Graphics card for gaming. PLEASE help! No one else will.

[satuurnalia]

Hello, first post here.

Ok, I'm going to try and make this explanation as simple as possible. I've tried to get an answer from Dell about this issue, and have been given THREE DIFFERENT ANSWERS to the same question. It's concerning gaming & graphics cards. One representative said "yes, you can use this graphics card" another said "no, your PC is not upgradable... something about the PCIx1 slot" and the other rep said... well, you can take a guess. So frustrating.

Here's my question, but first, my PC specs.


Dimension E310 Series, Intel Pentium 4 Processor 521 (2.80GHz) and 1MB cache
1GB DDR2 SDRAM at 400MHz
Integrated Intel Graphics Media Accelator 900
The rest of my info you'll need to know:
http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/dim3100/en/sm/specs0.htm#wp1052310


I want to play Everquest 2.
I need a graphics card that is compatible with my PC and with the game.
Can I actually install a graphics card, (if so, which one?) ...
or is my PC really not equipped for it?
All the talk about PCI slots really confused me, I don't know what is going on, and I need some help before I go insane!!!

Graphics card MUST meet these requirements:
DirectX 9 compatible; pixel shader and vertex shader compatible hardware with 64 MB of texture memory






ANY help on this would be greatly appreciated! Thanks

 

[jdon285]

I have this in a Dell E510 at home. It should work well for you:

256MB PCI Express™ x16 (DVI/VGA/TV-out) ATI Radeon X600 SE HyperMemory

 

[Nukem]

Well, the second answer is sorta correct... You only have a PCIE x1 slot, so upgrading a video card with PCIE x16 is out. You can get a PCI card, but are limited in what you can get... they do make PCIE x1 cards now... which is a TAD better than a PCI... but that is your only choice right now.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814161017

 

[goblue14]

try what i had for my old computer. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814143059
it wasnt half bad and could run battlefield 2. it should work with your comp.

 

[Trotter]

Any of these will meet the minimum requirements (Video Card: DirectX 9 compatible. Pixel shader and vertex shader compatible hardware with 64 MB of texture memory):
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...&description=&srchInDesc=&minPrice=&maxPrice=

 

[aliasaid]

that 1x pci-express card is too expensive...

just get this

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814143058

 

[RepuLse]

eh that blows, my friends comp which was a dell had its agp slot pulled out, to save dell a few pennies i guess

 

[sailpog]

see if you can change your mobo to someting with the same cpu socket as you current cpu but has a (or some) pci-e x16 slots on it for graphics card

 

[Nukem]

trying to upgrade a Dell mobo is like trying to get the golden egg from a pig... (1) He would pay out the nose for it and (2) would have to get the new driver disk, (3) WITH an new XP install disk...

So in reality, it would be easier to get a temp card, and then buy/build a whole new system later on when the money is available... but that's just my opinion.

 

[Apokalipse]

Geforce FX5500 PCI - $59.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814143059