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Lately when i have been playing some of my new games on my pc, i have noticed that the graphics seem a bit smudged , and not very sharp. Also that with the more sophisticated games i have noticed more glitches and some places in a level , especially outside that the detail gets very messed up and sometimes there are bits of the backround missing.
So if i bought a graphics card for my computer would it help these problems and make the game look sharper etc ? Also if it is a graphics card i need is there any ones that you could recommend to me as a first time buyer?
Last thing is are they hard to fit , and is it best to let a special reserve technichan fit it for me.
Will be greatful for any advice on this topic, or some answers to my questions.
Dave :)
So if i bought a graphics card for my computer would it help these problems and make the game look sharper etc ? Also if it is a graphics card i need is there any ones that you could recommend to me as a first time buyer?
Last thing is are they hard to fit , and is it best to let a special reserve technichan fit it for me.
Will be greatful for any advice on this topic, or some answers to my questions.
Dave :)
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The GeForce 2 MX 400 64mb is an awesome card for the price and you should notice a large improvement in terms of game speed and graphical lushness.
If you added that card to your current set-up, you should be able to run just about any current game at maximum settings! However, installing it won't be easy.
Because you're current graphics chip is built into the motherboard, you'll first have to disable that before even thinking of installing the new card. The basic procedure will go something like as follows:
1. Change a jumper setting on the motherboard to disable on-board graphics.
2. Go into your system BIOS (during POST) and disable the on-board graphics there.
3. Let Windows load up.
4. Delete current display adapter driver from Device Manager.
5. Shut down and turn off PC.
6. Install new graphics card.
7. Turn on PC.
8. Follow on-screen instructions to install new drivers (with provided CD).
However, when you're trying to disable on-board chips, it rarely is this easy (I should know), and so if you're unsure about any of the above. You should really leave it to the professionals.
If you added that card to your current set-up, you should be able to run just about any current game at maximum settings! However, installing it won't be easy.
Because you're current graphics chip is built into the motherboard, you'll first have to disable that before even thinking of installing the new card. The basic procedure will go something like as follows:
1. Change a jumper setting on the motherboard to disable on-board graphics.
2. Go into your system BIOS (during POST) and disable the on-board graphics there.
3. Let Windows load up.
4. Delete current display adapter driver from Device Manager.
5. Shut down and turn off PC.
6. Install new graphics card.
7. Turn on PC.
8. Follow on-screen instructions to install new drivers (with provided CD).
However, when you're trying to disable on-board chips, it rarely is this easy (I should know), and so if you're unsure about any of the above. You should really leave it to the professionals.
What would be a good card to get then , havent got much money, am only 13, and not earning any money at the moment. But my birthday is very soon so could get one for that. How about the Geforce 64mb 2 mx 400,that one is £80 from special reserve , would that make much difference and be a good buy for me ?
eek, thats built into the mobo, not good :(
You really should buy a graphics card. Remember though that you get what you pay for.
You really should buy a graphics card. Remember though that you get what you pay for.
Turbonutter wrote:
> Right click on "My Computer" and select "Properties". Go to
> "Device manager" or something like that and it will list all your
> hardware. Try looking under display drivers or something similar.
Had a look , and couldn't find display drivers , only thing was display adapters, which contained intel(r) 82810 graphics controller. :(
> Right click on "My Computer" and select "Properties". Go to
> "Device manager" or something like that and it will list all your
> hardware. Try looking under display drivers or something similar.
Had a look , and couldn't find display drivers , only thing was display adapters, which contained intel(r) 82810 graphics controller. :(
Right click on "My Computer" and select "Properties". Go to "Device manager" or something like that and it will list all your hardware. Try looking under display drivers or something similar.
Thanks for the help, is much appreciated , im new to pcs, and dont really know much. As for installing it i dont mind, and i reckon i'd be able to do it. The only thing i have added to my computer is extra Ram which was quite simple.
The resolution at the moment is at 800x600 , so will change that as you said. If that doesn't help i will get a new graphics card, have been looking through special reserves latest magazine , and the one you suggested for about £70 looks about right for me. I dont have much to spend on them , unless i wait till my birthday and ask my parents for a more expensive one.
