Video Card upgrade?

[Nocandu]

Hi

My 4 year old Dell XPS has an Nvidia 7800GTX video card.
It seems to be the week link in my system.

When I play games like Tomb Raider Underworld etc. it will run the game for a while then the graphics will start to break up and eventually fail altogether.

When I get out of the game things go back to normal.

When I check I have plenty of free ram and the processor isn't working hard. I have cleaned out the case so it's not loaded up with dust bunnies.

I am going to get a new computer soon but I would like to keep this one a little longer and then give it to my nephew.

What would be a good choice to upgrade the video card from what I have without making a big investment?

I'm willing to go a couple of hundred bucks.

 

[gbaughma]

Sounds like more of a driver issue.

According to

http://www.nvidia.com/page/geforce_7800.html

this page, the 7800GTX is a 512MB card.

I'd really go on over to NVidia's site and make sure your graphics drivers were all up to date.



Just my 2¢

"What the captain doesn't realize is that we've secretly replaced his Dilithium Crystals with new Folger's Crystals."

--Greg

http://parallel.tzo.com

 

[Nocandu]

Hi

I have the latest Windows 7 drivers in W7 and the latest XP drivers in XP. I'm dual booting.

I have had this problem for quite a while through a number of driver updates.

I don't remember exactly when it started but it never happens in easy to run games like WOW, only things that stress the 3D capability of my computer.

I probably noticed it first when running games like Age of Conan which didn't run well at all on my computer.

As I said other parts of my computer don't seem to be running out of resources.

 

[BadBigBen]

Sounds like a thermal issue...

if it only happens when it gets stressed, e.g. 3D games, etc...

the XPS's I've seen all had passively cooled nVidia cards build in, and the airflow in those small cases is much to be desired off...

if it is passively cooled, you could try it out with the side open and a fan directed on the card, if it behaves like you mentioned, then the card is bad and definitely needs to be replaced... if the probs disappear then you know that the problem is airflow...

if the card has a fan then check to see if it is clogged... and clean it out...

the 7800GTX is a pretty nice card and it should still play all the games out there, but if it is damaged then look along the lines of a 9800GTX, e.g. PNY VCG98GTXPXPB GeForce 9800 GTX+ 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card which sells for $119.99 ($99.99 after $20.00 Mail-In Rebate)

Ben
"If it works don't fix it! If it doesn't use a sledgehammer..."
How to ask a question, when posting them to a professional forum.
Only ask questions with yes/no answers if you want "yes" or "no"

 

[Nocandu]

Hi Ben

Thanks for the advice, I'll check it out.

 

[kjv1611]

Unless you're playing your games as maxed out as you can possibly get them, you actually could get by very easily with somehing like an nVidia 8600. I've played COD4 on mine without hardly a studder, and with pretty good graphics - not off the charts, but pretty - really very good. Well, if you can find one at 512MB.

There's also this one:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127399

It's an ATI card that runs at about the same as the 9800GTX, close enough that you'd not tell the difference at high settings.. and it costs just $65 at NewEgg. From the reviews there, as well as article reviews, such as this one, it sounds like a good deal.

--

"If to err is human, then I must be some kind of human!" -Me