onboard video & audio help

[byrdgirl13]

I don't know much about video or audio cards, or integrated video/audio. So can you tell me if these are good enough for games like Final Fantasy VIII? I'm guessing they're fine but want to check...

Integrated Video: - Integrated NVIDIA NV17-class (GeForce4 MX) GPU
- Embedded TV encoder supporting NTSC/PAL TV
- 256-bit 3D/2D graphics accelerator
- Full frame rate video playback of HDTV and DVD content
- Shared system memory, up to128MB

Integrated Audio: - With external high quality CMedia9738 4 Channels AC'97 Codec
- Complete software driver supports for Windows OS


These come on a fairly cheap ($89) Chaintech mobo that I'm looking at.

 

[Bruce]

Well considering FF8 will run on a P200 with 32MB RAM, yes, it'll run just fine on that.

Though I would try to stay away from onboard video if at all possible. It wastes precious cpu cycles, uses system RAM, has very poor performance (even compared to an AGP card using the same chipset), can be a bitch if it decides not to work anymore, and generally doesn't leave a lot of room for upgrades in terms of graphics (with the exception of some of the newer boards).

So yeah, with that being said, it should be okay for your purpose, as long as you don't want to play any newer games, but it's still not recommended. In all seriousness, you'd be better off buying a GeForce2 for dirt cheap than using that onboard.

By the way, I'm assuming it's this board? http://directron.com/7nif2.html

 

[byrdgirl13]

yeah, that's the one. I was looking at a Biostar mobo with geforce4 onboard graphics but this one's cheaper. I may get the Biostar anyway.

Like I said, I don't know much about video cards, so I don't know what 'dirt cheap' card to get (or quite how much dirt cheap is). I know the card on the Biostar mobo costs around $45 alone.

 

[trenzterra]

maybe you can try some lower end or older cards like the geforce 4 and ati 7000+?

i don't recommend integrated graphics ESPECIALLY SIS, I used it and many games doesn't work properly, when moving the mouse the screen suddenly turns green sometimes for split second.

 

[byrdgirl13]

Like get this mobo:

CHAINTECH Motherboard for AMD Processors, Model# 7NIL1-SUMMIT NFORCE2/MCP u-ATX-RETAIL
Specifications:
Supported CPU:AMD Socket A Duron/Athlon Athlon XP
Chipset: Nvidia nforce2 SPP + Nforce2 MCP
FSB:200/266/333 MHz
RAM:3x 184 Pin PC1600/2100/2700/3200 Max 3GB
IDE:Ultra DMA 133/100/66 up to 4 Devices
Slots:1x Universial AGP (2x 4x)and 3 PCI 32-bit Slots
Ports:2xPS2,1xCOM,2xUSB,1xLPT,1xLAN and Audio
Onboard Audio:CMedia 9738 4CH
Onboard LANHY 10/100Mbs Ethernet Model#: 7NIL1 Special Free FedEx Saver Shipping

With this video card?

VGA CHAINTECH GEFORCE4 MX440 SE 64MB VGA & TV-OUT. RETAIL BOX
Specifications:
SLOT: AGP
GPU:NVIDIA® GeForce4™ MX440 SE
MEM:64MB SDR RAM, 128bits
memory clock: 183MHz
core clock : 270MHz
Res: (1024x768RCA & S Video W/ Cable).
1 Years manufacture Warranty.
Retail box
Part# A-G445 Model#: A-G445 review

Special Free FedEx Saver Shipping

(The mobo is $69 and the card is $41)
I don't know what kind of quality the mobo's onboard sound will be...? I do plan on using this comp for watching some dvds as well.

 

[Bruce]

That will surely be much better than onboard graphics. The audio should be fine, it's better than mine anyway.

In all honesty though, I can't even tell the difference between a $100 sound card and my cheap onboard sound.

 

[Daniel]

Nforce2 onboard video is supposed to be very good. =/

 

[byrdgirl13]

Ok...thanks.

<edit> This graphics card I found looks very similar to the onboard video on the first mobo there...and 128-bit instead of 256-bit...and the audio is the same on both mobos...

 

[Bruce]

Originally posted by Daniel
Nforce2 onboard video is supposed to be very good. =/

It is... for onboard video.

The onboard nForce2 graphics is about equal to the performance of a GF4 MX AGP card, but I'd still choose the card over onboard. You would need to buy more RAM for onboard anyway, so you might as well just buy the card and save yourself some cpu cylces while you're at it too.

//edit

A GF4 MX card slightly out-performs the onboard: http://www.viperlair.com/reviews/cpu_mobo/chaintech/amd/7nif2/7nif2_pg7.shtml

 

[stu]

Originally posted by Bruce
A GF4 MX card slightly out-performs the onboard: http://www.viperlair.com/reviews/cpu_mobo/chaintech/amd/7nif2/7nif2_pg7.shtml

might as well get the mobo and see how well the game runs using the on board video since it's roughly a GF4 MX anyway. then decide whether or not to get a better video card. you can even hold off a few months before deciding to buy a new video card, since prices for older cards will drop in the summer, and you can probably get a better video card for less.