Can I install any video card to a P2 350 ?

JiggyG1 · 06-26-2006, 11:02 PM

I have a Compaq P2 350 MHZ PC with a 4MB video card. How can I tell if my video card is upgradable? I would like to remove it and install something around 16 MB or higher. Am I limited with the BIOS? I know that I couldn't install more than 256 RAM because it wouldn't recognize it. Do video card have this same limit? How do I know if I'm able to take out the card and not replace the entire CPU? To be honest with you, if I have to start replacing more than just the video card, I might as well go out and buy another used PC that has better hardware. Can anyone guide me through this???

Thanks.

TheUnlimited · 06-27-2006, 08:53 AM

Does your computer have an AGP slot? If you haven't seen one (it's hit or miss in a system of that age), they're always the top slots, are typically brown, and are shorter than all the other PCI slots.

Anyway, as for a PCI video card, those are hard to come by these days. If you want, I can rummage through my old parts and see if I have any PCI video cards left that still work. I used to use them when setting up computers, before Onboard video was standard.

ebackhus · 06-27-2006, 11:32 AM

You could, but don't expect to be putting a supa-powa card in there to be able to play HL-2 afterwards. I would think the highest power card you could physicailly install would be a GeForce FX5500. Finding one in PCI will be hard, as Unlimited stated earlier.

TheUnlimited · 06-27-2006, 02:36 PM

Just searched through my box of old parts, and found that I have only one PCI video card left, a 4MB Rage Pro Turbo. I must have already given my other PCI cards away to other people. =\

Sorry 'bout that.

ebackhus · 06-27-2006, 03:00 PM

I had a PCI GeForce 2MX but gave it to someone when I was in college many years back. I do have a Rage Pro All-in-Wonder card but the TV features and stuff ONLY work in Win9x. Everything else I own (GeForce 256, Geforce2 GTS, GeForce2 Ti, Geforce3 Ti200, Geforce4 MX440, GeForce4 Ti4600, GeForce 6800, and a Radeon 9600 Pro) are all AGP.

06-26-2006, 11:02 PM	#1 (permalink)
JiggyG1 Registered User Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Toronto, Ontario Posts: 90 OS: Windows Vista Home Premium (32 bit)	Can I install any video card to a P2 350 ? I have a Compaq P2 350 MHZ PC with a 4MB video card. How can I tell if my video card is upgradable? I would like to remove it and install something around 16 MB or higher. Am I limited with the BIOS? I know that I couldn't install more than 256 RAM because it wouldn't recognize it. Do video card have this same limit? How do I know if I'm able to take out the card and not replace the entire CPU? To be honest with you, if I have to start replacing more than just the video card, I might as well go out and buy another used PC that has better hardware. Can anyone guide me through this??? Thanks.

06-27-2006, 11:32 AM	#3 (permalink)
ebackhus Manager, Design Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: SATX Posts: 14,335 OS: WinXP Pro SP3/Windows 7 RTM My System Blog Entries: 28	You could, but don't expect to be putting a supa-powa card in there to be able to play HL-2 afterwards. I would think the highest power card you could physicailly install would be a GeForce FX5500. Finding one in PCI will be hard, as Unlimited stated earlier. __________________ ----------------------------- There are no dumb questions, unless a customer is asking them. Help in the fight against cancer and other serious illnesses.

06-27-2006, 03:00 PM	#5 (permalink)
ebackhus Manager, Design Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: SATX Posts: 14,335 OS: WinXP Pro SP3/Windows 7 RTM My System Blog Entries: 28	I had a PCI GeForce 2MX but gave it to someone when I was in college many years back. I do have a Rage Pro All-in-Wonder card but the TV features and stuff ONLY work in Win9x. Everything else I own (GeForce 256, Geforce2 GTS, GeForce2 Ti, Geforce3 Ti200, Geforce4 MX440, GeForce4 Ti4600, GeForce 6800, and a Radeon 9600 Pro) are all AGP. __________________ ----------------------------- There are no dumb questions, unless a customer is asking them. Help in the fight against cancer and other serious illnesses.

06-27-2006, 08:53 AM	#2 (permalink)
TheUnlimited Registered User Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: New England Posts: 139 OS: Windows XP Home SP3 My System	Does your computer have an AGP slot? If you haven't seen one (it's hit or miss in a system of that age), they're always the top slots, are typically brown, and are shorter than all the other PCI slots. Anyway, as for a PCI video card, those are hard to come by these days. If you want, I can rummage through my old parts and see if I have any PCI video cards left that still work. I used to use them when setting up computers, before Onboard video was standard.

06-27-2006, 02:36 PM	#4 (permalink)
TheUnlimited Registered User Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: New England Posts: 139 OS: Windows XP Home SP3 My System	Just searched through my box of old parts, and found that I have only one PCI video card left, a 4MB Rage Pro Turbo. I must have already given my other PCI cards away to other people. =\ Sorry 'bout that.