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Leilu
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PostPosted: 09/27/04 - 17:14    Post subject: Video Cards Reply with quote

Need a new video card that will run EQ2 well. My problem: I don't have an AGP slot. So, what's a reasonable PCI video card that will be able to handle EQ2?
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Renork
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PostPosted: 09/27/04 - 17:34    Post subject: Reply with quote

same problem, hepl please!
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Nictathan
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PostPosted: 09/27/04 - 18:03    Post subject: Reply with quote

You can buy the GeForce FX's in PCI format I think...
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Tolanin
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PostPosted: 09/27/04 - 18:06    Post subject: Reply with quote

time to upgrade your pc.
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Leilu
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PostPosted: 09/27/04 - 19:15    Post subject: Reply with quote

Tolanin wrote:
time to upgrade your pc.


Gee thanks, that's helpful advice.


Actually, this is a brand new PC. I realized that it doesn't have an AGP slot just after the return date timeframe. So "time to upgrade your pc" is not quite a useful solution.
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merdocc
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PostPosted: 09/27/04 - 19:25    Post subject: Reply with quote

You don't have much choice.... that is very odd that your computer dosen't have an AGP slot. It's not pci express or something is it?
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Kaldon
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PostPosted: 09/27/04 - 20:56    Post subject: Reply with quote

Change the motherboard, then get an AGP or PCIexpress card.
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Tolanin
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PostPosted: 09/27/04 - 21:01    Post subject: Reply with quote

ya if its pci express that would explain alot.. they havent made things without an agp bus int a long ass time(besides pcie which is a brand new thing).. if its pcie that would explain alot..

and i can help you more! If you do in fact have a pcie board then then most of the current gen cards have a version for it.. radeon cards will prolly run EQ2 better since its a d3d game.. so i would go with radeon over nvidia (the preformance difference between the 2 is big, prolly like 20-30 percent, nvidia runs ogl better and radeon does d3d better so it swings both ways, games are about half and half currently so its hard to choose but eq2 will be d3d so if thats your chief concern go radeon.
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Tura
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PostPosted: 09/28/04 - 00:03    Post subject: Reply with quote

Kaldon wrote:
Change the motherboard, then get an AGP or PCIexpress card.


Ditto.

Get a new board that can plug a AGP card into it. Remember to make sure your old processor is compatible with the new board you get though.

I would suggest http://www.motherboards.org

As far as what card to get, I would just get a Radeon 9600 pro(128mb). They don't cost an arm and a leg and they should run EQ2 just fine. If you have money to blow though, I would just break down and get the new 256meg one.
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Tolanin
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PostPosted: 09/28/04 - 01:58    Post subject: Reply with quote

I really bet the board is pcie, i really cant see any company selling a board without agp but not pcie.. especially if its brand new.. the best budget pcie out is the 6600 gt from nvidia.. i dont think radeon has any out yet(in the 200~ price range) but you might want to wait on them since like i said i really bet radeon will outperform nvidia in eq2 by a bit... some will def be out by november and prices will prolly drop as they move towards another pcie push with the s939 pcie coming out around then.
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khrath
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PostPosted: 09/28/04 - 02:12    Post subject: Reply with quote

my server running a 300mhz athlon k6 even has an agp slot =xxxx
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Leilu
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PostPosted: 09/28/04 - 10:49    Post subject: Reply with quote

I don't know wtf a PCIexpress is and I certainly do not know if mine is or not. If it helps, I have hot steamy pictures of my motherboard which are available for your viewing pleasure here:
http://www.blobbynet.com/ims/pic.php?u=4aH7wv&i=677
http://www.blobbynet.com/ims/pic.php?u=4aH7wv&i=678

Help a sista out! And thanks for the advice thus far.
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Renork
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PostPosted: 09/28/04 - 10:55    Post subject: Reply with quote

aye hardware newbie here as well. what is the best way to check PCI vs PCIE?
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Goraz
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PostPosted: 09/28/04 - 10:56    Post subject: Reply with quote

merdocc wrote:
You don't have much choice.... that is very odd that your computer dosen't have an AGP slot. It's not pci express or something is it?


She doesnt know what AGP is, you f*****g think she has a s***s clue about PCIe?

lolllerskatesss
roffflelezcopter.
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Leilu
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PostPosted: 09/28/04 - 11:10    Post subject: Reply with quote

I know what an AGP slot is, I know what a PCI slot is. I know that I have 3 PCI slots and no AGP slot. What I don't know is what a PCIexpress is.


Here's the whole, painful story. I bought the computer a month ago, moved, left it in the box until cable was hooked up, etc. I ordered an ATI Radeon 9700 Pro off of eBay, just assuming it would work with my new computer. The day it arrived and I cracked opened my case anxiously waiting to install it, I sadly realized that there was no AGP slot for my new, beautiful AGP video card. So now I'm stuck in a dilemma river without a paddle. Do I buy a completely new video card that will fit into the PCI slot (spending another $150) or do I try to get a new motherboard (which I'm afraif I will get the wrong kind). Most of all, I don't want to take the computer into Best Buy (where I bought it), I want to do it myself, but I don't want to muck it up. Last time I tried to put in a motherboard, I set the whole thing on fire. Who knew those little spacers were supposed to be used for something?
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Occulis
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PostPosted: 09/28/04 - 11:15    Post subject: Reply with quote

A new motherboard without AGP sounds really weird. Tell Best Buy they f****d you over good. Yell at them and they will give you money.
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Catranizi
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PostPosted: 09/28/04 - 11:33    Post subject: Reply with quote

That board is an Intel 865G based one. These are mass-produced usually for brand name desktops.

