Onboard Video

MonkeycracksMonkeycracks
edited January 2006 in Hardware
I have recently bought a new Dell with onboard video. I wanted to install a new video card but wasn't sure if i could without blowing it. If so please explain how. Thanks.

Comments

  • primesuspectprimesuspect Beepin n' Boopin Detroit, MI Icrontian
    edited January 2006
    If it has onboard video, you are not going to be able to install a new video card. Sorry.
  • sfleurietsfleuriet Texas New
    edited January 2006
    OMG....... I CANNOT get a reply to go at the bottom!!! :banghead: :banghead:

    Is it just me or is Prof's new reply right under mine too?!
  • profdlpprofdlp The Holy City Of Westlake, Ohio
    edited January 2006
    Monkeycracks wrote:
    Look at my last message please..
    No, those are PCI slots. :) Does you MB have a brown slot somewhat offset from the white PCI slots?
  • profdlpprofdlp The Holy City Of Westlake, Ohio
    edited January 2006
    pilotwings119 wrote:
    OMG....... I CANNOT get a reply to go at the bottom!!! :banghead: :banghead:

    Is it just me or is Prof's new reply right under mine too?!
    The forum clock has been running an hour fast all day long. Like Cinderella, at midnight it reverts back to its "normal" state.

    The higher-ups are working on it. :)
  • sfleurietsfleuriet Texas New
    edited January 2006
    profdlp wrote:
    The forum clock has been running an hour fast all day long. Like Cinderella, at midnight it reverts back to its "normal" state.

    The higher-ups are working on it. :)
    Okay - Just as long as its not like the "username+" thing that only I saw :p
  • MonkeycracksMonkeycracks
    edited January 2006
    Nope No AGP slots...any way to improve the onboards performance?
  • sfleurietsfleuriet Texas New
    edited January 2006
    primesuspect wrote:
    If it has onboard video, you are not going to be able to install a new video card. Sorry.
    What? I've seen many people upgrade video cards with on-board video, and theres even one Dell at my church with TWO video cards running the sanctuary worship screens where I work.

    Okay I know for a fact you're mistaken. I just forgot about the very first computer mod I ever did - upgraded our HP's video card from onboard to an MX440 64mb card.

    Edit: And yes that was a PCI video card.
  • profdlpprofdlp The Holy City Of Westlake, Ohio
    edited January 2006
    Monkeycracks wrote:
    Nope No AGP slots...any way to improve the onboards performance?
    I see you have found a previous thread on the subject. If your Dell BIOS will allow it, increasing the amount of RAM used by the onboard video may help a little. How much RAM do you have and what model Dell is it?
  • MonkeycracksMonkeycracks
    edited January 2006
    profdlp wrote:
    I see you have found a previous thread on the subject. If your Dell BIOS will allow it, increasing the amount of RAM used by the onboard video may help a little. How much RAM do you have and what model Dell is it?

    512mb RAM
    Windows XP
    Model is unknown to me it was a gift.
  • primesuspectprimesuspect Beepin n' Boopin Detroit, MI Icrontian
    edited January 2006
    onboard video is built into the motherboard. Unless the motherboard has an agp or pci-e slot, you're not going to be able to "upgrade" - you can still put a PCI video card in there, but you will be hard-pressed to find a PCI video card that is better than what he/she currently has as on on-board video chipset.
  • sfleurietsfleuriet Texas New
    edited January 2006
    Monkeycracks wrote:
    512mb RAM
    Windows XP
    Model is unknown to me it was a gift.
    You can look on the front of the case to see what model. Maybe "Dimesion" or "XPS" followed by a letter and some numbers.
  • sfleurietsfleuriet Texas New
    edited January 2006
    primesuspect wrote:
    onboard video is built into the motherboard. Unless the motherboard has an agp or pci-e slot, you're not going to be able to "upgrade" - you can still put a PCI video card in there, but you will be hard-pressed to find a PCI video card that is better than what he/she currently has as on on-board video chipset.
    Okay yeah you're right about that. Is it possible that the Dell does have an AGP slot though?
  • profdlpprofdlp The Holy City Of Westlake, Ohio
    edited January 2006
    Monkeycracks wrote:
    512mb RAM
    Windows XP
    Model is unknown to me it was a gift.
    You should have enough RAM to be able to increase the shared memory. Whether that will actually help much is going to depend on the type of onboard video you're using now. If it's reasonably decent, adding memory will help. If it is truly lousy, even a PCI video card might well be an improvement.

