video card question

[worldoffatcraft]

Hello,
you smart people

I just bought a Gateway and i got a choice on buying a GeForce 7600GT game card but the guy said make sure i have a pci express slot.
were in the burning place is that located inside the comp.

Or should i just get the GeForce 7600GS because i don't think i need the express slot for it not sure but what do you guys think?
my comp says Windows xp on it but i cant find the year on it lol.

so can someone tell me were to find an express slot and the year on this thing lol?:ponder:

[AaManiac]

What is the Model of the gateway
PCI-E (the express slot) will be your best bet if you do have the slot

Posting your Model name and number of your gateway will let me know if you can in fact use a PCI-E card or not

-Maniac

[Kalos]

We need the model number, usually on the case. One thing you can do, right click My Computer and press Properties. Tell us what your Processor is, and how much ram it has (details for this are under the the heading "Computer"). This should help us a little in pin pointing the date, and likelyhood that it is even in the right age for a PCI-E slot to be present.

Do you have an AGP slot? If you do, there's no way Gateway would have given you a PCI-E slot. Also, PCI is nothing to do with PCI-E, a PCI-E card won't fit in an AGP or a PCI slot. The 7600 GT is a huge improvement over the GS. However both need a PCI-E slot. There are some 7600 GS, and a few GT, in AGP; you can't but anything without knowing if you have one, the other, or nothing at all, which could be the case.

You bought a computer and you don't know it's specs? It could be worth thousands of dollars, or it could be a complete scrap heap.

[worldoffatcraft]

system:
microsoft windows xp
home edition
version 2002
service pack 2

manufactured and supported by:
gateway,inc.
intel(r)
celeron(r) cpu 2.40ghz
2.40ghz,504mb of ram


lol i wouldnt say its a total heap of crap considering i got a friend who plays on a comp from like 90 something its so old its square and like a dirty white lol

[Kalos]

I'm afraid it pretty much is a scrap heap. Celerons are the budget cheapo brand of processors, the worst Intel make, and they've been making them for donkeys years. They're not really designed to deliver optimum performance, just optimum basement prices. It'll work though. I seriously doubt it'll have PCI-E in it, not with that processor, at that speed it's probably mid Netburst era 2002-4 ish. It's not just the age, but the quality was designed to be low end when it was brand new.

You might as well get the 7600 GS, both of them will perform the same because your processor will choke them both alike. All we have to do now is find out if you have AGP for certain, it's currently using onboard if the odd ram total is anything to go by. Is there any stickers on the outside, serial codes? There should be a model number somewhere.

[worldoffatcraft]

I'm afraid it pretty much is a scrap heap. Celerons are the budget cheapo brand of processors, the worst Intel make, and they've been making them for donkeys years. They're not really designed to deliver optimum performance, just optimum basement prices. It'll work though. I seriously doubt it'll have PCI-E in it, not with that processor, at that speed it's probably mid Netburst era 2002-4 ish. It's not just the age, but the quality was designed to be low end when it was brand new.

You might as well get the 7600 GS, both of them will perform the same because your processor will choke them both alike. All we have to do now is find out if you have AGP for certain, it's currently using onboard if the odd ram total is anything to go by. Is there any stickers on the outside, serial codes? There should be a number somewhere.

model no. 310s that what you need:ponder:

[Kalos]

I've been looking it up. You have a heap of trouble. Typically most 310S's can only run DDR memory running at 333 Mhz, PC2700. They have limited capacity for memory, and they have 3 PCI slots. Not PCI-E, just PCI. No AGP usually. You can't buy either, you don't have an AGP or a PCI-E slot according to Gateway's default setup for the 310S, neither will fit or work due to there being no physical port to plug them into. Even if it did, the PSU hasn't got the wattage to provide power for it, it's too lightweight if it is the default, less than 250 watts; you'd need at least 450/500 watts to properly support a 7 series Nvidia GPU without it crashing due to starvation. Originally, the PC was sold four years ago for $399. I hope you didn't pay more than this for it, else you've been had. It's got zero compatibility options, few paths to upgrade it to modern standards.

[worldoffatcraft]

I've been looking it up. You have a heap of trouble. Typically most 310S's can only run DDR memory running at 333 Mhz, PC2700. They have limited capacity for memory, and they have 3 PCI slots. Not PCI-E, just PCI. No AGP usually. You can't buy either, you don't have an AGP or a PCI-E slot according to Gateway's default setup for the 310S, neither will fit or work due to there being no physical port to plug them into. Even if it did, the PSU hasn't got the wattage to provide power for it, it's too lightweight if it is the default, less than 250 watts; you'd need at least 450/500 watts to properly support a 7 series Nvidia GPU without it crashing due to starvation. Originally, the PC was sold four years ago for $399. I hope you didn't pay more than this for it, else you've been had. It's got zero compatibility options, few paths to upgrade it to modern standards.

naw only thing i had to pay was brain power got it for free from school:grin: i played doom on it i even got the doom exp pack haven't put the exp pack in yet thoe but the game didn't look like it was supposed to still scared the hell out of me thoe i must admit i just figured if i could play doom i know i can play W.o.W ecspeacilly(not spelled right) with a video card thx for your help:thumbsup:

[Kalos]

Try and look for a Geforce FX 5500. They're pretty much the highest cards in PCI. It's worthy a try, they're faily cheap. But don't invest too much in this rig. It'd need patching up left right and center, in all areas, before it'd come up to reasonable standards.

A highly useful discussion went on here two years ago: http://www.mektek.net/forums/lofiversion/index.php/t41130.html Look out for a post by Evonet, who recommends a very good build, even cheaper by today's pricings, that'll play WoW awesomely. Remake the machine with around $600, save up for a while and build it yourself. Always a good learning experience and a project to mull over, plus you always treat items bought and made with your own hard work with respect.