Will Buy Video Card!!!!

[Xtremegamer]

I WILL BY nVIDIA geFORCE2 MX "PCI"
WILING TO BUY..PLEASE SEND ME AN EMAIL OR CONTACT ME BY MY IM IF YOU HAVE nVIDIA geFORCE2 MX "PCI" FOR SALE!!!!
THANK YOU...:D
AND WHAT DO YALL THINK ABOUT nVIDIA VGA TNT2 M64 32MB VIDEO CARS AND WHEN WAS IT RELEASED????
IS IT WORTH BUYING??

[Werewolfdaddy]

I have owned two different video cards with geforce 2mx's in them, and I can tell you that I am not all that impressed with them. To tell the truth, they are not all that bad for midgrade cards, but there are better cards for about the same price range. I have heard good things about the kyroII cards out and will be testing one soon. If you want a good midrange card for a great price, try to find a voodoo 3 or 4, maybe 5. For the money, they are the best cards around. (I know someone will dispute that.) Anyway, if you don't have an agp slot, go for a kyro II or voodoo.

[DrZaius]

Xtremegamer,

If the choice was only between the GF2MX and the TNT2M64, I would easily go with the GF2MX. The TNT2M64 is a badly crippled version of the original TNT2 and isn't that good for gaming. Since your motherboard doen't have an AGP slot then I'm assuming it's older and has a slower processor, so a good video card will help. I would go with the MX or like Werewolfdaddy suggested, the KyroII or VooDoo (watch out, no more support).

[Xtremegamer]

Thank yOu guys for advices.
I am getting nVIDIA 256bit GeForce2 MX 32MB 4X AGP VGA and if you people know someone who would like to trade beuse i need PCI card please send me an email or reply..By the way. how much does Voodoo4 or 5 costs and this other one that you told me its good...

[DrZaius]

Hi Xtremegamer,

The Kyro II costs around $90 (http://www.newegg.com) and a VooDoo5 5500 PCI around $105 (http://www.axiontech.com/). Hope that helps.

[Xtremegamer]

Sure.Thanx alot man..and by the way are they supporting all of the new games that are coming out and that will be coming out later on

[DrZaius]

Xtremegamer,

The VooDoo5 5500 has a pretty limited life span now since 3DFX wend belly up and stopped writing new drivers. It's really good for games like Unreal Tournament and can hold it's own in current games, but it won't last too long. The Kyro II is newer and performs better than the MX and VooDoo5 5500, but it's not as popular as the other cards so I don't know about game support. The most supported cards are nVidia and ATI, so go with those if you want to keep your card for a while. Hope that helps.

[Xtremegamer]

Thanx once again and also i have nVIDIA 256bit GeForce2 MX 32MB 4X AGP VGA video card
and i am looking for someone who is going to trade for nice PCI video card..This one is useles to me ...

[Xtremegamer]

Heyguys, i need some info about this videocard ATI ALL-in-Wonder 128 Pro PCI-bus 32MB, bulk package. ANY GOD??????
PLEASE REPLY ANYONE

[DrZaius]

Xtremegamer,

The Rage 128 Pro chipset is old and performs poorly in gaming (assuming that is what you are looking for). It's mainly good for general 2D and video capture. For 3D and gaming even a TNT2 Ultra would be better.

[Xtremegamer]

i Just need video card that isnt going to b slow on new games..Is tis one going to suppor the?>>>>?

[DrZaius]

Xtremegamer,

Since you're limited to PCI, your best bet would be a GeForece 2 MX or MX400 (not 200). It's faily good and should last you a while, given that you don't plan on playing all your games at max resolution and color.

[Tiretool]

Well said Dr.

I agree whole-heartedly. Your circumstance limits you to the top-of-the-heap PCI card, which is the GeForce 2 MX.

[glc]

The only ATI card to consider would be one of the Radeons. Those are excellent cards. As said, the old Rage-based cards are lousy gamers. PCI does limit you a lot - there just aren't too many good PCI cards being made these days.

