Jump to content
Sign in to follow this  
MeneMene

Graphics card help for a dummy

Recommended Posts

I know next to nothing about computer hardware.That said, the graphics card I have now is an ATI Radeon HD 2600 XT, with 256 mb memory. My computer has 3 gigs of RAM and a Intel Q6600 quad-core CPU at 2.4 Ghz, and it is a Dell XPS 420. I'm running Vista 32. All this I got from the Dx Diag tool. I'm using fs2004.This card gives me terrible frame rates with clouds, and flickering and other problems, so I'm looking to get something more powerful. I have around 100-130 dollars to spare on it. I don't think the computer will take a PCI-2 card. My goal is to be able to be able to fly smoothly with a solid cloud blanket under me.Are there any ideas or suggestions? Any help would be appreciated.Thanks

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
I know next to nothing about computer hardware.That said, the graphics card I have now is an ATI Radeon HD 2600 XT, with 256 mb memory. My computer has 3 gigs of RAM and a Intel Q6600 quad-core CPU at 2.4 Ghz, and it is a Dell XPS 420. I'm running Vista 32. All this I got from the Dx Diag tool. I'm using fs2004.This card gives me terrible frame rates with clouds, and flickering and other problems, so I'm looking to get something more powerful. I have around 100-130 dollars to spare on it. I don't think the computer will take a PCI-2 card. My goal is to be able to be able to fly smoothly with a solid cloud blanket under me.Are there any ideas or suggestions? Any help would be appreciated.Thanks
Andqui,A good Nvdia 200 series card like a 250 and up would do you wonders. Is there no way to overclock your Q6600 with that motherboard? That would make a huge difference in FPS for you.Stephen

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Andqui,A good Nvdia 200 series card like a 250 and up would do you wonders. Is there no way to overclock your Q6600 with that motherboard? That would make a huge difference in FPS for you.Stephen
I looked into it some before, but came to the conclusion that a Dell desktop like that can't be overclocked. I'd love to be proven wrong, though.Second, I looked at a GTS 250 I only saw that it was a pci-2 card. Am I wrong, or will a PCI-2 card not fit into a regular PCI port?

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I'm not real certain, but according to your computer specs at DELL COMPUTERS I think you would be OK, but I am no hardware wizard, that's for sure. Interesting article here too: NVDIA nEvolutionAccording to this video on YouTube your computer can indeed be overclocked. There are a number of articles on the subject that I found by googling.Have you see this: Tom's Hardware Question on Dell XPS Graphics Card and Power Supply?Stephen

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

There's no such thing as "PCI-2". It's called PCI-Express, and yes you have it.A GTS 250 would be a good fit for your system. That 2600 XT is a very low performance card.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
There's no such thing as "PCI-2". It's called PCI-Express, and yes you have it.A GTS 250 would be a good fit for your system. That 2600 XT is a very low performance card.
Told you I didn't know much about it :(A GTS 250 looks good then. Thanks for the help.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

You were probably referring to the PCIe 2.0 vs regular PCIe...as far as i know, those are backwards compatible.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
You were probably referring to the PCIe 2.0 vs regular PCIe...as far as i know, those are backwards compatible.
Q6600-era OEM systems did not have PCI-e v. 2.0, 1.x was still the standard back then.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Q6600-era OEM systems did not have PCI-e v. 2.0, 1.x was still the standard back then.
So can I or can I not use a PCI-e v2 card?

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

You should be able to, assuming your power supply has the appropriate connectors and delivers enough power on the +12V rail(s). IOW: your motherboard is unlikely to be a limiting factor. Also, your case may or may not have enough space to accommodate a large graphics card so you should check clearance from the end of your current card to the beginning of the drive bays (or whatever obstacle there may be).

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
Sign in to follow this  

  • Tom Allensworth,
    Founder of AVSIM Online


  • Flight Simulation's Premier Resource!

    AVSIM is a free service to the flight simulation community. AVSIM is staffed completely by volunteers and all funds donated to AVSIM go directly back to supporting the community. Your donation here helps to pay our bandwidth costs, emergency funding, and other general costs that crop up from time to time. Thank you for your support!

    Click here for more information and to see all donations year to date.
×
×
  • Create New...