Curse

Mako · Mar 27, 2006, 04:00 PM // 16:00

I dont really know much about computers.. I know a little but not much.

Getting my tax return soon and I was looking into buying a new graphics card... But I dont want to fool around with a small upgrade, if I get another one I want it to be the best.. I have been running GW on a Radeon x300 series since I got it and I thought wow it looks great, but the x300 is apparently ancient because Im seeing an X1900.. and its looking good. A few questions though I thought I would ask here since GW is the main game I will playing on it.

Will I be able to see a noticable difference when playing the game on the radeon x1900? from playing it with an x300? The graphics look pretty good with the card I have now and I barely experience any lag.

This question is kind of stupid but I dont know of anywhere else to ask without paying cash for tech support. So... If I buy this card will I be able to just take the old one out, put this one in, install and then play? Or is there some sort of other requirements as far as hard drive or special slots? It says the Radeon x1900 uses "PCI Express" interface slot.. so how would I go about finding out if I have one of those?

Help would be great, im asking all of this because I dont want to blow 700 dollah on something that I cant use. Thanks!

Loviatar · Mar 27, 2006, 04:09 PM // 16:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mako

Help would be great, im asking all of this because I dont want to blow 700 dollah on something that I cant use. Thanks!

welcome

first we need some more on the pc you have now especially if you have an AGP motherboard or a PCI-EXPRESS (not to be confused with the old plain pci) motherboard.

i do not know if the 1900 comes in AGP version.

the 1900 version (if it will fit) is cutting edge and might be total overkill for your system.

i always go with 1 year old items that are vastly greater than what i have now but have greatly depreciated in cost.

you might do best by getting 1 or 2 steps down in video card 250-300 dollar range and add (or replacing) your ram with at least a gigabyte of gaster ram for maybe 75-150 (brand/type) more for a much better overall result

yes the results will be very noticible

EDIT

GO TO

RUN

TYPE IN

DXDIAG

HIT OK

GO TO DISPLAY TAB FOR VIDEO CARD MAKE AND MODEL WHICH WILL TELL YOU IF IT IS AGP OR PCI- EXPRESS

Mako · Mar 27, 2006, 04:29 PM // 16:29

ran dxdiag and went to display heres what I got:

system

Like I said I dont know much about comps, I saw something like that where you could purchase memory sticks is that what youre referring to?

Loviatar · Mar 27, 2006, 04:42 PM // 16:42

according to a quick check it is pce-express.

it it also an SE which is to be avoided at all costs along with any other suffex such as SE/LE

your processor is slow and the 1900 would be overkill because the 512 of ram with the slow processor would be the bottleneck.

ram sticks are the memory i was refering to and twice what you have now is deemed the reasonable minimum

1 gigabyte

EDIT

HERE ARE A FEW CHOICES IN THE 200/300 DOLLAR RANGE FROM A RELIABLE STORE.

GOOGLE FOR COMPARISON REVIEWS OF ANY THAT STRIKE YOUR FANCY

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...ice=&maxPrice=

here is an example of 1 step lower but still faster than you can use and check the price difference

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814102698

an email or tollfree phone to the company to assure that there is not some small glitch that will stop it from working with your pc is always advised.

DOUBLE EDIT

YOU MAY NEED TO REPLACE THE POWER SUPPLY TO HANDLE THE ADDITIONAL NEEDS OF THE CARD AND IT MAY BE AN ODD COMPANY POWER SUPPLY SETUP MAKING IT MANDATORY TO GET A BETTER POWER SUPPLY FROM THE PC MANUFACTURER INSTEAD OF OFF THE SHELF

wsmcasey · Mar 27, 2006, 04:55 PM // 16:55

Comment from the ATI website regarding the x300 series.

Future-Proof Hardware
Next generation operating systems and applications will be designed around PCI Express®. The Radeon X300 incorporates ATI’s one-chip PCI Express® graphics solution so that users can keep pace with changing technology requirements.

You have a PCI-express slot.

The Radeon x1900 is a very nice card, but it's overkill for running Guild Wars. That $600 price tag is a killer. When it comes to buying video cards I usually stick with a mid range card around $150-200.........nvidia 6600 gt, radeon x800, or possibly a radeon x1300 pro would all do the trick for a decent upgrade at a nice price.

mathewthegreat · Mar 27, 2006, 04:56 PM // 16:56

the 6600gt and the nvidia equivalent are nice, and should suit your price range if you dont wana spend too much, they are around 90 uk pounds. However if your after geforce six graphics and a little more fps then the 6800gt is your other option, on the nvidia side of things.

I would reccommend the 7800gt aswell, its a real nice card and you can pick them up for 200 pound now, possibly lower. Exellent framerates, and looks amazing!

