I was thinking of buying a computer from walmart and wanted to buy a graphics card as well. How do I know it will work with that computer?
How do I know which graphics cards work with which computers?
Check the power supply requirements of the card against the computer's power supply, and check to make sure the computer has an expansion slot that matches the card - AGP, or PCI Express.
Reply:Santa-tude is right.
Reply:You would definitely have to do more research than rely on the information from the price tag.
Many lower end computer, to cut costs, will leave out the 16x PCI-x port. The best place to look would probably be online. The only other place I can think to check this out is the computer box itself. Look for something along the lines of graphics port or video card upgradeable or something else along those lines.
You may also have to ask.
Good luck!
Reply:Why don't you come back with a new thread, and tell us what computers at Wally World, you're looking at, and what you expect out of the graphics card? Is it for gamin'? Better go for a computer with plenty of processor power/speed, and it should have at least a PCI-Express x16 slot,and a 400+ watt power supply minimum. Walk through the gamin' isle, pick up some games you'd like to run. Look at the end of the carton for system requirements. Match these to the prospective computer you're looking at.
Reply:In addition to the first post, check to see if you have a low-profile desktop, or standard. What operating system you have (Some wal-marts sell Linux based desktops) and most importantly: How much you want to spend, and what you want to do with your card. Most desktops sold at wal-mart are low-end systems. They won't be great for gaming, so buying a high end game card would be a waste of money, and might even cost more then the entire system alone.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
How can you tell the difference between two graphics cards?
My dad is being stupid an saying that there is no way to tell when a graphics card would be better than another.
...i know that there is a way...but am not sure how to put it into words...
Plz be informative, clear, and understanding...10pts to best answer
How can you tell the difference between two graphics cards?
You have to look at all the specs of the entire card, and understand how they relate to each other. More memory doesn't make it a better card. A 1GB 8500GT will still lose every performance benchmark compared to the 512MB 8800GT. Just because its an Nvidia card doesn't mean its going to perform better then an AMD card. The same 8500GT would lose every performance benchmark if you compare it to the 3850.
For current cards, the things to look for are number of shaders, clock speeds for Shaders, Core, and memory, memory bus width, and core used in the GPU. Realize however that you can't compare stats directly if they come from different companies, or even different lines in the same company. AMD cards have many more shaders then Nvidia, but they are clocked much slower. (not to mention that AMD shaders work differently then Nvidia shaders.)
In some ways, you are each both right. Dad is right, you can't just look at two cards, or their stats, and know which is better. On the other hand, if you look at this stuff long enough, you will start to be able to tell how well something will perform if someone tells you the stats of the card.
Reply:The problem in explaining to your dad is I bet, he is not familiar with the technobabble of pixel shaders and frame rates or rendering capabilities. He probably just figures that if you have a good video picture its good enough.
The only real way you can tell what the performance is, is to use a benchmarking software that tests all of the many technical abilties of the card(s). Just saying this card puts out a higher frame rate than another card, really isn't going to mean a thing to your dad.
Instead, you need to approach this from the standpoint of what you want to do with the specific video card and why the others won't work (as well). I presume that you want to play a specific game(s) which require certain bus speeds, GPU speeds, frame rates. The best thing I think you can do is go to the game sites and look up the game you want to play, find out what the requirements are for the video for that game and then show your dad that you need to have that graphics capability if you need to play that game.
Even benchmarks are not going to convince him, he needs to understand that certain games will not play well or at all without specific graphics capabilities. I think this is the best way to sell him on the idea, if he is going to be sold at all.
you might want to leave some questions on some game forums and see if you can get other gamers to tell you which cards they are using for what games.
Well, that's the best I can do, i think, in answering your question.
PS - I bet your dad is looking at the money, which you may not be aware of all his bills and financial situation, it may not square with him to spend, let's say $500 on a top of the line graphics card when he could make a car payment with that.
You have to see his point, is what I am trying to say. I am just guessing here...Well, good luck.
Reply:first I do not agree that you call your dad a stupid
The best way to tell which one is better search by the card name and look for comments from customers, in forums and bloggers .... sometimes you get lucky and get a video on any where you can see the product that you are asking about and check for its performance ....
Also ask in your area, friends, mall, ....cuz the weather and temp is differ from one place to an other and that may affect the performance
Reply:The highest number of mb that is with the name of the graphics card is the better graphics card. Also, nVidia Geforce graphics cards are higher end than most graphics cards.
Reply:what graphics card are you comparing?
Help for melasma
...i know that there is a way...but am not sure how to put it into words...
Plz be informative, clear, and understanding...10pts to best answer
How can you tell the difference between two graphics cards?
You have to look at all the specs of the entire card, and understand how they relate to each other. More memory doesn't make it a better card. A 1GB 8500GT will still lose every performance benchmark compared to the 512MB 8800GT. Just because its an Nvidia card doesn't mean its going to perform better then an AMD card. The same 8500GT would lose every performance benchmark if you compare it to the 3850.
For current cards, the things to look for are number of shaders, clock speeds for Shaders, Core, and memory, memory bus width, and core used in the GPU. Realize however that you can't compare stats directly if they come from different companies, or even different lines in the same company. AMD cards have many more shaders then Nvidia, but they are clocked much slower. (not to mention that AMD shaders work differently then Nvidia shaders.)
In some ways, you are each both right. Dad is right, you can't just look at two cards, or their stats, and know which is better. On the other hand, if you look at this stuff long enough, you will start to be able to tell how well something will perform if someone tells you the stats of the card.
Reply:The problem in explaining to your dad is I bet, he is not familiar with the technobabble of pixel shaders and frame rates or rendering capabilities. He probably just figures that if you have a good video picture its good enough.
The only real way you can tell what the performance is, is to use a benchmarking software that tests all of the many technical abilties of the card(s). Just saying this card puts out a higher frame rate than another card, really isn't going to mean a thing to your dad.
Instead, you need to approach this from the standpoint of what you want to do with the specific video card and why the others won't work (as well). I presume that you want to play a specific game(s) which require certain bus speeds, GPU speeds, frame rates. The best thing I think you can do is go to the game sites and look up the game you want to play, find out what the requirements are for the video for that game and then show your dad that you need to have that graphics capability if you need to play that game.
Even benchmarks are not going to convince him, he needs to understand that certain games will not play well or at all without specific graphics capabilities. I think this is the best way to sell him on the idea, if he is going to be sold at all.
you might want to leave some questions on some game forums and see if you can get other gamers to tell you which cards they are using for what games.
Well, that's the best I can do, i think, in answering your question.
PS - I bet your dad is looking at the money, which you may not be aware of all his bills and financial situation, it may not square with him to spend, let's say $500 on a top of the line graphics card when he could make a car payment with that.
You have to see his point, is what I am trying to say. I am just guessing here...Well, good luck.
Reply:first I do not agree that you call your dad a stupid
The best way to tell which one is better search by the card name and look for comments from customers, in forums and bloggers .... sometimes you get lucky and get a video on any where you can see the product that you are asking about and check for its performance ....
Also ask in your area, friends, mall, ....cuz the weather and temp is differ from one place to an other and that may affect the performance
Reply:The highest number of mb that is with the name of the graphics card is the better graphics card. Also, nVidia Geforce graphics cards are higher end than most graphics cards.
Reply:what graphics card are you comparing?
Help for melasma
Is there any advantage using two 512mb graphics cards over one 1Gb card?
