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Need help finding a graphic card.

I have a sony Vaio PCV-RS520
512MB PC-2700 333MHz DDR (expandable to
2.0GB)
HARD DRIVE3
160GB††3 7200rpm Ultra/ATA-100 Hard Drive
PROCESSOR
Intel® Pentium® 4 Processor 3E GHz† with
Intel® Hyper-Threading Technology
VIDEO & GRAPHICS
ATI Radeon™ 9200
128MB Video Memory (128-bit DDR)
VGA-out / DVI-Out (DVI output:1280x1024x60Hz
max.) / TV-Out
AGP 8X 3D Graphics Hardware Acceleration
EXPANSION SLOTS
Three PCI (one occupied)
8x AGP Slot (occupied)

I want a better Graphics card but have no idea what to look for. I want something that is good enough that I may not have to upgrade in a year, and that can run games. Thanks!
21 answers Last reply Best Answer
More about need finding graphic card
  1. It is a desktop.
  2. Oh and my memory has been upgraded to 1 GB and plan on going to the 2 GB at the same time as I get whatever graphics card.
  3. RAM not memory sorry :)
  4. Kristaria said:
    I have a sony Vaio PCV-RS520
    512MB PC-2700 333MHz DDR (expandable to
    2.0GB)
    HARD DRIVE3
    160GB††3 7200rpm Ultra/ATA-100 Hard Drive
    PROCESSOR
    Intel® Pentium® 4 Processor 3E GHz† with
    Intel® Hyper-Threading Technology
    VIDEO & GRAPHICS
    ATI Radeon™ 9200
    128MB Video Memory (128-bit DDR)
    VGA-out / DVI-Out (DVI output:1280x1024x60Hz
    max.) / TV-Out
    AGP 8X 3D Graphics Hardware Acceleration
    EXPANSION SLOTS
    Three PCI (one occupied)
    8x AGP Slot (occupied)

    I want a better Graphics card but have no idea what to look for. I want something that is good enough that I may not have to upgrade in a year, and that can run games. Thanks!


    Kristaria said:
    Oh and my memory has been upgraded to 1 GB and plan on going to the 2 GB at the same time as I get whatever graphics card.


    Sorry to be the bringer of bad news but a graphics card upgrade would be a complete waste on a computer that age. The best thing you can do is buy a new pc, if you can't afford it now then save your money until you can. A modern $400-$500 pc would wipe your current pc from the face of the earth. Don't bother upgrading the ram any farther either, once you get past 1Gb on a pc that old there isn't much of a benefit.
  5. Quote:
    whats your PSU spex?

    My what?
    http://esupport.sony.com/US/perl/model-documents.pl?mdl=PCVRS520
    this is the link to my computer. On that page it has all my spec info and all that stuff.
  6. edeawillrule said:
    Sorry to be the bringer of bad news but a graphics card upgrade would be a complete waste on a computer that age. The best thing you can do is buy a new pc, if you can't afford it now then save your money until you can. A modern $400-$500 pc would wipe your current pc from the face of the earth. Don't bother upgrading the ram any farther either, once you get past 1Gb on a pc that old there isn't much of a benefit.

    I respect your opinion but I am not buying my 11 year old a 500 dollar computer to play sims 3 on. This one was more than that new and although its old in computer time I am sure, it still runs perfectly great for a kid. A graphics card will fix her computer enough to play with for a long time, till she moves up in games. I don't want the thing to get her to Mars. I just don't know what card will fit in it.
  7. HD3650 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814131173 the highest I would go.
  8. Quote:
    doesnt say anything about the PSU on that link im afraid. You Need to know how powerfull your PSU is before buying a GPU.

    Where does one find PSU information?
  9. POWER REQUIREMENTS
    100-120V 4.7A (50/60Hz)
    POWER MANAGEMENT
    ACPI 1.0 Compliant
    Is that what you need or is there more info someplace?
  10. Kristaria said:
    I respect your opinion but I am not buying my 11 year old a 500 dollar computer to play sims 3 on. This one was more than that new and although its old in computer time I am sure, it still runs perfectly great for a kid. A graphics card will fix her computer enough to play with for a long time, till she moves up in games. I don't want the thing to get her to Mars. I just don't know what card will fit in it.


