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Graphics card Swapover

  • 20-10-2009 11:47am
    #1
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 410 ✭✭


    Hi All

    A basic question.

    I have a HP a6085 and I have a ATI Radeon 1650. I would like to know can I take that out and put in say a NVIDIA card without any conflicts. I am PC knowledgeable but when it comes to graphics cards I am unsure.

    Also any links to graphics card hot deals appreciated.

    Thanks
    J


Comments

  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 645 ✭✭✭StopNotWorking


    What card are you thinking of? There is more to it than just swapping the cards out. If the card is a big one then you may need to upgrade the power supply, or it may not fit inside the case.

    But if everything is ok then all you will have to do is uninstall the ATI drivers(In control panel-Remove programs). restart the box so you have the really low bad looking resolution. Then install the new card and reboot, and install the nvidia drivers.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 410 ✭✭johnc24


    Hi Thanks for your reply,

    I do not have one in mind just yet.
    I am having a look around at the moment online, I will try choose one and post a link and see what help I can with it.

    Thanks John


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 410 ✭✭johnc24


    What card are you thinking of? There is more to it than just swapping the cards out. If the card is a big one then you may need to upgrade the power supply, or it may not fit inside the case.

    I am looking at the Nvidia 8800 GT.....any thoughts??


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 645 ✭✭✭StopNotWorking


    It's a good card and you shouldn't have any problems with power or space. But wait for the smarter ones to show up and post before taking my word:o


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 410 ✭✭johnc24


    Thanks StopNotWorking

    Just to throw the following information into the pot.

    As I said I have a ATI radeon X1650 and I brought up the properties, it says

    Total Available Graphics Memory 2047MB
    Dedicated Video Memory 512MB
    Shared Video Memory 0MB
    Shared System Memory 1535MB

    Can anything within those numbers be "fiddled" with to improve it in any way.

    J


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 674 ✭✭✭jonny72


    What games are you trying to play? how big is your monitor and what resolution is it?

    Changing from ATI to Nvidia can be a problem regarding drivers, its best to completely clean the ATI drivers with a driver cleaner then install the new Nvidia drivers with nvidia card..

    Why choose Nvidia though? Ati have some excellent cards from 50 to 100 euros depending on what kinda games and monitor you are playing on..


  • Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 18,381 Mod ✭✭✭✭Solitaire


    +1. Why nVidia specifically? The 8800GT (and 9800GT, and GTS240...) are in a bad position with the HD4830 (where its still stocked) usually coming in cheaper and slightly better and the HD4850 and HD4770 coming in at roughly the same price or a couple of € more and giving much greater performance? Where you can find it cheaply (there's big variations in price) the HD4770 is an especially apt choice owing to its low power consumption. Hell, even a HD4670 will do at 1280*1024 and below and be an epic improvement over your current card! :)

    How much RAM do you have installed in there anyway? That looks like a cheaper X1650 which has DDR2 memory, which really doesn't help things! To make matters worse its a parasitic card, with the ability to supplement its own half-GB of slow-ass memory with 1.5GB of even slower system memory! The X1650 is better off with 256MB of fast GDDR3 than 512MB of slow-ass DDR2. Stealing 1.5GB of system RAM that would be far better off serving Windows and your applications is just nuts! :eek:

    Put it like this: Allowing your X1650 to steal added system RAM is making things a lot worse, not better! And the only way to "make it better" is to increase the clock speed of the GPU or the memory already on the card. I'd rather buy a better card as even a hefty OC isn't going to give you the performance of a stock-clocked €60 new card :P


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 410 ✭✭johnc24


    Solitaire wrote: »
    +1. Why nVidia specifically? The 8800GT (and 9800GT, and GTS240...) are in a bad position with the HD4830 (where its still stocked) usually coming in cheaper and slightly better and the HD4850 and HD4770 coming in at roughly the same price or a couple of € more and giving much greater performance? Where you can find it cheaply (there's big variations in price) the HD4770 is an especially apt choice owing to its low power consumption. Hell, even a HD4670 will do at 1280*1024 and below and be an epic improvement over your current card! :)

    How much RAM do you have installed in there anyway? That looks like a cheaper X1650 which has DDR2 memory, which really doesn't help things! To make matters worse its a parasitic card, with the ability to supplement its own half-GB of slow-ass memory with 1.5GB of even slower system memory! The X1650 is better off with 256MB of fast GDDR3 than 512MB of slow-ass DDR2. Stealing 1.5GB of system RAM that would be far better off serving Windows and your applications is just nuts! :eek:

    Put it like this: Allowing your X1650 to steal added system RAM is making things a lot worse, not better! And the only way to "make it better" is to increase the clock speed of the GPU or the memory already on the card. I'd rather buy a better card as even a hefty OC isn't going to give you the performance of a stock-clocked €60 new card :P

    Hi Solitaire,

    Well as I say I am not very knowledgeable when it comes to this type of thing to be honest.

