Can I upgrade video

[tommyc]

Have onboard AGP graphics that cant cut it for gaming. (only 8 megs at 2x agp)
No bios setting or jumper to disable it.
No $ for new pc.
All I got is @ 100 bucks and an empty PCI slot.
P3 450 , 96 megs ram , Win98se
Can I disable AGP in harware profiles and install PCI video card ?
If so, which card ?


Tell me its no problem, or tell me I'm S=====d , just end my puzzlement !

 

[tommyc]

bump

 

[bigboxes]

I'm not sure of any conflict, but I would buy an ATI Radeon 8500 for around $100 and use that empty PCI slot. Your video will be running out of the card and not the onboard video. I'm not sure if you need to disable the onboard in hardware profiles. Anyone?

 

[microAmp]

Who makes the computer? HP? Compaq? Dell?, what is the model number?

 

[FishTankX]

Yeah, sure you can upgrade it. The question is this. In your Bios, you should have an option. Which to boot first. PCI or AGP, right? If you have that option, just drop in the PCI card, set PCI to primary, and you're all set.

 

[tommyc]

Thanks all for the replies.

It is a HP Vectra VLi8.
There is no option in the bios to enable/disable. And no option to boot AGP or PCI first.
Nor is there a jumper on mobo.
I finally found some banter on this subject on the HP IT boards. Though not mentioning my
machine specifically I think I am sol.

 

[tenoc]

The Radeon 8500 is an AGP piece, not PCI.

You need an empty AGP slot. Do you have one?

 

[bigboxes]

D'oh! tenoc...my bad. I don't even think of these things sometimes. When you build you own machine, you forget that the oem market even exists sometimes. Yeah tommyc, do you have an empty agp slot?