RE: [APML] computer video card

["Robert J. Seabold" <bseabold@mn.rr.com>]

Thought I would relate my experience:

I've been building my own pc systems(and for friends) for ten years.  I
generally avoid integrated video just because its one more layer of
complexity to disable it if you add another card. Also, they tend to share
ram as opposed to having their own separate on-board ram.  I like to keep
things simple.  However, most rules are meant to be broken.  It is not true
that motherboards with integrated video do not have an agp slot.  Many  do
also have an agp slot.  Thus you can add a second card (meaning a second
monitor).  With the low price of good video cards (including dual video
cards) I would skip the integrated and go for a 128mb dual display card for
$100 or less.  This is also easier to setup up if you want dual displays.

A lot depends on how comfortable you are getting around the inside of your
machine, mananaging drivers pulling cards etc.

Newer pcs should have a minimum of 512mb Ram because of the bloated OS.
Older pcs have some limitations on how much ram they can access.

On the flipside, I also have a g5 Dual 2gig with 2.5 gigs of memory.  There
are 8 memory slots (for a total of 8gb ram).  I use it for video editing and
I allot 1.5 gigs to the program.  I have not heard of programs not being
able to access more than 1g.  I purchased this machine because of the
editing software(it is not available for the pc).

I would add to Dales comments: Avoid the celeron chip and get the p4 (or
AMD).

Hope this helps.

Bob Seabold


-----Original Message-----
From: astro-photo-bounces@seds.org
[mailto:astro-photo-bounces@seds.org]On Behalf Of Jerry Lodriguss
Sent: Friday, January 30, 2004 1:09 AM
To: Discussion of Film Astrophotography
Subject: RE: [APML] computer video card


At 10:37 PM 1/29/2004 -0800, you wrote:
>The problem is that if you get the computer with the integrated video card
>it has a motherboard with no AGP slot. You can disable the integrated video
>card and add a new video card but only a PCI video card which would be no
>better than the integrated card. For the extra $70 you get not only the
>video card but an entirely different motherboard with an AGP slot that will
>accept a high end card if you want to upgrade later. When I get Dell Pc's I
>get them with the cheapest video card, but not the integrated.


Hi Dale,

That is an excellent point. I didn't know that about the Dell machines.

Jerry

_______________________________________________
Astro-Photo mailing list
Astro-Photo@seds.org
http://seds.org/mailman/listinfo/astro-photo

_______________________________________________
Astro-Photo mailing list
Astro-Photo@seds.org
http://seds.org/mailman/listinfo/astro-photo