However if you want a monster....this new nvidia card looks like its going to tear apart the current graphics cards!

can find all of these on www.ebuyer.co.uk or www.overclockers.co.uk

Edit: 6600gt equivalent being the x800gto! i think

Mako · Mar 27, 2006, 04:58 PM // 16:58

So youre saying I cant go faster than the one I have now without getting a new processor??

Im still a lot confused, the first link you gave... are those all ones that my comp can run right now? Or are they ones that are just good deals...

And where would I go about purchasing some ram sticks? And how would I go about installing them?

Sorry for all of these questions.

Loviatar · Mar 27, 2006, 05:04 PM // 17:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mako

So youre saying I cant go faster than the one I have now without getting a new processor??

Im still a lot confused, the first link you gave... are those all ones that my comp can run right now? Or are they ones that are just good deals...

And where would I go about purchasing some ram sticks? And how would I go about installing them?

Sorry for all of these questions.

newegg.com is extremely reliable.

the ones listed were some choices in the 200/300 dollar range but i am very happy with my 6600GT i have had for a year noe.

back in a moment

EDIT

HERE ARE CHOICES IN THE 100-200 DOLLAR RANGE.

TO REFINE THE SEARCH SIMPLY USE THE SETTINGS AT THE TOP

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...ice=&maxPrice=

HERE IS 1 STEP LOWER AND STILL MORE THAN YOU NEED BUT LOOK AT THE PRICE.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814102657

Mako · Mar 27, 2006, 05:21 PM // 17:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mako

ran dxdiag and went to display heres what I got:

system

Like I said I dont know much about comps, I saw something like that where you could purchase memory sticks is that what youre referring to?

Final Question: Will I be able to use this card with the setup I have now?

wsmcasey · Mar 27, 2006, 05:24 PM // 17:24

You can buy more memory from almost any electronics store like best buy, frys, or compusa. Or you can buy it cheaper if you shop online.

You'll need to get more specifics on the memory you currently have like:

Memory Size: 512MB
Memory Speed: 400MHz PC2700, 3200, 4200.....etc
Memory Type: DDR
Pins: 184

open your case and find your memory slots to check for any free slots. You can buy memory in single sticks of 256, 512, or 1024.

you say you currently have 512. That means you either have 2 sticks of 256 that take up to memory slots, or 1 stick of 512 that takes up 1 slot.

find out what type of motherboard you have and research if on the internet if you don't have a manual and find out how much memory it will support and at what memory speed & type. Manufacturer and chipset.

If your still unsure of what to do, then the local stores I mentioned will install the memory for you at a reasonable price.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mako

Final Question: Will I be able to use this card with the setup I have now?

Yes, at least 256ram is required for most newer graphics cards with a 350watt power supply or greater. You should check your power supply also. More memory will greatly decrease your screen loading times in guild wars and decrease lag. I noticed a considerable difference in load times from 256ram up to 768ram on my old computer. I'm currently running 1.5GB PC2-4200 DDR2 (3x512MB) and its lightning fast.

Mako · Mar 27, 2006, 05:45 PM // 17:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by wsmcasey

You can buy more memory from almost any electronics store like best buy, frys, or compusa. Or you can buy it cheaper if you shop online.

You'll need to get more specifics on the memory you currently have like:

Memory Size: 512MB
Memory Speed: 400MHz PC2700, 3200, 4200.....etc
Memory Type: DDR
Pins: 184

open your case and find your memory slots to check for any free slots. You can buy memory in single sticks of 256, 512, or 1024.

you say you currently have 512. That means you either have 2 sticks of 256 that take up to memory slots, or 1 stick of 512 that takes up 1 slot.

find out what type of motherboard you have and research if on the internet if you don't have a manual and find out how much memory it will support and at what memory speed & type. Manufacturer and chipset.

If your still unsure of what to do, then the local stores I mentioned will install the memory for you at a reasonable price.

Yes, at least 256ram is required for most newer graphics cards with a 350watt power supply or greater. You should check your power supply also. More memory will greatly decrease your screen loading times in guild wars and decrease lag. I noticed a considerable difference in load times from 256ram up to 768ram on my old computer. I'm currently running 1.5GB PC2-4200 DDR2 (3x512MB) and its lightning fast.

Thanks for the help. To check my power suplpy i just run dxdiag again right? Im very interested in the upgrading the memory, so what product should I look for to do that? And theres no requirements for those right? They just attatch or whatever?

are these what youre talking about?

wsmcasey · Mar 27, 2006, 05:55 PM // 17:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mako

Thanks for the help. To check my power suplpy i just run dxdiag again right? Im very interested in the upgrading the memory, so what product should I look for to do that? And theres no requirements for those right? They just attatch or whatever?

