Corner Posted March 1, 2006 Share Posted March 1, 2006 I'm in serious need of a new video card since my current one simply seems obsolete. It runs KOTOR 2 but I have trouble running newer games with high settings. So its time for a new one. I'm considering the an ATI Crucial card but you folks seem intelligent enough from my lurks so I'll ask you if you have another idea. I'm not looking to spend alot but I can probably dish out a little more then $250. Here are my specs: ------------------------------------------------------- OS Information: PropertyValue OS Name Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition|C:\WINDOWS|\Device\Harddisk0\Partition1 Service Pack 2.0 OS Manufacturer Microsoft Corporation Windows Directory C:\WINDOWS Processor: PropertyValue Current Clock Speed 3005 Description x86 Family 15 Model 3 Stepping 4 Manufacturer GenuineIntel Name Intel® Pentium® 4 CPU 3.00GHz Current Clock Speed 3005 Description x86 Family 15 Model 3 Stepping 4 Manufacturer GenuineIntel Name Intel® Pentium® 4 CPU 3.00GHz Memory (RAM): PropertyValue Bank Label Bank0/1 Capacity 536870912 Total Memory Deteced in Hardware: ~512 MB Memory Reported to Operating System: 511MB Disk Drives: PropertyValue Description Disk drive Manufacturer (Standard disk drives) Model SAMSUNG SP0802N Media Type Fixed hard disk media Size 80056650240 (~75 GB) Number of Partitions 2 Motherboard: PropertyValue Manufacturer Biostar Group Model Name Base Board Part Number Product P4TSV Serial Number Version Intel 865G/ICH5 BIOS: PropertyValue Manufacturer Phoenix Technologies, LTD Name Phoenix - AwardBIOS v6.00PG Release Date 20040415000000.000000+000 Version IntelR - 42302e31 Monitor: PropertyValue Description Plug and Play Monitor Name Plug and Play Monitor Screen Height 1024 Screen Width 1280 Description Default Monitor Name Default Monitor Screen Height Screen Width Keyboard: PropertyValue Description Easy Internet Keyboard Pointing Device: PropertyValue Manufacturer Microsoft Name HID-compliant mouse Sound Card: PropertyValue Manufacturer Creative Technology Ltd. Description Sound Blaster Live! 24-bit Device ID PCI\VEN_1102&DEV_0007&SUBSYS_10061102&REV_00\4&1F7DBC9F&0&10F0 Manufacturer C-Media Description C-Media AC97 Audio Device Device ID PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_24D5&SUBSYS_F6141565&REV_02\3&13C0B0C5&0&FD Video Card: PropertyValue Adapter Compatibility ATI Technologies Inc. Adapter RAM 268435456 Description SAPPHIRE RADEON 9250 128MB Installed Display Drivers ati2dvag.dll Driver Version 6.14.10.6517 Driver Date 2/22/2005 6:36:04 PM Video Mode Description 1280 x 1024 x 4294967296 colors Adapter Compatibility ATI Technologies Inc. Adapter RAM 268435456 Description SAPPHIRE RADEON 9250 128MB - Secondary Installed Display Drivers ati2dvag.dll Driver Version 6.14.10.6517 Driver Date 2/22/2005 6:36:04 PM Video Mode Description DirectX Installation: PropertyValue Version 6.03.01.0148 Modem: PropertyValue Network Adapters: PropertyValue Description Realtek RTL8139/810x Family Fast Ethernet NIC - Packet Scheduler Miniport Description Packet Scheduler Miniport Description RAS Async Adapter Description D-Link AirPlus DWL-G520 Wireless PCI Adapter(rev.B) - Packet Scheduler Miniport Description WAN Miniport (L2TP) Description WAN Miniport (PPTP) Description WAN Miniport (PPPOE) Description Direct Parallel Description WAN Miniport (IP) Description Packet Scheduler Miniport Description Packet Scheduler Miniport Description WAN Miniport (ATW) External Ports: PropertyValue External Reference Designator External Reference Designator External Reference Designator External Reference Designator External Reference Designator External Reference Designator External Reference Designator External Reference Designator External Reference Designator USB0 External Reference Designator USB1 Expansion Slots: PropertyValue Slot Designation PCI0 Slot Designation PCI1 Slot Designation PCI2 Slot Designation AGP ------------------------------------------------------- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WITHTEETH Posted March 1, 2006 Share Posted March 1, 2006 You need 512 mb of matching ram, and a new video card if you want to see a major overhaul. I'm guessing you have AGP instead of PCIE. So your best AGP options are 7800GS $300, or it might be better to get a 6800GS for $230 and then get your matching 512MB Ram, that shouldn't run you much at all. good luck man! Always outnumbered, never out gunned! Unreal Tournament 2004 Handle:Enlight_2.0 Myspace Website! My rig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corner Posted March 1, 2006 Author Share Posted March 1, 2006 Thank you! Does anybody have a second opinion? