PCI Video Card => worth buying?

My aging desktop has only 2 PCI expansion slot, and no AGP slot. Running on
a P3 1.0mhz with 128MB, do you think it's worthwhile for me to get a PCI
video card just for running games? If yes, any recommendation?

I have heard of a PCI-to-AGP bridge, some kind of coverter, I guess. Does it
really exist? If yes, would it do any good installing a AGP video card,
since it's still using a PCI slot?

Please advise.

"JS" wrote in message
...
My aging desktop has only 2 PCI expansion slot, and no AGP slot. Running
on
a P3 1.0mhz with 128MB, do you think it's worthwhile for me to get a PCI
video card just for running games? If yes, any recommendation?

I have heard of a PCI-to-AGP bridge, some kind of coverter, I guess. Does
it
really exist? If yes, would it do any good installing a AGP video card,
since it's still using a PCI slot?

Please advise.

Save the money and get/build a new system in the future. If you could get an
AGP converter it would never be worth the price! (You may be referring to
the way motherboards translate the AGP port comms across the PCI bus.)

What OS are you using? You may enjoy a better performance boost with a
memory upgrade. Game performance is less dependent on the graphics card than
most people would think.

Until then, hold tight, play old games and run at low resolutions and
quality settings.

On 9/15/2003 4:05 AM JS befouled our nation with:

My aging desktop has only 2 PCI expansion slot, and no AGP slot. Running on
a P3 1.0mhz with 128MB, do you think it's worthwhile for me to get a PCI
video card just for running games? If yes, any recommendation?

I have heard of a PCI-to-AGP bridge, some kind of coverter, I guess. Does it
really exist? If yes, would it do any good installing a AGP video card,
since it's still using a PCI slot?

Please advise.




I know someone in a similar situation, I'd assume you mean you have a
1.0 GHz P3. If you've got something like an HP or Gateway system with
an onboard Intel i850 graphics chipset that uses shared memory, you'd be
well served picking up a PCI video card. Ultimately I'd agree with
tHatDudeUK, you should completely upgrade. But you could hold off the
dogs a bit by getting an inexpensive PCI card, a GeForce4 MX or an ATI
9100, both can be found for around $50 USD. For a little more you could
probably get a PCI version of an FX 5200. With that system you'll never
be able to play the latest games in all their glory, but you could at
least probably get some older games to run using 32 bit color and
possibly up your resolution while gaining a significant speed boost.
Here are two links I just sent my friend:
http://techspot.pricegrabber.com/search_getprod.php/masterid=820981/ut=40a0317e535f8177
http://techspot.pricegrabber.com/search_getprod.php/masterid=651509/ut=40a0317e535f8177

This is the same recommendation I've given to my friend but his first
action was to up his memory from 128 to 364 Mb. He still hasn't decided
on buying a card yet. One problem you may encounter, if you do have an
onboard graphics solution, they often can be a hassle to bypass when
installing a separate graphics card.

--
Scientific American recently corrected an April news story that contended that, in one study, cloned pigs had variable numbers of teeth. In fact, they had variable numbers of teats.

Steve [Inglo]

Yes, my old junk is a Gateway. Not too sure about the graphics chipset
though. Actually I'm hoping to be able to link this desktop to my new
Centrino based laptop for a multiplayer feel of Neverwinter Nights (yeah,
I'm into old games )


"Inglo" wrote in message
.com...
On 9/15/2003 4:05 AM JS befouled our nation with:

My aging desktop has only 2 PCI expansion slot, and no AGP slot. Running
on
a P3 1.0mhz with 128MB, do you think it's worthwhile for me to get a PCI
video card just for running games? If yes, any recommendation?

I have heard of a PCI-to-AGP bridge, some kind of coverter, I guess. Does
it
really exist? If yes, would it do any good installing a AGP video card,
since it's still using a PCI slot?

Please advise.




