Video Card Assistance, please? :) Options

[superstitious]

Ok, so it is very clear to me that I need a new video card. Either that, or update my driver. My problem is this. How the heck do I figure out what video card I have (I installed it with a friend talking me through it a few years ago). I know that I have a PCI Express. I can't find the cd that came with it. I looked in the device manager, under Display Adapters and it shows something like this:

-
RADEON X550
RADEON X550 Secondary

So two things. One, how do I know what type of video card I can get and two, how do I figure out what video card I currently have so that I can attempt to update drivers (attempts to update the drivers using the properties, driver tab were unsuccessful since apparently, I don't have the software).

Third, I love you.

lol

[DoubleJ]

Don't you go into like run and then diagnostics or something? Or maybe my computer and then hardware and you can see from there?

[six]

check your psu, pci-e version, check your chassis too.
most of the newer cards require at least 600W and 6 or 8 pin pci-e power connectors, they're also huge.

http://ati.amd.com/support/driver.html

you're not just playing around though? cause i thought dani is a nerd.

[shanaynay]

Well 1. I'm pretty sure that you have two SLI'd Intel Radeon X550

2. Most graphics card like said about require PCI express slots. I would suggest the nVidia 8600GT if thats in your price range. I don't have a link at the moment, but you can look it up on newegg.com

[libertie]

you're not just playing around though? cause i thought dani is a nerd.

I'm hurt! She's not Dani, I am. :P

Rebecca, along with the link (Bryan?) posted, here's a link to what I believe is the correct driver for your video card (it is correct if XP is your operating system).
http://game.amd.com/us-en/drivers_catalyst...p=xp/radeonx-xp

As for the other question, you've got lots of options. Depending on what the motherboard looks like, you probably have one or two PCI slots available plus your PCI-e slot that from what I gather is being used by your current video card. So really, it depends on what you need it for. No sense in paying a ton extra for something if you can't tell the difference between that and something less expensive, if that makes any sense at all.

[mipadi]

most of the newer cards require at least 600W and 6 or 8 pin pci-e power connectors, they're also huge.

Nah. You can find decent mid-range cards with minimal requirements. I have a computer with a new nVidia GeForce 8600GT that only requires ~380W of power and no extra PCIe connectors. Also fits in a single PCIe slot without blocking any other slots.

[six]

yea last years mid range 8 series but im talking about most of the newer ones such as 9 series, 260s, 280s, hd4000 series... gotta check the psu if you wanna buy one of those.

@super, tigerdirect.com shows you psu requirements.

my bad dani, i thought your aim is superstitious.

[sixfive]

Rebecca, are you using it for CoH/CoV? You can get an older video card (not used) that you won't be able to tell the difference between for that game. I.E. HD2400 vs HD4870, 2400 will probably run that just as well. If you intend on moving to bigger and better games later on though, might want to invest in a better card. Either way, you can get a pretty top notch card for under 200.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...N82E16814121253 is what I'm going to get rather soon.

[superstitious]

^Ooooo, that looks awesome, Steven.

Yes, I'm using this for CoX. This weekend I'm giving the computer a bath (I haven't opened up the tower in two years). I should be able to see my voltage at that point. I'm on PCI x.16 but I believe it's not 2.0.

I'll check out the driver link, Dani. :)

Thanks again guys, I really really appreciate it.

[libertie]

my bad dani, i thought your aim is superstitious.

LOL one of my AIM screennames is souperstition, and at some point after that Rebecca changed her name on here to superstitious.

[superstitious]

LOL You had that as a username here for a while as well. That was AWESOME.

[yaamakoh]

What's COX?

[superstitious]

Cox Communications is an ISP (cable). I used them when I lived in Orange County (CA).

[yaamakoh]

Oh I heard of them before.

As for the video card, ATI has cheap, but really good video cards as of right now in the market... totally making nvidia panic. AMD is doing poorly right now, who owns ati, so if they ever do go out of business then I guess you're kind of stuck with current drivers, unless you find 3rd party drivers.

For value and performance, go for the ATI HD 3000 or 4000 series. For reliable and future upgrades towards drivers, go for the Nvidia 8 series if you're on a budget, 9 series for performance.

If you tell me what you're planning on doing with the computer with the new graphics card, I can probably narrow it down better for you. ie: games, hd movies, blue-ray rips, x264, dual monitors, t.v hookup, etc etc.

Of course everyones opinion is different =] but everyone here so far has suggest great cards.

Are you on a PCIx16 or PCIx16 2.0?