Recommend an AGP adapter, one generation old?

[Jonathan Sachs]

I'm seeking suggestions for a new AGP display adapter for my computer.
The one I have is so old that it's running under Windows XP with a
legacy driver. I hope that a newer card and driver will eliminate
some problems I'm having with system stability.

I currently have an AGP motherboard, so I must get an AGP adapter. I
expect to build a new system with a PCI-X motherboard in a year or so,
though, so I don't want to buy something fancy -- I would rather limit
my spending and plan to replace the adapter when I build a new
machine.

I want to select a product that was discontinued in the past year or
two, then look for a deal on eBay. I am partial to an ATI-branded
Radeon, but I'm open to other suggestions.

My requirements are: 1920 x 1200 resolution, very reliable hardware,
and a very stable driver for Windows XP. Desirable but not essential
are: Vista support, and DVI support at 1920 x 1200. I don't need high
performance by today's standards -- I don't do any gaming, and very
little video.

 

[rjn]

I'm seeking suggestions for a new AGP display
adapter for my computer.

AGP what?
There are potential incompatibilities if the
motherboard slot is 1x or 2x. A new card is
apt to be a 4x or 8x.

I hope that a newer card and driver will eliminate
some problems I'm having with system stability.

Matrox is still around, if stability is a requirement
(and performance isn't). I'm typing this on a PC
with an AGP 4x Parhelia, 1920x1200 DVI-D.

What makes you think it's the graphics driver?
Are you running ZoneAlarm 7 by any chance?
It's a quivering jello-like mass of thin-ice instability.

My requirements are: 1920 x 1200 resolution,
very reliable hardware, and a very stable driver
for Windows XP.

Does that, although I'm on Win2K and can't
directly speak to the XP stability.

Desirable but not essential are: Vista support,

Don't go there, seriously (although Matrox has
Vista drivers for their cards).

I don't do any gaming, and very little video.

That's the profile of a Matrox customer.

 

[Jonathan Sachs]

Thanks for your response. Since I originally posted I have pretty
much settled on the Radeon 9600 Pro, but I'm happy to discuss the
matter further in case a better idea comes up.

AGP what?
There are potential incompatibilities if the
motherboard slot is 1x or 2x. A new card is
apt to be a 4x or 8x.

The slot is 8x. Sorry I didn't specify, but 1x/2x are so old that I
didn't even think about it.

What makes you think it's the graphics driver?

A couple of things. First, that most of the problems seem to be
associated with cycling through the screensaver. Second, that they
appeared roughly at the time when I replaced one older graphics card
with another.

Are you running ZoneAlarm 7 by any chance?

No. I'm using Norton Internet Security 2007. I'm not entirely happy
with it, but it doesn't crash my system.

Don't go there, seriously (although Matrox has
Vista drivers for their cards).

I cannot think of any reason why I would want to migrate to Vista.
Based on my past experience with new releases of software, I'm
assuming that at some point I will HAVE to, to meet the requirements
of a client or to be compatible with some new application. I hope
that will not happen for years, but you never know.