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marka Ragnos Posted March 1, 2006 Share Posted March 1, 2006 Yes, get another 512 and smoething like the 6800GS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corner Posted March 22, 2006 Author Share Posted March 22, 2006 Well. I did as you said. Got a 7800GS....now I have a new problem. I've installed it fine and it worked for a little bit but all of a sudden, my monitor shut down and now I constantly get an RGB No Input Signal not even 3 minutes into gameplay and I'm forced to restart. Gah! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WITHTEETH Posted March 23, 2006 Share Posted March 23, 2006 RGB No Input Signal This means your monitor itseld is not getting a signal at all. Have you fastened your moitor cable? And if not try again. RGB stands for red blue green. Have you tried a new monitor cable? Also look at the prongs/male connectors to see if they are bent. If those don't work, try reinstalling the new 84.21 drivers for Nvidia, or try an older Driver if that one doesn't work. Always outnumbered, never out gunned! Unreal Tournament 2004 Handle:Enlight_2.0 Myspace Website! My rig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shadowriath Posted March 23, 2006 Share Posted March 23, 2006 Heres your problem. "Version Intel 865G/ICH5" On board video causes conflicts with video card adaptors. If onboard video is disabled it causes even more problems. You can leave it disabled but it likes to take front seat and over ride your video card. Better option is to get a new motherboard that fits your current hardware that does not have onboard video. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WITHTEETH Posted March 23, 2006 Share Posted March 23, 2006 (edited) Heres your problem. "Version Intel 865G/ICH5" On board video causes conflicts with video card adaptors. If onboard video is disabled it causes even more problems. You can leave it disabled but it likes to take front seat and over ride your video card. Better option is to get a new motherboard that fits your current hardware that does not have onboard video. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Nah, thats just his Northbridge chipset from intel, its not an intel video chipset. I have the 875P/ICH5 the step up from him. Intel Makes good reliable chipsets. Edited March 23, 2006 by WITHTEETH Always outnumbered, never out gunned! Unreal Tournament 2004 Handle:Enlight_2.0 Myspace Website! My rig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corner Posted March 23, 2006 Author Share Posted March 23, 2006 Well, I can't find a previous driver so I reinstalled the latest one. Didn't work. Purchased a new 500w power supply. Didn't work. Trying to update the chipset. Not working at all (getting an error about missing files or corrupted). I really don't know what to do anymore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SamuraiGaijin Posted March 23, 2006 Share Posted March 23, 2006 I suspect your problem is either the onboard video (the BIOWARE P4TSV does have Intel 3d Video) or your video driver. I recommend the following ... (1) Ensure you've uninstalled the ATi driver. (2) Install the latest NVidia Driver. (3) Disable your onboard videa in the BIOS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shadowriath Posted March 23, 2006 Share Posted March 23, 2006 Well the video card you have clock speed wise is not yet slow (core/mem 240/400), same clock speed as Dx9 cards upto a year old not factory OCed (300/500). Cycle time is abit slow, around 3.3ns...Dx9 cards run around 2.8-1.1ns for the newest (NS is how many nanoseconds it takes to render one frame of graphics). Also it is unable to display Dx9 rendering which any title since late last year has been requireing. What will increase what your system can display better is system settings, registry tweaks and system service manageing. Heres some links for that info: http://www.blackviper.com/index.html (currently down) http://www.tweakxp.com/TweakXP/default.asp