Say for example you had two 512mb SLI graphics cards, would that be faster, better than just having a single 1gb graphics card? Assuming they're the same in terms of spec in every way, i'm just wondering if dual cards work like dual processors and increase performance not only because of their size but the fact there're two of them.
Is there any advantage using two 512mb graphics cards over one 1Gb card?
Yes it would be faster because of the dual gpu's, not because of the RAM. It may not be much faster though, and it could very much be overkill. Many cards can max out every setting by themselves, and other times dual cards only increase performance when running extremely high resolution, and then only a little sometimes. If you look around at benchmarks for dual setups, many times they only increase performance by 10-15%. I know for sure that a single 8600gt is way more pwerful than two 8400's, and the 8800gts is much much more powerful than two 8600's.
The amount of RAM doesnt have much to do with general performance, but it does effect overall.
A slow gpu with alot of RAM will suck, but a powerful gpu with only a small amount of RAM could be literally several times more powerful.
The great thing about modern cards is that they can use system RAM in addition to the onboard, and man can it make a difference.
I have a laptop with the ATI x1600 128mb with hypermemory (fancy word for shares system RAM) and the amount of system RAM allocated makes a huge difference.
When I had 1gb of RAM there was no system RAM allocated for the card, and my games suffered. In BF2 I only got 1-2fps on highest settings, but as soon as I upgraded to 1.5gb RAM the system allocated an entire 512mb of system RAM and now BF2 plays at anywhere from 45-60 fps on highest settings. Now that I upgraded to 2gb, it has 763mb of RAM allocated, and it runs freakin awesome.
After my experience with this card, I would not hesitate to go with a card with lower RAM as long as I had extra system RAM. The savings could be significant. A gb of RAM is less than $50, but most cards with alot of RAM are more than that, just look at the difference in price between the low RAM 8800 series and the high RAM versions, its $200 in some cases.
Reply:If they had the same GPU core then you would get a speed advantage using SLi, but that can depend on the drivers you use.
Reply:2 GPUs are faster than 1 GPU. It isn't just about the video memory...
"i'm just wondering if dual cards work like dual processors and increase performance" - Absolutely right!!!
Reply:they all use the same buses , so makes no odds about if they are on 1 / 2 ports. as said before.. more about the gpu's
so say you had ONE card that supported 2 gpu chips, would be fast..
SLI doesn't warrent me getting a new MOBO anyway. I didn't think the FPS in games was that much higher.
Reply:I would simply say that then if one card lost data, you wouldnt loose everything, if it was spread across two cards
Reply:Toms Hardware has some excellent info on this. (and on most other things gpu related). Have a look here...
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/245454...
Is there any advantage using two 512mb graphics cards over one 1Gb card?
Yes it would be faster because of the dual gpu's, not because of the RAM. It may not be much faster though, and it could very much be overkill. Many cards can max out every setting by themselves, and other times dual cards only increase performance when running extremely high resolution, and then only a little sometimes. If you look around at benchmarks for dual setups, many times they only increase performance by 10-15%. I know for sure that a single 8600gt is way more pwerful than two 8400's, and the 8800gts is much much more powerful than two 8600's.
The amount of RAM doesnt have much to do with general performance, but it does effect overall.
A slow gpu with alot of RAM will suck, but a powerful gpu with only a small amount of RAM could be literally several times more powerful.
The great thing about modern cards is that they can use system RAM in addition to the onboard, and man can it make a difference.
I have a laptop with the ATI x1600 128mb with hypermemory (fancy word for shares system RAM) and the amount of system RAM allocated makes a huge difference.
When I had 1gb of RAM there was no system RAM allocated for the card, and my games suffered. In BF2 I only got 1-2fps on highest settings, but as soon as I upgraded to 1.5gb RAM the system allocated an entire 512mb of system RAM and now BF2 plays at anywhere from 45-60 fps on highest settings. Now that I upgraded to 2gb, it has 763mb of RAM allocated, and it runs freakin awesome.
After my experience with this card, I would not hesitate to go with a card with lower RAM as long as I had extra system RAM. The savings could be significant. A gb of RAM is less than $50, but most cards with alot of RAM are more than that, just look at the difference in price between the low RAM 8800 series and the high RAM versions, its $200 in some cases.
Reply:If they had the same GPU core then you would get a speed advantage using SLi, but that can depend on the drivers you use.
Reply:2 GPUs are faster than 1 GPU. It isn't just about the video memory...
"i'm just wondering if dual cards work like dual processors and increase performance" - Absolutely right!!!
Reply:they all use the same buses , so makes no odds about if they are on 1 / 2 ports. as said before.. more about the gpu's
so say you had ONE card that supported 2 gpu chips, would be fast..
SLI doesn't warrent me getting a new MOBO anyway. I didn't think the FPS in games was that much higher.
Reply:I would simply say that then if one card lost data, you wouldnt loose everything, if it was spread across two cards
Reply:Toms Hardware has some excellent info on this. (and on most other things gpu related). Have a look here...
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/245454...
What are the best graphics cards out there?
I've been playing around in graphics mostly with PSP9 and a little PhotoShop. I recently wanted to check out Entropia Universe and couldnt because my Intel 82810E graphics card isnt cutting it anymore. ( I'm so sure that I'm way out of date by now) Does anyone know whats the best I can get, and maybe whats the best at a cheap price so I can compare? I really have no idea what I need to look for in a card, or what the typical price is. Thanks in advance for any advice/opinions you might offer.
What are the best graphics cards out there?
the best card out today are nvidia's 8 series, their top of the line is the 8800GTX Ultra OC
Prices range from $300-$600
What are the best graphics cards out there?
the best card out today are nvidia's 8 series, their top of the line is the 8800GTX Ultra OC
Prices range from $300-$600
Whats the difference between 2 agp graphics cards?
I have been shopping around for graphics cards. I have an AGP slot so i need an AGP card but when i look at them some have 2 parts to go in to the AGP slot and other have 3. Is there a difference or can i use either. My AGP slot seems to have only 2 spaces. Can any1 help me? I hate technical stuff
Whats the difference between 2 agp graphics cards?
some cards just have that for some reason. As long as you know that its an AGP slot in your computer and the card is AGP then you'll have no problems.
Reply:The answer depends upon your particular motherboard. Older AGP cards ran on 3.3 volts and the more recent ones run on 1.5. Take a look at your AGP slot and compare it to these diagrams. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agp#Compati...
This should help you figure out what you need. Basically, if the card will fit your AGP slot, then it should be fine. If your computer is only a few years old, then it should be a 1.5v slot. Just make sure the card you get is 1.5v compliant. Putting a 3.3v "universal" card into a 1.5v motherboard, even though it fits, will blow out your motherboard.
Reply:jen, nothing to be confused about,
as you saw, the first two of the parts that you've seen are the ones that slides into the slot, the back part of it, which sort of looks like a tail, doesn't get into AGP slot, its just to lock your card tight without moving where motherboard supports so.
Then again, the third part is simply nothing but a lock handle. Just go ahead and purchase your card and slide it in, you'd have no problems at all, and enjoy your new visual experience, good luck. hope my answer helped.
Reply:Difference between 1.5V AGP and .8V AGP:
http://www.directron.com/15agpguide.html
Whats the difference between 2 agp graphics cards?
some cards just have that for some reason. As long as you know that its an AGP slot in your computer and the card is AGP then you'll have no problems.
