Looking for the right video card for me

[wkornfeld]

I'm new to home computer gaming. I'm used to going to cafe's and what not and just using their computers... I am pretty much only playing counterstrike source and have no idea what video card would be best with my settings. Unfortunately I don't have $400 to spend either on a card so I don't know if I can really get what I need within a decent budget...

I went online and did a scan of my computer and this is what I came up with:

Dell Dimension 4700:

OS Information:
Property Value
OS Name Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition|C:\WINDOWS|\Device\Harddisk0\Partition1
Service Pack 2.0
OS Manufacturer Microsoft Corporation
Windows Directory C:\WINDOWS


Processor:
Property Value
Current Clock Speed 2992
Description x86 Family 15 Model 4 Stepping 1
Manufacturer GenuineIntel
Name Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4 CPU 3.00GHz

Current Clock Speed 2992
Description x86 Family 15 Model 4 Stepping 1
Manufacturer GenuineIntel
Name Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4 CPU 3.00GHz


Memory (RAM):
Property Value
Bank Label
Capacity 268435456

Bank Label
Capacity 268435456

Bank Label
Capacity 536870912

Bank Label
Capacity 536870912

Total Memory Deteced in Hardware: ~1536 MB
Memory Reported to Operating System: 1526MB

Disk Drives:
Property Value
Description Disk drive
Manufacturer (Standard disk drives)
Model WDC WD1600JD-75HBB0
Media Type Fixed hard disk media
Size 159998146560 (~149 GB)
Number of Partitions 3


Installed Printers:
Property Value
Name HP Deskjet 3740 Series
Port Name USB001
Default True
Driver Name HP Deskjet 3740 Series

Name Fax
Port Name SHRFAX:
Default False
Driver Name Microsoft Shared Fax Driver


Motherboard:
Property Value
Manufacturer Dell Inc.
Model
Name Base Board
Part Number
Product 0M3918
Serial Number ..CN7082156A02ZC.
Version


BIOS:
Property Value
Manufacturer Dell Inc.
Name Phoenix ROM BIOS PLUS Version 1.10 A09
Release Date 20050622000000.000000+000
Version DELL - 7


Monitor:
Property Value
Description Plug and Play Monitor
Name Plug and Play Monitor
Screen Height 1050
Screen Width 1680

Description Plug and Play Monitor
Name Plug and Play Monitor
Screen Height
Screen Width


Keyboard:
Property Value
Description USB Human Interface Device


Pointing Device:
Property Value
Manufacturer Logitech
Name HID-compliant MX500 Optical Mouse

Manufacturer Microsoft
Name HID-compliant mouse


Sound Card:
Property Value
Manufacturer Creative Technology Ltd.
Description Sound Blaster Live! 24-bit
Device ID PCI\VEN_1102&DEV_0007&SUBSYS_10061102&REV_00\4&10416D21&0&08F0

Manufacturer Analog Devices, Inc.
Description SoundMAX Integrated Digital Audio
Device ID PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_266E&SUBSYS_01811028&REV_03\3&172E68DD&0&F2


Video Card:
Property Value
Adapter Compatibility Intel Corporation
Adapter RAM 134217728
Description Intel(R) 82915G/GV/910GL Express Chipset Family
Installed Display Drivers ialmrnt5.dll
Driver Version 6.14.10.4410
Driver Date 10/14/2005 10:15:18 PM
Video Mode Description 1680 x 1050 x 4294967296 colors

Adapter Compatibility Intel Corporation
Adapter RAM 134217728
Description Intel(R) 82915G/GV/910GL Express Chipset Family
Installed Display Drivers ialmrnt5.dll
Driver Version 6.14.10.4410
Driver Date 10/14/2005 10:15:18 PM
Video Mode Description


DirectX Installation:
Property Value


Modem:
Property Value
Model Intel(R) 537EP V9x DF PCI Modem
Name Intel(R) 537EP V9x DF PCI Modem


Network Adapters:
Property Value
Description Intel(R) PRO/100 VE Network Connection - Packet Scheduler Miniport
Description RAS Async Adapter
Description Packet Scheduler Miniport
Description WAN Miniport (L2TP)
Description WAN Miniport (PPTP)
Description WAN Miniport (PPPOE)
Description Direct Parallel
Description WAN Miniport (IP)
Description Packet Scheduler Miniport
Description Linksys Wireless-G PCI Adapter
Description Packet Scheduler Miniport
Description Windows Mobile-based Device

External Ports:
Property Value
External Reference Designator
External Reference Designator
External Reference Designator
External Reference Designator
External Reference Designator
External Reference Designator
External Reference Designator
External Reference Designator
External Reference Designator
External Reference Designator
External Reference Designator
External Reference Designator
External Reference Designator
External Reference Designator
External Reference Designator
External Reference Designator
External Reference Designator
External Reference Designator
External Reference Designator
External Reference Designator

Expansion Slots:
Property Value
Slot Designation PCI_1
Slot Designation PCI_2
Slot Designation PCI_E_1
Slot Designation PEG

[ThreeOnTheTree]

It's hard to tell if you have a PCIe x16 slot or not. Can you open the side and take a picture of the motherboard? Shouldn't be too hard to identify what you can upgrade to.

[DanceMan]

Google would seem to indicate a PCI Express x16 video slot.

[Mattlikespeople]

not with a pentium 4...but at the bottom is says expansiont slots: PCI_E. Odd

[DanceMan]

not with a pentium 4

That's a late P4, not an early one. It's likely to be a S775 Prescott.

[ThreeOnTheTree]

Yeah, the 910 chipset should also support PCIe. I think all 9xx series did. The only thing I wonder is if a PCIe slot is available inside.

[DanceMan]

from the PC World review I linked above:

Besides having a PCI Express X16 graphics card slot, the Dimension 4700 offers an X1 PCI Express slot and two PCI slots for add-ins such as a modem and network cards

or you can view the inside of the case here.

[wkornfeld]

so with everything that you guys have seen and come to realize about my computer... what do you think would be the best video card for my type of gameplay. Counterstrike: Source. On a 22" widescreen monitor.

[hieg]

maybe GeForce 8600GT 256MB $130 would be more than enough for counter strike source.