[KINNEY1978]

http://www.officedep...deon-9550-AGP/#

Hi,

My son's (7-years-old) computer is a Dell Optiplex GX260 (tower).

The specs are:

I have a Dell Optiplex GX260 (tower).

CPU: Intel P4 3.06 GHz/512K/533FSB 478 socket.

OS: XP Home Edition Service Pack 2

RAM: 1.0 GB

Power Supply: 300watts
My son see's me playing the game on my laptop and wants me to install on his. So it's worth it just to upgrade the video card for him.
This video card is available at CompUSA. I can pick it up today (which is good), if you think it's good enough.
I just wanted to ask because the Left 4 Dead case shows requirements of:
"DirectX 9 compatible video card. Video card must be 128 MB or more and should be DirectX 9-compatible with support for pixel shader 2.0 (ATI 9600 or higher. Or, NVIDIA 6600 or higher).
Thanks!

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According to what you stated Left 4 Dead requires a ATI Radeon card that is 9600 and above. The card that you listed is a 9550 which is right under neath the 9600 mark.

I think you would be happier with this card Saphire Radeon X1650 It is cheaper (on this site) and has much more capability.

Or any of the cards on this page Newegg.com ATI Video Cards X1K. They are all around the price of the card you listed. But they may be more expensive in stores...

You can use this page as a reference if you go shopping at a local computer store. i.e. Office Depot, mom and pop shop, etc. Craigslist has some good deals for used cards too, sometimes they are new in the box.

In short, I don't think that card will be suffice for Left 4 Dead.


Edit: I also wanted to add that adding more RAM can help with games and overall speed of your pc. If interested, do this...

This is a great way to find out the kind of RAM (memory) you have and how much of it your motherboard will support. Upgrading your RAM is the most cost-efficient way to increasing your computers speed and performance.

Go to www.crucial.com. Use their Online System Scanner.

After this, Crucial should have recommended what the maximum amount your computer can handle and the specifications on the kind of RAM you should purchase. Don't know where to buy it? Newegg

Hope that helps!

Edited by Ferrari, 28 March 2009 - 02:22 PM.

[Ferrari]

According to what you stated Left 4 Dead requires a ATI Radeon card that is 9600 and above. The card that you listed is a 9550 which is right under neath the 9600 mark.

I think you would be happier with this card Saphire Radeon X1650 It is cheaper (on this site) and has much more capability.

Or any of the cards on this page Newegg.com ATI Video Cards X1K. They are all around the price of the card you listed. But they may be more expensive in stores...

You can use this page as a reference if you go shopping at a local computer store. i.e. Office Depot, mom and pop shop, etc. Craigslist has some good deals for used cards too, sometimes they are new in the box.

In short, I don't think that card will be suffice for Left 4 Dead.


Edit: I also wanted to add that adding more RAM can help with games and overall speed of your pc. If interested, do this...

This is a great way to find out the kind of RAM (memory) you have and how much of it your motherboard will support. Upgrading your RAM is the most cost-efficient way to increasing your computers speed and performance.

Go to www.crucial.com. Use their Online System Scanner.

After this, Crucial should have recommended what the maximum amount your computer can handle and the specifications on the kind of RAM you should purchase. Don't know where to buy it? Newegg

Hope that helps!

Edited by Ferrari, 28 March 2009 - 02:22 PM.

[KINNEY1978]

According to what you stated Left 4 Dead requires a ATI Radeon card that is 9600 and above. The card that you listed is a 9550 which is right under neath the 9600 mark.

I think you would be happier with this card Saphire Radeon X1650 It is cheaper (on this site) and has much more capability.

Or any of the cards on this page Newegg.com ATI Video Cards X1K. They are all around the price of the card you listed. But they may be more expensive in stores...

You can use this page as a reference if you go shopping at a local computer store. i.e. Office Depot, mom and pop shop, etc. Craigslist has some good deals for used cards too, sometimes they are new in the box.

In short, I don't think that card will be suffice for Left 4 Dead.

Hope that helps!

How do the numbers work for the ATI cards? For instance, the requirement on the game case says "ATI 9600 or higher" but the card you suggested says "X1650 PRO". I just want to understand so that I can search for the right card in the store. Thanks!

Can you please point to BEST one that will work for my PC at BestBuy, Office Depot, CompUSA? These are the local stores for me that I can walk in and get. Or is my option only online?

[KINNEY1978]

This says 8x, but I've read that 8x cards will work in 4x slots (just at 4x quality). Is that true and will this card fit what I need?

http://www.bestbuy.c...d=1203815723741

[Ferrari]

There is an ATI "9 Series" so generally speaking the higher the number the better. so 9600 is better than 9500. See?

Then there is a better series X1K meaning X1000series. Hence the card I recommended is the X1650. Higher the number the better. X1500 is not as good as X1650. See?

Again, generally speaking, what you are looking for in the card is for the specifications to have higher than DirectX9, and OpenGL 2.0 or higher. What also determines if one card is better than another is the mb/gb and bits. So, a 128mb that is 64bit is lower and not as good as a card that is 256mb that is 128bit. Basically, in these departments: The higher the numbers the better!

Left 4 Dead requires a card at least 128mb, so looking for something that is 256mb or 512mb.

Also, please note that some cards require a better power supply, so be sure to look on the box for the system requirements. For example, the card in my new system I'm building requires a power supply of at least 400watts, so I have to buy a power supply that is 400watts or higher, not to mention reliable.

I don't know what all Best buy, or Office Depot will carry in the stores near you. That's why I suggested to use that page I linked you to so you can compare or find a card close to any that are listed on that page. Many cards are very similar(the same really), they are just made by different companys like Saphire, HIS, or Visiontek to name a few.

i.e. A saphire x1650 512mb 128bit card is pretty much the same as a visiontek x1650 512mb 128bit card. They just look different, may or may not have a fan, etc.

Edited by Ferrari, 28 March 2009 - 02:37 PM.

[Ferrari]

I was replying when you added that link to the card from best buy. That card is good and will work. However, that is a really high price if you ask me, but if you are going to be buying in a store you will pay a higher price. I buy everything online from newegg.com. They are cheaper, but you have to wait for it to be shipped.

That card requires a 270watt power supply, do you have a 270watt or higher power supply? You can look on the back of it on your computer or maybe from the inside if it's not there.

[Ferrari]

And yes, cards that are 8x are supposed to be backwards compatible with the 4x slot. They will run at the 4x speeds, which isn't that much slower from research I have done.

Here is a link to the HD series cards by Radeon Click Here

Edited by Ferrari, 28 March 2009 - 02:46 PM.

[kamille316]

Hi,

If you want to compare video cards, here's a great hierarchy chart. The higher in tier it is, the better the card is.

And I second that ATI 2400 PRO, it should be able to handle Left 4 Dead as it uses Source Engine (which is 4 years old).

Kamille

[Ferrari]

Definitely stealing that chart from you Kamille! Nice.

[kamille316]

Definitely stealing that chart from you Kamille! Nice.

Yeah, it is a very handy chart and they release a new chart every month