[Xtremegamer]

Well thanx alot guys but i have heard that ATI ALL-in-Wonder 128 Pro PCI-bus 32MB is going to do just fine with games and that its graphich are excelent..

[DrZaius]

Xtremegamer,

The 2D graphics are excellent with that card, but again, don't expect great gaming performance from the Rage 128 chipset.

[Xtremegamer]

Y mean some games might choke on me or like get slow as hell...

[DrZaius]

Xtremegamer,

Unless you run them at 640x480 16bit color and detail med/low, they'll go slow as... well, you know what. Like I said, you'd even be better off with a TNT2 or TNT2 Ultra, but the best would still be the GF2MX.

[Xtremegamer]

Well its little better then TNT2 and i am setisfyed with this one cause i heard alot of nice things about it...
My next card is GeFORCE3....For now ill stick with thi one,when it starts chockingon games then ill buy the god of all..
By the way.. am gona be running my games on 32bit 600x800

[Werewolfdaddy]

Bad news: unless you have an open agp slot, you will never need a geforce 3, because they haven't made a geforce 3 pci. I was in the same boat a few months back, stranded with onboard graphics with only a pci life preserver.
Now, I have seen different pci video cards in action; I've taken two back to the store, because of abyssmal performance: one was a tnt2. Hands down, the best were voodoo cards, in my opinion. Now, aside from the voodoo cards out there, the geforce 2mx is a good choice. However, tech support for the voodoo card is nil. You can check out www.voodoosource.com for some tech support, but that is an end user site. Still, those gentlemen and ladies are very knowledgeable. However, the voodoo does have a limited lifespan. The next games that come out will probably rely heavily on directX and the voodoo is best in glide.

[Xtremegamer]

Well you guys made me change my mind, I canceled the old order and now i am gettin geFORCE2 64mb MX400 PCI nad i guees thats is th best choice..IS IT???
Thnk you and please reply..

[DrZaius]

Xtremegamer,

You won't be disappointed.

[Tiretool]

I concur... you'll be happy, especially compared to your severely crippled on-board video you've been using. Enjoy your NVidia goodness. ;)

[Xtremegamer]

Thanx guys, by the way tiretoo,this is MARSALEKD.Some other guys were teling me that its a bad choice and that its too old.
I dont belive them.i just hope my mashine does good on this video card.
Its about 2 years old,Compaq...
ALSO IS VOODOO 5500 BETTER THeN nvidia geforce2 mx 400 64mb pci??

[Tiretool]

In my opinion, no. But only because there is no longer driver support for the Voodoo 5. In truth, the voodoo 5 will almost definitely out-perform the GeForce 2 MX in most games and benchmarks, but the Voodoo 5 has been earmarked for retirement for almost a year and driver support for it has been non-existant for the same amount of time. 3DFX went out of business a while back and so did their support, so you see... the Voodoo 5 is not a viable option. Just my opinion though...

[Werewolfdaddy]

In a perfect world, where companies cared more about their customers than their bottom lines, nvidia would open source the drivers for the voodoo line of cards, then someone would take up where 3dfx left off and write new drivers. However, this is not likely to ever happen. Voodoo cards are about as dead as Elvis. As the years go by, there will be fewer and fewer of them sighted. Until the geforce 3, they were the best cards around and many believe that they still are king of the hill. If you want a card that is relatively cheap with awesome performance, then the voodoo 5 is what you are looking for; however, this is only true for the games that are out now. In a year or two, there will be games that will barely run on the voodoo, but then again that can be said of any card that is out now, except perhaps for the geforce 3.
Is the voodoo 5500 a better card than the geforce 2mx 400? From my own experience, I can say yes. I have ran both on the same machine and it seemed to me that the voodoo had less lag and was an overall smoother performer.

