graphics cards

[n7of9]

last week i whinged about my monitor developing "shadows" or "bleeding"...i put another monitor on my pc and it was doing the same thing...then i pulled out my current graphics card (first time i've ever opened a pc :D ) kissed it for good luck, put it back in, reinstalled my drivers - and its still happening...SO now i assume i have to buy a new graphics card

but i don't know what all the different types/lingos mean :o

at the moment i have an NVIDIA 16MB Vanta and my device manager tells me the location is "PCI bus 1"

Q1does this mean i have to look for a "PCI" graphics card??
Q2can i upgrade to a 64MB card in the same slot (or are they bigger and it won't fit??)
Q3what is an AGP video card...is that different to PCI??
Q4what does "AGP 4x" mean

i looked at this (http://hwreviews.netscape.com/hardware/1,10121,0-1107-402-0,00.html) hardware review, but there are things there that don't make much sense to me

Q5do i have to know if i have SDRAM or DDRAM

sorry for all the question guys...please help a damsel in distress :o

[Robert]

Originally posted by n7of9

Q1does this mean i have to look for a "PCI" graphics card??
Q2can i upgrade to a 64MB card in the same slot (or are they bigger and it won't fit??)
Q3what is an AGP video card...is that different to PCI??
Q4what does "AGP 4x" mean

i looked at this (http://hwreviews.netscape.com/hardware/1,10121,0-1107-402-0,00.html) hardware review, but there are things there that don't make much sense to me

Q5do i have to know if i have SDRAM or DDRAM


Q1: If your motherboard doesn't have a AGP slot, than yes, you will need to look for a PCI Video Card. A AGP slot is the first slot (above all the PCI Slots), it's brown and a little shorter.

Q2: Yes, you can upgrade to a 32 or 64mb pci video card. I wouldn't get a 128mb pci video card however.

Q3: There's a big different between AGP and PCI. Stick with AGP if you can.

Q4: It's like USB 1.0 and 2.0. Most motherboards are 4x now, not 2x. Some are 8x as well.

Q5: A DDR Video card is aster, and outputs better video. I currently have a ATI Radeon 9200 AGP 128mb DDR Ram Video Card. It's "ok" in my opinon. Seems the same compared to my Nvidia 64mb AGP Video Card.

[Daniel]

A little tip, don't buy the latest hardware.

If your not doing any gaming whatsoever, a Radeon 7000 would work wonders for you. There's both AGP and PCI version of the card.

[n7of9]

Originally posted by Robert
Q1: If your motherboard doesn't have a AGP slot, than yes, you will need to look for a PCI Video Card. A AGP slot is the first slot (above all the PCI Slots), it's brown and a little shorter. my current card is in a short brown slot - does this mean it is an AGP slot even though my device manager tells me that my current card is in slot "PCI bus 1"??

(and i also have a free longer white slot - what is this and what can i put there??)


Originally posted by Robert
Q4: It's like USB 1.0 and 2.0. Most motherboards are 4x now, not 2x. Some are 8x as well.
how can i know what mine is??


thanks a lot for your replies....its making things a lot clearer for me (although slowly...i'll get there ;) )

[Bruce]

Originally posted by n7of9
my current card is in a short brown slot - does this mean it is an AGP slot even though my device manager tells me that my current card is in slot "PCI bus 1"?? Yes, it's AGP then. My AGP video card is listed as PCI bus 1 as well.


(and i also have a free longer white slot - what is this and what can i put there??)That would be a PCI slot. Put whatever you want there. Sound card, NIC, USB Hub, etc., etc.