Reply:The answer depends upon your particular motherboard. Older AGP cards ran on 3.3 volts and the more recent ones run on 1.5. Take a look at your AGP slot and compare it to these diagrams. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agp#Compati...
This should help you figure out what you need. Basically, if the card will fit your AGP slot, then it should be fine. If your computer is only a few years old, then it should be a 1.5v slot. Just make sure the card you get is 1.5v compliant. Putting a 3.3v "universal" card into a 1.5v motherboard, even though it fits, will blow out your motherboard.
Reply:jen, nothing to be confused about,
as you saw, the first two of the parts that you've seen are the ones that slides into the slot, the back part of it, which sort of looks like a tail, doesn't get into AGP slot, its just to lock your card tight without moving where motherboard supports so.
Then again, the third part is simply nothing but a lock handle. Just go ahead and purchase your card and slide it in, you'd have no problems at all, and enjoy your new visual experience, good luck. hope my answer helped.
Reply:Difference between 1.5V AGP and .8V AGP:
http://www.directron.com/15agpguide.html
Will graphics card makes make there graphics cards with less power usage?
Will graphics card makes make there graphics cards with less power usage but still a strong graphics card
Will graphics card makes make there graphics cards with less power usage?
yes, and those settings would also nuke your performance. If you cannot handle the power consumption get an older card or spend the 80 bucks and upgrade your power supply
Reply:Nope, but there are settings you can change. ; )
riding boots
Will graphics card makes make there graphics cards with less power usage?
yes, and those settings would also nuke your performance. If you cannot handle the power consumption get an older card or spend the 80 bucks and upgrade your power supply
Reply:Nope, but there are settings you can change. ; )
riding boots
What is the point of having 2 graphics cards?
is the point of having 2 graphics cards for dual screen gaming and do they have to be SLI?
What is the point of having 2 graphics cards?
Some video cards, are able to bridge together and become a "virtual" one. Most people have two video cards for compatibility or multi-screening. I myself have a quad screen setup. They don't have to be SLI. I have 2 Nvidia cards and and ATI and they work together even though they are all different types of cards.
SLI is only used to bridge as far as I know.
Reply:Having more than one graphics card means more graphical power. Basically, you are combining the power of both cards.
Yes, they have to be SLI.
Reply:for now YES! SLI is the new way to reach the pinnicle of maximum gaming. SLI basically makes it to where each card focuses on only half of the screen. In the same way it doubles your graphics. For now the cards have to be the same make and model. You can't have an 8800 with 8600 GT side support. Get SLI, you can find decent SLI cards at www.tigerdirect.com . If you decide to get SLI, make sure the motherboard and the graphics cards are SLI ready.
Reply:The POint?? To brag about your system. No one needs 2 of the latest graphics cards, cureetly to play games, but then, Its nice to have games go at 140fps!
What is the point of having 2 graphics cards?
Some video cards, are able to bridge together and become a "virtual" one. Most people have two video cards for compatibility or multi-screening. I myself have a quad screen setup. They don't have to be SLI. I have 2 Nvidia cards and and ATI and they work together even though they are all different types of cards.
SLI is only used to bridge as far as I know.
Reply:Having more than one graphics card means more graphical power. Basically, you are combining the power of both cards.
Yes, they have to be SLI.
Reply:for now YES! SLI is the new way to reach the pinnicle of maximum gaming. SLI basically makes it to where each card focuses on only half of the screen. In the same way it doubles your graphics. For now the cards have to be the same make and model. You can't have an 8800 with 8600 GT side support. Get SLI, you can find decent SLI cards at www.tigerdirect.com . If you decide to get SLI, make sure the motherboard and the graphics cards are SLI ready.
Reply:The POint?? To brag about your system. No one needs 2 of the latest graphics cards, cureetly to play games, but then, Its nice to have games go at 140fps!
How good will Call of Duty 4 be on these graphics cards?
How good will Call of Duty 4 be on these graphics cards?
Ati HD 2600Pro (512mb)
Ati X1950Pro (256mb)
7600 GT (256mb)
How good will Call of Duty 4 be on these graphics cards?
hi mate
each of these cards have unique architectures,and all will play c.o.d 4 without a problem
the Ati HD 2600Pro (512mb) is a direct x 10 card ,and although the most future proof card its not the most powerful,however its core clock speed of 800mhz is the best of the three but its bandwidth is its let down
next the Ati X1950Pro (256mb) is a real powerhouse of a card,and this is mainly down to its pixel pipelines,and theres loads of them,36 pipelines infact,and with a decent 600mhz core clock and you have quite a performer
finally the 7600gt is the most popular mid range card with gamers,and this is mainly because for a £70 card you get £150 graphics,and with a 800mhz memory clock and 560mhz core clock this is quite powerful aswell,a all round solid performer
call of duty 4 will perform well on all of these cards,for the best in-game effects the hd2600pro will perform the best due to its dx10 and pixel and shader model 4.0 compliancy,and its core and clock speeds help it along with good frame rates
the ati x1950pro will probally give you the best frame rates due to its sheer power,but with just dx9.0c compliancy the in-game effects will not be as good as the hd2600pro
finally the geforce 7600gt is a solid card for this game(i use this card),by default it sets call of duty 4 at the following settings
resolution...1024x768
antianilising.....x4
antistropic filtering....off
texture level..auto
theres loads of other settings however i find you can easily increase the resolution to 1280x1024 without any reduction in performance
any problems let me know
good luck mate !
Reply:I have a HD 2600PRO (512MB) overclocked quite a bit, i'm installing CoD4 right now, i'll tell how it goes and post some screenies. Report Abuse
Reply:its a fairly hard question to answer without knowing your system,and depending how critical you are on the running of the program(graphic quality,anti-aliasing etc) i use an ati x 1900 512, 3.6 p4 cpu(water cooled) 3gb ram and the card is running with all modes on full or high quality,and its overclocked slightly,i can run brothers in arms,and ghost recon perfectly with these settings,so with a reasonable setup,id guess any of these should run it fairly well.
Reply:Well seen as tho the game requires a min of a NV6600/ ATI 9800pro, all of the cards you name should be fine. but it will depend on the rest of your system, cpu of around 2.4ghz and ram of at least 512mb for xp and 768mb for vista.........
I have the game and am running it on a amd 4800+ x2, with 3gb ram and 2x 8500gt in sli, and it flies.........hope this helps....
Reply:all those cards would to great i have a intergrated graphics card and Call of Duty 4 looks good on my computer
Reply:yes hd is like the future tech and i love cod 4
ati hd -amazing
atix1950pro-amazing
7600 gt-amazing
if not then your comp is crap
Reply:Wowa wowa wowssssssssssss...... :-)
(wowing in amazement)
Not really m8 ^^
Soz but they won't be that gr8 ....
I have a m8 that has a better spec system and the graphics dnt beat the 360 (xbox NOT Yahoo 360)
Und ja, he has Call of Duty 4
Reply:All of those cards will work very well with CoD4...the best performance coming from the X1950Pro.
To the first poster...there's NO WAY you have integrated graphics and the game looks good. Unless a still picture of a game looks good to you...
and to the guy above me...the PC version of the game looks much better than the 360 version when the PC version is run maxxed out.
