Best PCI card? Or AGP if so?

[GeoffRowley]

I've got a Dell 2350, 1.8 ghz (Think somewhere it says northwood), PC2100 768 RAM, and an integrated AGP graphics card (intel extreme something). Would there be a free AGP slot there. I just want to be able to play BF2 on it at low or medium setting at decent frames, but the best PCI card seems to be the 5500, which barley gets all low at 800x600. Can you remove an integrated card, I really don't think so but is there a way?

My main question is, is there a free AGP slot on it, I've looked everywhere for information, but I've come up short. Any help would be great.

[lil_jimmy_norton]

Re: Best PCI card? Or AGP if so?

No AGP slot from what I've read.

http://pcworld.about.com/news/Apr082003id110186.htm

[megawhompertoo]

Re: Best PCI card? Or AGP if so?

best pci card i've seen so far is an nvidia 6200. bestbuy (worstbuy) has them, but you'd be advised to shop elsewhere.

edit: and no; you don't "remove" an integrated gpu. it is part of your motherboard. you disable onboard agp when you update.

[GeoffRowley]

Re: Best PCI card? Or AGP if so?

Alright I've got the 5500 and installed it easyily enough, but when i plug my moniter to it eathier a blank screen or a half black half olive green secreen shows up, but when i plug it into the regular port, it works fine. I followed the instructions to the letter, and still have come up short.

The only thing I can think of is that it says it needs a 250 watt power supply, and I'm not sure what I have.

[Jones[31stMEU]]

Re: Best PCI card? Or AGP if so?

yea man, PCI sux, the best you'll get is a GEforce 5500 with 2 gigs of RAM and be able to run the game so so on low settings. I have a dimension 3000, but I replaced the MOBO with a 4600 for the AGP slot, and just got my 6800GS and LOVE it ! I doubt you'll be able to fit a 4600 MOBO into anything lower than the 3000, but if so thats the only way you'll be able to do better than PCI with that machine.

[megawhompertoo]

Re: Best PCI card? Or AGP if so?

Alright I've got the 5500 and installed it easyily enough, but when i plug my moniter to it eathier a blank screen or a half black half olive green secreen shows up, but when i plug it into the regular port, it works fine. I followed the instructions to the letter, and still have come up short.

The only thing I can think of is that it says it needs a 250 watt power supply, and I'm not sure what I have.

You need to force your computer to recognize the PCI graphics card. Right now it is "stuck" on the onboard VGA.

1)plug your monitor into your onboard vga output

2)uninstall old drivers

3) turn off computer

4) plug your monitor into the new card

5) turn on your computer and hold down delete key

6) enter your bios, and disable "onboard agp", "onboard vga", or something that looks very similar to one of these. this will tell your computer to ignore the built-in VGA and force it to look for the card in the PCI port.

7) proceed with boot-up. install your new drivers.

also, make sure the card is seated correctly. sometimes (especially with pci devices) they can get just a little bit out of socket. press on it--not hard--but firmly and make sure you hear it/feel it seat properly.

[GeoffRowley]

Re: Best PCI card? Or AGP if so?

Yeah, I was wondering how to get into the BIOS. Thanks a bunch, I also went into the device manager and told it to disable the ragass Intel extreme graphics. Yet everytime I turn my computer on, it makes the intel extreme thing as my main again. The BIOS seems the only way to fix it. Thanks.

[Jones[31stMEU]]

Re: Best PCI card? Or AGP if so?

Also, you should disable your integrated GFX card by go to my computer-properties-hardware tab-device manager-drop down the display adapters pane-right click on the onboard card and disable it. This way it won't conflict with your 5500.

[GeoffRowley]

Re: Best PCI card? Or AGP if so?

Yeah, I've gone onto the device manager and disabled the Intel one, but whenever i plug my moniter into the new card, I'll get eathier a blank screen, or a half blank and half olive green. I suppose I'll try the BIOS idea now.

But one thing, I've tried looking up my computer for its power supply and I've only seen it as a 200 watt. This card needs 250. Any way thats a leading cause
or any way around it without buying a new PSU?

Everytime I remove the drivers for the extreme graphics, and it says to restart, once I log back on, there back. So I read that I click to not restart and just turn off normally. Is this the right way?

[imported_wOoZiE]

Re: Best PCI card? Or AGP if so?

Yeah, I've gone onto the device manager and disabled the Intel one, but whenever i plug my moniter into the new card, I'll get eathier a blank screen, or a half blank and half olive green. I suppose I'll try the BIOS idea now.

But one thing, I've tried looking up my computer for its power supply and I've only seen it as a 200 watt. This card needs 250. Any way thats a leading cause
or any way around it without buying a new PSU?

Everytime I remove the drivers for the extreme graphics, and it says to restart, once I log back on, there back. So I read that I click to not restart and just turn off normally. Is this the right way?

I would suggest getting this for a PCI card.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814139166

[GeoffRowley]

Re: Best PCI card? Or AGP if so?

Found out why it didn't work. I didn't even bother trying the BIOS thing. I just read my PSU and says maximum output is 200 Watts. This damn card needs 250, so I suppose theres no need to even try. I guess it's BF 1942 on all low and 640 till my new computer finally arrives.