New video card advise please! - Page 2

Ronn_Bman · 09-18-2002, 04:56 PM

Just another reason to love IWs I guess [img]smile.gif[/img]

You guys are very informative and saved me from way too much research.

I think I'm going to start by adding another 256MG RDRAM(for a total of 512). I can get it for $80 according to pricewatch.com, and then, depending on how well that works, getting the new video card a little later. I believe I'll go with the 42 or 44 instead of the 46 to save the cash.

I stopped running Norton's Cleansweep-Smartsweep-Internetsweep in the background and that did a pretty good job of smoothing out the problem as well. I didn't think it had always been that jerky, and when someone mentioned background program problems, I remembered adding that to my startup last week.

I can get the additional ram and the 4200 card for less than I would have paid for the 4600.

[ 09-18-2002, 05:23 PM: Message edited by: Ronn_Bman ]

skywalker · 09-18-2002, 05:36 PM

If you buy on line, go to www.newegg.com. Great prices and great service. I got a LeadTek Geforce4 4400 and I've been happy with it so far!

Mark

09-18-2002, 07:46 PM

Coolbeans B-Man [img]smile.gif[/img] I think you will be most happy with the new card.

True_Moose · 09-18-2002, 08:01 PM

Do u have windows XP/2000 though. Or else that extra RAM will be useless. I have 512 MB on mine running 98SE, and it does nothing over 128

lethoso · 09-18-2002, 08:32 PM

if you are trying to improve gaming performance, i would advise against the ram. The main decider in game performance is video card, followed by cpu, then ram. Your cpu is more than adequate, your ram is quite adequate (not much at all needs more than 256mb) but your video card is the weakpoint of your system. If you have the cash, get a radeon 9700, it totally thrashes any other video card on the market at the moment. If you are on a budget, get a radeon 8500, a radeon 9000 pro, or a gf4 ti4200.....

09-19-2002, 01:10 AM

good job [img]smile.gif[/img] another 256mb of memory and a gf4 4200 is what i would buy in your position. However if you are using win98/me then lethoso is correct ...you wont see much improvment from adding more memory.

[ 09-19-2002, 01:11 AM: Message edited by: Hesperex ]

Lharae · 09-19-2002, 03:14 AM

XP is a memory hog. I recommend no less than 256 DDR if you're running it, especially if you run alot of programs at once. 512mb will be more than adequate and RAM is cheap now so go for it. Nice choice on the vid card too.

skywalker · 09-19-2002, 05:08 AM

XP is a video hog too. A good video card is essential as it is very graphically intensive.

Mark

Ronn_Bman · 09-19-2002, 04:23 PM

Thanks again guys! Now I just need to explain to my wife why I need to spend a couple of hundred bucks on my new computer.

Is honesty always the best policy? You should have seen the look I got when I told her it was to improve gaming. She obviously does not share my point of view on the importance of the gaming experience...lol!

Oh well, it's for my birthday, so she'll go along. She did point out that for her birthday this year all she got was a new pair of PJ's...lol.

BTW, I'm not a cheapskate, her birthday unfortunately falls around tax day! Car tax, residental tax, income tax, etc., so were usually pretty broke, but I make up for it on our anniversary [img]graemlins/thumbsup.gif[/img]

[ 09-19-2002, 04:27 PM: Message edited by: Ronn_Bman ]

09-18-2002, 04:56 PM	#11
Ronn_Bman Zartan Join Date: March 11, 2001 Location: North Carolina USA Age: 57 Posts: 5,177	Just another reason to love IWs I guess [img]smile.gif[/img] You guys are very informative and saved me from way too much research. I think I'm going to start by adding another 256MG RDRAM(for a total of 512). I can get it for $80 according to pricewatch.com, and then, depending on how well that works, getting the new video card a little later. I believe I'll go with the 42 or 44 instead of the 46 to save the cash. I stopped running Norton's Cleansweep-Smartsweep-Internetsweep in the background and that did a pretty good job of smoothing out the problem as well. I didn't think it had always been that jerky, and when someone mentioned background program problems, I remembered adding that to my startup last week. I can get the additional ram and the 4200 card for less than I would have paid for the 4600. [ 09-18-2002, 05:23 PM: Message edited by: Ronn_Bman ] __________________ [img]\"http://home.carolina.rr.com/orthanc/pics/Spinning%20Hammer%20Sig%20Pic.gif\" alt=\" - \" />