http://www.theeldergeek.com/services_guide.htm (this one is not as good as BV, but still useful) http://www.theeldergeek.com/registry_edits.htm Heres some sites that list what process's run when you hit "Ctrl-Alt-Del", what they do and if their needed: http://www.blackviper.com/index.html (currently down) http://www.annoyances.org/ http://www.answersthatwork.com/ http://www.whatsrunning.net/whatsrunning/ProcessList.aspx http://www.neuber.com/taskmanager/process/index.html http://www.liutilities.com/products/wintas...processlibrary/ Heres a site to test your systems performence and will sugest fixs for anything flag as performing below par. http://www.pcpitstop.com/default.asp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shadowriath Posted March 23, 2006 Share Posted March 23, 2006 I suspect your problem is either the onboard video (the BIOWARE P4TSV does have Intel 3d Video) or your video driver. I recommend the following ... (1) Ensure you've uninstalled the ATi driver. (2) Install the latest NVidia Driver. (3) Disable your onboard videa in the BIOS. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Problem with disabling onboard video is it causes more problems then with it enabled. I have tried disabling it and then no video at all would be displaied. With it enabled it prefores to take front seat and over ride the video card. With it enabled you can't just not install drivers for it. Best option is to not have a motherboard with onboard video...ie, no broads that have chipsets "NForce" or "i8XXX, i9XXX". Both of those are onboard video, NForce being for AMD processers and i8XXX/i9XXX being for Intel processers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corner Posted March 23, 2006 Author Share Posted March 23, 2006 I guess I might also add that I had 512 mb. But installed an extra 256 mb today. I'm not sure if that will effect anything... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shadowriath Posted March 23, 2006 Share Posted March 23, 2006 Amount of RAM can help...but mostly in loading times being reduced. But the board you have is limited to PC2100 which is a low clock of 133. It's not that slow...same clock as a 2ghz processer. I would like to note that your board is incorrectly listed as "P4TGV" when it should be "P4TGV-R". The later has an AGP slot which would support your AGP card the other does not. Instead of upgrading your video card. I would upgrade your motherboard first. Then see how things are after that. It would be easy to get...any board that support Intel and is socket 478 with an AGP 4x/8x slot. A new motherboard will run around $20-$60. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corner Posted March 23, 2006 Author Share Posted March 23, 2006 Great...I need to spend more money...Now I'm told to get the card replaced by EVGA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SamuraiGaijin Posted March 23, 2006 Share Posted March 23, 2006 Great...I need to spend more money...Now I'm told to get the card replaced by EVGA. You just bought the card ... isn't it under warranty? Also, you previously stated you had 512MB RAM ... is that one stick or two? Memory is best used in pairs ... three 256MB sticks of RAM will only show as 512MB in most systems ... If you have 2 sticks of 256MB (now 3) I recommend buying 2 512MB sticks. shadowriath, while I agree that the best option is to not have onboard video, but if he's "disposable-cash-limited" we can't very well justify buying a new mobo just to play a game. BTW ... - you can disable onboard video in the BIOS without incident if you have a VGA card installed - not all 8XX or 9XX series mobos have onboard graphics - from BIOWARE's website ... http://www.biostar-usa.com/mbdetails.asp?model=p4tsv ... the P4TSV does have an AGP slot and supports PC3200 (DDR 400) RAM. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corner Posted March 23, 2006 Author Share Posted March 23, 2006 Also, you previously stated you had 512MB RAM ... is that one stick or two? Memory is best used in pairs ... three 256MB sticks of RAM will only show as 512MB in most systems ... If you have 2 sticks of 256MB (now 3) I recommend buying 2 512MB sticks. Before, it was one stick of 512 (looked like it was duel sided). And after I put in the 256 MB of RAM, it shows up as 768 MB in my computer. -you can disable onboard video in the BIOS without incident if you have a VGA card installed- not all 8XX or 9XX series mobos have onboard graphics When I enter BIOS, there isn't any option to disable or enable the onboard video...so, that means I probably don't have the onboard graphics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WITHTEETH Posted March 23, 2006 Share Posted March 23, 2006 These suggestions were good that a poster previously gave you. I recommend the following ...