Hi Guy's.I'm sticking with XP Pro, and FS9.1 for a while yet, and unfortunately my graphics card looks like it might be dead, so I'm thinking about what I have read here about the X1950 Pro,I run this PC with 2 Gigs of Corsair Extreme RAM, with an Intel P4 3.40 CPU, both the graphics and CPU are water cooled by the way.But searching for an AGP version available in the UK for the price ranges mentioned seems to be proving more difficult than I anticipated.I do like the idea of going over to 512 from 256 on the card, but just can't seem to find one for the supposed price range.If anyone can offer any help on this then I would be most grateful.I did like my X80TX PE, but if it is dead, then the X1950 Pro looks like a nice trade-off for value.If anyone has one of these cards, could you let us know if they are any good please, I hate to sound stupid, but I have been out of the hardware side of things for some time, so I'm not as well up on these as I used to be.Thanks for any help all,

U mean this? http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct....rodid=GX-004-GCAnybody correct me if im wrong but i think sofar the 512 version only is in PCIe flavor.What display adapter are you using? if you are considering upgrading.

Hi Davis,what do you mean what display adaptor will I be using!I have been looking around, and I wondered what you thought about this card, 512MB, a good price too I thought, but, it's not cheap if it's rubbish is it.http://www.novatech.co.uk/novatech/specpag...l?sap-x16p5&P=0I did fancy the X1900 Pro,but it's expensive for only 256RAM, and I can't get it in 512 in AGP, just PCIE as you mentioned. but I have had 256 now, and I want to try 512 graphics RAM.I look forward to your reply.PS here are the specs of the X1600 Pro 512MB :Chipset ATI Radeon X1600PRO Memory Clock Speed 800MHz Video Memory Installed 512MB DDR2 Memory Interface 128-bit Core Clock Speed 500MHz Pixel Per CLock (Peak) 8 Features Avivo, Shader Model 3

Hi Steve,What i ment was, at what resolution are you running games (fs*) as its also important when considering a new gpu. 1024x , 1280x etc.. That x1600 would give you round the same perf. as the 7600GS. Is ok but you can do better. The best and fastest (possibly last too) great one on AGP is the 7800GS if your budget allows it.ps. Have you taken in consideration too DX10, would mean you need to upgrade your mobo too. If you are/want that.. ask yourself if you can justify for yourself spending cash on this upgrade, vs. a pos. future total upgrade ;)Some links with info that might help you hopefully.X1600Pro vs. 7600GShttp://www.gpureview.com/show_cards.php?card1=369&card2=435X1600XT vs. 7600GShttp://www.gpureview.com/show_cards.php?card1=440&card2=435X1600Pro vs. 7600GShttp://www.gpureview.com/show_cards.php?card1=369&card2=435X1650XT vs. 7600GShttp://www.gpureview.com/show_cards.php?card1=473&card2=435X1600XT vs. 7800GShttp://www.gpureview.com/show_cards.php?card1=440&card2=382X1600Pro vs. 7800GShttp://www.gpureview.com/show_cards.php?card1=369&card2=382X1650XT vs. 7800GShttp://www.gpureview.com/show_cards.php?card1=473&card2=3827600GT vs. 7800GShttp://www.gpureview.com/show_cards.php?card1=435&card2=3827600GS vs. 7800GShttp://www.gpureview.com/show_cards.php?card1=434&card2=382

I'll add to Davis' words here instead of the other thread. As Davis pointed out, display adapters drive particular displays, aka resolutions and sometimes multiples thereof. ;-) With single monitor setups, you'll unlikely exceed 256MB with FS9. Far from it, my max reading is ca 140-150MB. Resolution indications pending, a couple of thoughts... ;-) Kind regards Jaap

Hi Guy's,Thanks for getting back to me.Davis, thank you for all the information you have provided, you should be a detective, you're certainly thorough enough,LoLI am staying with my current rig for possibly just over a year, so I wanted to re-vamp it a Little, I added another gig or ram, and have to get another graphics card as the X800PE has died on me.I intend to stay with FS9.1 till they sort out FSX, and I am staying with XP Pro till they sort out Vista also, then it will be a completely new rig from top down.this is why I was looking for some pointers on a graphics card for now.I just bought myself a couple of nice new and shiny 20.1" TFT's from Novatech, their prices are very very good, and I was glad to get rid of the two older CRT monitors, they were both 22" and had half a car sticking out the back of them, I now have so much space, I just don't know what to do with it, LoL.I suppose I am kind of looking for recommendations that will allow me to run FS well, without breaking the bank, and seeing as it will all have to be replaced anyway next year or so.I thought about a 512 card as I thought it would benefit me in FS and Ghost Recon etc.I use 1280X1024 for my display for everything.I welcome all of your thoughts on this dilemma, and appreciate any suggestions that you have, is the X1600 Pro going to be able to handle everything.whatever happens, it's got to be a step in the right direction from my older X800PE thats nearly three years old now.Thanks again guy's.

