Video Card Question
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"AGP" and "PCI Express" are the type of connectors. AGP is outdated since several years. A PCIe card would simply not fit into your computer.
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no I haven't Glen, I'd need to remove it to see the sticker on the bottom. Too many connected wires has me intimidated!
I did google some numbers on the side of the psu
cn 0f0340-47890-353-2067
and found this
http://www.memory4less.com/m4l_itemdetail.aspx?itemid=1442482616&partno=0F0340&rid=88&gclid=CJWs-YDGzroCFUlyQgod8FQAIw -
I asked this video card question at the Dell forum, and someone suggested this
"Money would be better spent finding a GX620 with Pentium D.
The 4600 is DDR with AGP.
The GX620 uses DDR2 and has PCI-E video and with Pentium D would be many times faster in all aspects and would have many video options that could be re used later in a newer better faster machine."
what am I looking at on that page? Isn't that tower the whole computer? For $83? That's right around what I was thinking of paying for the video card alone.
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You know Joe, getting a newer, used PC is not a bad idea. Here is a local CL add in your area that has 2 of those for $90 each.
They are older but they do use PCIe video cards (the newer ones) and they are dual core, 64-bit cpus which will be far and away better than your P4 based system. I really would not spend any money on that old system. I had one just like it and while it was a good PC for the 6 years I had it just got to a point where it was not worth upgrading it.
Search around a bit on CL and fins one local, this way you can maybe see it run and check it's condition before you buy.
Good luck
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Boy I don't know, then I'd have to transfer everything on this computer over onto the newer one and I've never done anything like that before. Is it that difficult?
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@joe wood said:
Boy I don't know, then I'd have to transfer everything on this computer over onto the newer one and I've never done anything like that before. Is it that difficult?
Yeah you'd basically have to reinstall all applications and then transfer all files as well. That is the worst part of getting a new PC. It can be a pain but it's worth it when you get better hardware.
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@glenn at home said:
That is the worst part of getting a new PC. It can be a pain but it's worth it when you get better hardware.
because of this investing in a new, capable PC which will last some time is probably a better choice then investing in some ol' stuff... desktops are cheap these times, this one w/ the GTX from above and SU will fly.
Norbert
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@joe wood said:
Boy I don't know, then I'd have to transfer everything on this computer over onto the newer one and I've never done anything like that before. Is it that difficult?
Actually setting up a new machine is therapeutic, especially if you get one with a larger HDD or multiple HDD's, you get a clean fast uncluttered machine to start with, you can organize the install as you please, put stuff in the right places, only load what you need resulting in a slick fast 3D machine.
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Good point from both Solo and Norbert.
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Well folks, I don't really need a fast slick computer, this one is doing just fine (especially after flashing the Bios whatever that means), except for the video card and even that is slowing my SUp only a little bit. I hardly ever do large complex models. Besides I want to get a laptop here pretty soon.
so, I'm a little confused about which card to get, could I get a link to a card I can just order?
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@joe wood said:
...except for the video card and even that is slowing my SUp only a little bit...
so, I'm a little confused about which card to get, could I get a link to a card I can just order?the CPU is the crucial issue for speed in SU. The video system needs to provide reliable OpenGL support first, which automatically means a dedicated and therefore capable video card to some extent.
The best/fastest/latest GeForce for ol' systems w/ AGP slot is the 7800 series. You can buy a new (expensive) GF 7800 GS at Amazon... or do a fall back to the cheaper and less power consumpting GF 7600 GS.
Good Luck again,
Norbert
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