Looking for a cheap PCI (not express) GPU capable of running TRS2006

Hello there. I have TRS2006 installed on my retro gaming rig which is a Dell Dimension 2400 which I have upgraded a bit by swapping the Celeron for a P4, I also plan to buy a second stick of RAM to up it from 512 MB to 1 GB but the big issue is currently GPU. The awful integrated graphics will run Trainz but poorly. And worse of all the 2400 lacks an AGP slot. So for GPUs I’m stuck with conventional PCI. Again as the title. NOT PCI express since this PC pre dates PCI-E Already been scoping Ebay for them but they are hard to get and sometimes actually expensive. Some look good but I then find it does not have DX9. So that’s why I’m now asking this forum. Could anyone recommend me a GPU which meets the following criteria?
DX9 support
Conventional PCI (again NOT express)
Will run TRS at a playable framerate with medium settings and 1024x768 res.

To clarify this is for Trainz 2006. (As if I would try to run anything newer on such an old machine.)

Look for Startech PEX1PCI1, or other PCI express to PCI adapter.

Realistically Windows needs 8 gigs of memory these days to run happily. dellrefurbished.co.uk have a Dell OptiPlex 3046 MT this evening for 339. It might be a better starting point.

Cheerio John

I don’t think you are getting this. The computer I’m on about is not my main PC. It’s an OLD machine from circa 2004 that runs Windows XP. I use it for the sole purpose of running older games. That adapter is useless because it is the wrong way round. I would need PCI -> PCI-E not PCI-E -> PCI. I understand that most good GPUs of the day used the AGP slot but Dell wanting to be cheap did not put an AGP slot onto the 2400. The mobo has solder points for an AGP slot but I don’t know if it would be worth the effort to solder on an AGP slot then having to somehow flash a different BIOS that can use the AGP.

S3 Virge, they were quite good in their day https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/192695079580?chn=ps&mkevt=1&mkcid=28

ATI Rage on https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/192695079580?chn=ps&mkevt=1&mkcid=28

ATI Rage on Amazon - as the links are horrendously long go to Amazon and search all departments for Graphics Card,Multi‑Display Video Card,Graphics Card VGA there are several mostly ATI Rage and ATI Rage XL

If you had posted a couple of months ago I dumped a couple of Voodoos and a couple of ATIs and an S3 Virge in the council recycling.

Hey slenderman8888, are you still running Windows XP?

clam1952 said:

S3 Virge, they were quite good in their day https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/192695079580?chn=ps&mkevt=1&mkcid=28

ATI Rage on https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/192695079580?chn=ps&mkevt=1&mkcid=28

ATI Rage on Amazon - as the links are horrendously long go to Amazon and search all departments for Graphics Card,Multi‑Display Video Card,Graphics Card VGA there are several mostly ATI Rage and ATI Rage XL

If you had posted a couple of months ago I dumped a couple of Voodoos and a couple of ATIs and an S3 Virge in the council recycling.

Click to expand...

The ATIs are a no go. 8MB of VRAM plus it does not mention if it even has DX9. According to an article TRS 2006's minimum requirements call for a 64MB video card and then 128MB for recommended. And to answer pdkoester's question then yes I do but only on the OLD computer that I keep running for retro tasks such as running early Trainz versions.

Video card I'm looking for.

Must use the PCI bus (NOT PCI express)
Must support DX9
Must have 128MB of VRAM or more.

Does the following help? Peter

https://graphicscardhub.com/pci-graphics-card/

Video on testing PCI cards, might help https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Al_T6bSoclM

clam1952 said:

Video on testing PCI cards, might help https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Al_T6bSoclM

Click to expand...

Thank you. Exactly what I was looking for but the only trouble is how hard it is to get some of those decent cards. Like some are still being sold for three figure sums.

This may work for you:

Amazon.com: PNY GeForce GT 720 1GB DDR3 Graphics Cards VCGGT7201D3LXPB: Computers & Accessories

It's a 1GB PCI video card.

Boy was that difficult to find. The search engines like to put words in our searches!

I got one of these about 2 years ago for an old workstation turned server. The original QUADRO card died and the power supply cannot handle anything newer due to the age of the machine and the power supply which is unavailable. I got mine at Best Buy at the time and paid about the same then.

JCitron said:

This may work for you:

Amazon.com: PNY GeForce GT 720 1GB DDR3 Graphics Cards VCGGT7201D3LXPB: Computers & Accessories

It's a 1GB PCI video card.

Boy was that difficult to find. The search engines like to put words in our searches!

I got one of these about 2 years ago for an old workstation turned server. The original QUADRO card died and the power supply cannot handle anything newer due to the age of the machine and the power supply which is unavailable. I got mine at Best Buy at the time and paid about the same then.

Click to expand...

Thanks but still a three figure price plus it does not ship to UK.

slenderman8888 said:

Thanks but still a three figure price plus it does not ship to UK.

Click to expand...

Then it looks as if there isn't a solution that is available in your price range at the moment. You might get lucky on ebay.

Cheerio John