09-18-2002, 08:01 PM	#14
True_Moose Gold Dragon Join Date: June 18, 2002 Location: Wolfville, NS / Calgary, AB Age: 36 Posts: 2,563	Do u have windows XP/2000 though. Or else that extra RAM will be useless. I have 512 MB on mine running 98SE, and it does nothing over 128 __________________ [img]\"http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f13/true_moose/Siggy.jpg\" alt=\" - \" />

09-18-2002, 08:32 PM	#15
lethoso Manshoon Join Date: March 27, 2002 Location: Brisbane, Australia Age: 38 Posts: 248	if you are trying to improve gaming performance, i would advise against the ram. The main decider in game performance is video card, followed by cpu, then ram. Your cpu is more than adequate, your ram is quite adequate (not much at all needs more than 256mb) but your video card is the weakpoint of your system. If you have the cash, get a radeon 9700, it totally thrashes any other video card on the market at the moment. If you are on a budget, get a radeon 8500, a radeon 9000 pro, or a gf4 ti4200..... __________________ the three r\'s of microsoft product support: reboot, retry, reinstall

09-19-2002, 03:14 AM	#17
Lharae Manshoon Join Date: September 5, 2002 Location: East Coast USA Age: 46 Posts: 153	XP is a memory hog. I recommend no less than 256 DDR if you're running it, especially if you run alot of programs at once. 512mb will be more than adequate and RAM is cheap now so go for it. Nice choice on the vid card too. __________________ <img border=\"0\" alt=\"[warrior1]\" title=\"\" src=\"graemlins/warrior1.gif\" /> <br />If you don\'t know where I\'ve been, don\'t tell me what I am.

09-19-2002, 04:23 PM	#19
Ronn_Bman Zartan Join Date: March 11, 2001 Location: North Carolina USA Age: 57 Posts: 5,177	Thanks again guys! Now I just need to explain to my wife why I need to spend a couple of hundred bucks on my new computer. Is honesty always the best policy? You should have seen the look I got when I told her it was to improve gaming. She obviously does not share my point of view on the importance of the gaming experience...lol! Oh well, it's for my birthday, so she'll go along. She did point out that for her birthday this year all she got was a new pair of PJ's...lol. BTW, I'm not a cheapskate, her birthday unfortunately falls around tax day! Car tax, residental tax, income tax, etc., so were usually pretty broke, but I make up for it on our anniversary [img]graemlins/thumbsup.gif[/img] [ 09-19-2002, 04:27 PM: Message edited by: Ronn_Bman ] __________________ [img]\"http://home.carolina.rr.com/orthanc/pics/Spinning%20Hammer%20Sig%20Pic.gif\" alt=\" - \" />

09-18-2002, 05:36 PM	#12
skywalker Banned User Join Date: March 1, 2001 Location: VT, USA Age: 63 Posts: 3,097	If you buy on line, go to www.newegg.com. Great prices and great service. I got a LeadTek Geforce4 4400 and I've been happy with it so far! Mark

09-18-2002, 07:46 PM	#13
MagiK Guest Posts: n/a	Coolbeans B-Man [img]smile.gif[/img] I think you will be most happy with the new card.

09-19-2002, 01:10 AM	#16
Hesperex Guest Posts: n/a	good job [img]smile.gif[/img] another 256mb of memory and a gf4 4200 is what i would buy in your position. However if you are using win98/me then lethoso is correct ...you wont see much improvment from adding more memory. [ 09-19-2002, 01:11 AM: Message edited by: Hesperex ]

09-19-2002, 05:08 AM	#18
skywalker Banned User Join Date: March 1, 2001 Location: VT, USA Age: 63 Posts: 3,097	XP is a video hog too. A good video card is essential as it is very graphically intensive. Mark

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