Advice on a graphic card update

Karson21

I'm thinking on buying a new graphic card (I like the BFG 3DFuzion GeForce 7300 GS 256MB DDR2 PCI Express Graphics Card) but I'm not sure if it will fit on my motherboard.
my actual graphic card is a Intel(R) 82865G Graphics Controller [Display adapter] <- which kinda sucks.

So, heres my information:
System Mode:
Dell Computer Corporation Dimension 3000
System Service Tag: H9V4V71 (support for this PC)
Chassis Serial Number: H9V4V71
Enclosure Type: Mini-Tower

Processor
2.80 gigahertz Intel Pentium 4
16 kilobyte primary memory cache
1024 kilobyte secondary memory cache

Main Circuit Board
Board: Dell Computer Corp. 0R8060
Serial Number: ..CN481115180DR5.
Bus Clock: 533 megahertz
BIOS: Dell Computer Corporation A02 11/08/2004

Memory Modules
510 Megabytes Installed Memory

Slot 'DIMM_1' has 256 MB
Slot 'DIMM_2' has 256 MB

c: (NTFS on drive 0) 80.00 GB 34.97 GB free

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks.

Ruu_Old

Nearly 100% sure that the motherboard doesn't have a PCI Express slot or even AGP.

Karson21

Are you sure?
So I shouldn't buy it ?
suggestions would be appreciated.

Ruu_Old

Yep, I looked up on the Dell website and in the manual. All you have is standard PCI slots so you are limited for high performance graphics cards. You might think of upgrading the RAM to 1GB if possible too. Are you upgrading for some game you want to run?

Karson21

Well, I was thinking on buying the -BFG 3DFuzion GeForce 7300 GS 256MB DDR2 PCI Express Graphics Card - will that fit on my mother board?

Dunno what games but I started thinking about buying a new graphic card when my Age of Empires 3 got an error while trying to play lmfao.
Is it expensive to upgrade to 1gb? will that help?

Any Suggestions?
Thanks.

Ruu_Old

It won't fit your motherboard, you will be looking for a standard PCI graphics card, not Express which is the newer standard.

The RAM upgrade will help with overall speed of your computer and games probably, so you should benefit a little if you upgrade your card instead of the onboard intel one that is present. Price of modules for your computer. It might or might not be worth it.

Most Dell computers are just not good when it comes to upgrades. I'm not sure what PCI graphics would be suitable, maybe someone else will be able to help you (I'm sure they will).

Karson21

Well, I don't know much about computers, so please help me. .
I would like recommendations of graphic cards for me to buy.
Max price - 110 dollars.

Thanks

TerrorFirmer

You can get a pci card without too much difficultly, but the only ones available are very low end by todays standard, but will still be much better then your onboard Intel Extreme.

The most common ones at the moment are The Geforce Fx5200, the 6200, and the Ati Radeon 9250. There are others but to be honest if you're going to be upgrading you might as well get as best as you can, because with PCI a single upgrade will bring the system to its maximum potential. Again, which is quite poor, but much better then your current onboard.

PCI Radeon 9250


Fx5200 128mb PCI

Fx5200 256Mb PCI

6200 PCI 256mb

The last one there, the 6200, is the best you're going to get with PCI.

Karson21

The 6200 PCI 256 mb on (http://www.dabs.com/productview.aspx?Quicklinx=4CQQ&SearchType=1&SearchTerms=6200+pci&PageMode=3&SearchKey=All&SearchMode=All&NavigationKey=41600000)

is better than a DIAMOND X1300PCI256SB Radeon X1300 256MB 128-bit GDDR2 PCI Vista Ready Video Card ?

Thanks

8T8

Nope a PCI X1300 is definitely better than a PCI 6200 card but not by a huge amount mind you but given the choice the X1300 is the one to go for.

Where did you see the PCI X1300 for sale I have spotted them in the US but rarely this side of the pond ?

TerrorFirmer

Sorry - I did not even know there was such a thing as a PCI X1300, my mistake.

Do you have a link to where you bought it from? Very interested.

Karson21

I bought it on newegg.com
url -> http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16814103016

Thanks everyone for the help


<currently waiting for the new graphic card and a new psu>