Installing a new graphics card into an old computer

[skyblue_]

I have an old desktop computer probably 6 years old Compaq Pavilion 753n Desktop/PC.

The computer has a spec as follows:
Dual Channel Support: No
CPU Manufacturer: GenuineIntel
CPU Family: Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4 CPU 2.53GHz Model 2, Stepping 7
CPU Speed: 2523 MHz
Maximum Memory: 1024MB
Slots: 2 (2 banks of 1)
Standard Memory: 512MB removable
Graphics Support: AGP 4X
USB Support: 2.x Compliant

The video card info is as follows:
Chip Type: Intel(R) 82845G/GL Chip
DAC Type: Internal
Memory Size: 64MB


Do you think it will help adding a video card such as
"CHAINTECH LA-FX20-H GeForce FX 5200 128MB 64-bit DDR AGP 4X/8X Low Profile Video Card"?

I just purchased an 22" LCD monitor (# Acer X223Wbd Black 22" 5ms Widescreen LCD Monitor) and notice that fonts on my computer are not clear any more. They are pretty good, but just not able to utilize maximum of this new monitor. I work in front of computer all day long. So clear fonts make me feel less tired. Do you think I can add this graphics card without any compatibility issues?

[IanS]

It should work, but how useful it will be and how different I don't know. Read some reviews on the card. 128Mb is low end memory now for a graphic card, so may not be capable of doing what you hope. It will depend on the use you put your computer to.

[satis]

That's a really old graphics card. On the other hand, I think any kind of discrete card is bound to give you some sort of performance increase. What's the native resolution of your new monitor? I'm guessing your integrated graphics card won't get that good. You may want to make sure the geforce 5200 can actually hit the native resolution... there's no guarantee, like I said, it's a really old card.

Then again, if it's free, it's worth a shot. If you're paying for it, you may want to do some more research. Newegg shows all kinds of cards under $50, and if you go for an 8000 or 9000 series nvidia card you'll have access to the newer chips and better directx support.

[skyblue_]

My current resolution is:
1280 x 1024 True Color 32bit 60Hertz

But the fonts appear a bit fuzzy. Even though it is acceptable, the current display doesn't seem to be its best. It is a bit tiring to my eyes. So I am willing to pay up to $40 if it will make my new monitor display fonts crispy clear.

The reason I chose this old graphics card is because I am worried that new cards with stronger performance may not be handled by my old system. My system is very old, 6 yrs old. So I thought I should choose old graphics card so that my old system will be able to handle it without much hardship.

For instance, as I emphasized in my posting, my system supports AGP 4X. So I need a graphics card with this support.

[rainbore]

Before you buy a graphics card, I'd suggest making sure that there hasn't been a settings mismatch between your current graphics card/chip and the monitor. I'm not a hardware guy, but my experience is that mushy text is often a settings mismatch or a non-optimal setting. Try different resolutions and refresh rates. Monitor makers will usually suggest a few preferred settings. Good luck!

[Dbrazzell]

Be sure to focus on the Native Resolution thing satis mentioned above.

LCD panels are made to run one resolution. If you pick one that the monitor wasn't made for then you have this issue where the vid card is taking one pixel on its end and spreading it across two pixes in the lcd panel.

Thats where the blurriness comes from. Once you get it right it will look a lot better.

Also you should looking at toggling the True Type setting
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/306527
and see if it makes it better or worse.