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Hardware and Windows Vista Hardware issues in relation to Windows Vista. (microsoft.public.windows.vista.hardware_devices) |
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Graphics Card
Where do I find the graphics/video card in the PC & are they different
things? Also, what is: Video RAM: 128MB (256MB or above for Premium/Ultimate)?? -- D-Wayn! |
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Graphics Card
It may be a card inserted into your motherboard. You can locate that by seeing where your monitor plug enters the computer. It could also be built in to the mothetboard. The video RAM is the memory the card manufacturer has made available for the graphics. In This may be shared from your main computer Ram, in the cheaper models, either onboard or a separate card. It is common, these days, particularly for Vista users, to find cards with 512mbs or even more, unshared. Graphics/video is pretty much the same thing. -- davehc |
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Graphics Card
It sounds like you're trying to figure out if your computer can run Vista or
not maybe? There is a program called the Vista upgrade advisor that will automatically scan your computer and see if you can upgrade to Vista or not. http://www.microsoft.com/windows/pro...deadvisor.mspx If you're actually trying to find the video card on your computer, like the other person said, it'll be the thing connected to your monitor cable. Unless your using your motherboard's built in onboard video, which isn't likely because almost all computers will have a video card. The video ram is just the amount of memory the video card has on it. If you don't want to run the Vista upgrade advisor, you can find how much video ram your video card has in the control panel of XP. Just do a search for "device manager" and under the video card section you should have the information about your video card. That's from memory so I might be wrong. |
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Graphics Card
"Dwayne" wrote in message
... Where do I find the graphics/video card in the PC & are they different things? Also, what is: Video RAM: 128MB (256MB or above for Premium/Ultimate)?? -- D-Wayn! You would do best to check out the computer/motherboard manufacturer for specifications. You most likely have integrated graphics which in itself can't be upgraded. It is possible to fit a 3rd party graphics card, BUT not all motherboards have an AGP or PCI-e slot, especially budget computers. You need to check with the manufacturer.. -- Mike Hall - MVP http://msmvps.com/blogs/mikehall/default.aspx |
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Graphics Card
Thanks for the info all. For the record though, I am running Vista
(Ultimate) but some of the features are not available (flip & flip 3D), & as a consequence, live thumbnails & DreamScene. Based on my reading I assume thats because my Vid Card aint up to scratch. I got a base score of (dont laugh) 1.0 because of the Video Card. (I had my machine built & it cost me about US$800). Got it Nov 06, upgraded to Vista Jan 07 as soon as was released. Thanks anyhow, I'll sort it out, somehow. -- D-Wayn! "Autumnale" wrote: It sounds like you're trying to figure out if your computer can run Vista or not maybe? There is a program called the Vista upgrade advisor that will automatically scan your computer and see if you can upgrade to Vista or not. http://www.microsoft.com/windows/pro...deadvisor.mspx If you're actually trying to find the video card on your computer, like the other person said, it'll be the thing connected to your monitor cable. Unless your using your motherboard's built in onboard video, which isn't likely because almost all computers will have a video card. The video ram is just the amount of memory the video card has on it. If you don't want to run the Vista upgrade advisor, you can find how much video ram your video card has in the control panel of XP. Just do a search for "device manager" and under the video card section you should have the information about your video card. That's from memory so I might be wrong. |
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Graphics Card
Answers to the following should narrow down why you do not have Aero:
What make and model of video card do you have? how much memory does it have? You need 128MB on it What driver release are you using for the video card? How much main memory do you have? You should have 1 GB. Is your system BIOS up to date. "Dwayne" wrote in message ... Thanks for the info all. For the record though, I am running Vista (Ultimate) but some of the features are not available (flip & flip 3D), & as a consequence, live thumbnails & DreamScene. Based on my reading I assume thats because my Vid Card aint up to scratch. I got a base score of (dont laugh) 1.0 because of the Video Card. (I had my machine built & it cost me about US$800). Got it Nov 06, upgraded to Vista Jan 07 as soon as was released. Thanks anyhow, I'll sort it out, somehow. -- D-Wayn! "Autumnale" wrote: It sounds like you're trying to figure out if your computer can run Vista or not maybe? There is a program called the Vista upgrade advisor that will automatically scan your computer and see if you can upgrade to Vista or not. http://www.microsoft.com/windows/pro...deadvisor.mspx If you're actually trying to find the video card on your computer, like the other person said, it'll be the thing connected to your monitor cable. Unless your using your motherboard's built in onboard video, which isn't likely because almost all computers will have a video card. The video ram is just the amount of memory the video card has on it. If you don't want to run the Vista upgrade advisor, you can find how much video ram your video card has in the control panel of XP. Just do a search for "device manager" and under the video card section you should have the information about your video card. That's from memory so I might be wrong. |
