Video Card for Compaq Presario

[_Christopher_]

Hi-

I have a computer with the following:

Compaq Presario
Intel Pentium 4 2.4 GHz
248 MB RAM

"Integrated Intel Graphics"
Intel 82845G/GL/GE/PE/GV Graphics Controller

I want to install a lot more memory and a great video card in order to play games like Doom3.

My question is...what are "integrated graphics" and does this prevent me from installing a separate video card?

Thanks!

 

[Mr5oh]

Integrated graphics just means your motherboard has a "video card" built in. Almost all newer boards still allow you to add a video card. I would just open your case and make sure you have an AGP slot. Odds are you do, and if so, you can add pretty much whatever you want.

How did you get to 248 on the RAM? Anyways that, in my opinion, needs to be at least 512 MB.

Also, if you get a higher-end video card, you may also be forced to upgrade your PSU as well.

My Desktop: <A HREF="http://Mr5oh.tripod.com/pc.html" target="_new">http://Mr5oh.tripod.com/pc.html</A>

 

[sturm]

he has 256 installed but the video memory takes 8 meg from the system hench 248 meg is all the os will see.
I see it all the time at HP/Compaq. 512 installed but shows up at 504 meg in the OS.

 

[Crashman]

Your 845G chipset supports an AGP card, any of the newer cards built since around 2001 (and some back to 1998). But many boards used by major OEM's didn't have an AGP SLOT!

If you have an AGP slot, here's what I'd recommend (from less to more performance):
GeForce4 Ti4200
Radeon 9600 Pro 128MB
Radeon 9600XT (128MB or 256MB)
Radeon 9800 Pro.

Anything greater would be too much money for your computer!

But if you have only PCI slots, you're limited to much lower performance, the Radeon 9100 PCI would be best, followed by the 9200 PCI.

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[lik]

Or a 9700Pro if you can find one. Very cheap and much better than any 9600.

P4-2800->FSB800, Asus P4P800, 512DDR-400, Radeon 9800 Pro - 128Mb

 

[Crashman]

True, I didn't mention it because they're so hard to find. Enough enthusiast know about these cards that as long as they are steeply discounted they will continue to disappear before ordinary shopers get their hands on any.

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