PCI graphics card for Win98?

[Guest Paradoxdb3]

Is it wise to install a PCI graphics card? The on-board graphics adaptor is

working fine. The highest setting is true color - 24 bit. I don't know if

32 bit is better to have. So, I've considered getting a graphics card that

will make true color 32 bit mode. But I think I heard somewhere that a

graphics card will slow down (or bottle neck) the system. Is this true? And

how about a graphics card that allows you to plug your television into

it....does something like this exist? Is it worthwhile?

[Guest philo]

Re: PCI graphics card for Win98?

 

 

"Paradoxdb3" <Paradoxdb3@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message

news:AD52708A-4CE0-40F5-901A-2E62795F3E9C@microsoft.com...

> Is it wise to install a PCI graphics card? The on-board graphics adaptor

is

> working fine. The highest setting is true color - 24 bit. I don't know

if

> 32 bit is better to have. So, I've considered getting a graphics card

that

> will make true color 32 bit mode. But I think I heard somewhere that a

> graphics card will slow down (or bottle neck) the system. Is this true?

And

> how about a graphics card that allows you to plug your television into

> it....does something like this exist? Is it worthwhile?

 

 

If your on-board graphics card works fine...then leave everything alone.

 

I doubt if your eyes could possibly tell the difference between 24bit and

32bit color.

 

Only if you were doing some very serious Photoshop work and you could see

the difference when printed...would i bother to change things

[Guest Franc Zabkar]

Re: PCI graphics card for Win98?

 

On Fri, 23 Nov 2007 18:16:06 -0800, Paradoxdb3

<Paradoxdb3@discussions.microsoft.com> put finger to keyboard and

composed:

>Is it wise to install a PCI graphics card? The on-board graphics adaptor is

>working fine. The highest setting is true color - 24 bit. I don't know if

>32 bit is better to have. So, I've considered getting a graphics card that

>will make true color 32 bit mode. But I think I heard somewhere that a

>graphics card will slow down (or bottle neck) the system. Is this true?

 

To see just how much impact your onboard graphics has on system

performance, run a memory benchmark program at different graphics

resolutions and colour depths. Because your onboard graphics shares

(ie competes for) system RAM, you should notice significant

improvements at lower resolutions and colour depths. Whether this

statistic translates into a performance difference that you can detect

in normal operation is something for you to decide.

 

My Internet PC is based on an old M571 socket 7 motherboard with SiS

5597/5598 chipset, 128MB of SDRAM and an AMD K6-2 450MHz CPU. Until

recently I was using the onboard graphics.

 

I once attempted to crank more performance out of the system by

tweaking the chipset registers. My baseline benchmark result for

memory reads with Everest Home was 69MB/s. After tweaking, it rose to

77MB/s. Initially this low figure was a big surprise. However, after I

reduced my display resolution from 1024x768 and 16 bit colour to

640x480 and 256 colours, the board benched at ~150MB/s. So it's clear

that the onboard video, which in my case was configured to share only

2MB of system RAM, resulted in a significant performance hit, at least

during benchmarking.

>And how about a graphics card that allows you to plug your television into

>it....does something like this exist? Is it worthwhile?

 

They do exist but, by all accounts, the TV image quality is poor.

 

- Franc Zabkar

--

Please remove one 'i' from my address when replying by email.

[Guest Robert Baer]

Re: PCI graphics card for Win98?

 

Paradoxdb3 wrote:

> Is it wise to install a PCI graphics card? The on-board graphics adaptor is

> working fine. The highest setting is true color - 24 bit. I don't know if

> 32 bit is better to have. So, I've considered getting a graphics card that

> will make true color 32 bit mode. But I think I heard somewhere that a

> graphics card will slow down (or bottle neck) the system. Is this true? And

> how about a graphics card that allows you to plug your television into

> it....does something like this exist? Is it worthwhile?

I have an All-in-Wonder Radeon 32Mb AGP NTSC board running in 32bit

color mode (nominlaay 800x600 resolution).

I can feed it TV type signals via coax, SPDIF or their strange

adaptor cable that allows SPDIF or video/right/left RCA cables.

I have connected VCR players and DVD players to it and recorded some

old movies from those sources.

It is a hoot if you minimize the viewing screen, as the video then

becomes wallpaper!

 

Would be nice if a board like that was available for PCI or PCIE.

[Guest Robert Baer]

Re: PCI graphics card for Win98?

 

Franc Zabkar wrote:

> On Fri, 23 Nov 2007 18:16:06 -0800, Paradoxdb3

> <Paradoxdb3@discussions.microsoft.com> put finger to keyboard and

> composed:

>

>

>>Is it wise to install a PCI graphics card? The on-board graphics adaptor is

>>working fine. The highest setting is true color - 24 bit. I don't know if

>>32 bit is better to have. So, I've considered getting a graphics card that

>>will make true color 32 bit mode. But I think I heard somewhere that a

>>graphics card will slow down (or bottle neck) the system. Is this true?

