics card ....works great with no problem, and with my 2.6 Ghz processor upgrade....I can play FarCry, and Quake III just great! For the nVidia card you can get ForceWare drivers from : filehippo.com....seems to make card faster.

You can disable the intel intergrated graphics by going to: control panel/system/hardware/device manager....from there, right click on Intel(R) ..to disable (on my Dell I found both card and Intel(R) enabled with no problems, but I diabled it anyhow). And reboot PC. Enjoy.....ddavel544

 

[tweakboy]

Your good, you have no problems,, showing TWO is just because thats the other monitor ,, connected or not....... no worries,, enjoy your system!!! good stuff!!