Graphics Card Upgrade (Again)
 

After the thread I posted in the help section which regarded my resolution problem, I've decided to try and upgrade again and hopefully this time, will get it right.

My preference would have to be nVidia since I've enjoyed using their graphics cards in the past and would like to carry on that trend. My motherboard is an AGP and I have no need to upgrade to a PCI-X since this won't be playing many games.

Does anyone have any suggestions on what would be recommended? I've been having a look at series 7 and 6 of the nvidia range and from different manufacturers but can't seem to choose.

Are you looking to find the cheapest card? Was there a particular feature that you wanted, like HDTV output?

Here is a really cheap 6200:
http://forum.ncix.com/forums/index.p...d=0#msg1098335

more details plz. games u want to play, price budget, you gonna watch tv? current PC stats etc.

Well, he's looking for a video card that can support a 1900x1200 resolution. Or pretty much, it needs DVI Double-Link support.

well in the other thread, you were hooking up using a dvi connector, right? which kind were you using? there are many different kinds. get the one with all its pins (it will look like the picture below) - this is a dual link DVI cable and supports higher resolutions.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi..._Connector.jpg

the single-link should be able to reach 1900x1200, but your monitor might not like that, also you might want to check the hz on your monitor - 60hz is the max at that resolution for single-link.

I know you mentioned Nvidia... The problem is great graphics cards at great prices in the AGP realm are getting harder and harder to find. I recommend as I have before ATI's Refurb AGP Cards w/ Warranty because they are great prices, warrantied, and about the best you can get in AGP socket (X800XL for $119). That card is really a GREAT deal for your money, so think about it.

If you are going with Nvidia no matter what, you are looking at three basic card types. 6200 for $50, 6600 for $80, 6600GT for $100, and 6800XT for $130 (www.Newegg.com prices). I don't recommend the 6200 unless you dont have any demanding games (i.e. HL2, WoW is too much). The 6600 is recommended if you play games (like HL2, WoW) a bit but dont care too much how they look/run. I really cant recommend the 6600GT, because for $30 bucks more you will get alot of performance. The 6800XT I recommend if you want to get a good gaming card for AGP. It will play games like HL2 and WoW quite well and give a very enjoyable experience. (I do however recommend the X800XL as it is a better card at $20 cheaper).

The feature set (DVI, VGA, Component Out) are more card brand specific. You can probably find any of those affore mentioned cards with a Component Out on Newegg. Just look at the pictures.

Hope this helps, post again here with questions.

My bad for not posting enough specifications.

My monitor is a DELL 2405FPW which uses a DVI-I link and also allows VGA (another reason why I like this monitor).

The graphics card must be able to support the DVI connection on this monitor to allow the higher resolutions to be reached (1920x1200) since my last attempt at upgrading failed.

Because of my current setup, I'm thinking of moving the GeForce FX 5900 Ultra from one machine to the other so that that machine can work right now and I can purchase a new graphics card to put into the other machine.

What I thought might be interesting, would be to get a graphics card in the 6th series because I already have a 5900 and a 7950. This way, there would be a graphics card from each model in each of my machines.

Just remember that if you're getting a modern graphics card, you'll need a capable power supply.

I tried two AGP cards in my Dell Dimension 4550 system (ATI X1600 512mb AGP, GeForce 6600 256mb AGP) and the ATI turned out to be incompatible with my motherboard, and the GeForce ended up with some weird problems like not being able to play video files, and freezing to a crawl after an hour of general use.

Ultimately, I had to go back to my ATI Radeon AIW 9700. I wasn't able to upgrade my power supply because Dells suck (they make custom PSUs that are nearly impossible to upgrade).

In both cases, I have an Antec 550W power supply which should be more than enough to supply power.

As you suggested, I'm going to try the 5900 Ultra in the other motherboard first and post the results. Also, I know for a fact this graphics card works at the resolution I want on the 2405FPW cause its currently hooked up to other 2405FPW that's on my desk.

The 5900 XT, Ultra, or etc. will work. I run a 5900XT and I connect it to an HDTV at 1900.