    You didn't say it was for an 11 year old that would be playing The Sims 3, you just said a card that would let you play games and you wouldn't have to upgrade in a year. Which made it sound like your primary pc. And around here when most of us hear games we think along the lines of Far Cry 2, Crysis, COD MW2, etc.

    So forgive my assumption.
  11. rolli59 said:
    HD3650 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814131173 the highest I would go.



    +1 here on Rolli's answer. I'm pretty certain a Sony psu will be good enough to run a low end card like this just fine.

    Kristaria said:

    Is that what you need or is there more info someplace?


    Just so you know the information should be on the unit itself inside the case.
  12. edeawillrule said:
    You didn't say it was for an 11 year old that would be playing The Sims 3, you just said a card that would let you play games and you wouldn't have to upgrade in a year. Which made it sound like your primary pc. And around here when most of us hear games we think along the lines of Far Cry 2, Crysis, COD MW2, etc.

    So forgive my assumption.


    Well the only reason sims 3 doesnt work is a pixel shader 2. Otherwise this computer runs it. It is 3 years old which I guess to some would be ancient. I also had a $400 brand new dell that couldn't run circles around a cardboard box so I guess all of that depends. LOL And I don't take offence over anything online. This is the first computer I have had that I couldn't figure it out. And it is just a flippen graphics card. I found out a motherboard replacement, but not a graphics card. So if I sound testy rest assured it is out of frustration at ATI NOT anyone on here.
    I just really had no clue Sony made this crap so hard.
  13. Kristaria said:
    Well the only reason sims 3 doesnt work is a pixel shader 2. Otherwise this computer runs it. It is 3 years old which I guess to some would be ancient. I also had a $400 brand new dell that couldn't run circles around a cardboard box so I guess all of that depends. LOL And I don't take offence over anything online. This is the first computer I have had that I couldn't figure it out. And it is just a flippen graphics card. I found out a motherboard replacement, but not a graphics card. So if I sound testy rest assured it is out of frustration at ATI NOT anyone on here.
    I just really had no clue Sony made this crap so hard.


    Er why are you frustrated with ATI??
  14. Quote:
    Open up your case and there is a sticker on the PSU that will include all the information about the PSU

    3?0 watts its 300 something but a scratch mark is over the middle number.
  15. edeawillrule said:
    Er why are you frustrated with ATI??

    I just like Nvidia better really. :p And its easier to find a card with nvidia. At least it was for me... And finding drivers for ATI is harder as well.
  16. Well the 3650 would probably work, I have to emphasize probably.
  17. Kristaria said:
    I just like Nvidia better really. :p And its easier to find a card with nvidia. At least it was for me... And finding drivers for ATI is harder as well.

    This is how easy it is to find ATI drivers http://www.amd.com/us/Pages/AMDHomePage.aspx follow the links on the website.
  18. Best answer
    If you want a nvidia card there is always this, generation older and more expensive. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814143069
    To find drivers http://www.nvidia.com/page/home.html follow the links.
  19. Kristaria said:
    I just like Nvidia better really. :p And its easier to find a card with nvidia. At least it was for me... And finding drivers for ATI is harder as well.


    Well to each their own. I've owned quite a few nvidia cards but I don't plan on getting any more anytime soon, IMO Nvidia is the most underhanded, unethical, dilusional company on the planet other than Apple. Until they stop the renaming game and start making some real progress my opinion will not change. ATI has always been wonderful for me. I've been using their cards since the Rage 128 Pro and I've never had any problems with drivers or locating cards. Nvidia and ATI cards are sold in the same place it's called www.newegg.com
  20. Quote:
    300W will run 9600GT and HD 4730. Nothing better than that though im afraid.


    Woah there buddy, the 4730 is:
    1. Only sold in Europe
    2. Takes 2 6-pin connectors
  21. Best answer selected by Kristaria.
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