advice for budget card

Can anyone suggest a budget video card that supports pixel shader 1.1?
I only need it for one game, as I am not a big gamer (at all).

Therefore I don't need a superstar card. Just a budget option.

Thanks in advance!~

wrote in message
ups.com...
Can anyone suggest a budget video card that supports pixel shader 1.1?
I only need it for one game, as I am not a big gamer (at all).

Therefore I don't need a superstar card. Just a budget option.

Thanks in advance!~


How much have you got to spend? Give the NG an idea and I'm sure plenty of
people will offer their advice.

SpamBox wrote:
wrote in message
ups.com...
Can anyone suggest a budget video card that supports pixel shader 1.1?
I only need it for one game, as I am not a big gamer (at all).

Therefore I don't need a superstar card. Just a budget option.

Thanks in advance!~


How much have you got to spend? Give the NG an idea and I'm sure plenty of
people will offer their advice.

To be totally honest with you, I am a real Luddite and I don't even
know how much these things cost. I mean, I see some online for $300 and
I was definitely not wanting to spend that much.

I was hoping to spend under $100. I have no idea if that's reasonable
or not. Since I really am not a gamer, the cheaper the better.

I also do not know if eBay is a respectable option (i.e. how risky is
it with these things? Are they delicate?).

wrote in message
ups.com...

Can anyone suggest a budget video card that supports pixel shader 1.1?
I only need it for one game, as I am not a big gamer (at all).

Therefore I don't need a superstar card. Just a budget option.

Thanks in advance!~


To be totally honest with you, I am a real Luddite and I don't even
know how much these things cost. I mean, I see some online for $300 and
I was definitely not wanting to spend that much.

I was hoping to spend under $100. I have no idea if that's reasonable
or not. Since I really am not a gamer, the cheaper the better.



The ATI website has a compare page that probably shows what your asking.
Just start with the older cards and work your way up.

wrote in message
ups.com...

SpamBox wrote:
wrote in message
ups.com...
Can anyone suggest a budget video card that supports pixel shader 1.1?
I only need it for one game, as I am not a big gamer (at all).

Therefore I don't need a superstar card. Just a budget option.

Thanks in advance!~


How much have you got to spend? Give the NG an idea and I'm sure plenty
of
people will offer their advice.

To be totally honest with you, I am a real Luddite and I don't even
know how much these things cost. I mean, I see some online for $300 and
I was definitely not wanting to spend that much.

I was hoping to spend under $100. I have no idea if that's reasonable
or not. Since I really am not a gamer, the cheaper the better.

I also do not know if eBay is a respectable option (i.e. how risky is
it with these things? Are they delicate?).


OK. Next questions: -

What game is it you play?

What card do you have at the moment?

Any preference as to chipset - ATI/Nvidia?

Do you need and PCI/AGP/PCI-E card? If you are not sure do you know what
motherboard you have? If you do not know what motherboard you have, do you
know the make/model of your PC?

As for eBay, a viable option but for the difference in cost I would rather
buy from a reputable on-line store and know that I am getting a brand-new
working card that hasn't been overclocked etc.

Glenn

SpamBox wrote:
wrote in message
[snip]

OK. Next questions: -

What game is it you play?

Nothing, at the moment! That's the problem! The game I bought is Black
& White 2. I stupidly neglected to look at the system requirements,
assuming my computer would be fine. I do not play any other games like
that.

What card do you have at the moment?

Evidently, I have an Intel(R) 82845G/GL/GE/PE/GV Graphics Controller

Any preference as to chipset - ATI/Nvidia?

None. Both were mentioned in the readme file of the game. I just want
it to be at least as good as what I have now, and hopefully support
Pixel Shader 1.1 (whatever that is).

Do you need and PCI/AGP/PCI-E card? If you are not sure do you know what
motherboard you have? If you do not know what motherboard you have, do you
know the make/model of your PC?

I don't know the answer to the first two....I even tried to figure out
what kind of motherboard I had, but I couldn't. The brilliant online
tech support couldn't tell me, either. Which does make me feel somewhat
better.

I have a Compaq Presario SR1000V.

As for eBay, a viable option but for the difference in cost I would rather
buy from a reputable on-line store and know that I am getting a brand-new
working card that hasn't been overclocked etc.

OK, yeah. I figured that could be the case. I just don't want to spend
tons. As you can tell, I am not a real technophile and won't be gaming
a lot.

Glenn

It's possible to get a good video card (new) for about $100, and there
are lots of good ones for under $200.

You say that you have an Intel 82845 currently ... that is an Intel 845
chipset with built-in chipset video. That is an AGP chipset. However,
some motherboards with that chipset and chipset video don't have an AGP
socket for adding a video card. E.g. your only choice if the chipset
video is inadequate is a new motherboard (effectively a new computer).
You have to resolve that first, because it is so fundamental.

There was a superb review recently on the best video cards at price
points from under $100 to over $400. When I get home, I'll try to find
it. The best low end card was a card based on the ATI X1300, although
the card was not built by ATI. It was under $100.


wrote:
SpamBox wrote:

wrote in message
[snip]


OK. Next questions: -

What game is it you play?


