Integrated Graphic Card

Global_Marine · April 2005

I have an "Intel Extreme Graphic card (integrated graphics with up to 64MB shared video memory)." This is what it says on my Specs. I want to know if I am able to change my graphic card. I was going to buy an ATI RADEON X850 XT, but inegrated means "built-in." So I would like to know if I am able to change my graphic card. My computer:

HP pavilion a708n
I bought it from STAPLES
80 GB
512 MB RAM
Intel Celeron 330 2.66 GHz

and thats all that is important.

DaJMasta · April 2005

Please do yourself a favor and buy a new computer. No seriously, your computer can handle NS just fine, just other games you'll have to worry about.

First off, with integrated graphics, you probably don't have an AGP or PCIE 16x(I gaurentee if you have one it will be an AGP slot) slot (check the manual) and if your motherboard actually does have a graphics card slot, celerons are vastly inferior to their P4 and AMD counterparts, reduced cache and effiency means significantly lower FPS in a cpu-demanding game.

To be perfectly honest, spending the maybe 550 bucks you would spend on the x850 XT, on getting a new computer, with an x600, x700, or 6600GT would be much more worth it FPS wise.

But its up to you, just before you buy anything that expensive, make sure you have the corrosponding slot.

Global_Marine · April 2005

</div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (DaJMasta @ Apr 27 2005, 10:36 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> Please do yourself a favor and buy a new computer. No seriously, your computer can handle NS just fine, just other games you'll have to worry about.

First off, with integrated graphics, you probably don't have an AGP or PCIE 16x(I gaurentee if you have one it will be an AGP slot) slot (check the manual) and if your motherboard actually does have a graphics card slot, celerons are vastly inferior to their P4 and AMD counterparts, reduced cache and effiency means significantly lower FPS in a cpu-demanding game.

To be perfectly honest, spending the maybe 550 bucks you would spend on the x850 XT, on getting a new computer, with an x600, x700, or 6600GT would be much more worth it FPS wise.

But its up to you, just before you buy anything that expensive, make sure you have the corrosponding slot.  </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> 
But that didn't answer my question. I wanted to know if that graphic card was interchangeable. I want to play WoW thats why I wanted to know.

Puissance · April 2005

Hi,

Your motherboard is a MSI MS-6577 V.4.
I got this information from HP Pavilion a708n Desktop PC - Product Specifications available at their website.

Unfortunately, I could not find the motherboard specifications, so I can't tell you what card you should be looking for.

There are 3 different video card interfaces (if that's the word).

PCI
AGP
PCI-Express

Your motherboard has two free PCI (white) slots, where you can put in a PCI video card if you still have those free slots.
AGP is faster, and it is usually a black slot above the PCI slots (white slots).
PCI-E is double the speed of AGP, and is a white slot, but I don't think your motherboard will support that because it is new.

Remember to disable your onboard graphics if you install a new video card.

DaJMasta · April 2005

did a little more looking, looks like you cant upgrade your graphics card at all.

<a href='http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/genericDocument?lc=en&cc=us&docname=c00249523' target='_blank'>Product Specifications</a>

it does not list an AGP or PCI Express port anywhere in the specifacations, so if you were to buy the x850 XT, you would not be able to use it.

Sorry <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/sad-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='sad-fix.gif' />

EDIT: yes going all PCI is an option, and you will probably be able to meet minumum requirements for WoW that way..... Look for a PCI graphics card, maybe 128MB, and a radeon 9200 or simmilar, that will probably be about as powerful of a card you can get as a PCI card, and will probably only cost 50 bucks or so.

try <a href='http://www.newegg.com/' target='_blank'>newegg</a> if your looking for a good price or just want to see whats available.

Global_Marine · April 2005

Tell me if this computer is good:

<a href='http://www.shopping.hp.com/webapp/shopping/cto/computer_review_components.do' target='_blank'>http://www.shopping.hp.com/webapp/shopping...w_components.do</a>

I can't get it until July...damnit.

DaJMasta · April 2005

eep, cant see the computer, cause the info is stored in your comp's cookies.