Hi Steve, with 2 hi-res monitors, a 512MB card seems reasonable, even for FS9. If you have a functioning setup, download MemStatus and look at the values. Since it only measures single displays, you'll have to add a bit for the secondary. A 1600pro or something alike is probably a step backward from where you are now (128-bit vs 256-bit & < 16 pipilines vs 16). Perhaps also look out for cards with GDDR3 memory? The X1600pro i.e. has GDDR2 modules. You get what you pay for. If it's incredibly cheap, it often is. ;-) Hope this adds to thoughts, kind regards Jaap

Everything ditto with Jaap,Just look at the site i gave you before, that 1600 ranks for about the same as the 7600. Like you said you are sticking with FS9 and XP for sometime to come..so will be at least 1year with Vista maturing. By that time you can upgrade everything and use PCIe, so for now why not the best and last upgrade and go for that 7800 (if budget allows newegg.com conversion USD/GPB 120/130GBP) or UK http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct....rodid=GX-030-GW that one on AGP is a very nice card with many positive reviews.

Hi Guy's,Well, a 7800 GS has now been ordered.I am off Friday, so I'm going to install it and have some fun.I must first start to read up on the drivers and operating tips, as it's been years since I last used any Nvidia cards, I have been on ATI for ages, and find them pretty much simple to install and use.I just hope I don't have any hick-ups on this Nvidia Nview desktop display manager stuff.Thanks for the tips all the same guy's.

Hi Steve, I doubt there will be major performance increases. As usual with more RAM, max achievable seems more smoothness. :-) You likely know this, so just for the record: Uninstall with the Radeon card inside and remove all the ATI driver reminents before installing the new card and drivers. Wish you heaps of fun, Steve. Kind regards Jaap

oops,I can't uninstall with the radeon card inside because it's dead.but I will ignore any hardware change requests, and just remove via the add-remove all and any relation to the ATI card, such as control centre, display drivers etc, then run CCleaner, and then re-boot, and install the Nvidia drivers that I have just downloaded onto the laptop ready for tomorrow night (Thursday)so hopefully all will be well.Thanks again.

No worries Steve.Just boot to safe mode..ignore any hardware changing requests by XP. Use drivercleaner http://www.drivercleaner.net to get rid of the ATI stuff, optionally run CCleaner then just boot with the new card.. be sure after to let fs rebuild its .cfg just rename your current one.

Well, all sorted, and WoW, what a difference it has made, and, I can now see for the first time my two new TFT monitors in action, LoL.I have a question though, I am still seeing my old ATI X800 XT PE in the FS9 .cfg, and not the new card.I did re-set the display settings in FS9 for both monitors, and it showed them in the drop down list of the display devices in the options screen in FS, but the FS9 config file still shows the X800.is there any way of changing it without having to re-build the whole FS9 cfg all over again, I hate doing that, or doesn't it matter.thanks again for all the help.

Rename the old cfg when you had the ATI. and let fs rebuild a new one based on you 7800. Best to have no traces of your old card at all. Its a bit of work but best you do.

Or, back it up, let FS build a new cfg and then edit into it from the backup.cfg. Glad you're enjoying it, Steve. :-) @ Davis, I BET you like that FlyTendo! I'm 'only' toying around with 4GB plus some other stuff and 'only' bought a couple of components. :-) Looking at those RAM-prices, I just couldn't justify it yet. OTOH, I did - finally! - get my long projected projector. A Panasonic 900-EAXYZ super-dooper mucho-pixels max-immersion toy! Best of all, since the resolution goes down to 1280x720, there's a slight performance increase! Almost 2.5m on the wall... Iii-aaa! :-) Ehhh, did I mention immersion..? :-) Anyway, wish you heaps of fun with your new FlyTendo, Davis. Kind regards Jaap