Graphics Help and Advice Needed, please

[totally_addicted]

Hi,

Please help.

I have just started HL2 (wow). My machine is up to the job, but my built in Intel Extreme graphics card just does not do the game justice at all. I obviously need to look at buying a better card, but my problem is its built in so I only have a PCI slot available for the new card.

So in short:

Which cards should I consider buying?
Which of those cards comes in PCI?


Thanks very much inadvance.

Adict!

 

[Ranga]

if you have lots of money: Geforce 6800 GT (i thinks thats teh BIG one) :thumbs:.
or an x800

or radeon 9800 pro (can get pretty cheap now-a-days)

geforce 6600 etc... use google and look for reviews

 

[Kirkburn]

You say PCI - do u mean PCI-Express or just plain OLD PCI?
Are you sure you don't have an AGP slot? Surely if ur PC is up to the job, it must be recent enough to have one. Or do you *actually* have a PCI-express board?

Why don't u try the net and look at prices? How much do u wanna spend?

I went for a 6800 GT if that helps ....

 

[totally_addicted]

Hi Kirkburn.

Unfortunatley my pc has a built in graphics card so theres no agp socket so as you say there is only old-style PCI!


Paul

 

[Kirkburn]

Hmm, you'll be hard pushed to find a good PCI card now ... u might be able to get a 9800 Pro tho.

 

[VirusType2]

Hmm, you'll be hard pushed to find a good PCI card now ... u might be able to get a 9800 Pro tho.

I got a Radeon ATI 9250 PCI 256MB for $130. Its good Im sure my Celeron 2.666 just sux...

The other day I saw a new? nvidia card PCI 256 MB with a built in fan. It was $200. but you get what you pay for man.

I am interested in it, I don't remember the Model number tho, and the Nvidia site i couldnt find (too lazy?) a list of all their cards. Anyone know what Im talkin about? lol

 

[Kirkburn]

So, uh, as I said you'll be hard pushed to find a GOOD PCI card now.
You won't get better than a FX5200 or a 9250 on PCI ... unless you are incredibly lucky. Which you invariably won't be.

And no, neither of those cards are particulary good when it comes to HL2, sorry :s You'll be best upgrading the mobo, really. Soz, if that's not a great help ....

 

[Dumb Dude]

Well, I used to have a GeForce 4 MX 400 PCI and Hl2 ran perfectly fine with well above normal settings. You can get that for about $50 give or take a few dolllars. That card is only DX7 though, so you won't see the bump mapping or nice water effects.

 

[Kirkburn]

Dumb Dude must you always disagree with me?
Oh fine, yes you can run it with those cards, but not with some of the cool bells and whistles (and we all know they're very important, very important indeed). Well without most of the bells. Not sure about the whilstles, tho ...

 

[Dumb Dude]

The whistles will sound strange. Also, I find a DX9 PCI card to be kinda shady. Not my cup of juice or somthing.

 

[VirusType2]

The whistles will sound strange. Also, I find a DX9 PCI card to be kinda shady. Not my cup of juice or somthing.

let me be sure Im reading this right.

My Ati PCIcard is DX8.1 with "100%" DX9 support

nvidia card PCI is DX9 this is shady?
I would think it would work alot better then an DX8.1 card

Ive been planning on buying the nvidia card

 

[DrDevin]

ATI 9250 is probably the best PCI card you will find. Get the 128MB version and you should be happy if you dont want resolutions above 1024X768 and in most cases 800X600. It does feature DX 8.1 (PS 1.4) and runs most games reasonably well. Dumb Dude is partially right. I havent seen any "real" DX 9 PCI cards. There is the GeforceFX 5200 but I havent heard of a game that the 5200 runs in DX9 mode or runs "well" in DX 9 mode. So consider a DX9 PCI card "shady" until you check it out. Also almost all cards since DX 6 cards are DX9 "compatable" this means they run in games that have DX 9 effects but can default to DX 6 mode. Like you said a Radeon **** is DX 9 compatable but does not support DX 9 effects/features. Finally DX is just a set of Pixel and Vertex shaders it has no impact on a cards performance at rendering DX effects.

 

[giant384]

there is a geforce fx 5700le same speed as a 5200 but i got it to oc to 360/450 or u can fine a 5600 somewhere