Hello everyone I have a quick question. I bought a pc and it has an ATI RADEON XPRESS 200 graphics with up to 256MB shared video memory. My question is when I want to change to a regular card pciE do I have to stick with radeon or can I go with Nvidia. Also when I do this how do I go about doin it? any info would be great thanx in advance
No you don't have to stick with an ATI graphics card you can get either an AGP or a PCI slot card of your choice(Nvidia,etc). I prefer to use an AGP card so as to leave my PCI slots free for other devices. But that's your judgement call. My only advice to you here is to ensure that whatever card you choose that it has an onboard fan. Also ensure that you have adequate system RAM for your card, 512Mb to 1Gb should be enough for the most part. I have installed a couple of Nvidia cards in my desktops and they all had accompanying literature to assist with the installation. This is not from the manual but my personal experience. [bold]Video/Graphics Card Installation[/bold] 1. Disconnect the power cord 2. Have a phillips screw driver ready, ensure that its not magnetized 3. Ground(earth) yourself by touching something metallic to remove any static charge and ensure that your hands are dry 4. Remove the case cover to expose the AGP/PCI slots 5. Using the screw driver remove the screw from the slot plate(AGP or PCI) and manoeuvre the card in the space with the VGA adapter pointing to the back of the case, through the slot. Before you press it in all the way let it rest on the outside of the slot and ensure that its properly aligned. It can only fit one way into the slot. Just ensure that you haven't oriented the card in an upside down position.(The notch for the screw should be facing you and the VGA adapter pointing to the back of the computer, through the slot and with the card held level horizontally try to push it straight in). This part is the trickiest and may require a little manoeuvring of the card but just apply 'gentle' & steady pressure once its properly aligned and be patient. 6. Replace the screw once the card is fully inserted in the slot. The notch for securing the card to the case(with the screw) should be resting immediately adjacent to the screw hole. 7. Detach monitor from onboard VGA port and reattach the monitor to the VGA adapter on your newlt installed card 8. Reattach the power cord and turn on the computer 9. Insert the disk & follow the menu to install the drivers and accompanying software 10. Click on Control Panel->system->hardware->device manager->display adapters->You should see both the Nvidia & ATI Radeon 200. Now right clich on the ATI Radeon->properties->general tab->device usage->do not use this device(disable). This disables the onboard graphics card. Not sure if you can run both as I never tried it because I had no intention of using the onboard graphics card. Maybe advantageous to leave it enabled if there are no conflicts, just in case your new card fails at some point and you can use the onboard in the interim. 11. Once you are satisfied that all is going well, shut down computer, remove power cord and replace case cover. 12. Reattach power cord and restart.
thanx Jamzbond for the info that really helped. Does anyone know if the onboard video that I have willl play most of the new games. I know it wont go into high settings but like medium or anything like that.
im gona upgrade later due to no money at this moment but just wondering if the onboad video will hold me over for now to play the newer games looking half way decent?
ok if I replace it soon with a radeon x300SE pciE 128mb do I have to replace my psu. Or will the one that I have on it be sufficent?
You might find this helpful. It's a PSU calculator http://www.jscustompcs.com/power_supply Quite a few manufacturers eg Dell(I have a Dimension 4100) only give you just about or little more than the bare minimum requirement that will run your system so that once you add any hardware you exceed the PSU. Ofcourse in order to use the calcuator you will have to know the power demands of the components in your computer. Just fill in the blanks and the calculator will do the rest. Rule of thumb (1) Try to get a psu that delivers at least 100 to 150 more watts than what you currently need so you have some room for those upgrades. (2)Don't get a cheap PSU. The psu is just as vital as your CPU and memory. Stay away from generic brands and go with the tried and true such as Antec, Enermax, Thermaltake, X-Connect, etc. (adapted)
ok ddp i checked on my psu and it says a max of 300 watts. Is my psu good enough to run that radeonx300se or no?
if that wont be enough power what about a 400 watt power supply would that be enough than? sry if im asking alot of questions i just want to make sure i dont go buying stuff that are not compatable for my needs.
@ Nate2005 If you took the time to read my last post, you would not have asked ddp that question. If your video card requires 250W alone and your PSU allows a max of 300W then it seems clear to me that you will have to change your PSU to accomodate the demands of your proposed video card. Have a look at the site I mentioned and it will prevent you from buying a PSU which under powers your system or far surpasses your need. BTW without knowing the other hardware components you have (HDD, CDROM/DVDROM/CD or DVD burner, floppydisk drive, fans, etc) and their power requirements it would be hard for anyone to tell you the appropriate PSU for you. If you have one of the popular brand names eg Dell,HP,Sony,Gateway,etc and can state the model then that would make it easier to assess your power requirements. I believe that ddp will agree with GrandpaBW and me that you need a PSU with greater power, but that still leaves you with determining what PSU is best for you. It's only a suggestion but if you spend the time and do a little research on the power requirements of your system components, I assure you that you will fully comprehend what you need for your system and be satisfied that you are making a good investment.
@ jamzbond I fully understand what you are talking about im just not sure how to find out all this info that all. But yes I do have a brand name its an HP pavillion a1250n. I dont think i need to put the specs due to it will take a long time to do and it would be easier prolly to look up the specs yourself. I found a 400 watts power supply but im not sure if that will make due.