(1) Ensure you've uninstalled the ATi driver. (2) Install the latest NVidia Driver. (3) Disable your onboard videa in the BIOS. As for your ram, i wouldn't reccommend getting a new motherboard. If you have a 865 then your doing alright, your mother board should support 3200Ram not just 2100m although you might have 2100 Ram in your machine. And It is best to buy ram in pairs definatly because its called DRAM as in D for Dual. And the dual ram works with another one, and if the two sticks are the same it can communicate clearly with eachother. Thus making it more reliable and faster. The bottom line isn't your ram thouth, although a performance boost from 2 sticks of ram would help. Its something with your video card period. hmmm Always outnumbered, never out gunned! Unreal Tournament 2004 Handle:Enlight_2.0 Myspace Website! My rig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corner Posted March 23, 2006 Author Share Posted March 23, 2006 Looks like there is. I'm sending it back and getting a new one. I just pray that it works.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WITHTEETH Posted March 24, 2006 Share Posted March 24, 2006 Well corner, I hope it works out for you. By the way, how many watts is your power supply? Always outnumbered, never out gunned! Unreal Tournament 2004 Handle:Enlight_2.0 Myspace Website! My rig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SamuraiGaijin Posted March 24, 2006 Share Posted March 24, 2006 (edited) -you can disable onboard video in the BIOS without incident if you have a VGA card installed- not all 8XX or 9XX series mobos have onboard graphics When I enter BIOS, there isn't any option to disable or enable the onboard video...so, that means I probably don't have the onboard graphics. From the Award BIOS FAQ ... try this: Question: My AGP video card is not functioning properly, why? Answer: In the CMOS Setup, under the Integrated Peripherals screen and set the 'Init Display First' setting to AGP slot. By the way, according to the BIOWARE site, you do have "Intel Extreme Graphics 2", which is essentially a very crappy 3d graphics accelerator. Edited March 24, 2006 by SamuraiGaijin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corner Posted March 24, 2006 Author Share Posted March 24, 2006 (edited) Have any suggestions for that graphics accelerator? I've attempted to Update the drivers. But I get a missing or corrupt file. Edited March 24, 2006 by Corner Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SamuraiGaijin Posted March 24, 2006 Share Posted March 24, 2006 Have any suggestions for that graphics accelerator? I've attempted to Update the drivers. But I get a missing or corrupt file. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> ftp://aiedownload.intel.com/df-support/94...eadme_2k_xp.txt Have you thoroughly read (and followed the directions in) the read_me file? You're really better off just disabling the thing, though - compared to almost any add-in VGA card, it's crap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corner Posted March 25, 2006 Author Share Posted March 25, 2006 Yes I have. About a dozen times. And since you seem to be knowledgable about my chipset (I'm not being sarcastic-I need all the help I can get) how would I go about disabling it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SamuraiGaijin Posted March 25, 2006 Share Posted March 25, 2006 In your BIOS ... at the main screen you should be able to access a screen labeled "Advance Chipset Features", from there you should have an option the select either "Init Display First" or "Primary VGA BIOS" ... select AGP. While this does not completely disable the Intel Graphics on your mobo, it does force the computer to look to your graphics card first. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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