>

>

> To see just how much impact your onboard graphics has on system

> performance, run a memory benchmark program at different graphics

> resolutions and colour depths. Because your onboard graphics shares

> (ie competes for) system RAM, you should notice significant

> improvements at lower resolutions and colour depths. Whether this

> statistic translates into a performance difference that you can detect

> in normal operation is something for you to decide.

>

> My Internet PC is based on an old M571 socket 7 motherboard with SiS

> 5597/5598 chipset, 128MB of SDRAM and an AMD K6-2 450MHz CPU. Until

> recently I was using the onboard graphics.

>

> I once attempted to crank more performance out of the system by

> tweaking the chipset registers. My baseline benchmark result for

> memory reads with Everest Home was 69MB/s. After tweaking, it rose to

> 77MB/s. Initially this low figure was a big surprise. However, after I

> reduced my display resolution from 1024x768 and 16 bit colour to

> 640x480 and 256 colours, the board benched at ~150MB/s. So it's clear

> that the onboard video, which in my case was configured to share only

> 2MB of system RAM, resulted in a significant performance hit, at least

> during benchmarking.

>

>

>>And how about a graphics card that allows you to plug your television into

>>it....does something like this exist? Is it worthwhile?

>

>

> They do exist but, by all accounts, the TV image quality is poor.

>

> - Franc Zabkar

Poor?

Using hi-res capture, i cannot tell the difference between the

original and the captured file.

One can easily get DVD quality.

[Guest Dan]

Re: PCI graphics card for Win98?

 

AFAIK, I don't know any boards that are capable of running Windows 98 or 98

SE with PCI-Express.

[Guest MEB]

Re: PCI graphics card for Win98?

 

I'll present this as just a potential, as I have never had the ability to

personally test...

 

SOME of the 9X/ME/2000 nVidia drivers had supposed support for PCI-e

[certain cards] included within the setup INFs [as noted within several

postings in this forum relating to nVidia drivers]. Whether this actually

provided such support is another matter. Reviewing various forums, one finds

that it may not have, then again not everyone enters discussion forums, and

when they do its generally to complain of a failure, which may or may not

indicate final statements therein related. Those who are successful may not

find a need or desire to post .... as is generally the case, it may have

been/may be related to specific motherboard chipsets, BIOS, or other, which

could be potentially over-ridden and/or supplied via some other means

[similar to modifications for large hard drive support/48bit, SATA,

non-manufacturer BIOS updates, and other non-supported devices/formats {such

as generic USB drivers}, or even applications].

If there were a generic PCI-e driver supplied or some modified file/files,

perhaps it can be achieved. Of course, these will not come from the

manufacturer of the motherboard, nor likely the video card manufacturer, as

most provide no support for 9X/ME as this device format came at the very end

of their supposed support cycle..

 

--

MEB

http://peoplescounsel.orgfree.com

________

 

 

"Dan" <Dan@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message

news:01BF54E4-70AA-45CB-A790-B511C50F4C9D@microsoft.com...

| AFAIK, I don't know any boards that are capable of running Windows 98 or

98

| SE with PCI-Express.

[Guest Franc Zabkar]

Re: PCI graphics card for Win98?

 

On Sat, 24 Nov 2007 20:16:25 -0800, Robert Baer

<robertbaer@localnet.com> put finger to keyboard and composed:

>Franc Zabkar wrote:

>

>> On Fri, 23 Nov 2007 18:16:06 -0800, Paradoxdb3

>> <Paradoxdb3@discussions.microsoft.com> put finger to keyboard and

>> composed:

>>>And how about a graphics card that allows you to plug your television into

>>>it....does something like this exist? Is it worthwhile?

>>

>>

>> They do exist but, by all accounts, the TV image quality is poor.

>>

>> - Franc Zabkar

> Poor?

> Using hi-res capture, i cannot tell the difference between the

>original and the captured file.

> One can easily get DVD quality.

 

I read the OP's question to mean using a TV as a monitor, ie an output

device. You appear to have interpreted the question to refer to using

a TV *signal* as an input to the card.

 

- Franc Zabkar

--

Please remove one 'i' from my address when replying by email.

[Guest Dan]

Re: PCI graphics card for Win98?

 

Thanks for your thoughts on this MEB. I would be interested to know if

anyone has had personal success in this newsgroup in attaching a PCI-e video

card and getting it to work well within 98 SE.

 

"MEB" wrote:

> I'll present this as just a potential, as I have never had the ability to

> personally test...

