Need to buy new videocard

[vinniegambini]

Hello,

I am computer stupid when it comes to buying things for my computer. I got NBA Live 2005 for my computer and found out that my videocard is just regular and need to buy one on steroids. haha I just want to play this game and a few more and was wondering if anybody could point me to a videocard since I'm going to get one this weekend. What can I expect to pay??? Are they easy to install??? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[TheGreatGrapeApe]

Best choices in my order of preference for cheapest/lowest to best (although that may be overkill for this kind of game), now I assume it's an AGP card you're looking for since this is going from a week card to good, unless you just bought a new HP or Dell box *shudder*;


Geforce 4ti 4200-4800

Radeon 9600Pro

Radeon 9800/9800Pro

Geforce 660GT-AGP

Geforce 6800

Radeon X800Pro

Geforce 6800GT/RadeonX800XT

Geforce6800Ultra/Radeon X800XTPE

Now really probably your smartest choise would be either the very economical GF4ti series, and then maybe the R9600Pro for a bit more, or either the Radeon 9800PRo or GF6600GT-AGP cards for under $200US. Unless you're a hardcore gamer playing tougher titles, the power of the cards above those will likely be wasted on you.

Just my two frames' worth of course.


- You need a licence to buy a gun, but they'll sell anyone a stamp <i>(or internet account)</i> ! - <font color=green>RED </font color=green> <font color=red> GREEN</font color=red> GA to SK

 

[vinniegambini]

Thank you very much!

 

[pauldh]

Grape gave you some good choices there. To clarify what he mentioned with your current system (shudder), make sure you have an AGP slot before upgrading as many systems come with integrated graphics and no AGP slots, in which case you have to buy a plain PCI card (not the new PCI-e), or replace the motherboard.



<A HREF="http://service.futuremark.com/compare?2k3=3400555" target="_new"> My</A> <A HREF="http://service.futuremark.com/compare?2k1=8268935" target="_new">Gamer</A>

 

[vinniegambini]

I have checked it out and it is a small slot, brown in color.

 

[Slava]

I imagine, there are several (usually 5) aligned slots (they are typically white) and one brown slot on your motherboard. The brown slot should be a bit deeper in the case (indented) in comparison to the white slots which are aligned. If that's the case, your brown slot is most likely AGP unless it is a recent brand new system with on-board VGA + a PCI-Express expansion slot (which I doubt). Finally, I've had experiences with some brand-name PCs where the opening on the back panel of the computer was too short and unable to accommodate a standard card. Make sure that this is not the case.

<font color=green>"The creative powers of English morphology are pathetic compared to what we find in other languages." (Steven Pinker, The Language Instinct)</font color=green>

 

[TheGreatGrapeApe]

Typically (but who knows with all the silly mod colouring boards) the standard colour for the AGP slot is Brown, it should be the slot closest to the CPU (in most cases [pardon the pun]).

The only thing to worry about is it might be CNR slot (smaller than AGP), but they re usually way at the end of the MOBO right next to a PCI slot (very close).

Here's a perfect example of the 'legacy' slots;

<A HREF="http://www.giga-byte.com/Motherboard/FileList/ProductImage/photo_6vm7_4i(-l)_big.jpg" target="_new">http://www.giga-byte.com/Motherboard/FileList/ProductImage/photo_6vm7_4i(-l)_big.jpg</A>


From left to right the slots are one ISA, one CNR, two PCI, one AGP.


- You need a licence to buy a gun, but they'll sell anyone a stamp <i>(or internet account)</i> ! - <font color=green>RED </font color=green> <font color=red> GREEN</font color=red> GA to SK