What is the best PCI video card out today for graphic-rich gaming? Specifically, I am trying to play the game F.E.A.R. by Sierra, but am having problems with my current vid card.
Video Card Recommendations
- Thread starter beakerboy318
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DonNagual
Posts: 2,385 +5
Hello and welcome to techspot!
Do you want the bad news or the bad news?......
About the best you are going to find is a fx5500 or a radion 9250. You'll be able to RUN the games on those cards, but you will be turning all your settings down to the lowest levels. PCI cards just don't cut it for today's games.
Probably best to save your cash wait until you can replace your motherboard with a PCI express video controller.
Good luck!
Do you want the bad news or the bad news?......
About the best you are going to find is a fx5500 or a radion 9250. You'll be able to RUN the games on those cards, but you will be turning all your settings down to the lowest levels. PCI cards just don't cut it for today's games.
Probably best to save your cash wait until you can replace your motherboard with a PCI express video controller.
Good luck!
video card TUTORIAL recommendations
I'm admitting that I'm going to be a ROOKIE all my techlife... Video cards and display types have my head spinning. I'm not a gamer, but do graphics, etc.
I use two monitors; the newest is a widescreen 20" from Dell. Apparently, I need a new video card to be able to take advantage of the rotate feature. I have a 128MB DDR ATI Radeon 9700 with TV-Out. Currently, the Dell is connected as DVI-I and the FPD from Gateway is connected as VGA.
Does anyone MAKE a video card so both can be connected as DVI? Is there a benefit of one over the other? Gateway recommended (and I purchased) a Jaton 128MB DDR on board AGP 8X/4X 3DForce FX5700LE (and I don't see TV written anywhere on the box).
Before I break the seal, Does anyone know if this is 'better' than what I have, the same, or worse? Athough they indicated it could connect both as DVI, the picture on the back of the box is clearly one each.
CAN ANYONE PROVIDE INFO OR POINT TO A BASIC TUTORIAL ON ALL THIS 'STUFF'? :wave: Thanks!
I'm admitting that I'm going to be a ROOKIE all my techlife... Video cards and display types have my head spinning. I'm not a gamer, but do graphics, etc.
I use two monitors; the newest is a widescreen 20" from Dell. Apparently, I need a new video card to be able to take advantage of the rotate feature. I have a 128MB DDR ATI Radeon 9700 with TV-Out. Currently, the Dell is connected as DVI-I and the FPD from Gateway is connected as VGA.
Does anyone MAKE a video card so both can be connected as DVI? Is there a benefit of one over the other? Gateway recommended (and I purchased) a Jaton 128MB DDR on board AGP 8X/4X 3DForce FX5700LE (and I don't see TV written anywhere on the box).
Before I break the seal, Does anyone know if this is 'better' than what I have, the same, or worse? Athough they indicated it could connect both as DVI, the picture on the back of the box is clearly one each.
CAN ANYONE PROVIDE INFO OR POINT TO A BASIC TUTORIAL ON ALL THIS 'STUFF'? :wave: Thanks!
The Jaton 3DForce 5700LE has the same outputs as your 9700- which is DVI, VGA and TV output. I'm confused why they would recommend this card over your 9700, which is far superior... even moreso if it's a 9700 Pro.
ATI's drivers totally support rotated displays, but for more advanced handling of this, you may wish to obtain the CCC version of the drivers (Catalyst Control Center- which also requires Microsoft .NET Framework 1.1 installed). These allow you to rotate the display by hotkey or by menu. I'm unsure if there is much for Windows that will do so automatically though, but it's worth trying the CCC to see if it recognizes your Dell rotation.
ATI's drivers totally support rotated displays, but for more advanced handling of this, you may wish to obtain the CCC version of the drivers (Catalyst Control Center- which also requires Microsoft .NET Framework 1.1 installed). These allow you to rotate the display by hotkey or by menu. I'm unsure if there is much for Windows that will do so automatically though, but it's worth trying the CCC to see if it recognizes your Dell rotation.
...I thought so...
sigh... They got me again! :suspiciou It seemed that card might be the same. My ATI isn't the PRO model. I have 2 quick ??'s:
1. the MB's; Does the amount 128, 256, etc. affect the speed of the image rendering?
and
2. I found the alternate drivers, but The Microsoft product; Is that software, hardware, or both?
Thanks for the help
sigh... They got me again! :suspiciou It seemed that card might be the same. My ATI isn't the PRO model. I have 2 quick ??'s:
1. the MB's; Does the amount 128, 256, etc. affect the speed of the image rendering?
and
2. I found the alternate drivers, but The Microsoft product; Is that software, hardware, or both?
Thanks for the help
flavin
Posts: 89 +0
BEAKERBOY like DONNAGUAL said all ur gonna get with PCI is bad news. but what mother board r u working with now? and what is ur financial cituation?
and for u TECH-ITIS i found this tutorial for u about setting up the 2 monitors but i dont think thats what u needed. http://personalcomputing.portrait.com/us/products/pp_overview.html . what u really needed is to know how to rotate correct. i have been doin alot of research for u and most sites say that the lcd monitor u bought should have come with the software. but if not i think u can download what u need. for ATI its Hydravision. http://www.ati.com/products/Hydravision/ . and for nvidia its nvrotate that u can get here http://www.nvidia.com/object/winxp_2k_81.98.html it comes with force ware. also that 5700 isnt better than ur ATI heres a list of AGP cards from best to worst http://forums.livingwithstyle.com/t34001-graphics-cards:-best-worst.html . and one last thing if u choose to use the 5700 it does have tv-out and can support 2 monitors. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814139158 (thats the 256mb though)
link to nvrotate http://www.nvidia.com/object/feature_nvrotate.html
hope i helped
and for u TECH-ITIS i found this tutorial for u about setting up the 2 monitors but i dont think thats what u needed. http://personalcomputing.portrait.com/us/products/pp_overview.html . what u really needed is to know how to rotate correct. i have been doin alot of research for u and most sites say that the lcd monitor u bought should have come with the software. but if not i think u can download what u need. for ATI its Hydravision. http://www.ati.com/products/Hydravision/ . and for nvidia its nvrotate that u can get here http://www.nvidia.com/object/winxp_2k_81.98.html it comes with force ware. also that 5700 isnt better than ur ATI heres a list of AGP cards from best to worst http://forums.livingwithstyle.com/t34001-graphics-cards:-best-worst.html . and one last thing if u choose to use the 5700 it does have tv-out and can support 2 monitors. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814139158 (thats the 256mb though)
link to nvrotate http://www.nvidia.com/object/feature_nvrotate.html
hope i helped
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