GordonShek

Folks

Just bought Colin McRae 2005 for my PC and realised I can't play it on my PC. It's not compatible with my graphics card, a GeForce 4 MX440.

I thought those cards are ok but the game states that it won't run with that Graphics Card and when I installed the game, OH MY GOD!!!, it doesn't work .

So because I can't change the game, not faulty, I thinking about changing my graphics card, unless someone of course has another idea.

What graphics card do you recommend? Don't want to pay shed loads for a card but I need one which will play most of the newish games with ease.

Your help is much appreciated.

Thanks

Gordon Shek

Walwal

I have the same problem. Went to play a demo of Medal of Honour Pacific Assault, and it said my card is too old!!!

I'll await the replies you get here with interest as I'm the same as you, don't want to be spending 350 quid, but need to be up with the times more than I am at the minute.

Andy.

wheelie_sti

Tread carefully here people, graphics cards can be a tad expensive for very little difference. Try a ATI Radeon 9200 or 9600 series AGP cards. They come in a number of flavours, 128 or 256 mb ram. I run a 9200 at 1280x1024 on a 19" flat screen. Desktop work is not an issue, I play planetside, medal of honour etc quite comfortably. Both cards are sub £100 so not too badly priced for decent mid range quality.

Hope it helps.

Wheelie_sti

JohnnyRob

I've just ordered a Ati Radeon Sapphire 9550 128mb 128 bit, 400mhz (nb - not 9550SE) card for £34 +vat. With minimal tinkering these cards can perform almost as well as 9600 pro cards - worth a thought at around half the price


Cheers
JR

cheddar bob

I had the very same problem with my old GeForce 4 MX420, was ok but started getting frustrated with a few releases not being compatible. Anyway for around £100-£120 your best bet is to get a ATI Radeon 9800PRO 128MB which I upgraded to, I can easily handle most games on high settings @ 1280 x 1024, even Doom 3 was smooth on high @ 1024 x 768 Try www.Dabs.com or www.ebuyer.co.uk aswell. Or as wheelie_sti said try a lower series card if your budget is under £100.

GordonShek

Thanks guys much appreciated!

I was thinking about the Sapphire Radeon range as I've heard that these guys know what to do with Graphics Cards, a bit like Prodrive and Subarus if you know what I mean!

I take it a 128mb card is better than a 64mb card then? And 256mb is better than a 128mb? Numbers Numbers Numbers!

R1916v

256mb cards aren't that better at performing in current games than 128, this will change as texture sizes etc increase.

I was in the same boat not long ago and I got hold of an ATI 9800 pro. Cost 110 on special from somwhere but best performance per pound out of the lower end of the price scale imho. Oh and as my model uses the R360 gpu core (same as the 9800 XTs) all I had to do was a little bios flash and I have a 128 meg 9800 XT

Thought about a 9600 etc but at the end of the day I'd have only needed to upgrade again in a years time.

stevebt

iTrader: (8)

9800 pro ive had one since they came out and there is nothing i dont play in 1600x1200 res unless they dont make that res for the game as some dont

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

Is this any good ?

http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/produ...duct_uid=51649

I quite fancy a little more performance but dont want to spend much money, I currently have an Asus Gforce 3 ti200, would the above represent much of an improvement, the old card will just about play Doom 3, also the card is an AGP 8*, does it matter if my motherboard is a 4* AGP slot, I seem to remember its not an issue and doesnt make much difference anyway, is this right ?

stevebt

iTrader: (8)

PMSFL a 9200 you get what you pay for why do you think its only £30

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

I take its a no then, thought that might be the case and it is true about getting what you pay for, I was however interested in whether it would out perform my current card, spunking 300 notes on the latest monster is mental, have done it before and have vowed not to do it again, 250 quid on a Voodoo 5500, that was an investment.

To be honest, I prefer the consoles for games, you can buy 3 whole Xboxes or PS2's for the price of a high end card, and you dont have to fart about with drivers, resolutions etc. I think most of the time the games dont catch up with the hardware anyway, if my old card will play Doom 3 ok, wheres the big requirement, whats going to use all the power ?

Or is it all Geek Chic ?

