Need a new Video card?

C

cmcfaul

Guest
Half Life 2 is telling me my video card does not meet minimum requirements.

I have the Voodoo 4 (4500). Do I need to simply install better drivers. If yes, recommendations please. If I need a better card, recommendations please.

Current rig:

AMD 1.5 ghz
1 gig of ram
Win xp Pro
VooDoo 4500.
 
Sorry, that card is too old and weak to run Half-Life 2, no matter what. Your CPU isn't great, either, but it will run the game.

New card... the main question is, how big is your budget? If you're in the United States, you could try shopping at newegg.com.

For 140 USD, you can get a GeForce 6660 there, or a 6800 with 256 MB VRAM for 283 USD. That's an expensive card, but you don't get much better than that.

If you have a smaller upgrade budget, take a GeForce FX 5700. It's a DirectX 9 level card and runs all current games, although not always at the highest quality with good performance. You should be able to find such a card around 70$ though which is considerably cheaper than the new options.
 
Thanks, I will be buying a new video card later today. I know my CPU is borderline. Is it advisable to simply buy a faster AMD CPU and plug it into the existing board?

Thanks,

Chris
 
Chances are you are going to need a newer motherboard as well. As Solver suggested, use Newegg.com if you are in the US.
 
They have excellent shipping, good prices, and good stock. If you read the reviews for just about any product, there will be some mention about how fast Newegg shipped their item.
 
Do some comparisons between NewEgg and Zipzoomfly.com. They are good too with free shipping. I've never had an issue with them.

Hulk
 
Newegg.com has good prices and from what I hear also shipping. I'm not in the US so I can't use that, but I have only heard good things about them.

Your CPU... upgrading that will turn out to be expensive. First, CPUs themselves are expensive, secondly, they will typically require a new motherboard. Your motherboard probably supports speedsof up to around 1.8 GHz. But buying a new CPU and a motherboard, in addition to a video card, is a considerable expense.

If you get a decent video card and are satisfied not to run the game at the highest quality and to experience above average loading times, you will run it fine.
 
Thanks, plan of attack is to buy a very good video card and evaluate. If performance is poor then I will have to bit the bullet and buy a CPU Motherboard combination (will prob need new memory as well).

It amazing how quickly one's computer becomes obsolete.

Chris
 
NO to steam, that's for solver,
(i've never even worked with steam!)
i think i should completly change my computer for HL2! it's 500 MHz, 128 ram, 64 MB VGA, it's not that bad, right? i mean like for 6 years ago it was cool.
 
joule said:
lol

So true.

Good luck on the upgrading.
Click to expand...
My computer was good...2 years ago. Now it's a "wow..a 2.8 ghz eh? I got a 3.8 for 500 BUX! BOOYA!" :(
 
Don't buy anything more than a low-end card, you'll just be wasting your money. If you were to buy a Geforce 6600 or Radeon 9800, you wouldn't get the full potential of the card because the CPU would be holding you back.
 
jerkasaur said:
NO to steam, that's for solver,
(i've never even worked with steam!)
i think i should completly change my computer for HL2! it's 500 MHz, 128 ram, 64 MB VGA, it's not that bad, right? i mean like for 6 years ago it was cool.
Click to expand...

u THINK u should lol u should lol not think about it
 
I bought the GeFroce 5500 with 256 megs of memory and it works flawlessly in my rig!

It was on sale at Micro Center for $56.00. I wanted to spend more but the sales person talked me into this card and it looks like a great purchase :) One of the reasons to buy at a store rather then online.

I still get my but kicked repeatedly in Death Match but getting better.

THANKS for all your help!

Chris
 
up and running great

I bought the GeFroce 5500 with 256 megs of memory and it works flawlessly in my rig!

It was on sale at Micro Center for $56.00. I wanted to spend more but the sales person talked me into this card and it looks like a great purchase :) One of the reasons to buy at a store rather then online.

I still get my but kicked repeatedly in Death Match but getting better.

:cheers:
Chris
 
I also have a 3200+, a 64 shared integrated graphics and I also have the below minumum graphics card. I run anyway, I get to the part where you talk to the guy who was diguised in the room and shortly after that, I get an error and the game shuts down. I am running directx 9 I believe, but I am not sure if it is the graphics card that is causing the problem. Any suggestions??
 
stoneyboy said:
I also have a 3200+, a 64 shared integrated graphics and I also have the below minumum graphics card. I run anyway, I get to the part where you talk to the guy who was diguised in the room and shortly after that, I get an error and the game shuts down. I am running directx 9 I believe, but I am not sure if it is the graphics card that is causing the problem. Any suggestions??
Click to expand...
No. You're not running DirectX9.
Yes. It's more than likely the graphics card, or lack thereof, that is causing the problem.
Yes. You need a video card.
 
I am running directx 9 I believe, but I am not sure if it is the graphics card that is causing the problem. Any suggestions??
Click to expand...
You probably have DX9 Software installed, but your graphics card will only support probably up to Dx7.

Try Validating and yes get a new video card.
btw, my 7800 is on the way from newegg!!! can't wait ^_^.
 
thanks guys. i am looking at an ati 9600 all in wonder. would i bennefit more with memory upgrade instead?
 
stoneyboy said:
thanks guys. i am looking at an ati 9600 all in wonder. would i bennefit more with memory upgrade instead?
Click to expand...

You would benefit more with video card AND memory upgrade.
 
I wish I still had my Voodoo3 2000. I remember upgrading to this and Tribes looked so good.
 
jerkasaur said:
NO to steam, that's for solver,
(i've never even worked with steam!)
i think i should completly change my computer for HL2! it's 500 MHz, 128 ram, 64 MB VGA, it's not that bad, right? i mean like for 6 years ago it was cool.
Click to expand...
That's about half to a quarter of the MINIMUM specs. Put together about 5 or 6 hundred dollars and get a low end PC.
 
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