mscott2273

i have a HP pavilion a1520n (X2 3800+, 1x1GB Pc3200@400MHz, WD 250GB) With a GeForce 6150LE onboard GPU...
What games does this GPU have issues with?

HawMan

i couldnt say what games it has issues with. But Alot of games would be pretty laggy with that card. Get a 7900, or a 7600GS. Or a X850 or something like that, then your system wouldnt have any problems running any games.

Indoril Nerevar

GPU/game compatibility is really a case-by-case issue. You need to check the minimum specs for whatever game you're looking to install, and make sure that the GPU meets those specs. If you check the game's website, you will probably find a list of the GPU's which aren't supported.

A lot of games don't support onboard video, and as HawMan said, onboard video won't play games very well anyway. I would definitely look at getting a video card, as HawMan suggested.

mscott2273

thanks, im looking at ati and nvidia cards... which brand gives more bang-for-the-buck?

Indoril Nerevar

It's really a matter of personal preference. Both brands are good. My preference is NVIDIA, so I would recommend going with them. However, other people prefer ATI and would recommend going with them instead. It's really up to you.

Fr4665

how much are you looking to spend ? id go with a 7600GTS http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814130054 thats the most bang for the buck on the budget side

for the little more expensive stuff id go with a 7900GT or 7900GS
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814150195

those are nvidia cards you could also go with an ATI card
for the lower budget id go with an ati x1650pro
for the higher budget id goi with an ati x1900gt http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814241030

mscott2273

i was looking on eBay for a X600 they were about 60-75$, but newegg has good prices for the X1900...

TheMatt

If you want the best value, the high end ATI Radeon X100 series cards (X850Pro, X850XT, X850XT PE) and mid range nVidia Geforce 7 cards (7600, 7600 OCed) are the way to go ($100 - $200). If you want a high end card that is not top of the line expensive, go with a high end GeForce 7 (7900GS, 7900GT) or Radeon X1K card (X1900, X1900GT).

mscott2273

im thinking about the X850(any variation)

Fr4665

they are all good choices and nice for gaming. i have the x800xl and it rocks.
i also have the x1600pro and it does the job.

the x850 should do ya fine and will be a nice upgrade from the 6150

mscott2273

i decided on a X1300, should be a nice jump from the 6150, I looked at some 3DMark scores with similar setups to mine to compare the 2 GPUs:
Heres mine with the 6150:
3DMark Score 4362 3D marks

Game 1 Car Chase - Low Detail 61.5 FPS
Game 1 Car Chase - High Detail 37.7 FPS
Game 2 Dragothic - Low Detail 58.9 FPS
Game 2 Dragothic - High Detail 37.7 FPS
Game 3 Lobby - Low Detail 58.0 FPS
Game 3 Lobby - High Detail 37.3 FPS
Game 4 Nature 16.3 FPS

And a similar system with the X1300:
3DMark Score 23625 3D marks

Game 1 Car Chase - Low Detail 362.0 FPS
Game 1 Car Chase - High Detail 109.2 FPS
Game 2 Dragothic - Low Detail 495.0 FPS
Game 2 Dragothic - High Detail 259.6 FPS
Game 3 Lobby - Low Detail 328.2 FPS
Game 3 Lobby - High Detail 141.1 FPS
Game 4 Nature 78.8 FPS

Indoril Nerevar

That's a nice score, but it's only 3D Mark 01, which can't test a lot of the cards functions, because it's so old. You really need to run 3D Mark 05, and compare the scores. You're not really going to get an accurate comparison with 01.

mscott2273

with 3dmark06 i get like 1-5fps with my 6150 setup, so i guess ill have to use 3dmark05

mscott2273

heres my test scores with 3DMark05 (6150LE)
Main Test Results
3DMark Score 601 3DMarks

CPU Score 3694 CPUMarks

Detailed Test Results

Game Tests
GT1 - Return To Proxycon 2.6 fps
GT2 - Firefly Forest 1.9 fps
GT3 - Canyon Flight 2.8 fps

CPU Tests
CPU Test 1 1.9 fps
CPU Test 2 3.2 fps

And a exact match of my system except with a X1300:
Main Test Results
3DMark Score 2784 3DMarks

CPU Score 4600 CPUMarks

Detailed Test Results

Game Tests
GT1 - Return To Proxycon 12.8 fps
GT2 - Firefly Forest 8.3 fps
GT3 - Canyon Flight 13.0 fps

CPU Tests
CPU Test 1 2.2 fps
CPU Test 2 4.2 fps

I am ranked #1152806 out of #1206899. wow that is low....

Indoril Nerevar

The next step is to find out what the score would be with an X1300, and compare the two scores.

mscott2273

i just edited in a comparison score

Fr4665

im surprised that the x1300 didnt do so nicely its supposed to be on par with the x1600 ... my x1600 scored

3DMark Score 4108 3DMarks

CPU Score 4646 CPUMarks

i think u can overclock the x1300 alot (read it somewhere might have been anandtech)

Indoril Nerevar

The X1300 is a low-end card, whereas the X1600 is a mid-range. 2800 3D Marks for an X1300 sounds about right to me. I personally wouldn't go with the X1300 for gaming - I'd look at the cards recommended by TheMatt.

Fr4665

regardning this review the x1300 is exactly on par
ATI Radeon X1300 Pro Review | Hardware Secrets
overclocking the x1300 yielded around 1000 points in 3dmark and this was stable.
Bjorn3d.com -PowerColor X1600 XT & X1300, Satisfying Your Daily Tech Cravings Since 1996
some ppl seem to flash bioses as well.

mscott2273

ive done some comparing on ORB and found that the X800 even the base version scores higher than the X1300, by at least 1500 marks, with similar systems