9200SE... anything I should look out for?

[Matt]

Since I handle all the graphic design and web design for the company it only
stands to reason that my boss would buy me the cheapest computer he could
find... so I'm stuck with a Dell 2400 that does not have an agp port (just
onboard video). So I need a PCI video card and the 9200SE seems to be the
best I can come up with (although I am considering an older Matrox 450). Is
there anything I need to look out for with the different versions of this
card? Since this will probably come out of my persona pocket I'm probably
going to go for the Sapphire ATI RADEON 9200SE with 128MB DDR at Newegg for
$52.

 

[Bill Crocker]

That is an excellent card, providing you're not planning on playing any
high-end 3D video games.

Bill Crocker

 

[Mac Cool]

So I need a PCI video card and the 9200SE seems to be the
best I can come up with (although I am considering an older Matrox 450).

What is it you are trying to achieve? I'm not familiar with the quality of
the onboard video of the 2400s, is it crappy?

 

[DaveL]

Yes the Dell 2400 comes with Intel "Extreme" graphics. Extremely sucky.
Intel should leave graphics to the real graphic companies like ATI and
Nvidia. These companies know how to make onboard graphics that actually
give some performance.

DaveL

 

[Mac Cool]

DaveL:

Yes the Dell 2400 comes with Intel "Extreme" graphics. Extremely sucky.
Intel should leave graphics to the real graphic companies like ATI and
Nvidia. These companies know how to make onboard graphics that actually
give some performance.

When you say 'performance', do you mean 3D performance? I haven't seen an
onboard solution that provided sub-par 2D performance for a long time.
Obviously the 3D performance of any onboard graphics is going to be poor.
Poor 3D performance is not necessarily a reason to add a graphics card.
Some people mistakenly believe that a graphics card will boost the overall
performance of their PC and that isn't true.

I haven't seen the Extreme in action, but I have seen Dell's previous
onboard video solutions and they are just fine for general computing (non-
gaming).

 

[James B. Davis]

Since I handle all the graphic design and web design for the company it only
stands to reason that my boss would buy me the cheapest computer he could
find... so I'm stuck with a Dell 2400 that does not have an agp port (just
onboard video). So I need a PCI video card and the 9200SE seems to be the
best I can come up with (although I am considering an older Matrox 450). Is
there anything I need to look out for with the different versions of this
card? Since this will probably come out of my persona pocket I'm probably
going to go for the Sapphire ATI RADEON 9200SE with 128MB DDR at Newegg for
$52.

Forget it. The onboard graphics may well be better. I had a 9200 and
it's now in my wife's machine. It's ok, but why bother if you have
onboard graphics.

 

[DaveL]

Yes, I was talking about 3d performance. If all you want to do is 2d then
Intel is ok. But Dell does not tell you up front that your new 2400 won't
do 3d worth a damn.

DaveL