I recently bought a copy of the game Helldorado which
runs great... in 800x600 with all the settings set to
low or off. :/

So, I finally had to admit to myself that I need a
new video card (mine is really old). But I've been out
of the loop for so long and my comp is so old that I
have no clue what to buy.

Since this forum is so helpful I'd thought I'd ask here.


I'm running:

P4 2.8 Ghz
1gb Ram
Geforce FX5700 Ultra w/128mb
WinXP w/Service Pack 3
Direct X 9.0c (If this matters)


I'd like to stick with an Nvidia card since I haven't
had any trouble with my current card.

I'm just looking for a modest updrade with at least 256mb
of memory in the $50 to $100 range (With my current comp
I'm not gonna be running the latest games anyway).

Preferably a geforce card that'll use the same drivers I
have installed if that's possible. I have no clue if it
is possible but it'd be great if I didn't have to fiddle
with the drivers.

I called a local shop and they said I need a PCI Express Card.
All they had in stock that would work was a Geforce GTX 460 but
that was $200. (I think that's what he said. Maybe he said a GT 440?).

Any suggestions are welcome. Sorry this so long & thanks.

Not sure on pricing or compatibility, but the two "OMG amazing" cards of the last 5+ years have been the 8800 and the 260. If you can run an 8800 without changing the whole computer out then I would jump on it like crazy. You would have to go on ebay or something for it though, they phase out the old cards.

You did the right thing. Talking to morons at the local shop is pointless.

Your computer is pretty old. Why would they even mention buying a video card that A you probably don't even have a PCIe 16 slot for and B, one that requires a 450W power supply which you probably don't even come close to.

Try and find out what motherboard you're using and your current power supply.

Most nVidia cards use the same driver set, with the exception of some laptop cards that have OEM drivers specific to the machine.

I'd see about slapping another gig of RAM in there, as well as a new gfx card. Best first step is find out exactly what motherboard you have so you know what it can handle in terms of cards and maximum RAM capacity...

Don't blindly trust what the shop says about your slot since that graphics card has an AGP version.

Go to run, type in "dxdiag" and hit ok. And in the display tab see if there's any indication of PCI-E or AGP.

Honestly, you need a brand new PC.

You could probably build a decent one for $500 via NewEgg, but one that'll last a few years would take more around $1200.

I think you're probably using AGP compliant mainboard. There are few modern AGP GPU card out there, but usually the price is expensive than PCI-express.

In my opinion, you need a completely new machine. The CPU is good, but many newer games work better with a dual core CPU at least. The more RAM, the merrier, and that video card has an absurdly low amount of it.

Typically double or more. It's not worth it.

The price for upgrading compared to the price of buying a whole new rig makes the exercise of upgrading very bad value for money.

You can easily get together some cheap parts that would trounce the performance of your current computer while leaving some room for future expansion too (as long as you don't leave it this late again :P ).

Alternatively there are a lot of cheap pre-built systems on eBay if you're looking for an easier option.

If you're interested then let us know your budget and what you want it to do and we'll take it from there.

I know it's an msi motherboard.
dxdiag says the following (if it helps)

System Manufaturer: MICRO-STAR INC.
System Model: MS-6728
Bios: Version 1.00

I don't know what power supply it has. How do I find that out? I did this... It does say that AGP Texture Acceleration is enabled if that helps. But other
that that no mention of PCI-E or AGP. Unfortunately, I don't have the funds for a new comp (that's why I like gog). A new comp would be nice but the best I can do for the forseeable future is a new video card. :/

Best nVidia AGP card is the 7950. They stopped using AGP with the 8000 series. I found a 7950 on ebay for $90 with others on there for a bit more.

Whether a 7950 works on your mobo and with your psu is another question though. I did some googling and found nothing concrete, so you're going to have to search yourself some more.

Open your side panel and if you see a sticker on the power supply, tell us what it says. Sometimes it will say straight up what it is but other times it may have a code like xx350 or something. Usually the number on the end of that code is the wattage.
This seems to be the specs for your mobo

http://www.msi.com/product/mb/865PE-Neo2-P-Platinum-Edition.html#?div=Detail

• One AGP slot supports 8x/4x at 0.8V (AGP 3.0) or 4x at 1.5V (3.3V is not supported).
• Five 32-bit v2.3 Master PCI bus slots (support 3.3v/5v PCI bus interface).

Bottom line it means you need an AGP card since you have no PCIe slot.

Most powerful AGP card is Radeon 3850. Should be within your $ range. But before you buy it - check your PSU model. If you don't have any papers (like invoice) of your PC - you will need to open your case.

EDIT:
Or Nvidia 7900 GS. Your current PSU should suffice and the card is much more powerful than your 5700 ultra.

Max power draw is 95W
http://www.gpureview.com/Radeon-HD-3850-AGP-card-550.html

Going to need at least a 350-400W power supply for that. The card asks for 450W on the box.

Then I recommend you split your budget between a new (read: second hand) graphics card and some more RAM. You've got to get at least one more GB in there. Ideally bring it up to 3GB if you can.

Your motherboard can handle up to 4GB so technically that's not a problem. Just remember you need DDR RAM. Not DDR2 or DDR3. No faster than 800MHZ. Make sure it's desktop RAM not laptop. It should look just like this.