Sorry for the cross-post, I'm really not sure which of these newsgroups is
the right place to post my question ...

I'm trying to get Pirates running on my XP system, and apparently my video
card is too old. I'm happy to upgrade, but I really don't do any heavy-duty
graphics editing on this machine, and not enough games to make a $400 video
card worthwhile. However, I don't want a piece of crap that I'm going to
have to upgrade next year, so I'm looking for that "sweet spot" card.

The official system requirements are "64 MB Hardware T&L-compatible SVGA
video card".
I've also seen the minimum requirements described as NVIDIA GeForce 2 or ATI
Radeon 7000, with the recommended hardware being GeForce FX 5700 or Radeon
9600.

I've got a KT7-RAID mobo, it can take AGP 2x and 4x.

Recommendations?

Thanks!
Chris

Cheap nvidea geforce 4 card. Less than $50.

A real big help in answering your question would be the identification of
the card you have now that isn't up to the task. That will at least set a
bottom end. Also, what happens when you try to install the game on the
current system, and if it installs, what kind of performance do you get. A
description of the rest of your system (at least the CPU, speed, and memory
size) would also help. Not much sense in upgrading the card if the CPU
won't do the job, and you ought to know going in if you will also need more
RAM.

Phil Weldon

"Chris Shearer Cooper" <chrisnews@sc3.net> wrote in message
news:11lb7m2fuc81vb4@corp.supernews.com...
| Sorry for the cross-post, I'm really not sure which of these newsgroups is
| the right place to post my question ...
|
| I'm trying to get Pirates running on my XP system, and apparently my video
| card is too old. I'm happy to upgrade, but I really don't do any
heavy-duty
| graphics editing on this machine, and not enough games to make a $400
video
| card worthwhile. However, I don't want a piece of crap that I'm going to
| have to upgrade next year, so I'm looking for that "sweet spot" card.
|
| The official system requirements are "64 MB Hardware T&L-compatible SVGA
| video card".
| I've also seen the minimum requirements described as NVIDIA GeForce 2 or
ATI
| Radeon 7000, with the recommended hardware being GeForce FX 5700 or Radeon
| 9600.
|
| I've got a KT7-RAID mobo, it can take AGP 2x and 4x.
|
| Recommendations?
|
| Thanks!
| Chris
|
|

Good point ... CPU is a 1.8G P4, 512M RAM, Windows says the current video
card is an NVIDIA GeForce 2 MX.

Interesting ... owner's manual says it's a G2Pro Plus-T64D, which has 64M,
and a web site I found said it has T&L (not sure what we're talking about
there - Texturing & Layering maybe?) but I can't tell if the requirement is
for _hardware_ T&L (maybe this card implements it in software) ... I'll
check back with the manufacturer, see why they think my card isn't up to
snuff ...

"Phil Weldon" <notdiscosed@example.com> wrote in message
news:sph5f.18219$q1.4730@newsread3.news.atl.earthl ink.net...
>A real big help in answering your question would be the identification of
> the card you have now that isn't up to the task. That will at least set a
> bottom end. Also, what happens when you try to install the game on the
> current system, and if it installs, what kind of performance do you get.
> A
> description of the rest of your system (at least the CPU, speed, and
> memory
> size) would also help. Not much sense in upgrading the card if the CPU
> won't do the job, and you ought to know going in if you will also need
> more
> RAM.
>
> Phil Weldon
>
> "Chris Shearer Cooper" <chrisnews@sc3.net> wrote in message
> news:11lb7m2fuc81vb4@corp.supernews.com...
> | Sorry for the cross-post, I'm really not sure which of these newsgroups
> is
> | the right place to post my question ...
> |
> | I'm trying to get Pirates running on my XP system, and apparently my
> video
> | card is too old. I'm happy to upgrade, but I really don't do any
> heavy-duty
> | graphics editing on this machine, and not enough games to make a $400
> video
> | card worthwhile. However, I don't want a piece of crap that I'm going
> to
> | have to upgrade next year, so I'm looking for that "sweet spot" card.
> |
> | The official system requirements are "64 MB Hardware T&L-compatible SVGA
> | video card".
> | I've also seen the minimum requirements described as NVIDIA GeForce 2 or
> ATI
> | Radeon 7000, with the recommended hardware being GeForce FX 5700 or
> Radeon
> | 9600.
> |
> | I've got a KT7-RAID mobo, it can take AGP 2x and 4x.
> |
> | Recommendations?
> |
> | Thanks!
> | Chris
> |
> |
>
>

The plot thickens ... I'm pretty sure this card is supposed to have 64M of
video RAM, but when I bring up its properties it's only showing 32M. I've
posted on the nvidia newsgroup for help with that one ... but that would
explain why the game ain't runnin'.