Nothing, at the moment! That's the problem! The game I bought is Black
& White 2. I stupidly neglected to look at the system requirements,
assuming my computer would be fine. I do not play any other games like
that.


What card do you have at the moment?


Evidently, I have an Intel(R) 82845G/GL/GE/PE/GV Graphics Controller


Any preference as to chipset - ATI/Nvidia?


None. Both were mentioned in the readme file of the game. I just want
it to be at least as good as what I have now, and hopefully support
Pixel Shader 1.1 (whatever that is).


Do you need and PCI/AGP/PCI-E card? If you are not sure do you know what
motherboard you have? If you do not know what motherboard you have, do you
know the make/model of your PC?


I don't know the answer to the first two....I even tried to figure out
what kind of motherboard I had, but I couldn't. The brilliant online
tech support couldn't tell me, either. Which does make me feel somewhat
better.

I have a Compaq Presario SR1000V.


As for eBay, a viable option but for the difference in cost I would rather
buy from a reputable on-line store and know that I am getting a brand-new
working card that hasn't been overclocked etc.


OK, yeah. I figured that could be the case. I just don't want to spend
tons. As you can tell, I am not a real technophile and won't be gaming
a lot.


Glenn

If it`s this one then it looks like intergrated graphics with no Agp slot.
Big problem with the Compaq`s and HP`s. No real modern videocard solution
that I know of as pci has been dead for a while.

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/d...e =c00163403#


wrote in message
oups.com...

SpamBox wrote:
wrote in message
[snip]

OK. Next questions: -

What game is it you play?

Nothing, at the moment! That's the problem! The game I bought is Black
& White 2. I stupidly neglected to look at the system requirements,
assuming my computer would be fine. I do not play any other games like
that.

What card do you have at the moment?

Evidently, I have an Intel(R) 82845G/GL/GE/PE/GV Graphics Controller

Any preference as to chipset - ATI/Nvidia?

None. Both were mentioned in the readme file of the game. I just want
it to be at least as good as what I have now, and hopefully support
Pixel Shader 1.1 (whatever that is).

Do you need and PCI/AGP/PCI-E card? If you are not sure do you know what
motherboard you have? If you do not know what motherboard you have, do
you
know the make/model of your PC?

I don't know the answer to the first two....I even tried to figure out
what kind of motherboard I had, but I couldn't. The brilliant online
tech support couldn't tell me, either. Which does make me feel somewhat
better.

I have a Compaq Presario SR1000V.

As for eBay, a viable option but for the difference in cost I would
rather
buy from a reputable on-line store and know that I am getting a brand-new
working card that hasn't been overclocked etc.

OK, yeah. I figured that could be the case. I just don't want to spend
tons. As you can tell, I am not a real technophile and won't be gaming
a lot.

Glenn

JKBK wrote:
If it`s this one then it looks like intergrated graphics with no Agp slot.
Big problem with the Compaq`s and HP`s. No real modern videocard solution
that I know of as pci has been dead for a while.

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/d...e =c00163403#


So in that case, there is no way to play the game on this particular
computer?

Hrm, what a bummer. And surprising, too, that a computer that is only a
couple years old is already too archaic to play a contemporary game on.
I guess that's what you don't know if you're not a gamer! :'-(

BMonroe(nospam) wrote:
It's possible to get a good video card (new) for about $100, and there
are lots of good ones for under $200.

You say that you have an Intel 82845 currently ... that is an Intel 845
chipset with built-in chipset video. That is an AGP chipset. However,
some motherboards with that chipset and chipset video don't have an AGP
socket for adding a video card. E.g. your only choice if the chipset
video is inadequate is a new motherboard (effectively a new computer).
You have to resolve that first, because it is so fundamental.


OK, so I found some stuff out from tech support. I realize this is very
pedestrian, but could you all read over this conversation and tell me
if you can see a possible solution to my problem?:

----START CONVO----
Morrie: The mother board model is ASUS: P4SD-LA PES

HP:Giovani2-GL6
Morrie: And the chipset is Intel i845GV.
ERIN: OK, thank you. So is it possible to change my chipset?
ERIN: That chipset does not support Pixel Shader 1.1 evidently
ERIN: basically, is there an Agp slot?
Morrie: I am sorry Erin, It's the integrated one. you can not add the
Pixel Shader1.1
ERIN: so is there any option that I have if I want to play a game that
requires support for Pixel Shader 1.1?
Morrie: You have two PCI expansion slots with specification
32bit/33Mhz.
ERIN: I'm sorry, but I'm not very experienced with computers. Can you
explain how I would use those slots?
Morrie: Let me have some time so I can explain it to you in detail.
ERIN: OK, cool
Morrie: Thanks for your patience and time.
ERIN: no problem
Morrie: As per the system specifications, I see that the system comes
with 8X AGP Graphics card,
Morrie: Since, the system has a PCI slot open for expansion, you can
purchase a 8x PCI Graphics card and install on the system.
----END CONVO----

.....so does this mean I could possibly buy a video card and install it
(god knows how) into that empty slot?

Thanks muchly!