old video card & driver question

[colombo3]

This may seem like a stupid question, but how can I tell if my computer is recognizing and using my video card? I am running windows 98 with a P C Media (?) 4MB (Triendent 9750(AGP) Add-on card. At least that's what is says on the old box. I am having problems with some newer microsoft games; in that the sreen breaks up. The games recommened 4 MB of video memory, which is what I thought I had. Is it possible that I am only using video from the motherboard? If so how would I fix this? Do I need to reinstall my video card? I still have the original video drivers floppy, but I wouldn't know which driver file to use. Thanks in advance for the advice!

[morriswindgate]

With newer games the old Trident card may not be able to support some of the newer coding of the games, and since the Trident support is no longer available it might be time to look at a new card or even a newer computer since the processors from that time period may no longer meet the game requirments. You can get a TNT2 PCI or ATI EXPERT in the 30 to 35 dollar range.

[colombo3]

I'm already planning on a new computer soon, but was going to give this one to my son. I just need to figure out if the computer is even working with the video board. When I look under "control panel" then either "display" (only a SiS 6326 adapter is listed) or "system" (there is no video listed under "sound, video, and game controllers" in Device manager) I don't see a video card listed. Am I looking in the wrong place?

And I don't think this was a complicated game. It was only Microsoft's Bicycle Casino game.

[morriswindgate]

Your computer does not have a seperate video board, instead the chip (SIS 6326) is part of the motherboard as is the sound. You can add a video and sound card to this computer and then disable the on-board sound and video. Although I cannot be sure, I suspect that, since your motherboard is running the SIS6326, it is probably a PC Chips intergrated motherboard with 1 ISA slot, 3 PCI Slots, 2 Ram slots, intergrated Modem/Video/Sound. Be forwarned that these boards are extremely hard to get seperate Video/Sound Cards to work properly.

[colombo3]

Okay..don't mean to be dense here, but are you telling me that that extra box I have that was mentioned in the first part of this post, ISN'T an extra video card with 4MB of extra video memory?

I supose I couold open the case and look, but it's just much easier to ask

[hiran]

I suppose Colombo 3
if U R plugging the monitor connector directly into the mother board, closer to any serial port, it is and I think this is what u do.
but if u have a vga card mounted on ur mother board u are plugging the monitor connector to some where in the space for the expansion boards area
*******
this is private sir, where are U from? colombo?
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[morriswindgate]

I guess I got sidetracked a little bit with the discussion of the SIS 6326 chipset, which is a real pain. But the problem that you are having with the games is because the encoding that was available back when the Trident was made (1997 to 1999) is just not compatable with a lot of the newer games. I mean we are talking about the days of the DOS games like Doom2 and Heretic. The only thing you can do is get a newer video card.

[WJWheels]

Originally posted by hiran I suppose Colombo 3 if U R plugging the monitor connector directly into the mother board, closer to any serial port, it is and I think this is what u do. but if u have a vga card mounted on ur mother board u are plugging the monitor connector to some where in the space for the expansion boards area.

Many AT format boards have onboard video with a header on the board that cables to a "slot" mounted 15 pin video jack.

[colombo3]

Morris..
Thanks for the detailed answers. I appreciate all of the help!