graphics card options on G2?

[slat26]

i want a card that will run G2 well, but i dont want to pay a fortune. i have an hp pavilion 7940, with the graphics card integrated on the motherboard. i understand i will have to disable it once i get another one. i am running XP professional, and have a 256MB ram. i was looking at a GeForce 2 card for around $30. will this be good? anything else for under $50?

Thanks!

[rutat]

I picked up a Radeon 9550 for about $60 US. Runs G2 like all get out an will run G3 and any other pure DX9 hw app. Get a card that truly support DirectX 9 in HARDWARE.

[bluesky123]

Radeon 9600 with 128 bit memory bus costs probably around $70 at NewEgg.com/ChiefValue.com. It runs G2 at 1600x1200-32bit resolution insanely fast.
But when I tried G3 on the new flying field (the one with the gate), the frame rate was pretty low even at reduced resolution and 16bit color, though the old flying fields (the same as G2 has) were pretty smooth. G3 requires more poverful video card--I'm waiting for the price of the cards like nVidia 6600 to get below $100 mark, then I'll upgrate.
:)

[slat26]

thanks for the replies fo far!

is ati better than nividia? i saw a Geforce4 MX AGP 128 MB card on walmart.com for around $57. would this be alright?

[bluesky123]

No-no-no, stay away from MX cards! GeForce4 MX is slower than "full" GeForce2!
The amount of memory, 128MB vs. 32MB, does not matter as the video chip is the slowest link.

ATI vs. nVidia is a difficult question. I have both. In my opinion, the cards of the same "weight category" perform very close to each other. Often, ATI-based cards can be found cheaper than similar cards based on nVidia chips (that's why 2 of my cards are Radeons and only one GeForce), but nVidia drivers seem to be more reliable than the ones by ATI.

For serious performance comarison look at PC hardware sites like tomshardware.com. Also, search for "new computer" thread at this forum--there is ton of info there, including the links to video card compariosn.

:)

[slat26]

blue, when i looked at new egg.com i noticed there are many radeon 9600 cards in the $70 price range, can you tell me which one you bought?

[bluesky123]

I bought both pretty long ago--one about 6 and another probably 12 months ago.
One card (I bought it refurbished) is this:
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=14-102-305&depa=1
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=14-102-289R&type=Refurbished
Wery well built, passive heatsink => quiet.

The other one I got (I bought it new):
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=14-164-022R&type=Refurbished
Not as well built, but works equally well, no problems so far.

Please be warned: "refurbished" video cards are sometimes just new OEM cards and sometimes defective units, which somebody returned to NewEgg (once, I even got a sticker "bad" on a refurbished card I bought there). So, it's up to you to decide if savings from buying a "refurbished" card are worth the risk of paying for the return shipping.

Disclaimer: I am not saying that Radeon 9600 are the only cards, which work well with RealFlight G2. IMHO, they deliver very high performance/price value, but, if you are lucky, you sometimes can get even a better deal on even a more powerful card. It's just that, when you need something now, there's no deal to be found for this particular item.
:(

[slat26]

thanks for the links, i just checked on hp's website, and it doesn't look like my PC has any AGP slots. so its looks like i will need a PCI compatiable card.

would this be good?
http://www.newegg.com/app/viewproductdesc.asp?description=14-108-129&DEPA=0

all of this looks like a foreign language to me, what should i look for in a good card? i am sure i would be hapy with any card, because the one i have now is terrible.

[Merkaba]

Interesting...so i have a dell dimension...I dont know what my card is...whatever came with the normal setup. Runs G2 perfectly unless I have like three other windows open. I have 256 Ram...so If I got a new video card would it work with G3 or would I have to have more Ram. I have a 2.79 Ghz pentium 4. Could I be G3 able with this setup and a new video card. How can I find out what kind of card I have or does anyone else have the standard dell dimension like I have that knows off the bat...??

[rutat]

http://www.belarc.com/free_download.html OR call Dell or check the website.

[slat26]

[QUOTE=slat26]

http://www.newegg.com/app/viewproductdesc.asp?description=14-108-129&DEPA=0

allQUOTE]

do you think this would be good?

[bluesky123]

I used to have FX5200 card (AGP, not PCI) and it was much-much slower that Radeon 9600. It will be fine for G2, but you may forget about G3/Reflex/AFPD.
:(
Check if your computer has a PCI-X slot (it's a new standard, which replaced AGP). If it has, you may be able to buy a powerful new PCI-X card even a little chaper than a similar AGP card.

[slat26]

how do i tell if i have a PCI-X slot? i have been told that PCI slots are normally white, and AGP are darker in color. i doubt i have a newer PCI slot because my computer is about 5 years old.

Thanks!

edit: on new egg, i didn't even see a radeon 9600 for PCI

[rutat]

http://common.ziffdavisinternet.com/util_get_image/9/0,1311,sz=1&i=91747,00.jpg The black thing is PCI Express. A 5 yr old PC will likely NOT have PCI-X Maybe a 4x AGP

[bluesky123]

I see...
5 year old PC can't have PCI-X, that's for sure. If it doesn't have an AGP slot, your only solution would be a PCI card. PCI bus imposes limitation on the speed and PCI video cards are usually more expensive than AGP cards based on the same video chip (besides, very few new cards are made for PCI).
May be the most economical solution would be buying a brand new PC, which can somtimes be found pretty cheap--follow "Hot Deals" forums and you may be able to buy a powerful box under $300:
http://forums.anandtech.com/categories.cfm?catid=40
http://www.fatwallet.com/forums/categories.php?catid=18
http://www.techbargains.com/
:)

[slat26]

i will take a picture of the inside of my PC, then you could tell me what i have.


sorry but buyin a whole new PC would be way out of my budget range.

BTW, i have been using G2 for a few days on my PC and it seems to be working alright, i turned off the smoke and some other effects, and it runs pretty smooth.

Happy Easter!
Chris

[bluesky123]

> i will take a picture of the inside of my PC...
It's easier to google the name of the motherboard. Though picture will definitely help to prove the absence of the AGP slot.

G2 requires much less powerful video card--it'll be quite happy with FX5200.
It's if you try to run the latest generation of R/C simulator like G3/Reflex/AFPD, you'll feel the limitation of the slow video.

[slat26]

here you go...

im not planning on getting another sim for a while, i am quite content with this one :D . is prolink a good brand, or is there another you recommend?

edit: sorry that white band is in the way, i will take another if neccesary.

[bluesky123]

Yes, there's no AGP slot on this motherboard. If it were there, it would have been located exactly where the CPU BOARD connector is...
:(
AFAIK, Prolink is a "no name" or "generic" brand, which may mean nothing--I've been quite happy with many no-name components.

[slat26]

alright, if it is a Geforce chip then i would think it would be the same as any other FX5200.

i think ill go ahead an get it, thanks for all your help. :D