Video card & drivers

[patcal 2]

Hi all, I have a 3 year old Dell that has been upgraded to a P3/800 w/ 256megs of ram. It has a 32meg TNT2 video card. It does OK. I have a two part question.1. Which driver has most people found to be smoothest with this card? I am using 21.81 but I do find it a bit choppy. 2. Would I benifit from upgrading my video card to a Geforce 3 or 4? If so which one? Thanks.Pat Callaghan

[Tabs 2,790]

Even with your relatively low CPU speed, the difference you'll see between a TNT2 and GF3 will *astound* you. I'd go for one of the GF3 Ti500's, they're down to about $150 last I heard... Don't get the 4, it's overkill because it really needs an ultra-fast CPU to perform any better than the 3.

[patcal 2]

I can get a Geforce4 locally easier then a Geforce3. Will I have any problems using it w/ FS2002? How does the Geforce4 MX420 compare to the Geforce3 TI500? Thanks.Pat Callaghan

[Guest]

The GF4MX is a poor example of a GF2. It's not good. Don't get it. You need to pay attention to your power supply. I doubt that Dell has a 300 watt PS. If not, the GF4s are not an option. I have your beat. I have a 4+ year of Dell XPS-R PII450 upgraded to a PIII800 with 384mgs PC100 ram and a GF2GTS64mg card and it handles the sim fine at 1600x1200x16 res. I recommend you get a GF3 Ti200 or GF3Ti500 for your rig if you're gonna keep it for a while yet. You'll be able to run at high res in 32 bit color with either. Check the power supply and the requirements for the GF3s. I know the GF2 that I have runs directly off the agp port and only draws like 11 watts of power but the newer ones are power hogs.

[patcal 2]

Thanks for the info.Pat