PCI gpu.

[chef7734]

Well I am a bit off on lower tech but my father needs a pci vid card. Found an old emachine and for little money it can be far better than what he currently has. He has a really old athalon xp system running around 1.3 and the emachine is running a celeron with a 478 socket. I can get a p4 for cheap and 2 gigs of ram really cheap just need a vid card so he can watch video and play some older games till he can save up for a new system.

 

[irkjab]

It doesn't have an AGP or PCI-express slot?
I'm amazed they still make PCI video cards heh

Something like the 8400 gs should be fine, its got DX10 support, and its only $40 plus shipping
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814187041

edit: or for $5 more with double the memory. Not sure how much of a difference it would make
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814187042

A 9400 GT would probably fare a bit better in games, but at $80, its also more expensive
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductReview.aspx?Item=N82E16814130498

 

[mfarrukh]

go for Radeon 4650

 

[ubernoobie]

Get a 8400gs, 4650 is too powerful for a p4 rig that doesn't game

 

[deadlockedworld]

Get a 8400gs, 4650 is too powerful for a p4 rig that doesn't game

ubernoobie is right. No matter what you get you wont get good performance out of a PCI slot anyway--so just get whatever is cheapest.

The important thing with an older system isnt that the graphics card will be really powerful--its that the graphics card takes some of the strain off the rest of the system, frees up more ram, etc etc.

(are you sure you cant find an old P4 system with at least an AGP slot?)

 

[capt_taco]

Yeah, I have seen emachine variations with NO AGP or PCIe slot. Pretty amazing.

If that's the case, then yeah, I'd just get whatever's cheapest. Regular PCI slots transfer data something like 50 times slower than a PCIe x16 slot, so you're going to be horribly constricted no matter what you do.

Personally, I think it's a lost cause to invest money in a machine like that; it's only EVER going to be any good for iTunes and the Internet. I'd just see if you can find an old P4 machine for $100 or so that DOES have an AGP or PCIe slot, then get a 4650 or 4670 to put in that.

 

[chuenl]

Post a request in your local craigslist and you can almost find anything like that for cheap. I wouldn't pay more than $10 for a PCI graphics card.