Reply:You are better off going for the 512mb graphic card as this will help with better visuals. As it happens I am waiting to get myself a new graphics card to play COD 4, the card I am going for is the Radeon X1950 pro 512mb pcie, getting a card with 512mb will not only help with better visuals but it will also help to prevent lag when playing online. What you should check also is the power requirements of the cards and see if your current power supply unit will do the job. The x1950 requires 400w so I am having to upgrade my PSU as well but it is totally worth it, according to all reports I have had from my friends COD 4 is an awesome game and I cant wait to play it.
Reply:With an E6300 (2.8) Intel processor, 2Gb DDR2 (800) running Windows Vista with the resolution set to 1024x768 and no anti-aliasing or anisotropic filtering (everything else left to optimum) you could expect:
18fps from the HD2600Pro
21fps from the 7600GT
45fps from the X1950GT
a 7950GT would probably run at 60+ fps
If you have XP rather than Vista, you can expect results to be better by between 10% and 20%.
If you have a flat panel monitor whose native resolution is not 1024x768 - using 1024x768 is guaranteed to made whatever you're looking at look rather poor.
Increasing the resolution to 1600x1200 drops the Vista frame rates to 12.2 for the HD2600Pro and 26.2 for the X1950Pro.
Having only 256Mb doesn't impact frame rates until you get to higher resolutions than 1600x1200 - by which time the HD2600Pro isn't playable anyway - it's the poorest of the cards you are considering.
I replaced my 7600GT with a 7950GT (256Mb) when I bought a widescreen monitor (22"). In 3DMark, it gets the same fps scores for 1680x1050 as it does for 1280x1024...
You will need to take account of whether your PSU will be up to the job - this will depend on the specific model of card you go for.
Ati HD 2600Pro (512mb)
Ati X1950Pro (256mb)
7600 GT (256mb)
How good will Call of Duty 4 be on these graphics cards?
hi mate
each of these cards have unique architectures,and all will play c.o.d 4 without a problem
the Ati HD 2600Pro (512mb) is a direct x 10 card ,and although the most future proof card its not the most powerful,however its core clock speed of 800mhz is the best of the three but its bandwidth is its let down
next the Ati X1950Pro (256mb) is a real powerhouse of a card,and this is mainly down to its pixel pipelines,and theres loads of them,36 pipelines infact,and with a decent 600mhz core clock and you have quite a performer
finally the 7600gt is the most popular mid range card with gamers,and this is mainly because for a £70 card you get £150 graphics,and with a 800mhz memory clock and 560mhz core clock this is quite powerful aswell,a all round solid performer
call of duty 4 will perform well on all of these cards,for the best in-game effects the hd2600pro will perform the best due to its dx10 and pixel and shader model 4.0 compliancy,and its core and clock speeds help it along with good frame rates
the ati x1950pro will probally give you the best frame rates due to its sheer power,but with just dx9.0c compliancy the in-game effects will not be as good as the hd2600pro
finally the geforce 7600gt is a solid card for this game(i use this card),by default it sets call of duty 4 at the following settings
resolution...1024x768
antianilising.....x4
antistropic filtering....off
texture level..auto
theres loads of other settings however i find you can easily increase the resolution to 1280x1024 without any reduction in performance
any problems let me know
good luck mate !
Reply:I have a HD 2600PRO (512MB) overclocked quite a bit, i'm installing CoD4 right now, i'll tell how it goes and post some screenies. Report Abuse
Reply:its a fairly hard question to answer without knowing your system,and depending how critical you are on the running of the program(graphic quality,anti-aliasing etc) i use an ati x 1900 512, 3.6 p4 cpu(water cooled) 3gb ram and the card is running with all modes on full or high quality,and its overclocked slightly,i can run brothers in arms,and ghost recon perfectly with these settings,so with a reasonable setup,id guess any of these should run it fairly well.
Reply:Well seen as tho the game requires a min of a NV6600/ ATI 9800pro, all of the cards you name should be fine. but it will depend on the rest of your system, cpu of around 2.4ghz and ram of at least 512mb for xp and 768mb for vista.........
I have the game and am running it on a amd 4800+ x2, with 3gb ram and 2x 8500gt in sli, and it flies.........hope this helps....
Reply:all those cards would to great i have a intergrated graphics card and Call of Duty 4 looks good on my computer
Reply:yes hd is like the future tech and i love cod 4
ati hd -amazing
atix1950pro-amazing
7600 gt-amazing
if not then your comp is crap
Reply:Wowa wowa wowssssssssssss...... :-)
(wowing in amazement)
Not really m8 ^^
Soz but they won't be that gr8 ....
I have a m8 that has a better spec system and the graphics dnt beat the 360 (xbox NOT Yahoo 360)
Und ja, he has Call of Duty 4
Reply:All of those cards will work very well with CoD4...the best performance coming from the X1950Pro.
To the first poster...there's NO WAY you have integrated graphics and the game looks good. Unless a still picture of a game looks good to you...
and to the guy above me...the PC version of the game looks much better than the 360 version when the PC version is run maxxed out.
Reply:You are better off going for the 512mb graphic card as this will help with better visuals. As it happens I am waiting to get myself a new graphics card to play COD 4, the card I am going for is the Radeon X1950 pro 512mb pcie, getting a card with 512mb will not only help with better visuals but it will also help to prevent lag when playing online. What you should check also is the power requirements of the cards and see if your current power supply unit will do the job. The x1950 requires 400w so I am having to upgrade my PSU as well but it is totally worth it, according to all reports I have had from my friends COD 4 is an awesome game and I cant wait to play it.
Reply:With an E6300 (2.8) Intel processor, 2Gb DDR2 (800) running Windows Vista with the resolution set to 1024x768 and no anti-aliasing or anisotropic filtering (everything else left to optimum) you could expect:
18fps from the HD2600Pro
21fps from the 7600GT
45fps from the X1950GT
a 7950GT would probably run at 60+ fps
If you have XP rather than Vista, you can expect results to be better by between 10% and 20%.
If you have a flat panel monitor whose native resolution is not 1024x768 - using 1024x768 is guaranteed to made whatever you're looking at look rather poor.
Increasing the resolution to 1600x1200 drops the Vista frame rates to 12.2 for the HD2600Pro and 26.2 for the X1950Pro.
Having only 256Mb doesn't impact frame rates until you get to higher resolutions than 1600x1200 - by which time the HD2600Pro isn't playable anyway - it's the poorest of the cards you are considering.
I replaced my 7600GT with a 7950GT (256Mb) when I bought a widescreen monitor (22"). In 3DMark, it gets the same fps scores for 1680x1050 as it does for 1280x1024...
You will need to take account of whether your PSU will be up to the job - this will depend on the specific model of card you go for.
What is classified as good, great, and overkill at the moment for graphics cards?
I'm planning on buying a new computer with an NVIDIA GeForce 8400 GS graphics card. I was just wondering how this ranks at the moment in quality. I keep up with most parts of the computer as to what is horrd, good, great, and overkill, but haven't been so dilligent with graphics cards.
Anyway, if anyone could tell me how that card is going to suit me, and about how long it will probably be able to run the best games out there, I'd greatly appreciate it.
What is classified as good, great, and overkill at the moment for graphics cards?
Well I can't say too much about ATi cards because I was never an ATi fan, but in your case:
Geforce 6400 and below = horrid
GeForce 76XX series = good
Geforce 84XX through86XX = great
Geforce 8800GTS and above = overkill
Well in today's terms anyway
Reply:You would be getting a top of the line in my book.
