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Recommend a graphics card...if any ?

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    #2
    Jimmy365
    Registered Users Posts: 31 ✭Jimmy365


    You'll need a new PSU to run a graphics card in that system, 400W or so.

    Oblivion is pretty graphic intensive, I believe. Whats your budget for the card?

    Cheers,

    Jim:)


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    #3
    GallicProphet
    Closed Accounts Posts: 50 ✭✭GallicProphet


    aww a new psu... i dont know for budget i guess a few hundred yoyos

    is there really no way that i can get around buying a new psu, never changed one before


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    #4
    satchmo
    Registered Users Posts: 1,481 ✭✭✭satchmo


    Think of it as a learning experience! Ah they're pretty easy to change, it's just a big box which you swap out. It depends on the case, but it's usually not that hard.


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    #5
    8T8
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,757 ✭✭✭8T8


    Bad news I'm afraid, from the link your provided you seem to have a Dell Dimension 3100. If that is the case not only is your power supply insufficient to feed a proper graphics card, your Dell motherboard does not have the required expansion slots to allow you to even install one.

    It lacks whats called a PCI Express x16 slot, it has a x1 slot but that is not enough and for low end peripherals.

    Only way to resolve it to gut the system and put it in a new case with some new components which wont be cheap (as Dell use the not common BTX form factor almost everyone else use ATX), it will cost with the graphics card 350-400 to do that at least if you did it yourself.


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    #6
    TerrorFirmer
    Closed Accounts Posts: 29,930 ✭✭✭✭TerrorFirmer


    You won't get that computer playing Oblivion. Well - You could probably get something like an fx5200 PCI for 20 euro second hand (possibly a 5900 but I'm not sure if they were released in pci) that will run the game, but you're talking running the game at 800x600 with options on low.

    Otherwise, it's a lost cause...


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    #7
    8T8
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,757 ✭✭✭8T8


    I think a PCI GeForce FX 5200 would be a bit unrealistic given it's craptacular DX9 performance though it would be fun to see if it actually worked :)

    I heard of some PCI GFX 5700's but that is as high as it went I think.

    There is an unofficial mod in the works that is porting the shaders to Direct-X 8, it wont look pretty but it might be playable.

    Thier is also a .ini tweak for FX owners here as well to run the game playable on at least a GFX5600.

    The ideal situation would be to acquire a PCI-E x1 graphics card unfortuantely the only ones available are for 2D use. Even a PCI-E x1 slot has twice the bandwidth compared against an old PCI slot, a x1 PCI-E slot is equal to about an AGP x1 slot.

    If you were to try and risk a PCI-E x16 card there is a very good risk it that it wont work as almost all graphics cards use the x16 PCI-E slot so it could be missing the required grounding and power connections if plugged into a x1 slot.

    If you know someone familiar with computers you could gut the Dell and rebuild a new system with a new graphics card, taking whatever parts we can from the Dell though you have to lose the Dell case, power supply and motherboard. You would also need to source a copy of Windows XP if someone you know has the CD you could use that CD with your Dell serial key to install XP on the new system as Dell only ship an image which more than likely will only re-image a Dell computer.

    Motherboard €100
    Case+PSU €68
    CPU cooler €45 - unless you have one spare or can obtain another as generally Dell rig their coolers into the case somehow so re-using them can be tricky.

    Basic graphics card €103
    Decent graphics card €138
    Best graphics card €204

    The more powerful the graphics card the more details in Oblivion you will be able to run with.


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    #8
    GallicProphet
    Closed Accounts Posts: 50 ✭✭GallicProphet


    it s all good, i am not sure what to do now tbh, but your input was appreciated


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    #9
    8T8
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,757 ✭✭✭8T8


    Well you have 3 choices as I see it;

    Dont do anything if you bought the game return it if you can.

    Buy a PCI graphics card it has come to my attention from HavoK that PC World are selling a PCI 6200 card which would be marginally better than the FX5200 but you might be able to play the game with almost all the details set to low or turned off.

    Gut your current computer for parts and build a new one from it with a proper PCI-E graphics card.


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    #10
    TerrorFirmer
    Closed Accounts Posts: 29,930 ✭✭✭✭TerrorFirmer


    8T8 wrote:
    Buy a PCI graphics card it has come to my attention from HavoK that PC World are selling a PCI 6200 card which would be marginally better than the FX5200 but you might be able to play the game with almost all the details set to low or turned off.

    That's actually a good choice - the game WILL run on lowish settings but at least you won't have to butcher it like you'd have to do with the fx5200 and the DX8.0 mod :D

    Plus the 6200 is only 70 euro - and it'd probably run the game on 800x600 with low - and possibly....EVEN SOME OPTIONS ON MEDIUM! :eek: :D

    edit: or you could just shell out 500 notes for a 360 premium pack and Oblivion :)


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