I am semi-familiar with graphics cards and I have a small issue with trying to upgrade my current Intell PIII board WinXP SP1 installed. The board is a D815EFV Micro ATX, Intel Integrated Graphics, Universal 4X AGP and LAN. My problem is that I have one of those "slim" desktops and the slots for the PCI cards and the AGP card are not convential width (meaning the metal plate on the end of conventional-width cards is too wide to fit into my card slot). I bought a PCI 56K modem with a plate that was too wide for the case before, but I was able to detatch the plate via two screws, so the only thing holding it in their is the connection with the PCI slits on the board itself, lol. I do know that this is not a wise thing to do, but it did work in that case. Is this possible to do with standard 4X AGP cards that have conventional-width plates on the end or should I be looking for a certain type of card or one that has a shorter plate for thin desktop cases? Also, I have a Sony M61 16" flat panel, absolutely gorgeous! It supports a DVI connection, which my on-board graphics doesn't have. I was told that the 815E socket 370 chip on my machine cannot support DVI. Is this correct? Thanks for any response, Trip
There are half-height cards that basically have a less wide PCB meant for cases like yours, and the bracket that can be used. Unfortunately, I can't think of one that has DVI on it and am not sure if they exist. The Intel Graphics vs DVI wouldn't surprise me if it were true, but this is the first time I've heard it discussed.
Thanks Big B. I since found out that I can get a low profile agp 4x card that will probably suit my needs just fine. I don't need DVI that badly and I am not going to get a card that support it for fear of campatbility issues with my Intel board. I was looking on ebay for low profile Radeon and GeForce4 64MB cards. I found that Radeon 7000 and GeForce4 MX440/420 cards are the most common low profile options. I don't do any 3D modeling or 3D gaming, just watch AVI movies and play a 2D top-game called subspace, where I need great refresh rates, 2D color depth, and smooth play. Am I still going to get more bang for my buck by going with the GeForce card? Are there any 128MB cards out there that are worth it for my PIII? Or should I stick with 64MB AGP4X cards? Also, my board is AGP 2.0 (4X, 1.5V) compliant. Is it worth looking at a low profile 128 MB card that has 8X Universal 3.0 support with backwards compatability to AGP 4X or are the compatability issues too risky? Cheers! Trip
From what you've told me, you're looking for a card that is inexpensive, has great 2D accelleration (video, etc), and most of all superior image quality. You also want a slim form-factor card. It sounds like you're describing a Matrox MGA 400-500 to a 'T'. Matrox has the best image quality in the industry, are slim form-factor, have DVI connectors, and handle 2D accelleration superbly. They aren't 3D powerhouses, but for what you've told us this isn't an issue, and they do support AGP4x. If you're not interested in Matrox, I'd go with ATI. They've has always had better image quality and MPEG2 accelleration than Nvidia, especially with older cards.
Hi Anti-Trend, I have an Intel815EFV board with a small power supply ina custom-built micro ATX case. (the guy who built it for me told me it was somewhere around 200 watts, I'm not quite sure). He told me also that my board did not support a card with a DVI connection. Also, should I be worried if I look for a card that is AGP 8X supported (3.0 protocol) even though my board only uses 4X? Would something like an 8X 128MB card be incompatible with my 4X slot, or a waste of money, or require too much wattage from my power supply? If you or anyone else could validate and expand upon any answers for me I would be most gracious. Trip