>

> SOME of the 9X/ME/2000 nVidia drivers had supposed support for PCI-e

> [certain cards] included within the setup INFs [as noted within several

> postings in this forum relating to nVidia drivers]. Whether this actually

> provided such support is another matter. Reviewing various forums, one finds

> that it may not have, then again not everyone enters discussion forums, and

> when they do its generally to complain of a failure, which may or may not

> indicate final statements therein related. Those who are successful may not

> find a need or desire to post .... as is generally the case, it may have

> been/may be related to specific motherboard chipsets, BIOS, or other, which

> could be potentially over-ridden and/or supplied via some other means

> [similar to modifications for large hard drive support/48bit, SATA,

> non-manufacturer BIOS updates, and other non-supported devices/formats {such

> as generic USB drivers}, or even applications].

> If there were a generic PCI-e driver supplied or some modified file/files,

> perhaps it can be achieved. Of course, these will not come from the

> manufacturer of the motherboard, nor likely the video card manufacturer, as

> most provide no support for 9X/ME as this device format came at the very end

> of their supposed support cycle..

>

> --

> MEB

> http://peoplescounsel.orgfree.com

> ________

>

>

> "Dan" <Dan@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message

> news:01BF54E4-70AA-45CB-A790-B511C50F4C9D@microsoft.com...

> | AFAIK, I don't know any boards that are capable of running Windows 98 or

> 98

> | SE with PCI-Express.

>

>

>

[Guest Robert Baer]

Re: PCI graphics card for Win98?

 

Franc Zabkar wrote:

> On Sat, 24 Nov 2007 20:16:25 -0800, Robert Baer

> <robertbaer@localnet.com> put finger to keyboard and composed:

>

>

>>Franc Zabkar wrote:

>>

>>

>>>On Fri, 23 Nov 2007 18:16:06 -0800, Paradoxdb3

>>><Paradoxdb3@discussions.microsoft.com> put finger to keyboard and

>>>composed:

>

>

>

>>>>And how about a graphics card that allows you to plug your television into

>>>>it....does something like this exist? Is it worthwhile?

>>>

>>>

>>>They do exist but, by all accounts, the TV image quality is poor.

>>>

>>>- Franc Zabkar

>

>

>> Poor?

>> Using hi-res capture, i cannot tell the difference between the

>>original and the captured file.

>> One can easily get DVD quality.

>

>

> I read the OP's question to mean using a TV as a monitor, ie an output

> device. You appear to have interpreted the question to refer to using

> a TV *signal* as an input to the card.

>

> - Franc Zabkar

Check.

[Guest Robert Baer]

Re: PCI graphics card for Win98?

 

Dan wrote:

> Thanks for your thoughts on this MEB. I would be interested to know if

> anyone has had personal success in this newsgroup in attaching a PCI-e video

> card and getting it to work well within 98 SE.

>

> "MEB" wrote:

>

>

>>I'll present this as just a potential, as I have never had the ability to

>>personally test...

>>

>> SOME of the 9X/ME/2000 nVidia drivers had supposed support for PCI-e

>>[certain cards] included within the setup INFs [as noted within several

>>postings in this forum relating to nVidia drivers]. Whether this actually

>>provided such support is another matter. Reviewing various forums, one finds

>>that it may not have, then again not everyone enters discussion forums, and

>>when they do its generally to complain of a failure, which may or may not

>>indicate final statements therein related. Those who are successful may not

>>find a need or desire to post .... as is generally the case, it may have

>>been/may be related to specific motherboard chipsets, BIOS, or other, which

>>could be potentially over-ridden and/or supplied via some other means

>>[similar to modifications for large hard drive support/48bit, SATA,

>>non-manufacturer BIOS updates, and other non-supported devices/formats {such

>>as generic USB drivers}, or even applications].

>> If there were a generic PCI-e driver supplied or some modified file/files,

>>perhaps it can be achieved. Of course, these will not come from the

>>manufacturer of the motherboard, nor likely the video card manufacturer, as

>>most provide no support for 9X/ME as this device format came at the very end

>>of their supposed support cycle..

>>

>>--

>>MEB

>>http://peoplescounsel.orgfree.com

>>________

>>

>>

>>"Dan" <Dan@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message

>>news:01BF54E4-70AA-45CB-A790-B511C50F4C9D@microsoft.com...

>>| AFAIK, I don't know any boards that are capable of running Windows 98 or

>>98

>>| SE with PCI-Express.

>>

>>

>>

There might be some "generic" PCIE video cards that could work; maybe

with a "generic" driver that covers OSes from 9x/ME/2K etc.

If i had a computer that took such boads, i would not mind persuing

that route.