    I guess I have jumped to Nvidia, because my first card was Nvidia and I liked it a lot. That said the 1650 is ok but far from great, I did look at the HD4770 I think it is and it looks very good for the price, but my opinion of ATI is tainted due to fact of what I am using at the moment.

    The 4770 did look good though.

    I would be not be playing hardcore games, maybe Flight Sim 2004 (Don't Like FSX) Really I just want to get a flawless Flight Sim with a few addons.

    My monitor is HPw1907v with a res of 1440*900

    I have 4GB of RAM


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 410 ✭✭johnc24


    Hi

    I have been looking at the HD4770 and for the price, it seems the appropriate choice.

    However when I browse around I find things like the

    450564.jpg PowerColor Radeon HD 4770 512MB GDDR5


    and

    451175.jpg Sapphire Radeon HD 4770 512MB GDDR5

    and

    451107.jpg ASUS Radeon HD 4770 512MB GDDR5


    What is the story? Are they the same or different in some way?


  • Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 18,381 Mod ✭✭✭✭Solitaire


    Same thing, different brands. Rule of thumb: buy the cheapest :D


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 410 ✭✭johnc24


    Is it strictly the same thing though, I cant help but recall "You get what you pay for"

    Now they do not have a huge price differential between them but is it just different makers or do they have slight differences in the technology?

    Thanks


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 674 ✭✭✭jonny72


    There's no big difference..

    sometimes some of them have better coolers, or run quieter, or are slightly overclocked.. just google a review of each one.. from a proper review site..

    A 4770 would be perfect for you. I mean it must literally be 3 or 4 times faster than you current card.. and you wouldn't have to change the drivers..

    Right now, ATI is king over Nvidia for best price/performance, especially at about the 75 to 100 euro mark.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 410 ✭✭johnc24


    Hi

    I wonder by upgrading to 4770. Would I need to update my CPU in order to get full benefit from the 4770 or would it not matter that much?


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 674 ✭✭✭jonny72


    The graphics card will make the biggest difference to gaming but will always be bottlenecked by chip/motherboard/ram etc on slower machines.

    What chip do you have now?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 410 ✭✭johnc24


    jonny72 wrote: »
    The graphics card will make the biggest difference to gaming but will always be bottlenecked by chip/motherboard/ram etc on slower machines.

    What chip do you have now?

    Hi

    I have a program called CPUz and it gives me the following information.

    MANUFACTURER: Asustek Computer Inc.
    MODEL : Leonite
    CHIPSET: Intel i945P/PL/GZ
    SOUTHBRIDGE: Intel 82801GB (ICH7/R)


  • Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 18,381 Mod ✭✭✭✭Solitaire


    jonny72 wrote: »
    The graphics card will make the biggest difference to gaming but will always be bottlenecked by chip/motherboard/ram etc on slower machines.

    What chip do you have now?

    Your Google-Fu fails :P

    Its an a6085 so I'm guessing an E6700, minimum. So a 65nm 2.66GHz C2D. Not a bad start and highly unlikely to bottleneck a HD4770 ;)

    On the other hand the mobo is a PoS OEM 945G. Old, old chipset and the OP has one of the best CPUs available for it already on it. The day they finally need a CPU upgrade, they're looking at changing the mobo, PSU and God knows what else as well :o

    But that won't bottleneck a HD4770 either :P


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 410 ✭✭johnc24


    you know what guys, I am really eager to get on board with this idea of building my own setup.

    I may not be the most informed individual regarding building PC's but I know where to find help and answers and I think that will get me through it.

    It will be a nice experience!

    Rgds
    John


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 645 ✭✭✭StopNotWorking


    johnc24 wrote: »
    but I know where to find help and answers and I think that will get me through it.

    Do tell! I've been stuck here with that useless solitaire for advice :P


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 410 ✭✭johnc24


    Do tell! I've been stuck here with that useless solitaire for advice :P

    Oops that may have sounded wrong. I Truly appreciate all the help and assistance I have been offered here and im sure it would continue.

    My meaning being Google and research.


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