PCI recommendation

[Guest]

I currently have a voodoo 5 but it is not supported anymore, as everyone knows. I was wondering if there are any new PCI cards out there that anyone can recommend. I am thinking about going to AGP but would have to get a new computer..yikes. Well, maybe it is time. I have an pentium iii compaq and I know some of the new cards require a lot of power on the motherboard. Any help would be appreciated.

[alastairmonk 0]

I sympathise with your position, but from what I can tell, most new graphics cards are AGP. I've toyed with the idea of using multiple monitors, and have looked for a second, PCI, card but haven't had much luck.This from one of the larger retailers here in the UK:http://www.dabs.com/products/prod-search.a...x=34&Refine.y=8Alastair

[Guest Andrew]

I found a good quality PCI card at my local Computer Fair for around 50 quid, which is a lot for a TNT2 I know, however it works well in a multi-monitor setup with my GeForce3 Ti200. Add to the fact that the system uses the same drivers for both cards, saves a lot of downloading new driver files.Andrew

[Guest]

Well, the only viable "new" PCI card out there at the moment is the Visiontek GeForce4 MX 420 PCI. This isn't a high-end card by any means however. Its based on the GF4 MX which is only a GF2 class chip. Even worse, this card design is based on 64MB of SDR memory instead of DDR:[link:www.ncix.com/usa/productdetail.php?sku=7348&PHPSESSID=6d116a7cf8c89acdc90fd4bc71ba9b36|$94.51 US] [link:www.ncix.com/canada/productdetail.php?sku=7348&PHPSESSID=8e9dbca2e19d7756174052d4088a54eb|$144.61 CAN]As a replacement card in a single video card system, I wouldn't recommend it. In your case, I'd highly recommend you either buy a new system or at the least a new motherboard, processor and video card (if one would fit in your proprietary Compaq case - its a toss up with Compaq systems). If you are not interested in the highest performance and more interested in the lowest price for the best performance, a good solution might be an Elitegroup motherboard, an Athlon XP 1600+ and GF4 Ti4200. This type of system would also allow you to carry forward an PC100/PC133 memory you might already have (although this shouldn't be the reason you buy such a board). You can pick up such a bundle for around $300 US ($500 CAN) or less (check www.pricewatch.com for the lowest prices):[link:www.ecs.com.tw/products/k7s5a.htm|EliteGroup (ECS) K7S5A SiS735 SocketA w/2DDR/2SDRAM, 5PCI, Audio and LAN][link:www.ncix.com/usa/productdetail.php?sku=6381&PHPSESSID=6db5084690401de7f92ca10d5bbf489c|$60.77 US] [link:www.ncix.com/canada/productdetail.php?sku=6381&PHPSESSID=52ab7c908558d9f7cc90247c184b15bd|$92.98 CAN][link:athlonxp.amd.com|AMD Athlon XP 1600+][link:www.ncix.com/usa/productdetail.php?sku=6574&PHPSESSID=d279799b12b23b84cdf4b33c6f282d5a|$79.03 US] [link:www.ncix.com/canada/productdetail.php?sku=6574&PHPSESSID=37843f63f129c506e98198b10df43f35|$120.91 CAN][link:www.aopen.com/products/vga/gf4ti4200-dvc128.htm|AOpen Aeolus GeForce4 Ti4200 128MB VIVO][link:www.ncix.com/usa/productdetail.php?sku=7973&PHPSESSID=55a413d66139a546dd7e4cdacadc955c|$186.67 US] [link:www.ncix.com/canada/productdetail.php?sku=7973&PHPSESSID=8e9dbca2e19d7756174052d4088a54eb|$285.60 CAN]As a secondary or third PCI card for multi-monitor Flight Sims, the Visiontek is by far the best choice available at the moment. It would be a perfect choice for such an FS setup (I personally have one of these for my secondary display).Good luck,http://members.rogers.com/eelvish/elrondlogo.gif[link:flightontario.cjb.net]http://members.rogers.com/eelvish/flyurl.gif