Video Card Help

[Zuph]

I have two questions. The first is, What kind of video card can I buy now that is around $100, will last a while, and out performs my Voodoo3?

Second question: In most games, I can only run them at really low resolutions (800x600 is the highest. I can run that if I'm lucky) or the computer freezes. I get good framerates during the time that it DOES run in higher resolutions, but it will freeze. What is the problem?

Also, my system is a Duron 800, Voodoo3 3000 PCI, 196 MB Ram, EPoX EP-8KTA2.

Thanks!

 

[stran]

instability is probably the problem. Is anything overclocked? if so set it to its default. Also are you just running one task when the game freezes or are runnin something else like burning a cd.

 

[Cimmerian]

For your first question. A Geforce2 MX 32MB will outperform a voodoo3 easy. Cost? $70. An ATI RADEON 32MB SDR will also outperform a voodoo3 for just under $100. I would spend the little extra and get a GeForce2 Pro 64MB or take a chance on the PowerVR KYRO II 64MB. Go check out the Anandtech "Weekly CPU & Video Card Price Guide: July 2001 1st Edition" "http://www.anandtech.com/guides/showdoc.html?i=1498&p=4"

As for the second question. The first things I would check would be to make sure all of the ram is PC100 SDram and not older 66Mhz SDram. Check the heat on the processor, if it's running to hot get some thermal grease and maybe a better fan. I would try the Voodoo3 in another PCI slot and make sure it had a good IRQ and no conflicts. Another thing I would try is making sure there is a good installation of what ever Windows OS you are using. Go for a good fdisk and reinstall. Make sure Norten Utilities/Antivirus is not running the background.

I have a Voodoo3 3000 AGP with a k6-2 550 and it runs very nicely in 1024x768x16 in pretty much every game out there.

 

[tippmann]

Go for the PowerVR KYRO II 64MB - it easily out performs an MX card....
It is closer to my geforce 2 Ultra and for around $115 you cant loose....