I know someone in a similar situation, I'd assume you mean you have a
1.0 GHz P3. If you've got something like an HP or Gateway system with
an onboard Intel i850 graphics chipset that uses shared memory, you'd be
well served picking up a PCI video card. Ultimately I'd agree with
tHatDudeUK, you should completely upgrade. But you could hold off the
dogs a bit by getting an inexpensive PCI card, a GeForce4 MX or an ATI
9100, both can be found for around $50 USD. For a little more you could
probably get a PCI version of an FX 5200. With that system you'll never
be able to play the latest games in all their glory, but you could at
least probably get some older games to run using 32 bit color and
possibly up your resolution while gaining a significant speed boost.
Here are two links I just sent my friend:

http://techspot.pricegrabber.com/sea...820981/ut=40a0
317e535f8177

http://techspot.pricegrabber.com/sea...651509/ut=40a0
317e535f8177

This is the same recommendation I've given to my friend but his first
action was to up his memory from 128 to 364 Mb. He still hasn't decided
on buying a card yet. One problem you may encounter, if you do have an
onboard graphics solution, they often can be a hassle to bypass when
installing a separate graphics card.

--
Scientific American recently corrected an April news story that contended
that, in one study, cloned pigs had variable numbers of teeth. In fact, they
had variable numbers of teats.

Steve [Inglo]

"JS" wrote in message
...
My aging desktop has only 2 PCI expansion slot, and no AGP slot. Running
on
a P3 1.0mhz with 128MB, do you think it's worthwhile for me to get a PCI
video card just for running games? If yes, any recommendation?

I have heard of a PCI-to-AGP bridge, some kind of coverter, I guess. Does
it

PCI-AGP bridge is a controller function on AGP capable motherboards. It only
controls the "logical" interface from PCI to the AGP port (as logically, AGP
is an extension to the PCI bus).

really exist? If yes, would it do any good installing a AGP video card,
since it's still using a PCI slot?

There are good PCI cards that are based off the same chipsets as some AGP
cards. MX400, some ATI cards etc.

/M

if you really want to get a pci graphics card then id suggest a geforce 4
mx440 pci
i have one and the performance is ok...
very overclockable too

its not nocking the top notch cards but it will let you play newer games
such as GTA vice city at a half decent frame rate

alan

"JS" wrote in message
...
Yes, my old junk is a Gateway. Not too sure about the graphics chipset
though. Actually I'm hoping to be able to link this desktop to my new
Centrino based laptop for a multiplayer feel of Neverwinter Nights (yeah,
I'm into old games )


"Inglo" wrote in message
.com...
On 9/15/2003 4:05 AM JS befouled our nation with:

My aging desktop has only 2 PCI expansion slot, and no AGP slot.
Running
on
a P3 1.0mhz with 128MB, do you think it's worthwhile for me to get a
PCI
video card just for running games? If yes, any recommendation?

I have heard of a PCI-to-AGP bridge, some kind of coverter, I guess.
Does
it
really exist? If yes, would it do any good installing a AGP video card,
since it's still using a PCI slot?

Please advise.




I know someone in a similar situation, I'd assume you mean you have a
1.0 GHz P3. If you've got something like an HP or Gateway system with
an onboard Intel i850 graphics chipset that uses shared memory, you'd be
well served picking up a PCI video card. Ultimately I'd agree with
tHatDudeUK, you should completely upgrade. But you could hold off the
dogs a bit by getting an inexpensive PCI card, a GeForce4 MX or an ATI
9100, both can be found for around $50 USD. For a little more you could
probably get a PCI version of an FX 5200. With that system you'll never
be able to play the latest games in all their glory, but you could at
least probably get some older games to run using 32 bit color and
possibly up your resolution while gaining a significant speed boost.
Here are two links I just sent my friend:


http://techspot.pricegrabber.com/sea...820981/ut=40a0
317e535f8177


http://techspot.pricegrabber.com/sea...651509/ut=40a0
317e535f8177

This is the same recommendation I've given to my friend but his first
action was to up his memory from 128 to 364 Mb. He still hasn't decided
on buying a card yet. One problem you may encounter, if you do have an
onboard graphics solution, they often can be a hassle to bypass when
installing a separate graphics card.

--
Scientific American recently corrected an April news story that
contended
that, in one study, cloned pigs had variable numbers of teeth. In fact,
they
had variable numbers of teats.

Steve [Inglo]

A PCI MX440SE will probably see more of its potential realised with a P3
1GHz.

With a faster card, the performance would be limited by your relatively slow
processor speed.

That is not to say that you cannot play most games, up until the 2002-2003
period, maybe even beyond, at respectable resolutions.

CPU speed is far more important in gaming, despite what the marketing people
would have you believe.

Of course, a Pentium V, ATi 9900Pro, 4GB RAM with Windows XP 64bit edition
is always nice also.