Graphics card probs...

[GetCarter]

My graphics card is dying (crashes - error messages etc). I've uploaded the latest driver... still the same probs.

So my plan is to by the latest version of the same card (existing is Radeon X600 - latest is I think Radeon 1800)

Not being that techie, is it just a case of buying this card - and replacing the existing card - or could there be compatibility problems with the motherboard etc?

Computer 2 year old P4 - 2 gb ram.

Thanks for any advice.

[rsvmilly]

I would

1. uninstall any drivers
2. power off and swap cards
3. install new drivers

Shouldn't be any compatibility problems. Just make sure the new card is of the same format as the old one

ie AGP (most likely for 2yr old) or PCIe


Just googled and yours would appear to be PCIe

Edited by rsvmilly on Sunday 19th November 09:57

[GetCarter]

cheers

[spivvy]

look at which model of motherboard you have have google it and it should tell you what sort of connectors are on the motherboard

[xiphias]

A x600 is more than likely pci-e I would have thought. I don't think they ever did an agp version of it. You can get X1900 now, and various subguises such as 1900X, XT. XT-X, XL, PRO which makes judging the most powerful card a bit of a nightmare really. I'd just double check your power supply before upgrading, you might be pushing it with a newer card.

[CommanderJameson]

After installing the ATI Catalyst 6.10 driver on my games PC (which has an ATI Radeon 9800 Pro in it), I had no end of trouble with crashes, lockups and errors relating to DirectSound (which didn't half send me on a wild goose chase).

I fixed it by uninstalling the ATI driver and using instead the signed driver from Microsoft (the one that comes from Windows update). I don't have a fancy control panel application anymore but I can play Counter-Strike and Darwinia without incident now.

[ThePassenger]

Yeah... the ATi drivers are... how can I put this. A steaming pile of festering spewtem shaped by years of exquisite experts to look similar a pile of st!

It would be worth upgrading the drivers, downgrading the drivers, using a 3rd party driver set and indeed looking at the Microsoft supplied drivers before simply saying the card is shagged and buying a new one.
Also, whilst fidding with these driver updates note that often ATi's drivers won't uninstall without a fight... make sure you follow the instructions exactly as written!

Then decide that this is far too much like hard work, uninstall all ATi crap from system, rip the card out, snap it in two and then go and buy a compatible Nvidia unit and feel the love that is ForceWare.

[rsvmilly]

ThePassenger said:

Yeah... the ATi drivers are... how can I put this. A steaming pile of festering spewtem shaped by years of exquisite experts to look similar a pile of st!

I'm sensing a certain animosity to ATi.

I've had a 9800Pro and now an 1900XT and they've both worked a treat. The latest Catalyst drivers seem to update a lot easier than the previous versions, though.

They've always seemed to edge ahead of the nVidia equivalents on benchmark tests, which was why I opted for them

Edited by rsvmilly on Monday 20th November 09:03

[that daddy]

yep always had ATI cards,no problems i use Omega drivers though,and yes i use greedy games with no crashes etc.

[pentoman]

Hmm are ATi drivers that bad? Is it worth me trying these Omega ones. I don't want anything overly complex and I'm liking the ATi profiles thingy - would I lose that with Omega?