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Graphics Card
Looking at the statistics provided by the Windows Experience Index will show
you the weakest link in your system. You say you currently have a WEI of 1.0; does the 1.0 reference to the video card? If so change the video card for one with more memory (128MB is adequate) My system is around 3 weeks old: Intel Core2 duo E4500 (2.20Ghz) 2GB Memory Nvidia GeForce 8300GS with 128MB memory 250GB SATA drive All this gives me a WEI of 3.4 (the 3.4 relates to the video card, so if I upgraded to another video card with more memory the WEI would more than likely increase.) But these are all 'just numbers' who cares what the WEI is, I certainly don't, so long as it runs the software and operating system as I want it to, I couldn't care less if my WEI was 0. WEI is simply another 'gimmick'. Incidentally I'm running Vista Ultimate and everything runs just fine on this machine. -- -- John Barnett MVP Associate Expert Windows - Shell/User Web: http://xphelpandsupport.mvps.org Web: http://vistasupport.mvps.org The information in this mail/post is supplied "as is". No warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied, is made in relation to the accuracy, reliability or content of this mail/post. The Author shall not be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental or consequential damages arising out of the use of, or inability to use, information or opinions expressed in this mail/post.. "Dwayne" wrote in message ... Thanks for the info all. For the record though, I am running Vista (Ultimate) but some of the features are not available (flip & flip 3D), & as a consequence, live thumbnails & DreamScene. Based on my reading I assume thats because my Vid Card aint up to scratch. I got a base score of (dont laugh) 1.0 because of the Video Card. (I had my machine built & it cost me about US$800). Got it Nov 06, upgraded to Vista Jan 07 as soon as was released. Thanks anyhow, I'll sort it out, somehow. -- D-Wayn! "Autumnale" wrote: It sounds like you're trying to figure out if your computer can run Vista or not maybe? There is a program called the Vista upgrade advisor that will automatically scan your computer and see if you can upgrade to Vista or not. http://www.microsoft.com/windows/pro...deadvisor.mspx If you're actually trying to find the video card on your computer, like the other person said, it'll be the thing connected to your monitor cable. Unless your using your motherboard's built in onboard video, which isn't likely because almost all computers will have a video card. The video ram is just the amount of memory the video card has on it. If you don't want to run the Vista upgrade advisor, you can find how much video ram your video card has in the control panel of XP. Just do a search for "device manager" and under the video card section you should have the information about your video card. That's from memory so I might be wrong. |
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Graphics Card
Did that $800 including a LCD monitor? If not, then I'd say that you were
probably ripped off. You don't happen to know your computer's specifications do you? If you have a relatively modern motherboard, you can just get a new video card to replace the crappy one the person who built your computer put in the computer. I mean it depends on what you need Vista to do. You can get a cheap video card on ebay for $50 or you can get the nVidia E-VGA 8800GT for $250 and that'll run every single game that's on the market very well. You should wait until after February when the nVidia releases the 9 series of video cards so the 8 series cards' prices will drop I hope. You'll want to make sure that your motherboard can actually use the 8800GT though. You'll need a PCI express X16 port with at least PCI express version 1.1 support because the 8800GT isn't really compatible with PCI express version 1.0. Or so I've heard. Aero doesn't really take a lot to run. I've turned Aero off before and I find that it doesn't really add to subtract from the overall aesthetics of Vista. It's really the whole graphics experiences that's pretty good. It doesn't really matter if you can see through the windows like it's glass. Although it's kind of neat. By the way, if you get a cheap video card, make sure that it's at least like the 7 series of nVidia or something. I forget just what shader model you'll need for Vista Aero. I can't imagine it's very high. They're up to shader model 4.1 now so the higher shader model the better. |
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Graphics Card
yep 7 series or above (hopefully above) if your still not sure what GPU (graphics card) you are using download this ......'techPowerUp! :: Download TechPowerUp GPU-Z v0.1.5' (http://www.techpowerup.com/downloads...-Z_v0.1.5.html) even if you are using onboard graphics it should still give you its specs from there you can see what size ram and core clocks..... just to clarify the 8800GT is compatible with 1.0 and 1.1 NOT 1.0a hope this helped -- skunksmash |