Anyway once again cheers for the help
Dave :)
The resolution at the moment is at 800x600 , so will change that as you said. If that doesn't help i will get a new graphics card, have been looking through special reserves latest magazine , and the one you suggested for about £70 looks about right for me. I dont have much to spend on them , unless i wait till my birthday and ask my parents for a more expensive one.
Anyway once again cheers for the help
Dave :)
If it's sumdgy then that could mean your graphics card is anti-aliasing, which suggests it's new. What's your CPU/RAM like, and what is your current card?
What the card that you have in there now? try get Reaper[oV] he know ALL about this hardware stuff.
Well, if your card is good enough then try getting the latest patches for your card. And see if the games you are playing support your card, if they do, then try patching the game. If that dosen't work, then... Umm... shoot someone :o)
Well, if your card is good enough then try getting the latest patches for your card. And see if the games you are playing support your card, if they do, then try patching the game. If that dosen't work, then... Umm... shoot someone :o)
This is quite a tough one.
You say that the graphics aren't very sharp. This may well mean that it's a simple case of increasing the your screen resolution at which the game runs. This can usually be set in the graohics or visuals menu at the start of a game. Try setting it to something like 1024x768.
However, if your graphics card is getting on a bit, then it may well be time to upgrade. There are a few factors which dictate which graphics card you should buy:
1)Your budget.
Perfectably acceptable 3d cards that will handle any of today's current games can be bought for £100 or even less sometimes.
However, if you've got the cash to spare (and I'm talking about the best part of £300 here) then get yourself a Geforce 3 Ti 500. These are currently the fastest cards you can buy (several different manufacturers make cards based on this chipset) and will last many years.
2)Your motherboard.
There are two main types of graphics card - PCI and AGP. The former is being phased out as quickly as possible, as it's simply not as fast as AGP (a slot on your motherboard purely designed to use graphics cards).
Most motherboards nowadays have several PCI slots and one AGP slot. However, if you've got quite an old motherboard, you'll be limited to PCI cards. Read your motherboard's manual or ask a PC technician to check. If this is the case, the best card for your money is probably the PCI version of the Geforce 2 MX (probably around £70ish).
So, once you've got your new card (if you decide to get one), it's a simple case of installing it in your machine and then installing the software drivers for it. However, even though the graphics card's manual will probably show you how to install it, if you've never opened your PC's case before, I don't recommend doing it yourself. As far as I can recall, SR are pretty cheap for these kind of jobs, so they're your best bet.
Hope this helps. :)
You say that the graphics aren't very sharp. This may well mean that it's a simple case of increasing the your screen resolution at which the game runs. This can usually be set in the graohics or visuals menu at the start of a game. Try setting it to something like 1024x768.
However, if your graphics card is getting on a bit, then it may well be time to upgrade. There are a few factors which dictate which graphics card you should buy:
1)Your budget.
Perfectably acceptable 3d cards that will handle any of today's current games can be bought for £100 or even less sometimes.
However, if you've got the cash to spare (and I'm talking about the best part of £300 here) then get yourself a Geforce 3 Ti 500. These are currently the fastest cards you can buy (several different manufacturers make cards based on this chipset) and will last many years.
2)Your motherboard.
There are two main types of graphics card - PCI and AGP. The former is being phased out as quickly as possible, as it's simply not as fast as AGP (a slot on your motherboard purely designed to use graphics cards).
Most motherboards nowadays have several PCI slots and one AGP slot. However, if you've got quite an old motherboard, you'll be limited to PCI cards. Read your motherboard's manual or ask a PC technician to check. If this is the case, the best card for your money is probably the PCI version of the Geforce 2 MX (probably around £70ish).
So, once you've got your new card (if you decide to get one), it's a simple case of installing it in your machine and then installing the software drivers for it. However, even though the graphics card's manual will probably show you how to install it, if you've never opened your PC's case before, I don't recommend doing it yourself. As far as I can recall, SR are pretty cheap for these kind of jobs, so they're your best bet.
Hope this helps. :)
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