Reply:Himself250 has the million dollar answer.. if you can't afford 1mil, I'd just give him best answer.
Good luck!
Anyway, if anyone could tell me how that card is going to suit me, and about how long it will probably be able to run the best games out there, I'd greatly appreciate it.
What is classified as good, great, and overkill at the moment for graphics cards?
Well I can't say too much about ATi cards because I was never an ATi fan, but in your case:
Geforce 6400 and below = horrid
GeForce 76XX series = good
Geforce 84XX through86XX = great
Geforce 8800GTS and above = overkill
Well in today's terms anyway
Reply:You would be getting a top of the line in my book.
Reply:Himself250 has the million dollar answer.. if you can't afford 1mil, I'd just give him best answer.
Good luck!
Does it make the computer graphics better if you put multiple pci graphics cards?
If I put a 128mb graphics card in the agp slot and 3 64mb pci cards in the pci slots would it add up and make the graphics any better? Or would it just cause a problem like overheating?
What exacly would happen?
Does it make the computer graphics better if you put multiple pci graphics cards?
No, only one graphic card will be utilized at the time. You can select the graphic card options from your hardware list, but only one can work. The graphic RAM will not add up.
Reply:No, it won't do anything because your computer will only use one of the video cards (whichever your cable is plugged into).
Reply:There are a few things that you are going to be taking into account here:
1. How many monitors are you going to be using?
- If you are only going to be needing one monitor, then us one video card (unless you have a graphics accelerator card which plugs into your video card and the monitor plugs into it.)
2. If you are going to be using multiple monitors, how many?
- If you are going to be using 2 monitors, check and see if you have a video card that has multiple video outputs (DVI or VGA - don't useS-Video or Composite video because they don't give a clear picture), then use just that card and it will be faster because the application used to control the card will work better.
- If you are planning on using 3 or more monitors, use three or more video cards and try to find a program the will help to incorperate all three into your desktop.
3. If you are only using 1 or 2 monitors, do some research on the graphics chip for each of your video cards.
- If you have a 128MB video card and a 64MB video card, the 128MB isn't necessarily better! You have to check the graphics chip and the memory sharing capabilities.
- It is possible to use a 64MB card with 256MB shared memory (make sure that your driver software will allow you to do this) and get more out of the card than with a 128MB with the same speed graphics chip.
4. Do you have only PCI cards and slots or do you have AGP or PCI-Express?
- If you have a PCI-Express slot in your computer and a PCI-E card, use it first, if you have an AGP slot in your computer and an AGP card, use it instead, and if you only have PCI cards or PCI slots, then use the PCI cards.
IN SHORT:
Don't use multiple PCI video cards unless you are going to use a bunch of monitors, and yes it will slow down your computer, relatively.
family nanny
What exacly would happen?
Does it make the computer graphics better if you put multiple pci graphics cards?
No, only one graphic card will be utilized at the time. You can select the graphic card options from your hardware list, but only one can work. The graphic RAM will not add up.
Reply:No, it won't do anything because your computer will only use one of the video cards (whichever your cable is plugged into).
Reply:There are a few things that you are going to be taking into account here:
1. How many monitors are you going to be using?
- If you are only going to be needing one monitor, then us one video card (unless you have a graphics accelerator card which plugs into your video card and the monitor plugs into it.)
2. If you are going to be using multiple monitors, how many?
- If you are going to be using 2 monitors, check and see if you have a video card that has multiple video outputs (DVI or VGA - don't useS-Video or Composite video because they don't give a clear picture), then use just that card and it will be faster because the application used to control the card will work better.
- If you are planning on using 3 or more monitors, use three or more video cards and try to find a program the will help to incorperate all three into your desktop.
3. If you are only using 1 or 2 monitors, do some research on the graphics chip for each of your video cards.
- If you have a 128MB video card and a 64MB video card, the 128MB isn't necessarily better! You have to check the graphics chip and the memory sharing capabilities.
- It is possible to use a 64MB card with 256MB shared memory (make sure that your driver software will allow you to do this) and get more out of the card than with a 128MB with the same speed graphics chip.
4. Do you have only PCI cards and slots or do you have AGP or PCI-Express?
- If you have a PCI-Express slot in your computer and a PCI-E card, use it first, if you have an AGP slot in your computer and an AGP card, use it instead, and if you only have PCI cards or PCI slots, then use the PCI cards.
IN SHORT:
Don't use multiple PCI video cards unless you are going to use a bunch of monitors, and yes it will slow down your computer, relatively.
family nanny
Is there any AGP graphics cards that are made for computers with limited space?
I would like to put a new graphics card in my PC but I this fan in my computer takes up a lot of space and a lot of the graphics cards I have seen have stuff on the sides of them that may take up to much space. Please help me!
Is there any AGP graphics cards that are made for computers with limited space?
try tigerdirect.com search video cards that are agp, look for small cards..
Is there any AGP graphics cards that are made for computers with limited space?
try tigerdirect.com search video cards that are agp, look for small cards..
What affordable graphics cards support the shader model 3 (SM3) and are vista compatable?
Looking for a new graphics card in the $100-$200 range (maybe up to $300 if absolutely neccessary) and I've heard many people talk about vista and new next gen games kinda needing this. The specs I've found on cards are sparse unless your paying $1 a MB for a 768mb card or something. Could anyone recommend something more affordable?
What affordable graphics cards support the shader model 3 (SM3) and are vista compatable?
Going with a GeForce, (I do not touch ATIs because they are bad with free software), you need to get something in the 8000 series (8xxx). I think one of these should be good for you:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as...
The more expensive one is, of course, quite a bit nicer.
What affordable graphics cards support the shader model 3 (SM3) and are vista compatable?
Going with a GeForce, (I do not touch ATIs because they are bad with free software), you need to get something in the 8000 series (8xxx). I think one of these should be good for you:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as...
The more expensive one is, of course, quite a bit nicer.
What graphics cards are compatible with my Compaq desktop?
I want to get a new graphics card to replace the Intel 82845 graphics thing I have.
I have a Compaq Presario SR1123WM desktop. I want to know what graphics cards are compatible to it.
Is there any site or some place I can go to check this? Or would you know which ones are?
Thanks.
What graphics cards are compatible with my Compaq desktop?
Probably any GC that's 128mb or less unless you upgrade to a new MoBo as well. Your processor seems fine.
BTW, newegg.com, fudzilla.com
Reply:Nvidea makes some good ones as well as ATI. Your model seems recent so you shouldn't have any trouble finding one.
I have a Compaq Presario SR1123WM desktop. I want to know what graphics cards are compatible to it.
Is there any site or some place I can go to check this? Or would you know which ones are?
Thanks.
What graphics cards are compatible with my Compaq desktop?
Probably any GC that's 128mb or less unless you upgrade to a new MoBo as well. Your processor seems fine.
BTW, newegg.com, fudzilla.com
Reply:Nvidea makes some good ones as well as ATI. Your model seems recent so you shouldn't have any trouble finding one.
Can anyone tell me the difference between the Blue and White input on graphics cards and monitors?
On the back of graphics cards it has a white and blue port for the monitor. Which one is better to use or does it not matter?
Can anyone tell me the difference between the Blue and White input on graphics cards and monitors?
The blue is a VGA connector.
