Need help!

[shinji969]

I need help choosing a graphics card for a Sony Vaio PCV-RX830. When I try to log into FFXI, I get a Hardware TnL error. Is there a graphics card that will run FFXI on my computer? Please help me......

[Icemage]

Re: Need help!

There's only sketchy information online as far as specifications for your Sony Vaio PCV-RX830, but my quick Google search turned up a few hits suggesting that you should be able to install any AGP 8X graphics card (which should easily support FFXI).

To be certain, you'll need to check the owners manual that came with your laptop and make sure it doesn't have any special considerations like dimensions (is it a laptop or desktop system? Laptops tend to be space-limited and often require specialized graphics cards to accomodate them).

If you can post the specifications for the motherboard from your owners manual, we can give you more specific advice.


Icemage

[Bricklayer]

Re: Need help!

Found this on the Sony website:

Model PCV-RX830
Processor 2.66 GHz Intel® Pentium® 4
Hard Disk Drive 80 GB2, ATA-100 C = 16 GB, D = 64 GB
Standard Memory (RAM) 512 MB PC2100 DDR-SDRAM, expandable to 1.5 GB
Graphics SiS 651 Integrated Graphics
Video Memory (VRAM) 32 MB (Shared with system memory)
Expansion Capabilities
Hard disk drive bay
PCI slots (2)
AGP slot
Power Requirement 300 watts maximum

Also found some info in forums:
http://www.agoraquest.com/viewtopic.php?topic=19683
http://www.agoraquest.com/viewtopic.php?topic=17759


As Icemage said, you could probably get an AGP card (not sure if you've got 4x or 8x). You should definitely check your manuals. You might also look at your hardware manager? It should tell you what kinds of busses (PCI, AGP, PCI-x) you have.

Anyone have suggestions for a suitable AGP card? I saw Radeon 9550 mentioned on one of the forum posts above...

[Thrasher]

Re: Need help!

Budget for this upgrade?
I can think of a list of cards but the radeon 9 series are about the best for a cheap upgrade. But the 7600gs is also very nice.

ATI
9600 the cheapest card I would recomend.. kinda
x800

Nvidia
6600 or 6600gt
7600gs

[neighbortaru]

Re: Need help!

the ati X700 pro is pretty good and relatively cheap. if you go down to the 9xxxx series, try to find a 9800 pro, the lower end ones, though cheap, are not worth it.

[bside]

Re: Need help!

you could probably get an AGP card (not sure if you've got 4x or 8x).

If I remember correctly, SiS651 supports only up to 4x (AGP 2.0). It doesn't matter what the South Bridge chipset is; SiS651 North Bridge provides connectivity to AGP slot. (I could be wrong; though I'm almost positive SiS651 only supported 4x when it first came out, they may have released updated versions supporting 8x.)

Now, using those "8x/4x only" AGP cards might cause a trouble; AGP 3.0 runs w/ 0.8V but AGP 2.0 runs w/ 1.5V. While the AGP2.0 card simply doesn't work in AGP 3.0-only slot because not enough voltage is provided, putting 3.0-only card to 2.0 slot does work (2.0 and 3.0 slots are physically the same, while 1.0 and 2.0/3.0 are not). But using AGP 3.0-only video cards in AGP 2.0 slot means too much voltage to the card, and possibly, or very likely, breaks it.

Many current AGP video cards don't provide support nor warranty when used in 4x only slots, even when some claim to work. This is because they are only designed to "withstand" 1.5V, not to work w/ it.

So, whatever you're buying, make sure it works w/ AGP 2.0, or in other words 1.5V.

[Thrasher]

Re: Need help!

That chipset supports AGP 4x so AGP 4X/8X cards should work. I had zero issues running a AGP 4x/8x card in a VIA S3 based board with AGP 4X (well except a rather nasty bios based issue)

Any cards that support AGP 4X should be fine.