kaz_abdin

Hi, im new to to thi sforum and i am looking to upgrade my rubish SiS 64mb graphics as it wont let me play call of duty 2. I was wondering if you could give me advice on what i should updrade it to. Im not very sure if my computer is capible with PCI or AGP. I am looking for a graphics card between £40 to £50.

My computer specs are:
3.0GHz
1Gb ram and
Intel pentium four

Thanks

Done_Fishin

please supply details about your PC model & manufacturer or if it was a custom build your Motherboard Model & Manufacturer .. if you don't know then grab a copy of everest (trial Version ) here then post the details .. you can copy paste the basic info into your reply

kaz_abdin

Its an Acer Aspire

Motherboard Properties
Motherboard ID: 03/28/2006-SiS-661GX-6A7I4E1AC-00
Motherboard Name Acer: E661GXM
Motherboard Chipset: SiS 661FX/GX

Front Side Bus Properties
Bus Type: Intel GTL+
Bus Width: 64-bit
Real Clock: 133 MHz (QDR)
Effective Clock: 533 MHz
Bandwidth: 4266 MB/s

Memory Bus Properties
Bus Type: DDR SDRAM
Bus Width: 64-bit
DRAM:FSB Ratio: 6:4
Real Clock: 200 MHz (DDR)
Effective Clock: 400 MHz

Chipset Bus Properties
Bus Type: SiS MuTIOL
Bus Width: 16-bit

Motherboard Manufacturer
Company Name: Acer Inc.

Video Adapter Properties
Installed Drivers: SiSGRV
Device Description:SiS 661FX/GX Mirage Graphics
Chip Type: SiS 661 X1)d1)X
Adapter String: Mirage
DAC Type: Internal
Memory Size: 64 MB
BIOS String: 2.30.00

If anymore information is required, please post.
Thanks

dai

you will probably be looking at another power supply as well that costs at least what you posted available for the video card
you need to post a link to the computer

kaz_abdin

I dont know if my pc is AGP or PCI,

But if it is PCI, I was looking as this graphcis card
http://www.ebuyer.com/UK/product/92876

Is it any good?

Done_Fishin

look at the reviews on newegg ..

but far better that you check out what your board will take first

funnily enough I was looking at your mobo's chipset on a DFI equivalent today due to lack of graphics output .. it's possible that the boards will be more or less identical .. has onboard graphics but has a slot for AGP .. however my searches on the net for YOUR board came up blank ..

kaz_abdin

Does that mean i can use ethier AGP or PCI graphics card on my pc?

Done_Fishin

possibly .. since I haven't been able to prove what slots your motherboard has though ,, PCI is more or less definite .. open up your PC and look at teh motherboard .. there should be some white slots on it, check to see if there is also a brown one with a small clip at the back ..

this is the board I was repairing or trying to repair today


does it resemble your board?
The AGP connector is the brown slot before the 3 white PCI slots

kaz_abdin

System Slots
Slot Designation:AGP
Slot Type:AGP
Data Bus Width:32 bit
Current Usage:
Slot Length:Full Length
Slot ID:$08


Does this mean i have a spear AGP slot that i can use for a graphics card.
I tried to open up the left side of my computer, but i wouldnt open and i think it is stuck.

Done_Fishin

check your mobo against the picture .. the white slots are PCI .. the brown slot is AGP .. you can use either if it's the same on your mobo ..

kaz_abdin

I opened up my computer today and checked if my mother board looks the same as the one you posted. My mother board has three PCI slots, exactly the same as the one you posted, and it also has a brown AGP slot.

Does this mean i can use the brown AGP slot for another graphics card?

If so, which AGP graphics card do you recommend? (256-512 for about £50)

dai

http://www.dealtime.co.uk/xPO-Gigaby...-N76G256D-RH-R
your power supply needs to supply 18a on the 12v+ line

kaz_abdin

How do i know how much power is supplied by my power supply?

dai

ook at the label on the side of the power supply

Done_Fishin

mostr power supplies put a label on the side of the power supply ..

make sure you don't pick a cheapie .. find one you can afford and ask us f its any good .. better pay a little bit more for quality than end up replacing the power supply with the motherboard in a few months time

kaz_abdin

Whats a power supply, is it the black wire you connect to the back of your pc to the main plug or something else. Where can i purchase one from and what power supply do you recommend?

Done_Fishin

The power supply is the (normally) silver coloured metal box that sits at the back of your computer above your motherboard .. it is connected to a power cable that goes to your wall socket and supplies the mains input voltage
inside your PC it has a lot of wires leaving it which go all around your PC supplying low voltages at high currents

there is one large cable that connects to a 20 or 24 pin connector on your motherboard

along with another 4 pin square cable that connects close to your CPU (Central processing Unit)
Your Hard Disk Drive(s) and your CD/DVD ROM drive(s) are connected also from the power supply using "Molex Connectors" which have 4 wires inside them 1 Yellow, then 2 Black followed by a RED wire.


In the picture the wires are doubled on the MOLEX connector because it's an intermediate connector .. there can be one two or 3 connectors on length of cable.

a good source in the States is newegg

btw .. just because I show the above PSU (Power Supply Unit) in my pictures DOES NOT mean that I am approving that power supply .. it was just a convenient source of pictures to use in explanation .. the power supply you choose must be chosen according to your PC and hardware Characteristics ..

kaz_abdin

Before i get a power supply, i just want to ask if this is a good AGP graphics card:
http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/produ...e=ZXh0ZW5kZWQ=

kaz_abdin

For a power supply unit, how do i know if its compatible for my pc and is it hard to insall it as there are so many wires?

Is this any good:
http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/produ...uct_uid=120608

Done_Fishin

look for customer reviews / write a review on the page you linked to and then click on "customer reviews" to see what people think ..