Best PCI Video Card for Trainz?

[myxomatosis]

So it's time to upgrade the video card. I've got somewhere like 1GB and 512 MB of RAM so I'm good with RAM. It's just that I want to have the least amount of lag possible. I know I could buy a new PC to get PCI express but I don't want to. So my question is, since my PC only takes PCI video cards, what would the best one be? I'd like to spend no more than 100$.

James

 

[Gandalf0444]

So it's time to upgrade the video card. I've got somewhere like 1GB and 512 MB of RAM so I'm good with RAM. It's just that I want to have the least amount of lag possible. I know I could buy a new PC to get PCI express but I don't want to. So my question is, since my PC only takes PCI video cards, what would the best one be? I'd like to spend no more than 100$.

James

Are you sure your computer doesn't have at least 1 AGP slot? How old is the computer out of curiosity? Even though AGP is outdated as well it is still a step up from PCI...
I will do some quick research for you though.:wave:
So far this seems like a "decent" PCI card
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130498

 

[myxomatosis]

I'm pretty sure. There are three slots and from illustrations I have concluded that there are only PCI slots, and research has shown the same results.

My dad thinks we got it in 2005. I'm pretty sure he's correct.

I'm probably going to get an external HD to back everything up- I only have 100GB on the HD and something tells me it might crash sometime soon, and I could never handle loosing all my stuff. Also I might put another 1 GB RAM chip in there to max out the performance, and I will definitely look at that provided link and consider it. Thanks!


James

 

[Gandalf0444]

I'm pretty sure. There are three slots and from illustrations I have concluded that there are only PCI slots, and research has shown the same results.

My dad thinks we got it in 2005. I'm pretty sure he's correct.

I'm probably going to get an external HD to back everything up- I only have 100GB on the HD and something tells me it might crash sometime soon, and I could never handle loosing all my stuff. Also I might put another 1 GB RAM chip in there to max out the performance, and I will definitely look at that provided link and consider it. Thanks!


James

No problem. Seems a little odd for a 2005 computer to only have PCI slots, but not unheard of...
Do you happen to have a camera available to take a picture of the inside of the computer and post it here? Or do you know the make and model of it?

If you have any other questions don't hesitate to ask!:wave:

 

[myxomatosis]

No problem. Seems a little odd for a 2005 computer to only have PCI slots, but not unheard of...
Do you happen to have a camera available to take a picture of the inside of the computer and post it here? Or do you know the make and model of it?

If you have any other questions don't hesitate to ask!:wave:

Sure I'll take a photo tonight.

 

[Mick_Berg]

So it's time to upgrade the video card. I've got somewhere like 1GB and 512 MB of RAM so I'm good with RAM. It's just that I want to have the least amount of lag possible. I know I could buy a new PC to get PCI express but I don't want to. So my question is, since my PC only takes PCI video cards, what would the best one be? I'd like to spend no more than 100$.

James

I think you would do better to use your budget, plus a bit more, to upgrade the motherboard and the graphics card. You will get very little choice for PCI or AGP graphics cards these days, and they will be very expensive, as so few are sold. They will also be very out of date and won't give you the performance you need. Look on Newegg or Fry's.com. Asus motherboards are very good value for money, and look for a mobo/CPU deal.
Mick Berg.

 

[myxomatosis]

I think you would do better to use your budget, plus a bit more, to upgrade the motherboard and the graphics card. You will get very little choice for PCI or AGP graphics cards these days, and they will be very expensive, as so few are sold. They will also be very out of date and won't give you the performance you need. Look on Newegg or Fry's.com. Asus motherboards are very good value for money, and look for a mobo/CPU deal.
Mick Berg.

Doing that would mean I need to switch everything else out as well, right?

Such as the processor, power unit etc?

 

[Gandalf0444]

Doing that would mean I need to switch everything else out as well, right?

Such as the processor, power unit etc?

The processor may be able to stay if you find another compatible motherboard. The power unit can also stay if your power needs do not exceed the current amount it gives out(or if the new motherboard requires a 24 pin power connection rather then the older 20)

I own and use an AGP card and cannot say enough about how well it performs for how outdated it is. PCI-E is of course the latest and greatest but the prices and such for AGP cards and amount available are drastically over exaggerated. AGP cards are fairly cheap and still plentiful if you go to newegg.com I picked up one of the best AGP cards still available for less then 100 bucks, sure I had to also replace my PSU as to give the new graphics card the power it needed but that only ran me about another 50 bucks.

 

[johnwhelan]

Let's just see what you do have first.

Run Belarc from here

http://www.belarc.com/free_download.html

Also go to Crucial.com and run their scanner, it looks for memory but sometimes gives more information.

Post the results back here together with which version of Trainz you want to run.