"Chris Shearer Cooper" <chrisnews@sc3.net> wrote in message
news:11lbatk6o07bv61@corp.supernews.com...
> Good point ... CPU is a 1.8G P4, 512M RAM, Windows says the current video
> card is an NVIDIA GeForce 2 MX.
>
> Interesting ... owner's manual says it's a G2Pro Plus-T64D, which has 64M,
> and a web site I found said it has T&L (not sure what we're talking about
> there - Texturing & Layering maybe?) but I can't tell if the requirement
> is for _hardware_ T&L (maybe this card implements it in software) ... I'll
> check back with the manufacturer, see why they think my card isn't up to
> snuff ...
>
> "Phil Weldon" <notdiscosed@example.com> wrote in message
> news:sph5f.18219$q1.4730@newsread3.news.atl.earthl ink.net...
>>A real big help in answering your question would be the identification of
>> the card you have now that isn't up to the task. That will at least set
>> a
>> bottom end. Also, what happens when you try to install the game on the
>> current system, and if it installs, what kind of performance do you get.
>> A
>> description of the rest of your system (at least the CPU, speed, and
>> memory
>> size) would also help. Not much sense in upgrading the card if the CPU
>> won't do the job, and you ought to know going in if you will also need
>> more
>> RAM.
>>
>> Phil Weldon
>>
>> "Chris Shearer Cooper" <chrisnews@sc3.net> wrote in message
>> news:11lb7m2fuc81vb4@corp.supernews.com...
>> | Sorry for the cross-post, I'm really not sure which of these newsgroups
>> is
>> | the right place to post my question ...
>> |
>> | I'm trying to get Pirates running on my XP system, and apparently my
>> video
>> | card is too old. I'm happy to upgrade, but I really don't do any
>> heavy-duty
>> | graphics editing on this machine, and not enough games to make a $400
>> video
>> | card worthwhile. However, I don't want a piece of crap that I'm going
>> to
>> | have to upgrade next year, so I'm looking for that "sweet spot" card.
>> |
>> | The official system requirements are "64 MB Hardware T&L-compatible
>> SVGA
>> | video card".
>> | I've also seen the minimum requirements described as NVIDIA GeForce 2
>> or
>> ATI
>> | Radeon 7000, with the recommended hardware being GeForce FX 5700 or
>> Radeon
>> | 9600.
>> |
>> | I've got a KT7-RAID mobo, it can take AGP 2x and 4x.
>> |
>> | Recommendations?
>> |
>> | Thanks!
>> | Chris
>> |
>> |
>>
>>
>
>

Hi Chris

When whenever you try to run games, do note that you shouldn't read the
'minimum requirements'. Read the 'Recommend hardware' coz thats what's
needed to properly run the game to experience it properly.

I'd say the best video card to get for your purpose is one that
supports DirectX 9. I recently bought a PowerColor Radeon 9600 Pro and
it supports Pirates great!

***********************************************
Sincerely,
Gary Hendricks, Desktop-Video-Guide.com
Essential video software programs for making digital videos:
http://www.desktop-video-guide.com
***********************************************

Chris Shearer Cooper wrote:

> Good point ... CPU is a 1.8G P4, 512M RAM, Windows says the current video
> card is an NVIDIA GeForce 2 MX.

Ok. Thats already a bit better than an ATI Radeon 7000...

> Interesting ... owner's manual says it's a G2Pro Plus-T64D, which has 64M,
> and a web site I found said it has T&L (not sure what we're talking about
> there - Texturing & Layering maybe?

Transform & Lighting...

> ) but I can't tell if the requirement is
> for _hardware_ T&L (maybe this card implements it in software

Nope. All Geforce cards do T&L in hardware...

Benjamin

What CPU & speed does the game recommend? And how much memory does the game
recommend?

