dannyt Posted October 24, 2008 Share Posted October 24, 2008 I'm wondering is this video card will work on a Dell Dimension 4500, 2.8ghz Pentium 4, 1 gig ram. http://cgi.ebay.com/SAPPHIRE-ATI-RADEON-X1...A1%7C240%3A1318 Right now I have a radeon 9600 if that matters. And I know I need an agp slot. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
piratesmvp04 Posted October 24, 2008 Share Posted October 24, 2008 I'm wondering is this video card will work on a Dell Dimension 4500, 2.8ghz Pentium 4, 1 gig ram. http://cgi.ebay.com/SAPPHIRE-ATI-RADEON-X1...A1%7C240%3A1318 Right now I have a radeon 9600 if that matters. And I know I need an agp slot. Thanks!One problem with DELL computers is that not all hardware is compatible with them. They use their own unique hardware format. One easy way to check if this game will work on your computer is to take out your current video card and compare the pins (connectors) to the ones in the picture on that video card. Now, if you have a built-in graphics card, just look at the ports on the motherboard and compare to the pins on that card. Please note that this is not the 100% fool-proof way to determine if the card will work, but it will give you some idea to start with. I'll look into this a little and post another answer if I find more information. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
piratesmvp04 Posted October 24, 2008 Share Posted October 24, 2008 Okay, I found a little more information. First of all, your Dell computer needs an AGP card; it can't be the old PCI types. Also, I found that the x1600 ATI cards have trouble with some Dell systems: http://www.dellcommunity.com/supportforums...en&cs=555&s=biz. I'd try posting your question over at the Dell forums, and they can probably help you out better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dannyt Posted October 24, 2008 Author Share Posted October 24, 2008 Thank you very much. I have since upgraded my card since I bought the computer to the ATI Radeon 9600. Seeing that my current card is an agp card I figured the pins on the Saphire would line up because it too is an agp. I would figure also that the Saphire would work for MVP because it is a newer card, but that's where I get unsure. I have no clue about all the other specs. I'm pretty sure it will plug into the motherboard, but I'm not sure if my computer will accept it. I want this card to run mvp first of all, but I also want to run NBA 2k9. My current card won't do the latter. It's be great if you could find out any other info. Or if there's another card that I could get for my computer on a limited budget that would run both those games in high detail that would be great too. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dannyt Posted October 24, 2008 Author Share Posted October 24, 2008 Thanks for the info on the x1600. According to the link you gave me it probably won't work for my system either. Although I wonder what would happen if I installed the Ati Control Panel. I have one more question. I noticed that the Saphire was a 512mb card. What does that mean? And does that even matter with compatibility? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkB Posted October 24, 2008 Share Posted October 24, 2008 One problem with DELL computers is that not all hardware is compatible with them. They use their own unique hardware format. This may have been true 5 years ago, along with other manufacturers, but these days, the PC industry has become very saturated as home computers and personal upgrades become more popular, and any standard part will work in any remotely recent Dell system, as long as it's compatible. I've never seen any problems with fitting standard parts into any Dell systems after 2003, and I only say 2003 since that's primarily the ones I deal with. I've seen parts from other systems go into older Dell systems from the late '90s and work fine. In short, as long as the technology is the same, you should be fine. If you're doing something stupid like installing incompatible RAM, then of course it won't work, but this has nothing to do with the manufacturer. Danny, a 512MB video card just means the GPU has 512MB of memory to dedicate to graphics processing and output. The rule of thumb is the higher the better, but there's no sense in buying above your means or uses. The amount of onboard RAM on the video card doesn't affect compatibility with the card. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dannyt Posted October 24, 2008 Author Share Posted October 24, 2008 I see, thanks MarkB. So do you think that the Saphire would be ok in my system? Again, all I want to do is run MVP 05 and NBA 2k9 in high detail, but I have a budget. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krawhitham Posted October 24, 2008 Share Posted October 24, 2008 One problem with DELL computers is that not all hardware is compatible with them. They use their own unique hardware format. Not for years, but you need to make sure that AGP & PCI-E cards will physically fit in the case. I had to go with an 8800 GT over a 8800 GTS because my dell does not have room for 2x wide PCI-E cards Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkB Posted October 24, 2008 Share Posted October 24, 2008 Well, the AGP slot on the 4550 is only 4x, so anything higher may cause problems. Sometimes the system will use the card and just run at the slower speed, sometimes it won't be able to identify the card at all, sometimes it just won't POST with the card in. It all depends on the motherboard and card. Given that the Sapphire card you linked to is 8x, you may encounter problems, but it is backwards compatible to 4x, so I'd say it should work fine, although at the lower 4x speed, which may or may not deliver the type of performance you're looking for. I've seen some screenshots of NBA 2K9 and they look pretty intense, so although it should definitely run, I wouldn't invest heavily in it delivering top quality graphics and performance at the highest settings - especially if you're using Vista. The specs for the motherboard on the 4550 only listed the AGP slot as running at 4x, but don't have any information that I can see regarding 8x compatibility at the lower speed. I'll have a look at the tech. specs for you when I get back to work on Monday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Homer Posted October 24, 2008 Share Posted October 24, 2008 markb, since you work with dell...what's your opinion on the alienware computers? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigPaPa Posted October 24, 2008 Share Posted October 24, 2008 Alienware computers are top notch. That Said 25% of what your paying is for the brand name. You can get just as good hardware and 2/3 or even half the price without the little alien head. I recently invested in a power gaming PC and i bught from a company where i can pick what i want from a list of parts. i got mine for about 2 grand and change. Just for Shits and giggles i went over to alienware and priced out THE EXACT SAME PC as far as hardware they wanted 4100 for it and mroe if i wanted a service plan for more then a year. My current plan covers em for 3 years and was no extra charge. It much cheaper to buy ti from another source and then go get a little alien sticker to put on the front separatly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkB Posted October 24, 2008 Share Posted October 24, 2008 "Overpriced" is the first word that comes to mind. The Dell XPS range were modelled around Alienware after Dell purchased them, and although they're still operating as a separate company, the Dell influence has had an effect. The "coolness" factor that they had years ago was very large and people were willing to pay top dollar for the case design and badge alone, but since PC modding, upgrading and building has become a lot more mainstream in recent years, you can either buy an equally "cool" case from any number of locations and build the system yourself, which would save a ton on the Alienware build, or simply take a trip to your local PC store and they'll be happy to build the system for you and slap on a 20% parts and labour charge. The fact that their "value and performance" range (read: lowest specification in range) starts at £649 pretty much proves my point. You're paying at least £100 for the case alone, and can probably build a similar, if not better, system on your own for a lot less. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dannyt Posted October 25, 2008 Author Share Posted October 25, 2008 Thanks for all your help. I think I may try the Saphire anyway and hope I get decent graphics with 2k9. I still should have the highest MVP graphics so I'll be happy. Or do any of you have any suggestions on a video card that is relatively cheap (ebay style!) that would work for both MVP and NBA 2k9. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigPaPa Posted October 25, 2008 Share Posted October 25, 2008 To be 100% Honest with you, unless you can get this card for an amount of money you are not worried about using i think you should go buy one commercially. That gives you the advantage of having a return receipt. There are many reasons that a graphics card will not work, MarkB stated them above but its completely possible that you computer wont find the graphics card, or you computer wont even post. Its also very possible that neither Dell nor ATI will be able to tell you. Its happened to me at least twice and i was able to get a refund for both cards. A similar card now wouildnt cost mroe then 50 or 60 bucks if you find the right place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dannyt Posted October 25, 2008 Author Share Posted October 25, 2008 Yeah, I saw that on newegg.com it was around 50-60. I was just hoping that I could get it for around $25 because money is so tight. $25 seems ok to me. I do run the risk though. Also I'm hoping I could sell it back on ebay if it doesn't work. I wish there was a way to know for sure if it will work without buying it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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