The white is probably DVI-I, possibly DVI-D
DVI is a much newer standard and comes in three flavors:
DVI-A is analog. This has exactly the same signals as a VGA connector but in a DVI connector shell. Signal quality is a bit better. You can get adapters that will remap the signals from a DVI-A connector to a VGA connector.
DVI-D is digital. This will give a better image for flat panels as the video signal stays digital from the GPU through to the panel. VGA it gets converted from digital to analog, pushed up the (lossy) cable, sampled and converted back to digital.
DVI-I is analog and digital. Usually seen on the back of video cards. Since the analog signals and the digital signals use different pins you can fully populate the connector and support either.
If you have a second VGA monitor you can connect it via a VGA to DVI-A adapter, provided that the video card has DVI-I rather than DVI-D
If you have a DVI-D input on the monitor, then you will get a slightly better picture connecting via a DVI-D cable than the VGA.
Reply:The blue one is the old VGA connector and the white one is the new HDMI connector. I would use the HDMI connector if your card and monitor both support it.
Reply:don't listen to the first answerer.... the white output is DVI and the blue one is VGA. DVI gives better graphics. Just make sure your graphics card and your monitor support DVI.
shoes stock
Can anyone tell me the difference between the Blue and White input on graphics cards and monitors?
The blue is a VGA connector.
The white is probably DVI-I, possibly DVI-D
DVI is a much newer standard and comes in three flavors:
DVI-A is analog. This has exactly the same signals as a VGA connector but in a DVI connector shell. Signal quality is a bit better. You can get adapters that will remap the signals from a DVI-A connector to a VGA connector.
DVI-D is digital. This will give a better image for flat panels as the video signal stays digital from the GPU through to the panel. VGA it gets converted from digital to analog, pushed up the (lossy) cable, sampled and converted back to digital.
DVI-I is analog and digital. Usually seen on the back of video cards. Since the analog signals and the digital signals use different pins you can fully populate the connector and support either.
If you have a second VGA monitor you can connect it via a VGA to DVI-A adapter, provided that the video card has DVI-I rather than DVI-D
If you have a DVI-D input on the monitor, then you will get a slightly better picture connecting via a DVI-D cable than the VGA.
Reply:The blue one is the old VGA connector and the white one is the new HDMI connector. I would use the HDMI connector if your card and monitor both support it.
Reply:don't listen to the first answerer.... the white output is DVI and the blue one is VGA. DVI gives better graphics. Just make sure your graphics card and your monitor support DVI.
shoes stock
What are the benefits of multiple graphics cards?
I'm currently building the mac pro that I want and they allow you to get up to 4 ATI Radeon HD 2600 XT 256MB graphics cards. I've done research on this card and I see that it isn't good for gaming. My question is if I get four of them will the mac then be suitable to play games that require high powered video cards?
What are the benefits of multiple graphics cards?
The benefit is having more cards to assist with graphical processing. This is not going to double the performance, because of many limiting factors I won't go into. The ATI Radeon 2600XT is an ok card, but nothing special. Having 4 of them is a waste of money in my opinion. If you really need game performance, don't waste your time with MAC.
Reply:You can have multiple graphics cards for more speed and better performance.
I dont recommend putting 4 graphics cards on MAC because it does not support very many games.
Reply:4 graphic cards in a MAC,I think thats not a very good thing since not all games are mac compatible
Reply:no mas!
What are the benefits of multiple graphics cards?
The benefit is having more cards to assist with graphical processing. This is not going to double the performance, because of many limiting factors I won't go into. The ATI Radeon 2600XT is an ok card, but nothing special. Having 4 of them is a waste of money in my opinion. If you really need game performance, don't waste your time with MAC.
Reply:You can have multiple graphics cards for more speed and better performance.
I dont recommend putting 4 graphics cards on MAC because it does not support very many games.
Reply:4 graphic cards in a MAC,I think thats not a very good thing since not all games are mac compatible
Reply:no mas!
How do i get my computer to recognise my sound and graphics cards again?
My computer was wiped clean, and most documents were kept. My computer won't play sound, or pc games like Sims, though. It says it coudn't find a compatible audio or Graphics (DirectX) card. The Windows XP recovery disc was used, but the cards just won't work. ?
How do i get my computer to recognise my sound and graphics cards again?
If it's the same graphics and sound cards that were in the computer when you bought it, you should have a driver CD.
If you can't find the CD, download Belarc Advisor and run it. This will give you a comprehensive breakdown of the hardware and software that makes up your computer.
You'll then need to go online to download the drivers for both your sound card and your video card. (Simply type the name of your sound card/video card into a search engine, followed by driver download. i.e., 'Nvidia driver download' (without the inverted commas)).
Best of luck.
If you have any problems, send me an email and I'll see if I can help from my end. (Click on my photograph/avatar and send email.)
Reply:You need to re-install the drivers so the PC recognises the components and knows how to communicate with them.
Reply:You are going to need to download the drivers (software that allows the system to recognise and use the hardware) for your graphics card and sound card. If it is a shop bought machine you can google the machine name and model number and download these from the manufacturers support site. If unsure mail me the machine model name etc and I'll send you a link to the files you need.
Reply:the prob there is sort you are using an old version of directx much better if you download the latest direct x 9.0c or 10 either it will work not only to sims but it will work to all kinds of games in present whether online or lan games.. you can download it at softpedia.com
How do i get my computer to recognise my sound and graphics cards again?
If it's the same graphics and sound cards that were in the computer when you bought it, you should have a driver CD.
If you can't find the CD, download Belarc Advisor and run it. This will give you a comprehensive breakdown of the hardware and software that makes up your computer.
You'll then need to go online to download the drivers for both your sound card and your video card. (Simply type the name of your sound card/video card into a search engine, followed by driver download. i.e., 'Nvidia driver download' (without the inverted commas)).
Best of luck.
If you have any problems, send me an email and I'll see if I can help from my end. (Click on my photograph/avatar and send email.)
Reply:You need to re-install the drivers so the PC recognises the components and knows how to communicate with them.
Reply:You are going to need to download the drivers (software that allows the system to recognise and use the hardware) for your graphics card and sound card. If it is a shop bought machine you can google the machine name and model number and download these from the manufacturers support site. If unsure mail me the machine model name etc and I'll send you a link to the files you need.
Reply:the prob there is sort you are using an old version of directx much better if you download the latest direct x 9.0c or 10 either it will work not only to sims but it will work to all kinds of games in present whether online or lan games.. you can download it at softpedia.com
What are the differences between various laptop graphics cards?
I don't have a question about any specific cards, but does anyone know of a good site comparing LAPTOP graphics cards side-by-side? Or, can anyone give a good rundown between the Intel chipsets, and the various nVidia/ATI ones? Thanks!
What are the differences between various laptop graphics cards?
Notebook~
~check.net
~forums.com
~review.com
Reply:Actually i will back up basilib's answer here.
Those sites should help out a lot.
What are the differences between various laptop graphics cards?
Notebook~
~check.net
~forums.com
~review.com
Reply:Actually i will back up basilib's answer here.
Those sites should help out a lot.
What are the best graphics cards, and processors for 3D games?
I have an HP Pavilion A1250N with an Amd Athlon 64x2 and 2 GB memory, 250 GB HD, and I'm looking to upgrade for better proformance and better 3D gamming, should I replace the Processor to something better, and Put in a stand alone graphics card, or can I just Replace one or the other? What are the best graphics cards for the money, and a good proccessor if I need one?
What are the best graphics cards, and processors for 3D games?
