Graphic Cards
Standardliving:
Might be in the wrong forum...? I apologize if so.
I'm anxious for answers from people who actually know what they are talking about. ):
This past christmas I purchased a Dell Dimension E521. An ok computer made for gaming/dowloading. It came with an 256MB PCI ExpressTM NVIDIA GeForce 7300LE TurboCache, which I believe the version is causing that infamous 'Blue Screen death'. (Correct me if I'm wrong)
1. Is the card glitchy? (I really know nothing about it, other than it doesn't run TS2 well :/) Does anyone have it and like it?
2. Should I have bought the 256MB ATI X1300 Pro instead (came as the other choice)? Is it better than NVidia? Out of all cards which are the better, trusting brand, Radeon, Nvidia, etc.?
3. What is the BEST card to run with my computer? I run TS2 with all settings high for the most part, the game set it that way. However, I have to turn the Shaders off (otherwise my screen would freeze blue) and turn down the smooth edges close to none (To stop the camera lagging). Which card will help me run my game quick with speed, all settings high, SHADERS enabled with smooth edges at medium? Is that possible
:/ A lot of questions, I know...
Rose Outlaw:
Welcome to the club of the Bluescreen-casualties ;)
I'm a real amateur in hardware issues, but I'm affected myself - I tried to upgrade my old computer with a NVidia AGP card and got confronted with the infamous Bluescreen all the time, my new computer has an ATI Asus x1950 PCIe card and still crashes, now even when installing. Well, my personal conclusion is that there is no actual graphic card guaranteed to run the game perfectly fine.
However, in most cases, trying different driver versions from most actual to older ones is the first way to go.
You could try and google for the error code given in the Bluescreen (usually, there is a line at the bottom saying something like '****STOP at (lots of numbers)') to check for other error reports. The last option should be a BIOS update, which could destroy the whole machine if it goes wrong. Better get technical support to do it, if you want to keep any warranty claims.
I heard that Dell computers are pretty expensive to upgrade, but the practical aspects of changing a graphic card is pretty easy, if you want to do it yourself.
If you change from Nvidia to ATI, be sure to uninstall the current driver completely. Then switch off the computer, pull the power supply cable and other cables, touch the case to , degauss yourself, then open up the case. The graphic card should be mounted in a clip and fixed to the case with a screw. It is usually a little hard to move the clip, just try to switch it firmly, but carefully. Remove the screw and pull out the card. Insert the new card and arrest it in the clip and the screw and so on. You could only run into a problem if there are not enough free cables coming from the power supply. But most cards should have a so-called Y-adapter to 'split' an occupied cable for two hardware parts.
When you deal with the cards, be real careful not to break off or scratch anything, that could easily destroy the whole piece.
As for the settings, try not to rely on the game settings. Instead, modify the settings of the card. Smooth edges can be replaced by anti aliasing (I read it all the time, still can't spell it, sorry) - set it to 4x, just don't set it on application control. There is a guide on MTS2 based on Nvidia cards, it can be used as a guide for ATI cards as well.
That's pretty much all I know about graphics :)
purplehaze:
I have two systems running ATI Radeon X850's with AMD dual cores. I haven't experienced a hiccup. I am also running 1 year old drivers. I have never updated them. I don't fix what's not broke. :P Your milage may vary.
ZiggyDoodle:
I took Hegelian's advice posted at http://www.moreawesomethanyou.com/smf/index.php/topic,4293.0.html
Installed an ATI Radeon X850XT card on my Dell (Pentium 4 w/HT) last year. Awesome graphics and handles Seasons with ease.
That thread is well worth reading from the start. Lots of good info, especially the PSU link as the card required higher wattage than what came with the rig.
Rose Outlaw:
Quote from: purplehaze on 2007 May 09, 19:26:07
I have two systems running ATI Radeon X850's with AMD dual cores. I haven't experienced a hiccup. I am also running 1 year old drivers. I have never updated them. I don't fix what's not broke. :P
Care to change? ;D
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