New graphics card for old(ish) PC?

[andrewgpaul]

My current PC is an Athlon 2400XP on an Asus A7N8X motherboard, with 1GB RAM and a GeForce 4 TI 4800 (128MB RAM) graphics card. I'm thinking of getting a 22" widescreen TFT monitor (to be precise, a Samsung 226CW). The thing is, it's native resolution is 1680x1050, and my graphics card doesn't support this. Can anyone suggest a replacement card? As ou can see from the rest of the PC spec, it doesn't need to be the most modern all-singing, all-dancing card. It'll be almost exclusively for web browsing, watching DVDs, and possibly playing Dawn of War, Doom 3, Halo and GTA: SA.

Thanks in advance.

[andrewgpaul]

Oh, and the monitor says it's HDCP-compliant. Will this be an issue, given the rest of the PC probably isn't?

[Beowulf]

HDCP isn't an issue unless you're going to be watching Blu-ray, et al. I'm assuming you're going to be getting an AGP card. Pretty much any cheap new(NV 7xxx or ATi X1xxx/HD 2xxx) GPU will work that actually fits the slot. Could possibly even go another generation back from that.

[Stark]

I was using a 6600GT until recently, and there's no way in fuck that could push enough pixels to run 16x10.

[Beowulf]

I was using a 6600GT until recently, and there's no way in fuck that could push enough pixels to run 16x10.

Of course it can't push the pixels for a game at full rez... But then, you can't get a graphics card that can for that old of a computer. You're going to be CPU limited anyway.

For desktop apps, nearly anything should be able to push that rez. People have been using 16x12 for many years, and that's more pixels, at usually a higher frame rate.

[andrewgpaul]

Yeah, an AGP 8x socket. Don't think I'll be picking up an HD disc player anytime soon.

Anyway, I think this one should do. It's getting tricky to find AGP cards; all the places I'd normally try locally only stock PCI-e cards.

The current card will run 1600x1200, right enough. Mind you, at that res, the icons get a little fiddly

Anyhow, thanks, guys.

[Seggybop]

A Radeon X1950pro AGP can be found easily enough and is way more than powerful enough to handle that resolution. Though it would be very CPU-limited, its ability to handle high resolutions wouldn't be affected.

[InnocentBystander]

This might work, its free!

[Stark]

Of course it can't push the pixels for a game at full rez... But then, you can't get a graphics card that can for that old of a computer. You're going to be CPU limited anyway.

For desktop apps, nearly anything should be able to push that rez. People have been using 16x12 for many years, and that's more pixels, at usually a higher frame rate.

He could halve-res. It'd look awful, but it'd run well.

[Beowulf]

Yeah, an AGP 8x socket. Don't think I'll be picking up an HD disc player anytime soon.

Anyway, I think this one should do. It's getting tricky to find AGP cards; all the places I'd normally try locally only stock PCI-e cards.

The current card will run 1600x1200, right enough. Mind you, at that res, the icons get a little fiddly

Anyhow, thanks, guys.

That should be a good card. Not sure I'd buy it from Dell though. Should run everything you want to just fine, though not necessarily at max settings.

[Arthur_Tuxedo]

This might work, its free!

Free is too expensive for that piece of shit. Seriously, Ti4800 to FX5200 is a huge downgrade.

[Executor32]

Yeah, a 7600GS is about the best you're going to get on an AGP slot. I think XFX makes a 7900GS, but it's almost US$200. Since I have a 7600GS myself, I can safely say that it runs all the games you mentioned excellently.

[andrewgpaul]

Not sure I'd buy it from Dell though. Should run everything you want to just fine, though not necessarily at max settings.

In the end, I didn't. The same mob I bought the monitor from were flogging it for a tenner less.

[Glocksman]

A buddy of mine bought this this Sapphire Radeon X1950GT for his AGP based system, and he loves it.

Newegg is out of stock, but since you're in Scotland, that doesn't matter.