SOME advise please..

[Quiet109]

For a video card I have a Trident Blade3D/MVP4, it's built in, 8MB, with DirectDraw 1.0  

I get an average frame rate of 12! (MAX was 26, but just for a second once; and MIN is 2)

Now I'm asking for and recommendations on a new card (gotta be PCI for this Gateway).

If any comp. specs are needed, I'll post em.

                               -Quiet

[Lephturn]

The best PCI card you could get to play Aces High would, IMHO, be the Voodoo 5 5500 PCI.  There latest drivers are great and rock solid, so I still reccomend them for a sim like Aces High.  3DFX has recently been gobbled up by nVidia, so for the long term it may not be the best choice.  I don't know if nVidia makes a GeForce 2 MX in a PCI format, but if they do you may want to consider that card instead.

However, before you spend any money upgrading your video card, what are the specs for the rest of your system?  I would hate to give you advice on a new video card, only to find out your CPU will keep you from getting better performance in the game.

------------------
Lephturn - Chief Trainer
A member of The Flying Pigs  http://www.flyingpigs.com
 
"A pig is a jolly companion, Boar, sow, barrow, or gilt --
A pig is a pal, who'll boost your morale, Though mountains may topple and tilt.
When they've blackballed, bamboozled, and burned you, When they've turned on you, Tory and Whig,
Though you may be thrown over by Tabby and Rover, You'll never go wrong with a pig, a pig,
You'll never go wrong with a pig!" -- Thomas Pynchon, "Gravity's Rainbow"

[Quiet109]

It's a relatively new system (bought it in Nov 2k) Here's what specs I know...


   Computer Profile Summary
Computer Name: "R.W.Broadhurst
Profile Date: Saturday, January 06, 2001 12:01:46 PM
Advisor Version: 3.0t

 
Operating System   System Model
Windows Millennium Edition   SAMSUNG LCPC_1 1.0
System Serial Number: 1096545919
Processor a   Main Circuit Board
500 megahertz AMD K6-2 w/3DNow!
16 kilobyte primary memory cache
256 kilobyte secondary memory cache   Board: SAMSUNG MP4M-23AGM MP 1.0
BIOS: Phoenix 4.0 R6.0 09/15/2000
Drives   Memory Modules
7.48 Gigabytes Usable Hard Drive Capacity
1.40 Gigabytes Hard Drive Free Space

SAMSUNG CD-ROM SC-148P
Generic IDE hard disk drive (7.48 GB)   56 Megabytes Installed Memory
64 Megabyte Module Size - 1 Installed
One Memory Socket is Empty
Controllers   Display
Standard Floppy Disk Controller
Primary IDE controller (dual fifo)
Secondary IDE controller (dual fifo)
VIA Bus Master PCI IDE Controller   Trident Blade3D/MVP4 [Display adapter]
LE500 [Monitor]
Bus Adapters   Multimedia
VIA Tech 3038 PCI to USB Universal Host Controller   Logitech WingMan Extreme Digital 3D (HID)
Logitech WingMan Extreme Digital 3D (USB)
Microsoft Kernel System Audio Renderer
SoundMAX Integrated Digital Audio
Buses   Communications
PCI bus
ISA bus   Lucent Technologies Soft Modem AMR
    Other Devices
    Standard 101/102-Key or Microsoft Natural Keyboard
Lucent Technologies Soft Modem AMR
Canon BJC-2100 Series [Printer]
Canon BJC-2100
USB Root Hub
 
Anything else?
  Gateway 500 SE Deluxe Desktop
  Amd K6-2/500Mhz, 64MB, 7.5GB, CD-ROM, BA265 Spkrs & Internal Modem(56k dialup)

Anything else, Just holler.

        Quiet.

[Lephturn]

Well, there are two other limiting factors in there.  One is the K6/2, since it has a very weak Floating Point Unit.  Aces High depends heavily on FP operations, so it hits the weakness of that processor pretty hard.  It's great that it's a 500, but I wouldn't spend big dollars on a video card, since the CPU is going to limit you to a certain degree.  This is not a simple upgrade, so I think you just have to live with that one for now.

You could also use another 64 Megs of RAM.  64 is ok to run Windows, but when you start playing games, another 64 is desirable.  64 Megs of RAM is really cheap at the moment and would be an easy upgrade.  A local computer store will sell it to you and install it as well.  It would only take a minute.

But, you are on the right path to start with IMHO.  A new video card will help a bunch, I think it is the biggest problem.  With a new video card you should be able to play, although you are never going to get screaming speed out of that particular CPU.  If you can swing it a V5 5500 PCI or an nVidia Geforce 2 MX PCI are the best choices.  I can't find a price on a PCI version of the nVidia Geforce 2 MX, which would be the cheapest upgrade and would be plenty fast for your machine.  Look around for a price on a PCI version, but the AGP versions are a great deal at under $100.
 http://www.anandtech.com/showdoc.html?i=1391&p=4

Have a look at Anand's latest guide.  The V5 would be sweet, but if you want the best bang for the buck you can't go wrong with the GeForce 2 MX PCI.

64 Megs of Ram should be dirt cheap.  Anand has another price guide out on that one.
 http://www.anandtech.com/showdoc.html?i=1395&p=2

Ya can't go wrong with $30 for a decent upgrade.    Get the Ram with beer money.  

------------------
Lephturn - Chief Trainer
A member of The Flying Pigs  http://www.flyingpigs.com
 
"A pig is a jolly companion, Boar, sow, barrow, or gilt --
A pig is a pal, who'll boost your morale, Though mountains may topple and tilt.
When they've blackballed, bamboozled, and burned you, When they've turned on you, Tory and Whig,
Though you may be thrown over by Tabby and Rover, You'll never go wrong with a pig, a pig,
You'll never go wrong with a pig!" -- Thomas Pynchon, "Gravity's Rainbow"

[Quiet109]

Thank you fine sir.
I believe I will take the additional 64megs, but for this beast, i believe i will save beer money for a couple three months and have a real, top of the line, upgradeable computer built (give this un to the ol' lady) and be merry from there on out.
But for now, I will suffer endlessly in the quest to keep myself from putting my fist through the monitor and my foot aside the tower.
All will be fine <turns and wonders where the hell his old lady has the savings stashed>.

Thank you again for your Advise,
I may need more when I am able to build one up to my specs. (or when i find the money!)


                                                                Quiet


 

[This message has been edited by Quiet109 (edited 01-08-2001).]

[jato757]

YO QUIET WHATS UP...... se its not just me with that damn problem, check out rapier's post on screen freses,   heya lasy bumm, stayed home today dident ya talk to ya later     "JET ASSISTED TAKE OFF"
  OR JATO  

------------------


"JATO" OF  Musketeers Escadrille

[Lephturn]

When you are ready to get a new system, stop by the Hardware & Software forum.  You will get lots of good information there from myself and others.  

------------------
Lephturn - Chief Trainer
A member of The Flying Pigs  http://www.flyingpigs.com
 
"A pig is a jolly companion, Boar, sow, barrow, or gilt --
A pig is a pal, who'll boost your morale, Though mountains may topple and tilt.
When they've blackballed, bamboozled, and burned you, When they've turned on you, Tory and Whig,
Though you may be thrown over by Tabby and Rover, You'll never go wrong with a pig, a pig,
You'll never go wrong with a pig!" -- Thomas Pynchon, "Gravity's Rainbow"