Budge Computer Video Upgrade

[Inssider]

Hi, I recently purchased a low-cost computer system about six months ago. It's 500 MHz, 64 megabytes RAM, and, what I'm concerned about right now, only has a four megabyte ATI Rage Pro Turbo video card (chip?). Unfortunately, the card is built into the motherboard, but the motherboard has a free ISA slot and a free PCI slot. I'm desparately looking to upgrade the video card, so I emailed my computer maker, explaining my problem, and asking whether I could still insert a new video card, even if the current one is built in. The reply I got was that I could insert a new card and set the jumpers, but the amount of memory cannot be changed. I would just like some confirmation, and maybe a new solution to the problem.

Thanks.

 

[rfeenie]

i detect a lie from your PC manufacturer, to my knowledge the oonboard video chip uses some ( 4mb) of the physical ram in the machine ( 64 Mb in your case), this is not consistent for all on board chips but the majority. they are wrong to proclaim that you wont get the advantage of a new, seperate video card as this has its own physical RAM chips on the video card. There are plenty good PCI cards out there so you should be OK.

Rob

 

[Inssider]

Thank you! I'm checking up on this, and will definitely mark your post as very helpful if that is indeed to solution. Thanks again.

 

[htin11]

hi,

you should double check the motherboard, if you can disable the jumper to disable the video card. once you disable the video card, you would get back the ram it was assign to the on board video controller, since buying a physical video card with ram on it is better.....i would say maybe a voodoo 3 3000 PCI...is a great choice for a PCI video card...it's cheap and it's okay....most other video card are all AGP. You can also go out and buy some ram since they are like 50 dollars now..for 128 MB...64 MB ram is too llittle...you will notice both will give you a speed increase.

Hui