Recommend a graphics card...if any ?

GallicProphet

Please help, I bought this game Oblivion and it doesnt run on my current config, I need to buy a new graphics card if any will do on my system....

Intel® Pentium® 4 Processor 521 (2.80GHz, 800MHz FSB, 1MB L2 cache) with HT Technology


Genuine Windows® XP Home Edition


Memory Learn More

2 * 512MB


Drive Bays
External: One 3.5-inch drive bay (FlexBay) and Two 5.25-inch drive bays

Internal: Two bays for 1-inch-high IDE hard drives



I/O Ports
External Connectors: 6 USB 2.0 ports (2 front - 4 back)



Slots
2 PCI slots

1 PCIe x1 slot



Chassis
Microtower with easy internal accessibility

Dimensions: 14.5" x 7.25" x 16.75" (HxWxD) - 36.8 x 18.4 x 42.6 (cm)

Weight: 25 lbs. (11.34 kg)



Power
Input voltage: 100 to 120V at 47 to 63 Hz; or 200 to 240 V at 47 to 63 Hz

Output wattage: 250 Watts maximum continuous

Output voltage: 3.3V, 5V, and 12V

Heat dissipation: 853 BTU/hour (fully loaded computer without monitor)

Power management: APM

Backup battery: 3.0 V CR2032 coin cell

http://72.14.203.104/search?q=cache:w4kI2HJWGmQJ:www.bananacomputers.com/display_detailed_product.php%3Fmode%3Ddetail%26product_id%3D1497%26PHPSESSID%3D1d7718c7c9de53f4797598d8c0822251+%22dell+dimension+3100%22+%26+%22graphics+card%22+compatibility&hl=en&gl=ie&ct=clnk&cd=23

Jimmy365

You'll need a new PSU to run a graphics card in that system, 400W or so.

Oblivion is pretty graphic intensive, I believe. Whats your budget for the card?

Cheers,

Jim:)

GallicProphet

aww a new psu... i dont know for budget i guess a few hundred yoyos

is there really no way that i can get around buying a new psu, never changed one before

satchmo

Think of it as a learning experience! Ah they're pretty easy to change, it's just a big box which you swap out. It depends on the case, but it's usually not that hard.

8T8

Bad news I'm afraid, from the link your provided you seem to have a Dell Dimension 3100. If that is the case not only is your power supply insufficient to feed a proper graphics card, your Dell motherboard does not have the required expansion slots to allow you to even install one.

It lacks whats called a PCI Express x16 slot, it has a x1 slot but that is not enough and for low end peripherals.

Only way to resolve it to gut the system and put it in a new case with some new components which wont be cheap (as Dell use the not common BTX form factor almost everyone else use ATX), it will cost with the graphics card 350-400 to do that at least if you did it yourself.

TerrorFirmer

You won't get that computer playing Oblivion. Well - You could probably get something like an fx5200 PCI for 20 euro second hand (possibly a 5900 but I'm not sure if they were released in pci) that will run the game, but you're talking running the game at 800x600 with options on low.

Otherwise, it's a lost cause...

8T8

I think a PCI GeForce FX 5200 would be a bit unrealistic given it's craptacular DX9 performance though it would be fun to see if it actually worked

I heard of some PCI GFX 5700's but that is as high as it went I think.

There is an unofficial mod in the works that is porting the shaders to Direct-X 8, it wont look pretty but it might be playable.

Thier is also a .ini tweak for FX owners here as well to run the game playable on at least a GFX5600.

The ideal situation would be to acquire a PCI-E x1 graphics card unfortuantely the only ones available are for 2D use. Even a PCI-E x1 slot has twice the bandwidth compared against an old PCI slot, a x1 PCI-E slot is equal to about an AGP x1 slot.

If you were to try and risk a PCI-E x16 card there is a very good risk it that it wont work as almost all graphics cards use the x16 PCI-E slot so it could be missing the required grounding and power connections if plugged into a x1 slot.

If you know someone familiar with computers you could gut the Dell and rebuild a new system with a new graphics card, taking whatever parts we can from the Dell though you have to lose the Dell case, power supply and motherboard. You would also need to source a copy of Windows XP if someone you know has the CD you could use that CD with your Dell serial key to install XP on the new system as Dell only ship an image which more than likely will only re-image a Dell computer.

Motherboard €100
Case+PSU €68
CPU cooler €45 - unless you have one spare or can obtain another as generally Dell rig their coolers into the case somehow so re-using them can be tricky.

Basic graphics card €103
Decent graphics card €138
Best graphics card €204

The more powerful the graphics card the more details in Oblivion you will be able to run with.

GallicProphet

it s all good, i am not sure what to do now tbh, but your input was appreciated

8T8

Well you have 3 choices as I see it;

Dont do anything if you bought the game return it if you can.

Buy a PCI graphics card it has come to my attention from HavoK that PC World are selling a PCI 6200 card which would be marginally better than the FX5200 but you might be able to play the game with almost all the details set to low or turned off.

Gut your current computer for parts and build a new one from it with a proper PCI-E graphics card.

TerrorFirmer

8T8 wrote:

Buy a PCI graphics card it has come to my attention from HavoK that PC World are selling a PCI 6200 card which would be marginally better than the FX5200 but you might be able to play the game with almost all the details set to low or turned off.

That's actually a good choice - the game WILL run on lowish settings but at least you won't have to butcher it like you'd have to do with the fx5200 and the DX8.0 mod

Plus the 6200 is only 70 euro - and it'd probably run the game on 800x600 with low - and possibly....EVEN SOME OPTIONS ON MEDIUM! :eek:

edit: or you could just shell out 500 notes for a 360 premium pack and Oblivion