Your AMD processor is fine, and will be for the next year or so. Gaming is all about the graphics card, the CPU is secondary. A single core Athlon 64 with an 8800 series Nvidia would outperform your AMD Athlon dual core with an x1950pro.
For your money, the best is the 8800GTS. It come in 320mb and 640mb flavors. You only need the 640mb if you have a high rez monitor (Dell 24" or a 21"+ CRT monitor) or you have a 1080p HDTV and you want to game on that.
At $260, this is easily the best card for the money. It has DX10 capabilities for the next gen games coming out Fall/Christmas.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as...
At a more pedestrian budget of $130, we have the ATi x1950Pro. It's only DX9 compatible:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as...
Here is a chart that compares the two cards above. I'm assuming you have a 19" monitor. Look at the blue lines:
http://www23.tomshardware.com/graphics_2...
The minimum you want in shooting/action games is 40 frames per second (FPS). For story / RPG 30 is okay.
http://www23.tomshardware.com/graphics_2...
Either card will require a new power supply as they consume massive amounts of power and your HP probably has a weak 300watt no name in it. And not all 500 watt power supplies are the same. You get what you pay for has great meaning in the power supply world. SilverStone, FSP, Seasonic, etc are some great brands. You want 450-500watts. A cheap power supply can fry your motherboard and other expensive components.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as...
Here is an install video:
http://youtube.com/results?search_query=...
Reply:Best AMD CPU right now is the Athlon 64x2 6000+
Best price for the bang in a video card is the Geforce 8800 320meg but it can cost as much as $300
If thats to much then try to find a Geforce 7800 or 7900.
If your useing the built in video card that is on you computers motherboard that is crap. So getting a stand alone card is a good idea.
But of course your computer would need an available PCIexpress slot to run the good video cards. If it as an AGP slot you can still get a decent stand alone card. AGP slots are generaly brown. PCIexpress are generally black.
Reply:You have a powerful computer already. You could upgrade to a quad core processor.
Reply:The best graphic card today is BFG's 8800GTX Ultra OC
http://www.bfgstore.com/ProductDetails.a...
The best CPUs would be Intel dual and quad cores. (not compatible for your PC)
Reply:Best graphics card at the moment:
Asus EN8800-GTS 640MB
Asus EN8800-GTX 768MB
MSI 8800GTX 768MB
And yes, for optimum performance, you should get a standalone graphics card. Your processor is pretty ok, definitely enough memory so it'll be good to invest in a higher-end graphics card that will last you for a few years. Depending on your budget, you can choose the latest 8800 series or 7950 / 7900 / 7600 series. Only the most hardcore of gamers setting the games at the highest specs would require graphics of the highest end. As for a good processor, you can choose any of those dual core e.g. AM2 EX62 or X5200 / X5000 / X4600. Note that these are AMD processors and check if your motherboard can support these newer processors first before upgrading.
safety boots
What are the best graphics cards, and processors for 3D games?
Your AMD processor is fine, and will be for the next year or so. Gaming is all about the graphics card, the CPU is secondary. A single core Athlon 64 with an 8800 series Nvidia would outperform your AMD Athlon dual core with an x1950pro.
For your money, the best is the 8800GTS. It come in 320mb and 640mb flavors. You only need the 640mb if you have a high rez monitor (Dell 24" or a 21"+ CRT monitor) or you have a 1080p HDTV and you want to game on that.
At $260, this is easily the best card for the money. It has DX10 capabilities for the next gen games coming out Fall/Christmas.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as...
At a more pedestrian budget of $130, we have the ATi x1950Pro. It's only DX9 compatible:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as...
Here is a chart that compares the two cards above. I'm assuming you have a 19" monitor. Look at the blue lines:
http://www23.tomshardware.com/graphics_2...
The minimum you want in shooting/action games is 40 frames per second (FPS). For story / RPG 30 is okay.
http://www23.tomshardware.com/graphics_2...
Either card will require a new power supply as they consume massive amounts of power and your HP probably has a weak 300watt no name in it. And not all 500 watt power supplies are the same. You get what you pay for has great meaning in the power supply world. SilverStone, FSP, Seasonic, etc are some great brands. You want 450-500watts. A cheap power supply can fry your motherboard and other expensive components.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as...
Here is an install video:
http://youtube.com/results?search_query=...
Reply:Best AMD CPU right now is the Athlon 64x2 6000+
Best price for the bang in a video card is the Geforce 8800 320meg but it can cost as much as $300
If thats to much then try to find a Geforce 7800 or 7900.
If your useing the built in video card that is on you computers motherboard that is crap. So getting a stand alone card is a good idea.
But of course your computer would need an available PCIexpress slot to run the good video cards. If it as an AGP slot you can still get a decent stand alone card. AGP slots are generaly brown. PCIexpress are generally black.
Reply:You have a powerful computer already. You could upgrade to a quad core processor.
Reply:The best graphic card today is BFG's 8800GTX Ultra OC
http://www.bfgstore.com/ProductDetails.a...
The best CPUs would be Intel dual and quad cores. (not compatible for your PC)
Reply:Best graphics card at the moment:
Asus EN8800-GTS 640MB
Asus EN8800-GTX 768MB
MSI 8800GTX 768MB
And yes, for optimum performance, you should get a standalone graphics card. Your processor is pretty ok, definitely enough memory so it'll be good to invest in a higher-end graphics card that will last you for a few years. Depending on your budget, you can choose the latest 8800 series or 7950 / 7900 / 7600 series. Only the most hardcore of gamers setting the games at the highest specs would require graphics of the highest end. As for a good processor, you can choose any of those dual core e.g. AM2 EX62 or X5200 / X5000 / X4600. Note that these are AMD processors and check if your motherboard can support these newer processors first before upgrading.
safety boots
How do I tell if a laptop can use dedicated graphics cards?
I'm looking to buy a laptop, and I want to buy one with a ATI Mobility Radeon 9700 graphics card. How do I know if my laptop can take graphics cards and that it doesn't have an integrated card that I can't upgrade?
How do I tell if a laptop can use dedicated graphics cards?
Look for any laptop that you can configure at least an NVidia 8400GS. Should be enough to play Half Life 2 at decent settings, plus it's DirectX10 capable so you will be able to run future games.
Here are some computers that feature the 8400 card:
Dell Inspiron 1420
Asus A8
Dell XPS 1330
HP dv6500
and many more
Also, here is a comparison of all cards in the market. You should probably aim for the 'Mid-range' or 'Performance' graphic cards, so if you see any of those cards on a laptop you like, that's the one to pick:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthre...
And yes, sadly, once you build a laptop with x graphic card, it can't be upgraded.
Reply:I've never heard of a laptop, which will allow you to install a graphics card. I might be wrong, of course.
Reply:look at the manufacturer's specs. upgrading the graphics of a laptop is most of the time not possible.
Reply:Just buy one with the graphics card installed in the first place. Trying to install a graphics card in a laptop would be a pain.
How do I tell if a laptop can use dedicated graphics cards?
Look for any laptop that you can configure at least an NVidia 8400GS. Should be enough to play Half Life 2 at decent settings, plus it's DirectX10 capable so you will be able to run future games.
Here are some computers that feature the 8400 card:
Dell Inspiron 1420
Asus A8
Dell XPS 1330
HP dv6500
and many more
Also, here is a comparison of all cards in the market. You should probably aim for the 'Mid-range' or 'Performance' graphic cards, so if you see any of those cards on a laptop you like, that's the one to pick:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthre...