As for the Kyro II chipsets, I have looked around on the net and can't find a pci card for it. There may be one, but I have yet to find it. Looks like you may be stuck with the geforce 2 mx 400 or a voodoo. Both are good cards.

[Tiretool]

Until the geforce 3, they were the best cards around

Let's not get hasty... the GeForce 2 GTS beat the Voodoo 5 in almost every benchmark and game timedemo except in games that were written in Glide only. Sure it beats the MX. The MX is a budget card... the Voodoo 5 was not. It did not come close to beating the GeForce 2 GTS though... and to think that it did is just plain fantasy.

But anyways... not that it really matters.

:)

[Xtremegamer]

Yes. Even though Voodoo5 is faster in some games thengf2mx dif. is so small that you cant realy notice it.I am going to be happy as long as my geforce2mx card handles all of the newer games and the onesthat'l be coming out soon.

[Werewolfdaddy]

Hey, I 'm a devoted fan and an advocate of the underdog. Bottom line is that he should go with the mx because of tech support alone.

[Xtremegamer]

I am. I have ordered geFORCE2 MX 400 64MB PCI and waiting for it to arrive. I hope i wont be disappointed..atleast in gameplay.

[Werewolfdaddy]

Well, you did right going with 64 mbs of memory, geforce 2mx 400 is a good card. The thing to keep in mind is that the best performance comes from agp cards. If gaming is your number one priority, then the first chance you get upgrade to a computer with an agp slot. The difference between the two is considerable, in my opinion. Processor power is another factor and for online gaming, connection is key. If you don't have it, get dsl or cable. I live on a major highway with business's all around me, but neither dsl or cable have made it to me yet, but I am waiting. I'm lucky to connect at 31,200; it's enough to drive me crazy.:mad: And let me tell you, that is a tragedy, because I have a 1.7gig P4 with a geforce 3 slapped inside. I am just waiting to get online with a good connection and show everyone out there who their daddy is.
Well, werewolfdaddy, ofcourse.

[Xtremegamer]

Yea man Lol. Its realy shame having that mashine with that connetcton.I do have DSL and probably the bigest reson why i got DSL and why i am getting this video card is World War ii online.Get the DSL or cable, i lost my nerves on 56k.

[Xtremegamer]

Also i was wondering if i am going to have any problems playing Max Payne and WWii online with geFORCE2 MX 400 64MB PCI video card..
Will it handle it just fine???

[DrZaius]

Xtremegamer,

Post your system specs. first, even with a good video card it can run slow if your system is slow.

[Xtremegamer]

I realy dont know my system spec. but ill get what i can,let me see..It says
Authentic AMD
AMD-K6(TM) 3D PROCESSOR
184.00 MB RAM<--I UPGRADED
10 gb hard drive
For some more info. please let me kknow where i can get them on my comp.sry, am not so good at this.
Thank you.

[DrZaius]

Xtremegamer,

Go here (http://www.simtel.net/pub/dl/54776.shtml) and download SiSoft sandra, it will tell you more than you need to know about your computer. Processor speed, RAM type/speed, etc.

[Xtremegamer]

OK cool tanx man, i needed something like this.
Performance rating PR 500 ESTIMATED
Support speeds 600MHz o more
Whatis this, its telling me that i have one AGP buss and one PCI bus, i saw it my self 3PCI'S no AGP'S
PCI 66MHz support
Max resolution 1024x768
Video adapter trident blade3D/MVP4(63)built in.8mb(8mb)video 20mbAGP 28mb texture memory
current video mode 800x600 16m+ true colour(32bit)
refresh rate default
supported refresh rate 60,75,85Hz
Video acceleration-Yes all factions
And all kinda other things,i hope this will help to answer my question.
Please reply and if you need some more info..

[DrZaius]

Xtremegamer,

Run SiSoft, go to "CPU & BIOS Information" and list what it shows for "Processor". Then click on "Mainboard Information" and list what it shows for "Manufacturer" and "Model".

