What Video Card ?

Hello,

Im thinking of buying a Dell pc but it has an integrated video card which i understand is a Intel Extreme graphics and not very good.

Please can you advise on a video card , i am totally confused by all the choice , im looking around the £100 mark.

I have a Diamond Viper 770 on an old machine , i take it this wouldnt be any good for todays games ?

Thanks

 

Before buying a Dell computer make sure that it does have an AGP slot as well as the integrated graphics. There's a thread entitled "PCI to AGP adapter? or PCI graphic cards" in the computer harware forum that highlights this problem.

 

Just 3 PCI slots im afraid , is AGP a better option ?

Thanks

 

Do not buy a PC that doesn't have an AGP slot if you want to upgrade the graphics.

 

I wouldn't go for a Dell atall very overpriced and you can get much better speced and future proofed m/c's from other manufacturers.
I have used http://www.savastore.com/Default.asp

click on the " configure your dream pc link. You can mix and match different components to get the machine you want and it gives you a breakdown of cost as you go. It will also only allow you to match components that are compatable

 

Mesh Computers also have some very good packages at the moment, and are a pretty well regarded company.

Balders.

 

http://www.mesh.co.uk/involved/mesh_computers.htm

Careful on Mesh's customer service though, especially the monitor problems...... lol

A funny link

 

Hi

Trust me just never ever buy a pc with a motherboard that doesn't have an agp slot as PCI graphics cards are absolutely useless (thats the nicest way of putting it)

I made that mistake and although im not in to gaming tremedously, my onboard graphics don't support high resolutions (will it does) but not at high refresh rates and i won't mention anything else about it becuase it just can't. I can't replace my mobo without a new processor and memory due to its age so ALWAYS ensure it has an agp slot.

Mesh are reasonably good value and customer service has improved greatly over the past years or so. Dell build quality is reasonably poor (my opinion) and they generally use cheap components.

 

What are you wanting to use your pc for?

 

Try these guys,

www.novatech.co.uk

There local to me (I've used them loads of times) and I find them competative and their CS is very good.

Take it from someone who has worked in IT for 15yrs, If you can avoid purchasing a major brand PC then do so. Even by todays standards and competition, they are usually well over priced, CS nowadays on the smaller competitors, makes them a worthwhile option and you usually have a greater choice of individual components.

Branded kit is great for a professional environment that requires SLA's of 4hrs, at home however, I would always go for the small guy!!!!!


Just my Two Pence!
Stace

 

also Dells are built of 60% reconditioned parts !
my mate used to work for their insurance company handling the phones, he gave me quite a bit of info on dell and i wouldnt recommend it at all

 

I'm with Stace.
I build my PC's with parts mostly from Novatech, as I find their prices pretty competetive and they are also local to me.
If you are'nt brave enough to build a pc yourself, you can go on the Novatech website, choose all the components you would like to go in it and then they will build it for you.

 

to actually answer your question, i would recommend the ATI Radeon cards, either the 9600 Pro for approx £122 and includes power dvd 5 and 3 games or the 9200 cheaper at £78.
Basically you want the most powerful one you can afford, so as to play the next generation of games such as doom 3 and half life 2.
You also want to make sure it is direct x 9 compatible.

 

I would agree with UBIK (when he 'actually' answered your question!! )

Radeon is the way forward! Although the SE, I bought the 9200 for about £35!! (I'm not sure the 9200 is DX9 compliant, think it's 8)

Stace

 

Yes, but a Radeon 9600 or 9200 will be useless unless the machine has an AGP slot to accomodate it.

 

Thanks for all your help , appreciate it.

Housey

 

If the 9200 is the equivalent of the 9000 then I wouldn't particularly recommend it for the latest games. I have a 9000 and it struggles to get good frame rates with UT2003 at decent resolutions and also struggles on large maps in C&C Generals. I would go for something a little better if I were going to play these types of games.

 

I think the minimum spec video card I would go for nowadays would be a 9600xt. These can be had from about £110, an AGP slot is a must and like the others said, avoid Dell etc.

 

well I have gone for DELL so hope they are not as bad as u are saying!! gulp gulp!! but I am currently living 23 miles from where they put the bits together, in fact it is a replacement DELL that I have jad for 5 years and it has been top notch.

The video card is D thing and after hours/days and days of research I have worked out that the DOGS B*****KS is the ATI RADEON 9800 pro, a bit pricey but apparently it is ready for the new games due out this year eg doom, half life 2, unreal 2004 and no doubt others that I know nothing about.

There should be a law making most of a pc defunct after about 2 years.

gbmitey

 

I heard from somewhere that AGP is going the way of PCI.

Apparently there is a completely new way of doing things. Can't for the life of me remember what, but I read it in the technology section of the 'Guardian' a little while ago.

 

PCI-Express and it's coming to a computer near you soon !
Having said that, I believe ATI are going to produce the top of the range cards for both PCI-Express and AGP for a little while.

 

typical isn't it, I go for the top of the range AGP and they go and change again, here is a nice link

http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/51/35615.html

u could wait forever to get a future proof PC as they change so quickly these days.

gbmitie

 

As mentioned in another thread you can pick up a Radeon 9800 pro for £135 now -> http://www.komplett.co.uk/k/ki.asp?sku=122901&cks=PRL

 

yeaah I saw that as well but they have none available and I looked a few times now but it is a cracking price.

gbmitey