Cheap Cruddy Graphics Card

[johnson_dan]

Hi,
I'm building my own computer - current configuration includes gigabyte GA-970A, AMD FX 8320. There is no onboard video but I'm not interested in graphics - mostly I'll be using the command prompt. I've been thinking I'll just get a $5 PCI card from the mid-1990s off of ebay. My question - given my setup, is there any drawback to doing this (i.e. will a card that old cause problems with the rest of the configuration)?
Thanks,
DJ

 

[Cityfans135]

If you are wanting something on the cheap side, I wouldn't go with something quite that old 😛. Maybe get like a GeForce GT 610 or something like that incase you wanted to do some light gaming or even have the desktop look nice.

 

[saywhut]

You can get a $5-$10 PCI/x video card AND it doesn't have to be from the 90s
http://www.ebay.com/itm/ATI-RADEON-X1300-256MB-DVI-GRAPHICS-VIDEO-PCI-E-CARD-/222064832512?hash=item33b4187000:g:J8oAAOSwGYVW9Vwl

 

[SKIPPY PB]

I don't see what the issue should be here. Most graphics cards are plug and play. You can get them off ebay from 2000-2005 PC's for $15 US or less. Go to a pawn shop youll find one for 5 bucks.

 

[king3pj]

Have you already bought parts? If not I think it would make more sense to go with a CPU that has integrated graphics. Depending on what your budget and needs are you could go with an AMD APU or an Intel Pentium, i3, i5, or i7.

Either choice would require a different motherboard but this could probably be done cheaper than buying an 8320 and a separate GPU.

 

[Rogue Leader]

That board may not support video output through the PCI slots, also buying someones ancient card it may not work. Why risk it, its a waste of time.

Just buy this:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130602&ignorebbr=1

cheap and guaranteed to work. And if you decide to do something other than use the command prompt it will give you some sort of useable graphics and has driver support.

 

[Quixit]

Make sure whatever card you buy has drivers that support the OS you want to run. Also, I don't know about AMD CPU systems, but all of Intel's motherboard chipsets (for years) don't support PCI video cards properly. This is because the chipsets themselves don't actually support PCI and boardmakers use a PCI to PCIe bridge chip. So you'd be better off with a PCIe GPU in the least.

I would offer to give you my Geforce 9600 PRO, but shipping would be at least $20 (if you happen to be in Europe a lot more) so it's not really worth it.

 

[SKIPPY PB]

That board may not support video output through the PCI slots, also buying someones ancient card it may not work. Why risk it, its a waste of time.

Just buy this:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130602&ignorebbr=1

cheap and guaranteed to work. And if you decide to do something other than use the command prompt it will give you some sort of useable graphics and has driver support.

Thats a good card, I popped one of those in my dell and it can even play payday 2. Decently quiet, maybe look for the non-fan model if your not gaming.

No risk with credit card transactions however. Just a little time potentially and you save 15 bucks. I take it these are old parts he has upgraded from and hes trying to create a bot, if hes running DOS an FX would be rather pointless.

 

[Rogue Leader]

That board may not support video output through the PCI slots, also buying someones ancient card it may not work. Why risk it, its a waste of time.

Just buy this:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130602&ignorebbr=1

cheap and guaranteed to work. And if you decide to do something other than use the command prompt it will give you some sort of useable graphics and has driver support.

Thats a good card, I popped one of those in my dell and it can even play payday 2. Decently quiet, maybe look for the non-fan model if your not gaming.

No risk with credit card transactions however. Just a little time potentially and you save 15 bucks. I take it these are old parts he has upgraded from and hes trying to create a bot, if hes running DOS an FX would be rather pointless.

Buying on eBay is plenty of risk people don't accept returns most of the time. And no store is going to sell a PCI GPU these days, and it probably won't work through no fault of its own but that the board doesn't support it.

Why waste the time?

 

[mjslakeridge]

That board may not support video output through the PCI slots, also buying someones ancient card it may not work. Why risk it, its a waste of time.

Just buy this:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130602&ignorebbr=1

cheap and guaranteed to work. And if you decide to do something other than use the command prompt it will give you some sort of useable graphics and has driver support.

Thats a good card, I popped one of those in my dell and it can even play payday 2. Decently quiet, maybe look for the non-fan model if your not gaming.

No risk with credit card transactions however. Just a little time potentially and you save 15 bucks. I take it these are old parts he has upgraded from and hes trying to create a bot, if hes running DOS an FX would be rather pointless.

That was my first thought after reading the original post (about the FX for DOS). Unless he already has the parts and has no other use for them.

 

[turkey3_scratch]

Make sure whatever card you buy has drivers that support the OS you want to run. Also, I don't know about AMD CPU systems, but all of Intel's motherboard chipsets (for years) don't support PCI video cards properly. This is because the chipsets themselves don't actually support PCI and boardmakers use a PCI to PCIe bridge chip. So you'd be better off with a PCIe GPU in the least.

I would offer to give you my Geforce 9600 PRO, but shipping would be at least $20 (if you happen to be in Europe a lot more) so it's not really worth it.

This doesn't make sense, I have Intel boards with PCI slots (yes PCI, not PCIe, I'm talking about 5V PCI) so how would the chipset not support PCI?

 

[Rogue Leader]

Make sure whatever card you buy has drivers that support the OS you want to run. Also, I don't know about AMD CPU systems, but all of Intel's motherboard chipsets (for years) don't support PCI video cards properly. This is because the chipsets themselves don't actually support PCI and boardmakers use a PCI to PCIe bridge chip. So you'd be better off with a PCIe GPU in the least.

I would offer to give you my Geforce 9600 PRO, but shipping would be at least $20 (if you happen to be in Europe a lot more) so it's not really worth it.

This doesn't make sense, I have Intel boards with PCI slots (yes PCI, not PCIe, I'm talking about 5V PCI) so how would the chipset not support PCI?

Not that it doesn't support PCI, but that it doesn't support video output via PCI, which I believe is correct.

 

[SKIPPY PB]

Thats why I suggested finding a GPU from a 2000-2005 PC, it will be current enough to run in most modern slots and its perfect for anything other then gaming with the lastest games.

If I can find the GPU from my 2005 dell XPS i would give it to you for free pretty much. Just pay the postage and fees and throw me a couple bucks for driving to the post office. I actually just threw out the GPU from an apple power mac. I believe the dell one is a GeForce 7900 GS or 7300 or something.