[Xtremegamer]

Processor AMD-K6(TM)3D PROCESSOR @ 500mhz
Co-Prosecor(fpu) built in
Type standard
Performance rating pr500 (estimated)
Multiplier 5x
Generation 6th (6x86)
model info... K6-2 3D (CHOMPER)266-550 2.2-2.4V
revision/stepping 8/c
steping mask CXT

ON manufacturer and model say onlyCompaq nd PC thats it.

[Werewolfdaddy]

If you are upgrading to a better video card, you should also drop some dough for more memory. I don't remember seeing what your motherboard is, but it should at least handle 256mb; that will help some. With the sdram and ddr ram prices as low as they are, it won't put you out too much.

[Xtremegamer]

Riht now i got 184mb ram and it could go up to 500mb ram, thats what i read on info that sisoft gave me, by the way how does it look with all that info that i posted up??? My comp an good??

[DrZaius]

Xtremegamer,

The AMD K6-2 550MHz is the top for Socket 7 processors. The K6-2+ and especially the K6-3+ are better and can be overclocked, but I doubt your Compaq board will support overclocking. Your processor will be a bottleneck for the video card, but you'll still be able to play games decently. Like Werewolfdaddy suggested, up the RAM to 256MB since it's very cheap now.

[Werewolfdaddy]

Whatis this, its telling me that i have one AGP buss
You probably have an onboard agp. I had one with my original computer, a HP7850: HP for Hell's proprietary. This allows them to claim that it has agp performance, but in reality, it means you get the long end of the stick in an uncomfortable place, because it limits your upgrade options. Sure, if you cut down the res on games and turn down details and AI, you should be able to run them around 30fps. Hey, if you play in a window down to about the size of a gameboy, you could play with no lag and with all the effects.;)

[Xtremegamer]

ok i already got 184mb ram, but if its gona help.what the, Its only 20$ here at Staples. So my comp aint trash after all, i mean it aint good but it's not bad either.
Thanx guys.

[Xtremegamer]

LOL, oh well. I aint got no agp and screw the agp, i mean i'd love to have it but what the heck,PCI will do just fine for me.

[Werewolfdaddy]

When buying memory, be mindful that your motherboard may not support all memory. It sounds like your computer may be a few years old, right? It will certainly support 128mb sdram sticks, but I'm not sure if it will support 256mb sticks. How many memory slots does your motherboard have?

[Xtremegamer]

i have already upgraded it to 184mb and it has two slots that i saw, maybe there is the 3rd one, cause it said in this comp. info that it can be upgraded up to 500 and something mb's. It also said that the motherboard was built for faster computers and that there is alot of slots for upgrading and all...

[Werewolfdaddy]

Okay, we need to find out what your motherboard is. Run sisoft Sandra, if you downloaded it. Look up mainboard information; it should have your motherboard listed. You may have to scroll down a bit. Once you find the motherboard name, you can look it up on the net or ask someone here if they know anything about it. Once we know, you can find out how much memory it will truly hold and if it accepts pc100 or pc133 memory.

[DrZaius]

Xtremegamer,

Or better yet, give us the Compaq model number.

[Werewolfdaddy]

you are a genius, Doc.

[Xtremegamer]

OK my compaq model num. is 7036, and ill try and look up in sisoft sandra for motherboard.
Thanx guys for helping

[Xtremegamer]

OK I AM ON SYSTEM MAINBOARD.
Manufacturer compaq
model 0648h
version none
seial num. none
case type mini tower
o ok here we go..
number of memory slots 2
maximum instalabel memory 512
maxmum module size 256
support memory types DIM,SDRAM
there it is

[DrZaius]

Xtremegamer,

Are you sure that's the modem number on the case? I checked the Compaq site and Crucial's memory list, but I cant find a 7036 system in any series. Check again, and make sure to tell us if it's a Presario.