The particular board is an MSI board, MS 6577 usually used in HP desktop computers. My guess is that it has an on board AGP chip that you can disable and replace with a PCI card should you want to.

You probably won't be able to change the board, brand name computer have a tendency not to be standard ATX.
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Leilu
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PostPosted: 09/28/04 - 11:36    Post subject: Reply with quote

Interesting Cat... So what's the solution? Can I get a quality PCI video card?
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Catranizi
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PostPosted: 09/28/04 - 11:50    Post subject: Reply with quote

The best PCI cards I could find were GeForce FX 5200. Nothing spectacular, but it should be enough to make EQ2 work. Im not sure how much frame per second you would get, but if the engine is anywhere need the performance of WoW, you should be able to run in 800x600 without any problems.

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=686481&CatId=319
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Leilu
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PostPosted: 09/28/04 - 11:58    Post subject: Reply with quote

I really want something that I don't have to keep on the lowest possible settings to be able to run. I don't have to put it on the highest settings, but I want it to look good. Afterall, I did get a new computer to keep up with my technologically advanced gaming habits. It seems a waste to use a sub par video card because it's "good enough". Is there another GEforce coming out anytime soon that will exceed this one?
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Catranizi
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PostPosted: 09/28/04 - 13:22    Post subject: Reply with quote

OK, I did a little more research. The MS 6577 is a Micro ATX board, so let's assume another Micro ATX board will fit your case.

That's your board (well, at least the base model of it):
http://shop.store.yahoo.com/justdeals/ms6577.html
Notice that this version of the MS-6577 has an AGP slot, but your don't. What brand is your computer exactly?

To have something compatible with your current hardware, we will need:
AGP slot (duh), Socket 478, PC 2100/1600 memory support and at least 3 PCI slots (I see 3 cards in your current computer, what are they?). Also, what type of memory are you using, and what speed is your CPU?

The easiest would be to track down the same motherboard but with the AGP slot enabled (you can see where it should be in your pictures). No clue where you could buy that (in a store), here's one on eBay if you wanna take the chance.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=80161&item=6711005298&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW

Assuming you are using PC2100 memory, this board should be compatible: http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1024712&CatId=1146
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Leilu
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PostPosted: 09/28/04 - 15:27    Post subject: Reply with quote

My computer is an HP from Best Buy. The 3 PCI slots currently house my video card (which I'm trying to replace), my audio card, and the modem that came with the computer (which I don't use). As for memory, it came with a 512 MB ddr/PC2100 and I added a 512MB/PC2700 (I think PC2700, not totally sure). The processor is a P4 at 2.8.

The computer "model" says it is an HP Pavilion A610Y if that helps at all.
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Catranizi
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PostPosted: 09/28/04 - 15:54    Post subject: Reply with quote

The easiest thing would be to try to get that ebay item. Minimum loss at 5$ if it doesn't work. However, it should.

Coincidently enough, that's the same computer we have in the QA lab.
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Leilu
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PostPosted: 09/28/04 - 17:44    Post subject: Reply with quote

That's what I'll do. I just hope I s***w everything in right. And god help me to keep it from setting ablaze.

Btw, thanks for all the help Cat.
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Ashenor
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PostPosted: 09/28/04 - 22:38    Post subject: Reply with quote

Good luck i had a 5600 ultra 256 ram video card and it got smoked playing EQ2 beta, had to set it close to min settings.

I have a 3.2 1 gig of ram computer, now i have a GT 6800 overclocked card and it still does not run it at full and its one of the top cards out now. EQ2 is a system hog for sure.
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selluplatz
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PostPosted: 09/28/04 - 22:49    Post subject: Reply with quote

the eq2 team said that there will not be a computer with enough power to run it at max settings right now, and they intended for that, they built it to work with future upgrades for computers mostly. i have a 9800 pro 256 card and hoping it will run it well
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Ashenor
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PostPosted: 09/28/04 - 22:52    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ya but WoW runs fine with a s****y video card. In the end i think that is going to hurt EQ2 in sales, not everyone is going to upgrade there computer just for EQ2 since EQ1 could run on a junk computer pretty much.
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Xieroth
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PostPosted: 09/29/04 - 03:22    Post subject: Reply with quote

Gaming isn't as cheap a hobby as people think it is. I also doubt your argument about people not upgrading their computers. Just look at the entire gaming market as a whole. Every year games push the edge, it is the nature of the beast.
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Catranizi
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PostPosted: 09/29/04 - 07:55    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ashenor wrote:
Ya but WoW runs fine with a s****y video card. In the end i think that is going to hurt EQ2 in sales, not everyone is going to upgrade there computer just for EQ2 since EQ1 could run on a junk computer pretty much.


OpenGL >> DirectX
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Zab
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PostPosted: 09/29/04 - 08:37    Post subject: Reply with quote

I dont get alot of the technical jargon here but i do know one thing....dont buy a computer at best buy, wal mart, any other store such as these....you can make one for cheaper that has better hardware for a fraction of the cost.
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