Upgrade video card in "old" machine?

[paminof]

The machine is a Compaq Deskpro 2000 PII 266 MHz with 256 MB memory
and an integrated PCI Matrox MGA 1164SG. It runs Win2k just fine and I
want to keep it for now.

It has full-length PCI slots, but NO AGP. The problem is that the
video is maxed out at 1280x1024 @ 256 colors. It will do 64K colors
with a proprietary memory upgrade (KTC-V834/2), if I could find one. I
also want to use DVI with my ViewSonic VP181 monitor.

I think I can disable the integrated video in BIOS, and install a PCI
video card. I did a search at NEWEGG.COM and it looks like there are a
few of those cards still around:

Powercolor ATI Radeon 7000 32MB PCI RV6P-A3 = $41

Chaintech GEFORCE4 MX440-8X 64MB PCI P-G486 = $53


Both cards are PCI + DVI. Is this a practical solution and is it worth
doing? Thanks in advance.

 

[Kent_Diego]

Powercolor ATI Radeon 7000 32MB PCI RV6P-A3 = $41

Chaintech GEFORCE4 MX440-8X 64MB PCI P-G486 = $53

Both cards are PCI + DVI. Is this a practical solution and is it worth
doing? Thanks in advance.

I can see no reason why not. Be sure these PCI video cards are not "Mac"
video cards and can be used in Windows PC. The cool thing about PCI video
cards is than you can use them with other AGP/PCI video cards and have
multiple monitors, although both the cards you listed support dual monitors
when used alone. On the otherside, I found it is not worth spending money on
obsolete hardware for old system when you could upgrade motherboard/CPU for
less than $100, but for each his own. BTW Newegg is the best place to shop.

-Kent

 

[JAD]

It has full-length PCI slots

Just to clarify as you are using terminology that is normally associated with ISA slots....they are white slots 4 in (or so) in
length not black 6 or 7 inches long.

 

[paminof]

Kent, thanks for the reply. I would upgrade the motherboard if I knew
how.

I have an old DEC (Digital Equipment) machine with a beautiful case
and a variable-speed thermostatically controlled fan (very quiet), a
collector's item. I've no idea how to mount a new MB in there. I've
always thought that new MBs wouldn't line-up dimensionally inside
older cases (mounting holes, etc.), and that the ports wouldn't
line-up with the cutouts in the back of the case. I'd love to learn
how to do this.

The Deskpro is obsolete, but I figured that you can't go wrong for
$41. I'll get 1280x1024 with at least 64K colors to run my ViewSonic
VP181 in DVI mode. For what I do (writing software) that should be
plenty.

BTW, do you have a preference among the available PCI/DVI video cards?

 

[paminof]

I'm not sure, I was just quoting from the Compaq manual -- I did my
homework. I think they mean that the case will accommodate
full-length cards. The slots are red, if I remember.

 

[JAD]

The slots are red, if I remember.yes this wouldn't surprize me even then, compaq refused to go with standards

 

[Strontium]

-
paminof stood up at show-n-tell, in
(e-mail address removed), and said:

Kent, thanks for the reply. I would upgrade the motherboard if I knew
how.

I have an old DEC (Digital Equipment) machine with a beautiful case
and a variable-speed thermostatically controlled fan (very quiet), a
collector's item. I've no idea how to mount a new MB in there. I've
always thought that new MBs wouldn't line-up dimensionally inside
older cases (mounting holes, etc.), and that the ports wouldn't
line-up with the cutouts in the back of the case. I'd love to learn
how to do this.

Most motherboards come with the I/O faceplate, for the back of the case. I
think the determining factor is going to be the form-factor of the case you
have. I've seen some cases that support MicroATX, ATX, and AT form factors.
I've, also, seen cases that support only AT. Of course, you would also have
to take the power supply into consideration, as well.

 

[paminof]

Thanks. About the power supply, I've seen them as high 300-400W.
That's a lot of juice. The processor uses 10-15W? The drives & cards
maybe another 10-20? I'd like to see energy-efficient PCs, at 400W it
is also a space heater

 

[Strontium]

What processor(s)/motherboard(s) are we talking about? The newest have
gotten up to 50W, depending on die size (yikes!). I remember, back in the
K6-2 days, it was at around 30W.

-
paminof stood up at show-n-tell, in
(e-mail address removed), and said:

 

[J.Clarke]

-
paminof stood up at show-n-tell, in
(e-mail address removed), and said:


Most motherboards come with the I/O faceplate, for the back of the
case. I think the determining factor is going to be the form-factor
of the case you have. I've seen some cases that support MicroATX,
ATX, and AT form factors. I've, also, seen cases that support only AT.
Of course, you would also have
to take the power supply into consideration, as well.

If it is a DEC or a DeskPro, which is a Compaq brand, then it is not an
ATX case, or MicroATX, or FlexATX or AT or any other standard. DEC and
Compaq both use proprietary form factors. Power supply pinouts are also
usually proprietary on those machines and some don't have disk power
coming off the power supply, instead it comes off connectors on the
motherboard.

If it can be done at all it usually requires major case mods. Generally
just not worth it when a decent case can be had for 40 bucks.

 

[J.Clarke]

The slots are red, if I remember.
yes this wouldn't surprize me even then, compaq refused to go with
standards

Nahh, just cheaping out and buying surplus Microchannel connectors--a
PCI connector is a Microchannel connector rotated 180 degrees, and the
Microchannel connectors in the IBMs were usually red IIRC.

 

[klink]

The machine is a Compaq Deskpro 2000 PII 266 MHz with 256 MB memory
and an integrated PCI Matrox MGA 1164SG. It runs Win2k just fine and I
want to keep it for now.

It has full-length PCI slots, but NO AGP. The problem is that the
video is maxed out at 1280x1024 @ 256 colors. It will do 64K colors
with a proprietary memory upgrade (KTC-V834/2), if I could find one. I
also want to use DVI with my ViewSonic VP181 monitor.

I think I can disable the integrated video in BIOS, and install a PCI
video card. I did a search at NEWEGG.COM and it looks like there are a
few of those cards still around:

Powercolor ATI Radeon 7000 32MB PCI RV6P-A3 = $41

Chaintech GEFORCE4 MX440-8X 64MB PCI P-G486 = $53


Both cards are PCI + DVI. Is this a practical solution and is it worth
doing? Thanks in advance.

I think anything more powerful than a Voodoo3 PCI or a TNT2 Ultra
might be a waste of processing power in that machine. The trick will
be finding them for sale. There are still a lot of surplus 3dfx
producst floating around out there so it might not be too hard to find
one still new in the box.

klink

 

[paminof]

Thanks klink,

I don't really know much about video cards, that's why I posted here.
I used NEWEGG's search feature and specified:

Slot Type: PCI
Second Output: DVI

The result was a short list of cards, and I picked the cheapest one.
The Chaintech GEFORCE4 MX440 comes with free shipping, so it's
probably the better deal.

All I want is 1280x1024 with at least 64K colors to run my ViewSonic
VP181 in DVI mode. I know that Compaqs were oddball machines, so I am
concerned about compatibility.