Whats the best PCI card?

[Soyo Boy]

Hey guys, whats the best PCI card they have out there? I got a flat desktop computer for christmas and VGA cards just wont fit, so I guess the PCI cards are the only alternative. Please let me know.

Thanks

-Randall

[voodoomelon]

Woe woe, back up a bit, I think you got your terminology mixed up. What do you mean you can't fit a VGA card? A PCI card is a VGA card, as is an AGP card, both of which tend to be the same size.
Do you mean you only have integrated graphics perhaps? And can't fit any video 'card' at all?

[Soyo Boy]

lol, woops, typing a little too fast... ok heres my situation...

I have a flat style desktop computer, yes, it has an intergrated video card but has a brown slot on the mobo for a video card, the problem is, if I put regular sized video card in the slot (my old geforce 3 ti 200) I wouldnt be able to to put my case back on, because the bracket of the video card is sticking too high... do you think I can still use my GeForce3 Ti200 if I just take the metal bracket off of it?

[voodoomelon]

Ah, making a bit more sense now:p

Still not quite sure what you mean by the bracket protruding over the case. However, in my college, certain desktop computers have backplates on the PCI/AGP slots that look smaller than normal ones, and I always wondered how a full sized PCI/AGP card would fit.
Maybe you have a sized similar case, in which case I don't really have an answer - "I always wondered"
Anyone?

[JDXNC]

Yes you can take the bracket off, however, you must make sure you don't wiggle things around or else the card might come out when the pc is on... and then your gonna have problems ;)

[Soyo Boy]

ahh ok, thanks :)

[voodoomelon]

But surely taking the bracket off does nothing?
Im looking at my Radeon, Audigy, and TV card now, and the none of the brackets actually protrude above the card itself.
Maybe the Geforce 3 is different.
Make sure that nobody has the ability to accidentally pull the monitor cable, and the card out with it. Ouch!
:eek:

[Soyo Boy]

Originally posted by voodoomelon
But surely taking the bracket off does nothing?
Im looking at my Radeon, Audigy, and TV card now, and the none of the brackets actually protrude above the card itself.
Maybe the Geforce 3 is different.
Make sure that nobody has the ability to accidentally pull the monitor cable, and the card out with it. Ouch!
:eek:

also, this is my problem, not all cards are the same size, and some might be too big, I still need to buy the video card, and im not too sure if they will fit :(

[Soyo Boy]

Well, I decided just to play it safe and get a PCI slot type video card. Which do you guys recomend? I was leaning towards the ATi 9100 or ATi 9200. Let me know what you guys think.

[JDXNC]

PCI card brackets are the smae heigth as AGP card... so its not gonna do you any better. Some of the Geforce 4 MX cards are very tiny... ojnly slightly wider than the gpu itself, might want to look into one of them.

[Soyo Boy]

Originally posted by JDXNC
PCI card brackets are the smae heigth as AGP card... so its not gonna do you any better. Some of the Geforce 4 MX cards are very tiny... ojnly slightly wider than the gpu itself, might want to look into one of them.

I realize that, thats my point, the part that you would install the video card into, the bracket slot itself is smaller than the pci bracket slots.... so thats why I can only use PCI cards :( So back to my original question... what are the better PCI cards out tehre?

[harryinny3]

But they do sell Low profile AGP cards on newegg. Forgot who makes them, But they do sell them there. either that or i would file that bracket down on a NEW AGP card or use a dremmel to chop it down. Why settle for a PCI card if a bit of imagination is all ya need?




Harry

[Soyo Boy]

ehh, I might just get an AGP card and just leave my case off... ghetto style, heh.

[harryinny3]

Air flow LOL. I wish i could see this case. Then maybe i could give ya an idea on how to remedy this situation.

Harry

[Soyo Boy]

looks like this...

[Soyo Boy]

woops, here...

[harryinny3]

Can i find specs of it? That would help. Id like to look at detailed pics.

going to bed now, But will check back tomarrow morning.

Harry

[poweriu]

As far as I found in a few minutes poking around there are some pretty decent PCI video cards around still, such as a GeForce FX 5600 made by Inno3D at http://www.amamax.com/ge56pciwdddv.html. This is better than the best low profile AGP card I could find, which was an ATI Radeon 9200SE http://www.outpost.com/product/3823067

[Soyo Boy]

Thanks!

[JDXNC]

here's a bunch of low profile AGP cards: http://directron.com/lowprofile.html