Daz34

Firstly, what spec is your pc at the moment? Secondly, what is your budget?
No point blowing a load of cash on a vga card if it is sitting waiting for the rest of your system to catch up with what it is doing

bioforger

iTrader: (1)

Dont forget 9800 cards require additional power plug so if u havent got one spare, u'll need a power splitter and also hope your PSU is up to the job.

cheddar bob

My motherboard will only run my 9800Pro @ x4 AGP don't think It makes much difference tbh, but still an amazing difference going from my old GeForce 4 MX420 (well it was over twice as big ). I payed about £125 iirc a few months ago from www.lowestonweb.com

MYCROFT.

The best deal at the moment is the radeon 9700 pro - it has 256bit memory not 128 bit like the 9600 - so can be clocked to 9800 speeds.


on overclockers for £70

stevebt

iTrader: (8)

been ther done it i overpaid on a voodoo 3500tv card but the 9800pro is only £130 a shockingly low price compared to when i 1st purchased one even when i bought mine the 9700 pro were a ridiculous price

kbsub

i can reccommend which one not to buy .................................................. ...


ATI RADEON 9800 PRO


I am on my 4th one on this DELL system , all replaced under warranty in under 18 months

bioforger

iTrader: (1)

kbsub I bet u lose another if its killing gfx cards that quickly, i would suspect PSU or mobo problem.

cheddar bob

kbsub - what DELL system you got? I've a 4550 and doubled my memory to 1GB, increased my hard-drive from 120GB to 280GB, upgraded my GeForce 4 MX420 to a Evesham ATI 9800Pro & a few months in there's been absolutely no problems whatsoever (touch wood ) and that's on the stock PSU.

Barmyclown

Both ATI and NVidia ranges explained here.


http://graphics.tomshardware.com/gra...110/index.html

R1916v

I'd take that as an ad not to buy a Dell system 9800 pros been working flawlessly in many a PC

I actually change my mine and second Mycroft, I forgot about the ocuk 9700 pro, for your budget can't be beaten. Not that far off a 9800 pro in real world performance.

Daz34

I agree. The 9800Pro is a fine card.

kbsub

DELL SYSTEM IS A 8300
p4 3ghz
18 flat screen
ati radeon 9800 pro
1 GIG MEMORY (PC3200)
120 GIG HD & 80 GIG HD (USED AS BACK UP )
SOUNDBLASTER LIVE SOUND CARD

sound card as now been moved away from graphics card (they were next to each other )
one of the ATIs the heatsink fell off (is this the fault of the PC ??)
the other two i kept getting green lines acroos the monitor (fixed by new card )
DELL engineer (who fixes all PCs ) says he replaced loads of ATI radeon
lot more than other cards anyway
take from this what you like , just my experiance thats all
though i would buy another DELL system , after sales and tech support been brilliant , far better than EVESHAM or MESH (ive owned both )and engineer always called next day and fixed the problem
when the warranty runs out and the graphics card packs up i wont be buying another 9800 pro would you ??

BlkKnight

I currently run a 9600 Pro and it's been good for the 16 months I've had it. It does struggle slightly on doom3 @ 1024x768 from what I've seen of HL2 it plays that well @ 1024x768.

9700's are not dx9 compatable/enabled - nor are some of the cheaper Nvidia cards.

9600 Pro's & 9800 Pro's would (in reality) be a stop gap until the newer cards come down to the £150 mark - as they are 2 year old tech now.

If I were you I'd e-bay a cheap 9600 Pro to see you through till end of spring, then look at buying one of the next gen cards if you need to.

Daz34

Yes they are!

ScoobyDoo555

I've got an ATI 9700 DDR (non pro) - There isn't a game I can't run smoothly @1024 x 768.

Far Cry, Thief 3, Richard Burns RAlly, Doom3 - will let you know what happens when Half Life 2 turns up

Dan

BlkKnight

my bad - yes the 9700's an dthe 9500's are dx9 compatable.

It was my 8500 which wasn't

GCollier

The ATI 9800 Pro is yesterdays card.

With GeForce 6600GT's and 6800's starting at 150 quid, that's where my money would be going now for a graphics card upgrade which won't break the bank.