Newbie needs hardware advice

J

Jaret Byar

Geek Trainee
Hello, sorry I don't know nothing of hardware and will sound very lame but we all have our fields of knowledge.

My computer broke down today and I am certain that the video card is dead.
Now I have to find replacement but I will not have my allowance soon so I have to find a cheap replacement. Also I don't play games so this makes it OK for me.

The video card was `nVidia GeForce 4 MX`. I had `GeForce 2` when I bought this PC but it died so replaced it with the closest thing I could find.

So my question is:

What other old/common video cards can serve as replacement of the GeForce I lost. Or in my language: "What other video card will fit in the slot and then work when I start the PC".

I am looking for the cheapest way so, please, send me all the cards you can think of so I look for each of them at used components sections.
 
Your PC killed two G cards so far. Are you certain that the cards actually died? If they have, perhaps your board or your PC configuration is killing them? Planting another card in, might leave you in the same situation......

Do you know what motherboard you have? and can you post as much info about your system as possible?
 
If it would run I could read somewhere what motherboard I have but all I can see now is the labels: "QDI www.qdigrp.com" and "QDI worldclass mainboard KinetiZ 7E" I also know that it's one of the last that uses SD RAM.

The processor was some 2.6 GHz or something.

Also before the card died it's fan started to make funny noises for a few weeks. Than it stopped making those noises and i think it's because it started to spin really slow.

Before the card died the PC crushed a couple of times. But I didn't pay any attention just restarted it and get on with what I was doing. The last time I started it it just gave me a continued beep on start. And that was it. Now all I get is a long beep and a black screen.
 
you could try replacing the fan on the GPU on your old grx card, your mobo manual is here

you have an AGP 4X slot, and you can use PC100 or PC133 RAM, use PCWizard to findout out more info about your system (like the RAM your using)
 
The fan spins very slow. Could this be the reason the video card refuses to works and the PC doesn't start?

So I must search for a card that fits a "AGP 4X" slot? Thanks very much for that!

P.S.
donkey42, I understand you want to help, and I am thankful, but I don't know how the manual is going to help me. I look at it the way my niece looks at my Processual Law textbook. :confused:
 
Jaret said:
The fan spins very slow. Could this be the reason the video card refuses to works and the PC doesn't start?
Click to expand...
possibly
Jaret said:
donkey, I understand you want to help, and I am thankful, but I don't know how the manual is going to help me. I look at it the way my niece looks at my Processual Law textbook. :confused:
Click to expand...
well i looked at the manual to find out that you require a AGP 4X slot grfx card[ot]stop using big words, i'm confussed enough talking about computers[/ot]BTW: please don't say your a lawyer / solicitor
 
Ok. So my motherboard supports card that are AGP 4x something.

I found out that that such cards (compatible) are:
GeForce 2
GeForce 4 MX
GeForce 4 Ti4200
GeForce 6600GT
ATI Radeon 9800Pro

if anyone can add other cards to the list I'll be greatful.

P.S. I'll buy a fan tomorow and see if that was the problem.
Donkey, I'm just a student for now.
 
I'll go buy a fan and replace it. Hoping Donkey is correct. If the PC works I'll post right away.
If it doesn't I'll have to go back ad look for a new gfx card.
 
I'm in for more advice. Here is what happened:
I went to by a new gfx car fan but there was a GeForce2 Pro at the same price as the fan. So I toke it.
I put it in the PC and it started and even loaded Windows.
It sais it found some new hardware every time it starts so I guess it doesn't share the same drivers with my old GeForce4.
So I downloaded drivers for GeForce2 Pro but it doesn't accept them. Claims they are not for this hardware :(
I am downloadind this PC Wiz program now. I hope it will tell me what card I've just bought and what drivers i have to use for it.
 
did you uninstall the GF4 drivers before trying to install the downloaded GF2 drivers? That might stop the new drivers to merge into the system completely.
 
This is where I got so far.
When I opened the Display settings it couldn't determine what gfx card i had.
I used the WinXP CD to repair my WinXP instalation. Now it on Display settings it sais I have 'GF2 GTS'. So far so good.
I try to install the latest drivers for it but neither nVidia nor Leadtek drivers would install. Both say I don't have a product they support.

Do I still have to uninstall the old GF4 Drivers? Maybe after WinXP was repaired they were uninstalled automaticaly? Why I can't install lewer drivers?
 
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