Phil Weldon

"Chris Shearer Cooper" <chrisnews@sc3.net> wrote in message
news:11lbatk6o07bv61@corp.supernews.com...
| Good point ... CPU is a 1.8G P4, 512M RAM, Windows says the current video
| card is an NVIDIA GeForce 2 MX.
|
| Interesting ... owner's manual says it's a G2Pro Plus-T64D, which has 64M,
| and a web site I found said it has T&L (not sure what we're talking about
| there - Texturing & Layering maybe?) but I can't tell if the requirement
is
| for _hardware_ T&L (maybe this card implements it in software) ... I'll
| check back with the manufacturer, see why they think my card isn't up to
| snuff ...
|
| "Phil Weldon" <notdiscosed@example.com> wrote in message
| news:sph5f.18219$q1.4730@newsread3.news.atl.earthl ink.net...
| >A real big help in answering your question would be the identification of
| > the card you have now that isn't up to the task. That will at least set
a
| > bottom end. Also, what happens when you try to install the game on the
| > current system, and if it installs, what kind of performance do you get.
| > A
| > description of the rest of your system (at least the CPU, speed, and
| > memory
| > size) would also help. Not much sense in upgrading the card if the CPU
| > won't do the job, and you ought to know going in if you will also need
| > more
| > RAM.
| >
| > Phil Weldon
| >
| > "Chris Shearer Cooper" <chrisnews@sc3.net> wrote in message
| > news:11lb7m2fuc81vb4@corp.supernews.com...
| > | Sorry for the cross-post, I'm really not sure which of these
newsgroups
| > is
| > | the right place to post my question ...
| > |
| > | I'm trying to get Pirates running on my XP system, and apparently my
| > video
| > | card is too old. I'm happy to upgrade, but I really don't do any
| > heavy-duty
| > | graphics editing on this machine, and not enough games to make a $400
| > video
| > | card worthwhile. However, I don't want a piece of crap that I'm going
| > to
| > | have to upgrade next year, so I'm looking for that "sweet spot" card.
| > |
| > | The official system requirements are "64 MB Hardware T&L-compatible
SVGA
| > | video card".
| > | I've also seen the minimum requirements described as NVIDIA GeForce 2
or
| > ATI
| > | Radeon 7000, with the recommended hardware being GeForce FX 5700 or
| > Radeon
| > | 9600.
| > |
| > | I've got a KT7-RAID mobo, it can take AGP 2x and 4x.
| > |
| > | Recommendations?
| > |
| > | Thanks!
| > | Chris
| > |
| > |
| >
| >
|
|

I would agree that the 9600pro is a fine budget card.

"Gary Hendricks" <gary.hendricks.user@gmail.com> schreef in bericht
news:1129699010.174035.292640@z14g2000cwz.googlegr oups.com...
> Hi Chris
>
> When whenever you try to run games, do note that you shouldn't read the
> 'minimum requirements'. Read the 'Recommend hardware' coz thats what's
> needed to properly run the game to experience it properly.
>
> I'd say the best video card to get for your purpose is one that
> supports DirectX 9. I recently bought a PowerColor Radeon 9600 Pro and
> it supports Pirates great!
>
> ***********************************************
> Sincerely,
> Gary Hendricks, Desktop-Video-Guide.com
> Essential video software programs for making digital videos:
> http://www.desktop-video-guide.com
> ***********************************************
>

unless on a real tight budget I'd ante up for the 9800pro, pretty reasonably
priced now for a lot more performance

Mike

"Flow" <Flowing@zonnet.nl> wrote in message
news:U4u5f.644$EM.137@amstwist00...
>I would agree that the 9600pro is a fine budget card.
>
> "Gary Hendricks" <gary.hendricks.user@gmail.com> schreef in bericht
> news:1129699010.174035.292640@z14g2000cwz.googlegr oups.com...
>> Hi Chris
>>
>> When whenever you try to run games, do note that you shouldn't read the
>> 'minimum requirements'. Read the 'Recommend hardware' coz thats what's
>> needed to properly run the game to experience it properly.
>>
>> I'd say the best video card to get for your purpose is one that
>> supports DirectX 9. I recently bought a PowerColor Radeon 9600 Pro and
>> it supports Pirates great!
>>
>> ***********************************************
>> Sincerely,
>> Gary Hendricks, Desktop-Video-Guide.com
>> Essential video software programs for making digital videos:
>> http://www.desktop-video-guide.com
>> ***********************************************
>>
>
>