It would be easier to just open your case and check the watts on your power supply. Its usually labeled clearly. Most decent cases have the power supply located at the top of the case at the back end. If you bought a premade computer from say Dell, HP, Compaq..etc, then more than likely your power supply is 300 or 350. I would bump up to 400 or 450 for gaming.

The requirements again are based on what your motherboard will support in the way of memory. So researching the memory that you currently have on your board is the first step, then finding out how much memory and at what speeds the board will support is the next step.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mako

are these what youre talking about?

yes

also maybe check Tigerdirect for price comparisons.

Mako · Mar 27, 2006, 06:09 PM // 18:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by wsmcasey

It would be easier to just open your case and check the watts on your power supply. Its usually labeled clearly. Most decent cases have the power supply located at the top of the case at the back end. If you bought a premade computer from say Dell, HP, Compaq..etc, then more than likely your power supply is 300 or 350. I would bump up to 400 or 450 for gaming.

The requirements again are based on what your motherboard will support in the way of memory. So researching the memory that you currently have on your board is the first step, then finding out how much memory and at what speeds the board will support is the next step.

yes

also maybe check Tigerdirect for price comparisons.

My comp was premade by dell =\ Though I requested that it be made for gaming so I would assume they put a decent power supply in it, I checked all over it and I dont see anything about power supply...

The dxdiag stats said I have 510MB RAM

277MB Used 968MB available...

Mako · Mar 27, 2006, 06:23 PM // 18:23

So far all I can find out about the mother board is that it uses a PCIe-enabled 915G chipset...

Mako · Mar 27, 2006, 06:31 PM // 18:31

ok.. heres the power supply..

* Nominal voltage - AC 120/230 V

* Power device type - Power supply

* Power provided - 305 Watt

* Requency required - 50/60 Hz

and the mainboard...

* Chipset type - Intel 915G Express

* Data bus speed - 800 MHz

wsmcasey · Mar 27, 2006, 06:33 PM // 18:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mako

My comp was premade by dell =\ Though I requested that it be made for gaming so I would assume they put a decent power supply in it, I checked all over it and I dont see anything about power supply...

The dxdiag stats said I have 510MB RAM

277MB Used 968MB available...

I checked my Dell here at work, and its clearly labeled.

When you open your dell computer the generic sticker that dell puts on the power supply says the DC OUTPUT on the 3rd line from the top where it says DELL.

Mako · Mar 27, 2006, 06:33 PM // 18:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mako

ok.. heres the power supply..

* Nominal voltage - AC 120/230 V

* Power device type - Power supply

* Power provided - 305 Watt

* Requency required - 50/60 Hz

and the mainboard...

* Chipset type - Intel 915G Express

* Data bus speed - 800 MHz

With that said, I guess I cant run this card. Looks like I cant make my graphics a little better without spending a crap load of money on other stuff.

Oh well.

wsmcasey · Mar 27, 2006, 06:40 PM // 18:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mako

With that said, I guess I cant run this card. Looks like I cant make my graphics a little better without spending a crap load of money on other stuff.

Oh well.

Not really. Because you were looking at a $600 card to begin with. You can buy a 400 watt power supply for about $50 bucks online, then get a mid range video card under $200. 512ram will be less than $50 also.

You could solve your problem for less than $300.

Serafita Kayin · Mar 27, 2006, 06:44 PM // 18:44

You can run all the way up to an x1800xt no prob. You probably could run a 1900, I'm betting. If you have the 305, it's lowballing its rating. They've recently stepped up their PSUs, so they don't have the hell I used to go through fixing them.

And 512 of RAM will NOT cripple any card. Go look on XtremeSystems where they routinely run wild benchmark numbers with 256. It's what that memoory is doing, not how much, that affects it, and normally it's more a functionality of an increased frontside bus.

I've run a 6800 on a 200w micro power supply from an HP. Don't think for a second that you're unable to upgrade. Just got to choose wisely.

Loviatar · Mar 27, 2006, 06:46 PM // 18:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mako

With that said, I guess I cant run this card. Looks like I cant make my graphics a little better without spending a crap load of money on other stuff.

Oh well.

at lease we saved you the money you might have spent on that 600 dollar monster to do it with.

actually the most important thing has not been asked yet.

are you happy with how it looks and how it plays?

if you are having fun as it is (i am using on this pc a lousy 5600 ultra) and still quite happy with the results.

no need to put a bunch of money into something until you start getting unhappy with how it loks and plays.

and the longer you wait to upgrade the more prices fall and the more things you can upgrade for the same price