I need a video card.

**ozone** · 07-22-2005

I was hoping some the tech-savvy people here can help me pick out a nice video card that fits into a PCI slot, not PCI Express. Something not over US$250 is what I'm looking for. I'm starting to play alot of games on the PC but the integrated video that my PC brings isn't cutting it anymore. Well, thanks in advance.

**ishould** · 07-22-2005

Are you sure you don't mean AGP slot? Here's something that'll fit your budget almost perfect: http://hardware.gamespot.com/Story-ST-x-2295-x-x-x

Also, what is your CPU, just for reference

**phobia** · 07-22-2005

PCI videocard oh man not sure but they don't make those anymore hun! AGP slot yes if you are thinking there is no more room in your agp slot don't worry you take that out and put the new one in.

I hope for you it isn't on board without an agp slot cause you won't find a pci videocard.

**Smily0012** · 07-22-2005

Yes, there are only two types of connections that they now make for the GPUs which is AGP and the PCIe(express). A good card to get for $300 would be a ATI x800 XL or for $200 you can get just a regular GeForce 6800. You can go on ebay and get lucky and buy a card cheaper.

**soldier one** · 07-22-2005

if you want to play the new games like doom 3 or battlefeild then you need at least a ATI 8500 or a Gforse 3/ti series. you also might want some ram if the games are slow.

**ozone** · 07-22-2005

Since I was too sure what a AGP slot looked like, I looked up the diagram for my motherboard on the internets. From what I can see, theres no AGP slot present. I'd put the picture up but it seems like Photobucket is "experiencing issues". My CPU, ishould, is a 630 Pentium 4 HT @ 3.0 and I have a gig of RAM, soldier one. It's definitely the video card that's making my games lag.

I could have sworn they still made PCI videocards of their PCIe counterparts. That really blows. So I'm gonna probably have to find an old, outdated videocard to use unless I change my motherboard. Anything is better than this integrated video though.

**phobia** · 07-22-2005

I'm not sure, but I think even if they made them it would hardly have enough bandwidth to work decently!

**ishould** · 07-22-2005

AGP slots are a little farther back on the motherboard than the PCI slots. I think you would have a hard time finding PCI graphics cards though. Try http://imageshack.us for the photo, they're good too.

**Lefein** · 07-22-2005

Might want to save the money up and get a new MoBo with a PCI-e slot or at least an AGP slot... A really good mobo wont set you back too far out of your budget and you may need one... Doesnt sound like your system was really built for gaming.

**phobia** · 07-22-2005

Originally Posted by Lefein

Might want to save the money up and get a new MoBo with a PCI-e slot or at least an AGP slot... A really good mobo wont set you back too far out of your budget and you may need one... Doesnt sound like your system was really built for gaming.

Just make sure it's the same socket as the one you got now or you're gonna have to rebuy your proccesor as well! I would also do this!

**ishould** · 07-22-2005

The next gaming system I build is definatly going to use Athlon 64. They are faster, cheaper, run cooler, and take less energy. I run a 2.53Ghz P4 and my PC gaming is fine (for now)

**Smily0012** · 07-22-2005

Here is how each one looks like.

The regular PCI looks almost the same as the PCIe exept that its turned around the other way around. More or less the ends are just on the opposite sides. What I mean is the small end is on the right in a PCIe while its on the left for a regular PCI.

**ishould** · 07-22-2005

Originally Posted by Smily0012

Here is how each one looks like.

The regular PCI looks almost the same as the PCIe exept that its turned around the other way around. More or less the ends are just on the opposite sides. What I mean is the small end is on the right in a PCIe while its on the left for a regular PCI.

I've never seen a hammer in my computer before lol. You might want to save them and upload them to imageshack.us or photobucket

**MassaCh13f** · 07-23-2005

There is one PCI video card that i can think of thats kind of ok. That's the ATI Radeon 9200. Also if your motherboard can support a 630 Pentium 4 HT 3.0Ghz, then it must have an AGP slot. Look harder. It's a brown slot, it's shorter and farther in than the white PCI slots.

**ozone** · 07-23-2005

That's exactly what I thought. I checked, then I checked the diagram just in case and it doesn't.

Any good motherboards that fit my budget?

**MassaCh13f** · 07-23-2005

Well that doesn't seem to have a AGP slot but check out http://www.pricewatch.com/ they have all kinds of PC components including motherboards and video cards, but you have to be careful because some of them are complete crap.

**Smily0012** · 07-23-2005

Well this can really mess up your whole computer. By buying a new motherboard it will cost you lots of money. I dont suggest you go out and buy one. There are cheap ones out there but then most likely you wont be able to put everything you have in your computer. On top of that a good one costs around 600. You might as well just wait and buy a new computer if your going to change all of that. Or maybe you can build a new one your self.

**ishould** · 07-23-2005

$600 for a motherboard are you kidding me? I'm sure you can find one for the same socket and RAM type for well under $200 if not under $100 that includes an AGP slot. If you are going to invest in a new motherboard though, I'd try for a PCI-e slot instead, as that is the future of the Video Cards.

**Smily0012** · 07-23-2005

Yeah but you dont want to buy something thats only going to last you for a year. You want something thats going to last you for 3-5 years.

**ishould** · 07-23-2005

I've just never seen a motherboard that costs $600. Do you have a link?

**Smily0012** · 07-23-2005

I made a call to Sony on what they suggested, they said that most motherboards cost around that price of you want to keep everything on your computer as it is. My computer is packed with a whole bunch of stuff. Lots of video cards and sound cards.

**MassaCh13f** · 07-23-2005

Check this out: http://hardware.gamespot.com/Story-ST-15351-2295-x-x-x

It's a Gamespot guide to the best AGP cards under $200

**DeputyDon** · 07-23-2005

I have a PCI video card that I bought not that long ago at all. It was like only $100. It is a 64Mb Nvidia GeForce 4. I got that at bestbuy. It sucks, but most bestbuys still sell PCI video cards.

If you want to play the latest games, you might as well completely upgrade your computer so you can use AGP or PCI Express. Since PCI sucks anyways.

**Smily0012** · 07-23-2005

The best would be just to waot like 3-6months and then build your own computer. IT might cost you around $1000 dollars all thougheter but if you use the parts from your old computer it will reduce the price.

**ozone** · 07-23-2005

Building a new computer is out of the question. Like I said, I'm not very tech-savvy. Not that I think it'll be hard, I'm sure it's pretty easy. It's just that I think I might break something important. I'll leave that to the professionals at the computer shop.
Any suggestions to a PCI video card are still welcome. As I recall, ATI still made 9800 PCI cards, right? And I'm not too sure, but I think my cousin bought a X600 PCI because he installed it on a computer without PCIe and I don't think he upgraded.

Thanks, again.