And yes, sadly, once you build a laptop with x graphic card, it can't be upgraded.
Reply:I've never heard of a laptop, which will allow you to install a graphics card. I might be wrong, of course.
Reply:look at the manufacturer's specs. upgrading the graphics of a laptop is most of the time not possible.
Reply:Just buy one with the graphics card installed in the first place. Trying to install a graphics card in a laptop would be a pain.
What is the future of graphics cards? Are current graphics cards sufficient for all future graphics needs?
The super fast Nvidia Geforce 9800 seems to be so powerful that there would never be a need for a better video card than that. Or could future gaming benefit from better cards? How long will graphics cards continue to improve in performance?
What is the future of graphics cards? Are current graphics cards sufficient for all future graphics needs?
there are no " best for the future"products for computers only best for 10 min. ago, they will come out w/ new stuff til the Apocalypse
Reply:It will continue so long as brains out there are working for the betterment of technology. And besides, there is no such thing as "future" in technology... That is what I believe, because things termed as "future" today may be "past" the next time you check it out. :D
What is the future of graphics cards? Are current graphics cards sufficient for all future graphics needs?
there are no " best for the future"products for computers only best for 10 min. ago, they will come out w/ new stuff til the Apocalypse
Reply:It will continue so long as brains out there are working for the betterment of technology. And besides, there is no such thing as "future" in technology... That is what I believe, because things termed as "future" today may be "past" the next time you check it out. :D
Graphics cards?
What should a user look for in a graphics card?
I've personally only looked for The cheapest ones with the best memory ( I've been looking for 512mb ones). Although you often see 256mb ones costing alot more than 512mb ones etc.
So what should you actually look for? I know compatibility is an issue but you either look for AGP ones or PCI-E ones.
And is DirectX 10 becoming a concern for people, is it the 256mb ones which cost more the ones which have DirectX 10 compatibility.
My main three questions are:
1. Whats the difference between 256mb and 512mb memory cards?
2. Will a 256mb card play almost every game there is, and if so how long will it be until games come out that exceed this limit. Or is it nothing to do with the mb.
3. Should everyone buying a graphics card now, who is expecting to keep in for a few years, make sure they buy a direct x 10 card, and is it a must.
Thanks in advance
- Sam
Graphics cards?
1. the more memory the better it plays on righer resolutions if you have a computer that runs at 1680x1050 or below you should be fine with 256mb or video ram but if your playing on higher than that go with 512mb
2. it has nothing to do with mb mb just helps on resolutions like i said above
3. no direct 10 isn't a much buy now it will be 2-3 years before games become direct 10 only so games like crysis and unreal tournament 2007 that run in direct 10 will also run in direct 9 just fine if i were you i would just get a high end direct 9 card for now and get a direct 10 card when more games come out because there are like 1-2 game out now that support it and in order to get the best direct 10 experience you have to buy the 8800gts which starts at $260 so just buy a highend direct 9 card you can find a x1950pro and 7950gt for around $100 and $150 on newegg and those cards should run games on max in direct 9
Reply:well on the 256 versus 512 another key factor is what kind of memory it is i've seen 256 ddr3 run better than 512 ddr2. i run 256 on this pc and my last one and run many of the top end games. but i am planning on going up to atleast a 320mb nvidea 8 series or a 512 from either ati or nvidea now that ati is finally geting the rest of thier new dx 10 cards out. and as for the dx 10 right now not much need for it but that will be changing over time personally i am going dx10 i don't replace vid cards much so will have it for a few yrs since i am allready pci-e 16x now. just gotta check all the specs type of memory amount of memory clock speeds slot type and sure i am missing some other important parts to consider.
Reply:I think you might find your answers in this article:
http://www.gamegiants.net/article_info.p...
Reply:Simply looking at the amount of memory is a common practice in video card shopping, and it is an absolutely terrible one. As far as specification go, you should look at core clock speed, number of pixel pipelines, memory speed, and memory interface, with the amount of memory coming in a distant fifth in importance. The reason you see 256 ones costing more than 512 ones it that they are better in the areas that really matter. Now to your numbered questions.
1. Amount of memory is the difference, like I said, by far not the most important spec.
2. Nothing to do with the amount of memory, you need to look at the other specifications.
3. If you plan to keep it for a while, then yes it would be a good idea to invest in a DirectX 10 card.
If you have further questions, or if you want me to recommend a card for your price range, feel free to email or instant message me.
I've personally only looked for The cheapest ones with the best memory ( I've been looking for 512mb ones). Although you often see 256mb ones costing alot more than 512mb ones etc.
So what should you actually look for? I know compatibility is an issue but you either look for AGP ones or PCI-E ones.
And is DirectX 10 becoming a concern for people, is it the 256mb ones which cost more the ones which have DirectX 10 compatibility.
My main three questions are:
1. Whats the difference between 256mb and 512mb memory cards?
2. Will a 256mb card play almost every game there is, and if so how long will it be until games come out that exceed this limit. Or is it nothing to do with the mb.
3. Should everyone buying a graphics card now, who is expecting to keep in for a few years, make sure they buy a direct x 10 card, and is it a must.
Thanks in advance
- Sam
Graphics cards?
1. the more memory the better it plays on righer resolutions if you have a computer that runs at 1680x1050 or below you should be fine with 256mb or video ram but if your playing on higher than that go with 512mb
2. it has nothing to do with mb mb just helps on resolutions like i said above
3. no direct 10 isn't a much buy now it will be 2-3 years before games become direct 10 only so games like crysis and unreal tournament 2007 that run in direct 10 will also run in direct 9 just fine if i were you i would just get a high end direct 9 card for now and get a direct 10 card when more games come out because there are like 1-2 game out now that support it and in order to get the best direct 10 experience you have to buy the 8800gts which starts at $260 so just buy a highend direct 9 card you can find a x1950pro and 7950gt for around $100 and $150 on newegg and those cards should run games on max in direct 9
Reply:well on the 256 versus 512 another key factor is what kind of memory it is i've seen 256 ddr3 run better than 512 ddr2. i run 256 on this pc and my last one and run many of the top end games. but i am planning on going up to atleast a 320mb nvidea 8 series or a 512 from either ati or nvidea now that ati is finally geting the rest of thier new dx 10 cards out. and as for the dx 10 right now not much need for it but that will be changing over time personally i am going dx10 i don't replace vid cards much so will have it for a few yrs since i am allready pci-e 16x now. just gotta check all the specs type of memory amount of memory clock speeds slot type and sure i am missing some other important parts to consider.
Reply:I think you might find your answers in this article:
http://www.gamegiants.net/article_info.p...
Reply:Simply looking at the amount of memory is a common practice in video card shopping, and it is an absolutely terrible one. As far as specification go, you should look at core clock speed, number of pixel pipelines, memory speed, and memory interface, with the amount of memory coming in a distant fifth in importance. The reason you see 256 ones costing more than 512 ones it that they are better in the areas that really matter. Now to your numbered questions.
1. Amount of memory is the difference, like I said, by far not the most important spec.
2. Nothing to do with the amount of memory, you need to look at the other specifications.
3. If you plan to keep it for a while, then yes it would be a good idea to invest in a DirectX 10 card.
If you have further questions, or if you want me to recommend a card for your price range, feel free to email or instant message me.
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