    Look around on the case - there should be something marked on it like Dimension Bxxx, etc. If there is a sticker on the back or a side, whatever, give us the number off of that.
  • RWBRWB Icrontian
    edited January 2006
    what kind of dell is it?
  • KwitkoKwitko Sheriff of Banning (Retired) By the thing near the stuff Icrontian
    edited January 2006
    A lot of motherboards have onboard video and an AGP slot. It really depends on what kind of motherboard he's got. Could have AGP.
  • RWBRWB Icrontian
    edited January 2006
    Money cracks is one of those slots a brownish color? Usually these are color coded, brown is generally AGP and white is PCI(your network cards, etc...).
  • MonkeycracksMonkeycracks
    edited January 2006
    No but what if I was to boost the screen refresh rate by 15 mhz..would that help?
  • MonkeycracksMonkeycracks
    edited January 2006
    profdlp wrote:
    You should have enough RAM to be able to increase the shared memory. Whether that will actually help much is going to depend on the type of onboard video you're using now. If it's reasonably decent, adding memory will help. If it is truly lousy, even a PCI video card might well be an improvement.

    Look around on the case - there should be something marked on it like Dimension Bxxx, etc. If there is a sticker on the back or a side, whatever, give us the number off of that.

    CAN I USE A PCI?
  • profdlpprofdlp The Holy City Of Westlake, Ohio
    edited January 2006
    Take a trip over to Dell's website, click on Find My Service Tag and run the Profiler. It should tell you the exact model number, etc.
  • profdlpprofdlp The Holy City Of Westlake, Ohio
    edited January 2006
    Monkeycracks wrote:
    CAN I USE A PCI?
    Sure. You could well be wasting your money, though.

    WE CAN'T REALLY GIVE YOU A GOOD ANSWER IF YOU DON'T TELL US WHAT MB YOU HAVE. :cool:
  • MonkeycracksMonkeycracks
    edited January 2006
    The AGP slots are the things that like the network/sound/etc. cards plug into right? If so yes they do. The onboard vid sucks btw. I also need directions on how to upgrade it :banghead:
  • profdlpprofdlp The Holy City Of Westlake, Ohio
    edited January 2006
    Kwitko wrote:
    A lot of motherboards have onboard video and an AGP slot...
    I've got three or four of them here that do. Monkeycracks, tell us the exact model number (the Dell part" would help, too) and I'll see what I can find. If you already know for a fact that it does have an AGP slot tell us that, too. :)
  • MonkeycracksMonkeycracks
    edited January 2006
    OK now i just need to know if my radeon 9000 would be able to be used as a PCI I know its better than my onboard.. How would I override the onboard for thew PCI
  • MonkeycracksMonkeycracks
    edited January 2006
    Look at my last message please..

    Note: The forum clock is having a little tantrum. Please see my reply made at 12:01am EST.

    -Prof     :)
  • profdlpprofdlp The Holy City Of Westlake, Ohio
    edited January 2006
    Monkeycracks wrote:
    OK now i just need to know if my radeon 9000 would be able to be used as a PCI I know its better than my onboard.. How would I override the onboard for thew PCI
    You need to see if the onboard video can be disabled in the BIOS.
  • MonkeycracksMonkeycracks
    edited January 2006
    thanks ill try that..
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