About to buy a new graphic card

Pixy · Post by **Pixy** » 10 Jun 2009, 08:03

Hi,guys.
I'm confused to choose. can you guys help me to choose?
Here's my spec:

Intel Pentium 4 2.40 GHz
512 MB of rAM
SiS Mirage Graphics 32Mb
One AGP 1.5v slot
Three 5V 32-bit PCI Slots

Thank you!

Weescotty · Post by **Weescotty** » 10 Jun 2009, 11:24

Best ones out there for AGP

ATI - HD 3850 AGP
nVidia - 7800GS

Your choice.

MIKE JG · Post by **MIKE JG** » 10 Jun 2009, 14:04

Pixy I have very similar specs to you.

I recently purchased the Nvidia 7800GS OC (over clocked) and LOVE the results. The improvement in my graphics with FS9 have been night and day from what they used to be with my old 5600FX card.

I had to buy it used though off of EBay since they don't make this card any longer, in fact no one produces AGP cards these days so the used market is your best bet.

scottr5213 · Post by **scottr5213** » 13 Jun 2009, 11:31

The AGP graphics market has not had much to really be proud of. Most of the companies are not really producing new graphics cards and the existing cards are starting to stop production and availability. Thankfully ATI and Sapphire haven't completely given up. The new Radeon HD 3850 AGP card is the first to bring Direct X 10.1 capable graphics to the market. Sure, it isn't the fastest on the market, but it does support 512MB and offers good overall performance. The card also uses a single slot design that is a big benefit over the larger double wide card designs. It is about as good as it can get in the AGP graphics market at this time.

Pixy · Post by **Pixy** » 14 Jun 2009, 07:30

Wow, thanks guys.

but in nvidia geforce 7800 oc, in there says " GDDR3 ". What is the meaning of that?

scottr5213 · Post by **scottr5213** » 14 Jun 2009, 12:12

Graphics Double Data Rate 3 is a graphics card-specific memory technology.
It has much the same technological base as DDR2, but the power and heat dispersal requirements have been reduced somewhat, allowing for higher performance memory modules, and simplified cooling systems. Unlike the DDR2 used on graphics cards, GDDR3 is unrelated to the JEDEC DDR3 specification. This memory uses internal terminators, enabling it to better handle certain graphics demands. To improve bandwidth, GDDR3 memory transfers 4 bits of data per pin in 2 clock cycles.
The GDDR3 Interface transfers two 32 bit wide data words per clock cycle from the I/O pins. Corresponding to the 4n-pre fetch a single write or read access consists of a 128 bit wide, one-clock-cycle data transfer at the internal memory core and four corresponding 32 bit wide, one-half-clock-cycle data transfers at the I/O Pins. Single-ended unidirectional Read and Write Data strobes are transmitted simultaneously with Read and Write data respectively in order to capture data properly at the receivers of both the Graphics SDRAM and the controller. Data strobes are organized per byte of the 32 bit wide interface.

GDDR3s strobe signal unlike GDDR2 is Uni Directional & Single-ended (RDQS, WDQS). This means there is a separate read and write data strobe allowing for a quicker read to write ratio than GDDR2. GDDR3 has a hardware reset capability allowing it to flush all data from memory and then start again. Lower voltage requirements leads to lower power requirements. Higher clock frequencies.

N35W · Post by **N35W** » 15 Jun 2009, 02:48

Oh you dirty dog!

You must be a electrontics engineer.

Getting down to this level is spritual.

Digtial electronics is spooky. I don't know how you guys do it.

I've been asleep, seems like I have alot to catch up on.

MIKE JG · Post by **MIKE JG** » 15 Jun 2009, 03:45

scottr5213 wrote:Graphics Double Data Rate 3 is a graphics card-specific memory technology.
It has much the same technological base as DDR2, but the power and heat dispersal requirements have been reduced somewhat, allowing for higher performance memory modules, and simplified cooling systems. Unlike the DDR2 used on graphics cards, GDDR3 is unrelated to the JEDEC DDR3 specification. This memory uses internal terminators, enabling it to better handle certain graphics demands. To improve bandwidth, GDDR3 memory transfers 4 bits of data per pin in 2 clock cycles.
The GDDR3 Interface transfers two 32 bit wide data words per clock cycle from the I/O pins. Corresponding to the 4n-pre fetch a single write or read access consists of a 128 bit wide, one-clock-cycle data transfer at the internal memory core and four corresponding 32 bit wide, one-half-clock-cycle data transfers at the I/O Pins. Single-ended unidirectional Read and Write Data strobes are transmitted simultaneously with Read and Write data respectively in order to capture data properly at the receivers of both the Graphics SDRAM and the controller. Data strobes are organized per byte of the 32 bit wide interface.

GDDR3s strobe signal unlike GDDR2 is Uni Directional & Single-ended (RDQS, WDQS). This means there is a separate read and write data strobe allowing for a quicker read to write ratio than GDDR2. GDDR3 has a hardware reset capability allowing it to flush all data from memory and then start again. Lower voltage requirements leads to lower power requirements. Higher clock frequencies.

What he said!

Pixy · Post by **Pixy** » 15 Jun 2009, 08:25

Is that mean that i have to change my RAM or no?

scottr5213 · Post by **scottr5213** » 15 Jun 2009, 10:29

No,...Graphics cards use there own.

Pixy · Post by **Pixy** » 16 Jun 2009, 10:05

So, all that I need to do when I have the graphic card is put it in my cpu then install it?

scottr5213 · Post by **scottr5213** » 16 Jun 2009, 10:35

correct

Pixy · Post by **Pixy** » 16 Jun 2009, 13:16

Wooow

. thank you very much guys!

Pixy · Post by **Pixy** » 24 Jun 2009, 10:44

are there any other requirements for my system?

Firebird · Post by **Firebird** » 24 Jun 2009, 15:33

The obvious one is more memory. Any app on XP will run like a dog in 512mb, FS9 especially.
I think that if you go to 2GB of ram you will think you have upgraded your whole system. Don't mistake me, it won't be twice as fast or anything but it will run faster.

scottr5213 · Post by **scottr5213** » 30 Jun 2009, 03:28

1. How many slots do you have for ram,
2. More ram will help, if your running a single 512 stick, and with the prices of ram now days swap it out for 2 1 gb sticks, I have found that if you go to these little mom and pop stores they will give you credit for older ram seeing that its harder to get older ram for someone who wants to do a little upgradding, I like crutial ram and on there web site you put in your system info and they will recomend different types of up gradding for you also there support is great I had one stick go bad and before I could return it they sent a new one to me.