If SiSoft Sandra is correct, then that means you have two slots that can hols up to 256MB each, for a total of 512MB. How much RAM did it originally come with and how much did you add?

[Xtremegamer]

OH **** what an ass me, am sorry man the number is 7360.Sorry again.
I added 128mb and i had 56mb ram. Now i have 184mb ram.
Thanx man and sorrry again for the wrong freaking number.

[Xtremegamer]

PRESARIO LOL, I FORGOT

[DrZaius]

Xtremegamer,

It's fine, don't worry about it. :D

I just checked and it shows 64MB standard, did you take it out and put in 56MB? Anyway, just take out the old 56MB and replace it with 128MB for a total of 256MB.

[Xtremegamer]

ok so no problems with running geforce2 mx 400 64mb pci on it??
Will it work just fine,final coclusion?? lol
No actualy i didnt , it was56 when i first bought it and did you see that thing on compaq for info on my presario 7360, its saying something about AGP. i dont get it, and how much is this additional 128mb ram going to help me??

[DrZaius]

Xtremegamer,

Just add the 128MB, pop in the GF2MX and you'll be good to go.

Mods: Move this to gaming?

[Xtremegamer]

Yeah i am boosting up my comp for some gameplay,like world war 2 online, i got DSL so itl be fine..i hope...

[DrZaius]

Ok, here are the official specs:

AMD K6-2 500MHz CPU, 512K Level 2 Cache
4 PCI slot, 1 serial, 1 Enhanced Parallel, 1 Video, 1 Mouse, 1 Keyboard, 2 USB, 1 Game port.
64MB PC-100 SDRAM (Maximum 512MB)
1.44MB Floppy Disk Drive
10GB IDE HDD
40X CD-ROM drive
ESS Allegro PCI audio
8MB Video Card, Maximun video resolution: 1600x1200

What SiSoft is referring to as an "AGP card" is the onboard video, which is a trick really because there is no AGP for onboard cards.

More RAM is always good for games. Games load info in the RAM so it can access it later, and since RAM is much faster than a harddrive, more RAM is better because the game can load access the info faster from the RAM rather than from the harddrive. Make sure to get PC100 SDRAM.

Again, with a GF2MX, 256MB RAM, and a DSL connection you shouldn't have much problem playing games.

[Xtremegamer]

Make sure to get PC100 SDRAM...How much is that and what is it, can you explain it to me little more, actualy if you have Instant messanger, sned me an instant message to marsalekd
am on it right now..thank you guys very much for helpin me on this, and one ore queston, i dont know if yall payed max payne but i trye on m comp and it was damnnn slow,and thats when i went crazy, i knew i had to do something about this crap...

[glc]

The reason it said 56 megs memory and not 64 megs memory is because the onboard AGP has no memory of its own - it shares system memory - that makes it REALLY slow. You really have 192 megs memory - but the video circuit is using 8 megs of that. I personally think you are beating a dead horse trying to upgrade a Compaq anyway - but that's just my opinion. I don't know if I would buy a high end PCI video card that will just be holding any new machine you may build later back. If you buy it, buy it with the idea that it will never leave that machine. Same with memory - you need memory that meets Compaq's specs - it's not that expensive, but it may not work in another machine. I certainly would not buy memory for a Compaq at Staples - buy it from Crucial.com or someone else that has memory for that specific model Compaq.

As requested, I am moving this to the Graphics/Gaming forum - I think that's a more appropriate place for it the way this thread has evolved.

[Werewolfdaddy]

The main thing now is to watch how it plays now and remember it, then later pay special attention to the performance increase. It is easy to expect all these upgrades to perform miracles, but the truth is that your processor will be the biggest bottle neck in performance. With the upgrades that you are doing, you should notice a considerable performance increase, but don't try to compare your performance with a friend who may have a 1.2 gig T-bird and a geforce 3 agp. I know from personal experience that it will drive you crazy or at least to spend money for a new, faster computer.:p