Computer Video Card Help

[MADN3SS]

I need to see if I can find a video card that has dual DVI-D outputs. If not, one will have to do. I currently have an ATI Radeon X300 128MB. My PC is Pentium 4, 3.2 GHz. It says 16x PCI Express. On the sticker it says 128MB max. Does that mean the max on the card is 128MB or the max that the motherboard can accept is 128MB?

Thanks for the help.

Scott

[Rich Z]

Nearly all current motherboards can take up to 8 gigabyte of RAM, but unless you are using Vista, the operating system will only see 4 gb of it.

Many of the newer video cards can have up to 1 gb of video ram onboard.

I'm using twin Nvidia cards in SLI right now, but I think ATI has more stable drivers typically. Both of those two companies are constantly in a performance war with one taking the lead for a short period until the other leapfrogs with a faster card. The Nvidia cards I am using (GeForce 8800GTX) each have two DVI-D ports on them. But from what I have seen lately, nearly all the newer cutting edge flat screen monitors are doing with HDMI input. I recently got a new 28" Hannspree flat screen that is absolutely AWESOME. And the price is very reasonable, too. Check one out if you can... Of course, my main PC is still in the shop, so I'm using my older computer right now. After using that 28" screen, this 21" seems pretty darn tiny...

[MADN3SS]

The reason I ask is my wife just bought me 2 22" LG monitors. My computer is about 3 years old. I told her that instead of buying a new video card, I should just get a new computer. That didn't fly. She gets a trip before I get a computer! I've got no problem with that. My PC can only take 2GB of RAM max, which is what I have.

[Rich Z]

Originally Posted by MADN3SS

The reason I ask is my wife just bought me 2 22" LG monitors. My computer is about 3 years old. I told her that instead of buying a new video card, I should just get a new computer. That didn't fly. She gets a trip before I get a computer! I've got no problem with that. My PC can only take 2GB of RAM max, which is what I have.

It pretty much depends on what you are doing as to whether 2gb of RAM is enough. But there are a lot of variables involved just with the percieved "throughput" of a computer. Heck, even a slow display device can make a HUGE difference as to how quick the system seems to you.

Generally, if you are doing a lot of intensive video processing or editing, a computer that is four years old or more that was top of the line then, will not be sufficient today to keep you from going crazy waiting for it to complete the task. More RAM can appear to speed up a computer because disk swapping is minimized with more RAM, which just makes things go quicker. The hard drive is always going to be slowed then main RAM. So if you have a lot of opened windows, and are doing some complex tasks involving video, photos, or music files, you can expect your system to bog down on you. Generally, in such a case, it is best to shut down all other processor tasks, and that way have the system dedicated to the one main task you want it to work on.