New video card, which to buy?

[BnZ]

Thanks for the help guys, I'm going to try one of humble's suggested products for the next few months at least. (If it gives 30fps at the LOWEST graphics settings, I'll be happy.)

Red Giant, you're allright.  I may hold you to that offer when I get the money .

Tigger: Max graphics? You mean hi-res textures and all? That's awesome man.

[Tigger29]

Yup... 1024 Texts, hires, 1280X1024

All sliders at max

[BnZ]

Well guys, thanks your help, I'm running at 1024x768 resolution, averaging about 75fps in MA dogfights and never dropping below 38. I know that's nothing to alot of you guys, but to me, it is a huge improvement and a big help to my flying and shooting.

Thank you all very much, especially Humble, for taking the time.

[Krusty]

Originally posted by Fulmar
And a lot of the front panel On/Off, Reset switches have proprietary plugs so you can't just grab another motherboard and the wires for the switches and LEDs won't match up.  I can vouch for this in the older Dells, but I can't say I've taken apart a current Dell or emachine alike that had this, but I wouldn't be surprised.

A medium-aged Dell that I upgraded for my sister had the same thing. Those SOBs went so far as to re-map the standard USB header plugs, adding 2 more (unused) pins in the middle and reversing 2 wire positions. How do I know this? Because I'm a stubborn SOB and not going to let Dell win!

Er, I mean, because I chopped the hell out of the front I/O plug and got it working on a standard mobo. Dremels and cutting discs are wonderful things. I also cut up the 1-piece pwr/LED/etc plug and mapped it (properly) to the new standard motherboard.

Dell goes WAY out of their way to make sure nobody can ever upgrade their computers. They WANT you to spend big bucks to replace it every time it needs a minor upgrade. Much like Apple, they end up only pissing off folks that really know what they are doing vis-a-vis computer hardware, and target/cater to companies that want disposable hardware of customers that just plain don't know any better.

[humble]

Originally posted by BnZ
Well guys, thanks your help, I'm running at 1024x768 resolution, averaging about 75fps in MA dogfights and never dropping below 38. I know that's nothing to alot of you guys, but to me, it is a huge improvement and a big help to my flying and shooting.

Thank you all very much, especially Humble, for taking the time.

Glad it helped, as some 411 to others which card did you get?

[BnZ]

I went with the ATI "Sapphire" and a gig of RAM.

[humble]

Originally posted by BnZ
I went with the ATI "Sapphire" and a gig of RAM.

All 3 were shappire (is a brand)...20, 30 or 40 flavor?

[BnZ]

I went with the 20, figured between not wanting to spend mega bucks on this thing and your warnings about the PSU that would be best.

 Aces High looks good and plays good with this setup. IL2 plays good and looks fluff'ng GREAT (Like a painting when I pause go to external view). I guesss this is AHII's complex flight engine vrs. IL2's eye-candy. Haven't tried X-Plane yet, but that always ran fine anyway.

[alskahawk]

 Throw in a cheap video card to get you by for now. Then start saving for a new computer. For $500 you can build a good AH computer. And it will be more solid that a E machines. Your lucky it (emachines) has lasted this long.