Try going to the computer model's main site, so the URL has a part number or something in it, or just give a model number <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif' />

Global_Marine · April 2005

Operating System Microsoft® Windows® XP Home Edition with SP2

Processor Intel® Pentium® 4 550J w/HT Technology, 3.4GHz

Memory 1 GB DDR / PC3200 (2 DIMM)

Hard Drive 160GB 7200 rpm SATA Hard Drive

Primary CD/DVD Drive LightScribe Double Layer 16X DVD +/-R/RW drive

Front Productivity Ports 2 USB 2.0, 1 Firewire ports + WinDVD Creator

TV & Entertainment Experience None

Graphics Card 256MB DDR NVIDIA GeForce 6600, TV-Out and DVI

Sound Card Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS with front audio ports

Keyboard and Mouse HP Wireless Keyboard, Wireless Optical Mouse

Productivity Software Microsoft® Works 8.0/Money 2005/MSN Encarta Plus

Security Software Norton Internet Security 2005 - 15 Mo Subscription

DaJMasta · April 2005

looks good, I'd have to admit its better than my current system.

Combo of the CPU, ram, and graphics card will give you all but the best performance. And being that the card is a PCI express one, you can probably upgrade it with a top-of-the line card sometime in the future. (if you want to of course)

<img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/skulk.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='skulk.gif' /> <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/asrifle.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='asrifle.gif' /> <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tiny.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tiny.gif' />

happy fragging!

Global_Marine · April 2005

Do you think I can play WoW efficiently with my computer? I can play Warcraft III and I tried playing Half-Life 2 (it lagged from time to time, but it looked okay).

theclam · April 2005

If you can run HL2, you can run WoW.

Puissance · April 2005

It is a good computer! I just bought one and it's not as good as that one you listed. And yes, make sure it is a PCI Express video card, so you can upgrade later.

Lt_Patch · May 2005

</div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Global Marine @ Apr 28 2005, 03:55 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> Operating System Microsoft® Windows® XP Home Edition with SP2

Processor Intel® Pentium® 4 550J w/HT Technology, 3.4GHz

Memory 1 GB DDR / PC3200 (2 DIMM)

Hard Drive 160GB 7200 rpm SATA Hard Drive

Primary CD/DVD Drive LightScribe Double Layer 16X DVD +/-R/RW drive

Front Productivity Ports 2 USB 2.0, 1 Firewire ports + WinDVD Creator

TV & Entertainment Experience None

Graphics Card 256MB DDR NVIDIA GeForce 6600, TV-Out and DVI

Sound Card Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS with front audio ports

Keyboard and Mouse HP Wireless Keyboard, Wireless Optical Mouse

Productivity Software Microsoft® Works 8.0/Money 2005/MSN Encarta Plus

Security Software Norton Internet Security 2005 - 15 Mo Subscription  </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> 
Not a bad spec, I did some digging around on the HP US website (I assume this is from the US site, as I've never heard of LightScribe drives), and the HP a1050y series does come with a PCI-eX16 connection, which means that the 6600 could possibly be PCI-e. Given that the Radeon card they're also offering is PCI-e, then I'd say that it is most definately PCI-e.

However, the 6600 standards tend to be a bit lacklustre, given that the GT's have half the RAM, and meet or exceed everything that the 6600 does. I've got 2 XFX 6600GT's in my SLi system, and they are 2 of the most stable cards that I've even come across. If you're thinking of getting the HP system, then I'd email them, saying that you want the a1050y series, but without a graphics card, but clearly state that you want the PCI-e slot in the system for a future possible upgrade. That way, then they can't go down Dell's route and remove that slot from the motherboard on the sole grounds that you didn't order anything for it. Mum made that mistake, and her system has an AGP controller, but has a mysterious AGP-shaped bit that is missing from the motherboard. It even has the pin layout of AGP. Come to think of it, that would be the missing AGP connection!

Anyhoo, the HP is a good enough system, and the 6600 is a good enough card, but in terms of how long it'll stay like that, just good enough, remains in the hands of the games developers, and in the hands of people like Meqon and Havok, as their new physics engines are really hammering PC's at the demos. Bear in mind that my SLi PC only gets around 15fps on the Source HDR demos, then just imagine what the HP will get. (before anyone starts screaming that HDR Lighting isn't coming in for a while, IT IS A JUDGE OF WHAT IS TO COME!)

Integrated Graphic Card

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