Ask Me Help Desk - How can my old computer have better graphics?

How can my old computer have better graphics?

Hey everyone

My computer is kind of old is there a way to have better graphics so I can play games?

Here is my computer information:

Dell Dimension 2350
BIOS: Phoenix - AwardBIOS v6.00PG
Processor: Intel Pentium 4 CPU 2.20GHz
Memory: 638MB RAM
DirectX Version: DirectX 9.0c
Chip Type: Intel 82845G Graphics Controller (I don't think I have a graphic card)
DAC Type: Internal

Here is how my computer looks like(its old isn't it)

http://i263.photobucket.com/albums/i...6080052-00.jpg

Thanks

Change your motherboard
Upgrade your RAM to 1 or 2 Gb
Get a higher HDD probably SATA
Insatll a 256 mb dedicated graphic card
Get a hi-fi cabinet
ASnD CHANGE UR MOTHERBOARD! u need a faster data transfer

Tc
Regards
Viz

Quote:

Originally Posted by thegreatestviz

change ur motherboard
upgrade ur RAM to 1 or 2 Gb
get a higher HDD probably SATA
insatll a 256 mb dedicated graphic card
get a hi-fi cabinet
ASnD CHANGE UR MOTHERBOARD!!u need a faster data transfer

tc
Regards
Viz

Is there some easier ways I just want my computer to be a bit better like I could upgrade the graphic card but which is one I buy and compatible with my computer

Your RAM _could_ be upgraded to the maximum the motherboard supports. And, your processor _could_ be sufficient for a lot of games.

However, unfortunately most of today's discrete video cards connect to the motherboard via a PCI-Express connector, but your motherboard has PCI connectors (the white slot ones). Your only option here would be to find an older PCI video card, and the performance would not be sufficient for many current 3D games. It depends on what type of games you want to play.

Given the upgrade costs to make your current components sufficient for some of today's games, any expenditure would be better spent a new motherboard, ram, processor, video card, and also probably power supply. But, these components are 90% of a new computer with the added assembly time and hassle. If you are hoping to play the latest and greatest games, you're looking at replacing the computer.

[F]If you can't afford another computer then buy a part at a time. I would start first with a better video card. You said old, so I will take you have and older motherboard, so you need to make sure the card fits... Try a Gforce 5200 with onboard graphics memory, at least a 128, then later add some more physical memory, try getting as close to a gig as possible, even more if you can.. I have 4 gigs of physical, a 9800 GT Gforce video card, and get a hard drive a big as you can get it as well, the virtual memory will help too. But whenever you can get a better motherboard that has more processor speed. Make sure you can use the video card you going to get and the hard drive and memory. That would be a very good start.

Just make sure it fits a pci slot or and agp slot

Quote:

Originally Posted by simplybrilliant

just make sure it fits a pci slot or and agp slot

The picture the original poster posted of their computer's motherboard shows a distinct lack of an AGP slot (see the solder pads for it beside the chipset heatsink?). The only cards that would be compatible are PCI.

Quote:

Originally Posted by simplybrilliant

[F]If you can't afford another computer then buy a part at a time. I would start first with a better video card. You said old, so I will take you have and older motherboard, so you need to make sure the card fits... Try a Gforce 5200 with onboard graphics memory, at least a 128, then later add some more physical memory, try getting as close to a gig as possible, even more if you can.. I have 4 gigs of physical, a 9800 GT Gforce video card, and get a hard drive a big as you can get it as well, the virtual memory will help too. But whenever you can get a better motherboard that has more processor speed. Make sure you can use the video card you going to get and the harddrive and memory. That would be a very good start.

So if I buy the geforce 5200 is it compatible with my old computer because before I brought a geforce 7300 gs it can't fit in the slot wasted $65...

My computer's specs aren't that much better than yours and I play a lot of games. I play mostly RPGs and adventures. (Adventures requirements aren't that high, so usually no big deal there.) And I can play most RPGs, although there are some with pretty high requirements. (Oblivion.) And probably the newest shooters and that type of thing would be too much for yours.

But I can play quite a bit on mine, including some newer games. I've got a 2.53GHz, 640 RAM, on-board sound (Soundmax). Came with a 60 gig drive and I've only used up about half the space. (My game partition is about 20 gig of that.) One difference is that I have a GeForce MX 440 video card rather than on-board. And it's AGP. So even that video card is too new for yours. The only other real difference with mine is it's more upgrade-able, which is why I didn't go for a 2300 series.

Unless you want to play the latest and greatest, then you can still play quite a few games really. If you really can't afford a new computer, I think upgrading the video card is the best bet. (You might want to think about a sound card too, and more RAM eventually.) But you'll have to find a PCI card. About 5 years ago I needed to get a PCI card for an older computer and got an ATI Radeon 7000, still available in the stores. I'm sure it's not in stores anymore though. :-) You'll likely have to get one online.

I just goggled "PCI video card" real quick. This is one hit I got, and I went to the "standard PCI" page.

PCI Video Cards, Video Cards PCI, DDR PCI Video Card, Cheap PCI Video Cards

They do have the GeForce FX5200. There's also an ATI Radeon 9000 that might be OK, though it's only 64MB memory. I'm not sure what the Jaton is -- but it's not NVidia and I'm not sure what I think about that. (There's the card maker and there's the chip maker. So you can find the same chip on different ones.) You might want to look this over, decide where your price range is, and then come back for a recommendation of ones in your price range.

As a note, I have no clue what that site is, so I don't "recommend" it. It's just a place I found listing video cards. If you know how to take care of yourself on eBay, that's probably where I'd go to get it, but I know how to find a good seller for stuff like this. If you're not comfortable with that, don't do it.

Why is egghead taking me to Amazon?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sunnywootxp

so if i buy the geforce 5200 is it compatiable ...?

Possibly, IF the 5200 was manufactured in and you get a PCI version and not the AGP version.

And its got to be PCI not PCI-E

So which video card my computer can use agp or pci? Or differnet types

You CAN use:
- PCI cards (5 volt and universal, not 3.3 volt)

You MIGHT use:
- PCI-X cards depending on voltage keying and physical space (note: I've never seen a PCI-X graphics card)

You CANNOT use:
- PCI-E (PCI Express) cards
- AGP cards
- VESA Local Bus cards
- EISA cards
- ISA cards

Dude a veryt simple solution better sell this one AND purchase a new one..
Trust me in the long run too it going to be beneficial
Even though it might be expensive there is always a chance to pay by installmemts and other means.. you understand by what I mean?

Quote:

Originally Posted by thegreatestviz

even though it might be expensive there is always a chance to pay by installmemts and other means..you understand by what i mean?

I understand that you don't understand that paying by installments is still having to pay for it. It's called being in debt, something there's already too much of. Unless something is absolutely necessary, going in debt over it is not the answer. Being able to play the latest and greatest games is most definitely not worth going in debt over.

This is how people get themselves into financial trouble, and it doesn't need encouragement.