Help! I need your advice for a new video board

[thebrownlynx]

Hi guys, this is my first time here, i need your advice for the following: This old machine of mine has an onboard S3 32 mb in which i want to improve for a better one, (yeah, i know i probably need a new machine) but my question is which video board (it´s called video board?, sorry because i´m not from an english enviroment) can i put in my motherboard.
I was thinking in an nvidia 6000´s or 7000´s. Does anybody knows if i can put those video boards in my computer?
THANKS IN ADVANCE.

Here is information according to wizard 2008 of the motherboard and the processor:

MOTHERBOARD:
General Information :
NorthBridge : VIA P4M266/KM266 (VT8375)
SouthBridge : VT8235 PCI to ISA Bridge

NorthBridge Information :
Architecture : Northbridge
Manufacturer : VIA (VIA Technologies Inc)
Revision : 00
Bus Speed : 133.3 MHz
FSB Frequency : 266.6 MHz (DDR)
V-Link Bus Width : 8-bit
V-LinkRate Speed : 8x
V-Link Host Clock : 66.97 MHz
V-Link Speed : 535.76 MHz
V-Link Bandwidth : 4286.08 MB/s
AutoDisconnect : Yes
DownStream Priority High : No
UpStream Priority High : No

Memory Information :
Type : SDRAM PC133
Frequency : 133.3 MHz
DRAM/FSB Ratio : 1/1
ECC Diagnostic : No
Interleave : 4-way
CAS Latency (tCL) : 3 clocks
RAS to CAS (tRCD) : 3 clocks
RAS Precharge (tRP) : 3 clocks
Cycle Time (tRAS) : 6 clocks
Shared Memory (video) : Yes

Bus Information :
Version : 2.0
Transfert Rate supported : 1x, 2x, 4x
Transfert Rate : 4x
Aperture Size : 128 MB
Side Band supported : Yes
Side Band enabled : No
AGP enabled : Yes

APIC Information :
Version : 0.03
Maximum Interrupts : 24
IRQ Handler enabled : Yes

Device Capabilities (PCI) :
Latency Timer : 8 clocks
I/O Access : No
Memory Access : Yes
Bus Master Capable : Yes
Special Cycle Recognition : No
Memory Write & Invalidate : No
VGA Palette Snoop : No
Parity Error Response : No
Cycle Wait : No
System Error Line : No
Fast Back-to-Back : No
Detects Parity Errors : No
User Defined Format : No
PCI 66Mhz Bus Support : Yes
New Capability List : Yes
PCI Support : AGP
PCI Support : Power Management Interface



PROCESSOR:
General Information :
Performance Rating : PR-1899 (estimated)
Real Frequency : 1666.31 MHz
Multiplier : 12.5x

Front Side Bus Information :
Bus Speed : 133.3 MHz
FSB Frequency : 266.6 MHz (DDR)

Initial Frequencies :
Frequency : 1666 MHz
Bus Speed : 133.34 MHz (DDR)
Performance Rating : PR-2000

Control Clock Frequency :
Type : None

Processor Performance Information :
Throttle Mode AC : None
Throttle Mode DC : Adaptive
Current Configuration : None
Throttle : 1666 MHz
CPU Throttle Temperature : 100°C
CPU Shutdown Temperature : 100°C

 

[jiggamanjb]

I'd get a Radeon X1650 PRO. They are running about $65 now. Make sure it is an AGP and not a PCI express. I don't think you can beat that price for the performace you get.


Usually people call them video cards, but I got the point with video boards

 

[thebrownlynx]

Thank you, just one more question

Thank you very much jiggamanjb, but are you sure that my motherboard can support that video card? i´m asking you because someone told me that if my motherboard is old, no matter what video card i get, it will play the games slowly.
I want to play need for speed carbon. Well, thanks again for any advice you can give me.

 

[jiggamanjb]

According to your printout, yes, it will support it. It shows you have a 4x slot which will work fine.

Well, you aren't going to break any Fps records, but it should play nicely.

Download CPUZ and do a html dump or take screen shots of each tab for me, just to double check your mobo.

 

[thebrownlynx]

I followed your instructions and here are the results in the attached file.
I will add more ram to my system, but my fear was that games such as need for speed carbon will be unable to play properly because of the motherboard. (or the processor).
Thank you very much for your help

 

[jiggamanjb]

Yea, that card will be fine.

If you can go to DDR ram instead of SDRAM, that would be helpful. Either way, I'd look to get about 1GB.

New RAM and a new card will help, but you may be better off upgrading if you can't get this stuff cheap.

 

[thebrownlynx]

hey jiggamanjb, how are you? i don´t want to abuse, but it happens that i received a good offer for an Ati x1650 pro 512mb and i suddenly think of my power supply. i have a 300w psu, will that be enough? i think that for a more modern computer a 300w won´t be enough, but acccording to my other components, (replacing the 256 ram for 1gb ram) i think it will be enough, what say you?
And by the way: i have received an offer for a nvidia 6800xt, is the ati x1650pro better?

 

[jiggamanjb]

Not a problem...

You will be close to the max of the PSU assuming that it is from a somewhat reputable company. If it doesn't power it usually the worst that will happen is that a screen will come up and say that the video card isn't getting enough power, then you know you need a new one.

I think they are very close to the same. I'd get the cheaper