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> i not sure that we need them,aren't they already built into the machines?
Well, for example I'm getting a dell, just it only has 4mb graphics. Will this be okay, or should I upgrade????
> i think that u should upgrade.
Why, which games won't I be able to play with it????
32mb is minimum. I recommend a GeForce 2 of some sort.
> Er, if you want to play almost any game these days, you *need* a graphics
> card.
32mb is minimum. I recommend a GeForce 2 of some sort.
How much would that cost? Thanks!
For example, my PC downstairs has a 64mb GeForce2 MX200, and this one had a 32mb GeForce2 MX400. The fact that it had half the memory is irrelevant - the advantages in terms of memory bandwidth and polygon-pushing outweigh the extra 32mb, giving it higher benchmark scores and better performance in games (despite the rest of the machine actually being lower spec).
Another example; I replaced the 32mb GF2 in this box with a 64mb GeForce3, and its benchmark scores are about 3 times those for the 64mb GeForce2. Don't just go by on-board ram..
I'd recommend a GF2 MX400 at the very least, but with the new generation of cards coming around, some of the new ones are worth a look. The basic geforce3 range is basically identical - one card will perform exactly the same as another, they all have an identical chipset and PCB layout. The only one that seems to have an advantage is the Gainward Gold Label, which seems to be better for overclocking. There's also the Ti500 range out now, which is slightly more powerful and takes advantage of 3d textures and shadow buffering.
The new ATI Radeon cards look quite impressive, £250 or so, and beating the stock GF3 3d mark scores by thousands of points...however, ATI are infamous for driver problems and compatibility issues, and there doesn't seem to have been any word about it outside of the specialist gamers hideouts, which doesn't bode particularly well.
Alternatively, the GF2 range will still handle todays games well, I'd anything from a GTS (£100 or so) upwards, preferably 32mb DDR ram. What are the rest of your system specs? Pointless throwing a hugely expensive graphics cards at something more suited to typing memos..