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Author Topic: New graphics controller  (Read 7874 times)

Luke

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New graphics controller
« on: 03 Jan 2006, 22:46 »
So we've had our computer for two years or so now, and all this time have gotten by fine with the Intel graphics controller that came with it.

Well, times have changed, games have gotten more intricate & detailed, and the Intel 82865G can't handle it anymore, so it's starting to do very strange things on the computer screen during these games (Civ 4, Uru, etc.). No doubt, this is not going to improve any time in the future.

So, to publicize the question I brought up in the Myst thread, I'm wondering what kind of graphics card I should be looking for. Also, being a software pro but a beginner when it comes to hardware, I'm wondering what it takes to install a graphics card. I know that for a modem card, you can just plug it in, but I'm not sure if a graphics card would involve a more detailed installation procedure or not. Basically, all this is new to me.

(By the way, I'm not relying entirely on forum opinion for my decision; I'm doing research on the side, but second-hand opinions are always helpful.)
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Catfish_Man

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New graphics controller
« Reply #1 on: 04 Jan 2006, 00:05 »
nVidia GeForceFX 6600GT, I'd say. Good midrange card, nice bang/buck ratio. Should be quite easy to install. Make sure to check whether you have AGP or PCI-Express and get the appropriate card.
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McTaggart

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New graphics controller
« Reply #2 on: 04 Jan 2006, 01:15 »
I'm fairly sure the 865 line of motherboards were all agp. pci-e is pretty new isn't it?

I haven't been paying much attention to the market recently (haven't been in the market) but I back when the 9800 was king ATi drew prettier and faster. And I've never had a problem with my 128Mb Powercolor 9800 Pro.
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Bunnyman

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New graphics controller
« Reply #3 on: 07 Jan 2006, 01:24 »
My 9500 Pro is still a bumpin' card for all but the upper crust (FEAR, Quake4, etc).

I would go for NVidia these days.  The X1000s aren't looking as mindblowing as one might expect (though the X1800 is rather swank); Th 7800s are where it's at.  If you have $300 to spend, a 7800GT is a good bet.  If you have $200 to spend, consider a 6800.  Less than that, I would second the endorsement for the 6600GT.

And video memory is becoming more and more important with all the hires textures, parallax maps, and so forth, so if possible get a 256 or 512mb card. 128 works, but may not be up to snuff in the future.
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Luke

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New graphics controller
« Reply #4 on: 07 Jan 2006, 19:10 »
All right, thanks for the advice. I'll look into your suggestions.

And any more advice is certainly welcome!
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psilogen

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New graphics controller
« Reply #5 on: 08 Jan 2006, 02:40 »
I've got a GeForce 6600GT and it is a very very nice thing. It'll run Half-Life 2 and FEAR and Quake 4 just fine with my slow-ass Athlon 64 2800+

If you're buying a newer card, be absolutely sure to check the power requirements. If you're buying anything newer than a Radeon 9600, you'll need a dedicated power lead and a 400w+ power supply in order for everything to work smoothly
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