Thanks John

 

[myxomatosis]

Let's just see what you do have first.

Run Belarc from here

http://www.belarc.com/free_download.html

Also go to Crucial.com and run their scanner, it looks for memory but sometimes gives more information.

Post the results back here together with which version of Trainz you want to run.

Thanks John

I can't for a few days. I'm on my Mac; the PC has no internet connection, and no mouse. I'll have the mouse tomorrow though.

 

[SuperFudd]

No AGP in 2005??
That is hard to believe.
Does it have a video card now, or "on board" video?
Perhaps you could download Belarc with the Mac and move that instalation exe to the PC. I think it will fit on a floppy.

 

[Mick_Berg]

The processor may be able to stay if you find another compatible motherboard. The power unit can also stay if your power needs do not exceed the current amount it gives out(or if the new motherboard requires a 24 pin power connection rather then the older 20)

I own and use an AGP card and cannot say enough about how well it performs for how outdated it is. PCI-E is of course the latest and greatest but the prices and such for AGP cards and amount available are drastically over exaggerated. AGP cards are fairly cheap and still plentiful if you go to newegg.com I picked up one of the best AGP cards still available for less then 100 bucks, sure I had to also replace my PSU as to give the new graphics card the power it needed but that only ran me about another 50 bucks.

I based my remarks on the price of AGP cards on looking at Newegg a while ago, the PCIE price of a certain card was about $50, the AGP price $100. But as you say that may not always be the case. And indeed it's true that you would have to do very careful research to be sure you didn't have to buy a new PSU or RAM or whatever.

Mick Berg.

 

[myxomatosis]

There are the photos of the insides.

 

[Gandalf0444]

That truely is one weird machine if it is from 2005

 

[myxomatosis]

That truely is one weird machine if it is from 2005

Well it might not be a 2005 model; I know we bought it in 2005 though. It's a Dell Dimension 3000.

 

[EdrickV]

A PCI motherboard with only 3 slots sounds like it might be a micro-ATX board, possibly intended for HTPC usage. Though I'd still be surprised if it didn't have a dedicated graphics card slot.

On the other hand, I did get surprised when I tried to upgrade an old Compaq computer's video card. Online documentation said I could upgrade to an AGP card, but it actually did not have an AGP slot, as I discovered when I went to install it. That was a WinME era system, and the last time I bought a Desktop computer off the shelf. Now I buy components and build my systems to suit me.

 

[Gandalf0444]

Well it might not be a 2005 model; I know we bought it in 2005 though. It's a Dell Dimension 3000.

Now that I know that I can see why it only has PCI slots.

A PCI motherboard with only 3 slots sounds like it might be a micro-ATX board, possibly intended for HTPC usage. Though I'd still be surprised if it didn't have a dedicated graphics card slot.

Indeed it is a micro-ATX board... That is Dell for ya.

 

[EdrickV]

I took too long posting so the pics came up before my post. :b That is most definitely a PCI only motherboard. Stock powersupply is only 250 watts. Max memory is 2GB. Memory type is DDR.

As far as upgrading to a newer system, to do it in stages you'd need a motherboard with an LGA775 socket to use the old processor. (2004/2005 is probably when I built my first system, replacing my aging Compaq. PCI-Express and DDR2 were new back then.)

To get a system with decent upgradability, you'd need to replace the motherboard, memory, (DDR motherboards are almost extinct) possibly power supply, and would probably need an IDE/PATA card. (I counted at least 3 drives, 2 optical and at least 1 harddrive. Most modern motherboards only support 2 IDE/PATA devices and instead have a bunch of SATA ports.)

So a full upgrade would probably cost more then $100.

 

[SuperFudd]

Try here:

http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/dim3000/en/index.htm

I have not had time to check it out yet.

Merry Christmas :wave:

 

[myxomatosis]

I took too long posting so the pics came up before my post. :b That is most definitely a PCI only motherboard. Stock powersupply is only 250 watts. Max memory is 2GB. Memory type is DDR.

As far as upgrading to a newer system, to do it in stages you'd need a motherboard with an LGA775 socket to use the old processor. (2004/2005 is probably when I built my first system, replacing my aging Compaq. PCI-Express and DDR2 were new back then.)

To get a system with decent upgradability, you'd need to replace the motherboard, memory, (DDR motherboards are almost extinct) possibly power supply, and would probably need an IDE/PATA card. (I counted at least 3 drives, 2 optical and at least 1 harddrive. Most modern motherboards only support 2 IDE/PATA devices and instead have a bunch of SATA ports.)

So a full upgrade would probably cost more then $100.

Yes, I have 3 drives in there; 1 DVD Drive, the stock CD Drive and 1 HD.

Thank you for your help.