• Hail Guest!
    We're looking for Community Content Contribuitors to Stratics. If you would like to write articles, fan fiction, do guild or shard event recaps, it's simple. Find out how in this thread: Community Contributions
  • Greetings Guest, Having Login Issues? Check this thread!
  • Hail Guest!,
    Please take a moment to read this post reminding you all of the importance of Account Security.
  • Hail Guest!
    Please read the new announcement concerning the upcoming addition to Stratics. You can find the announcement Here!

Video card for AoC on slimline pc

A

Alrich

Guest
Yes I know that gamer rigs should NEVER be slimline. So please, don't tell me so (I already know!)

Anyway that aside, I want to be able to play on my Opliplex GX620, which requires a low profile video card.

Now the best I have found is the Galaxy 8600 GT 256MB GDDR3, but it is only available second hand, or canada only with a 4+ week waiting list.

Next up is the Chainlink 8600 GT low profile ready card on newegg, which has 512MB GDDR2 memory.

Will this card function ok for AoC (basic play)?

Rest of the rig is a Pentium D 3.2 (running 6.3 combined on benchmark) with 2GB pc2 4200 ram (I know not the best ram, but it is a workstation pc)
 

Orvago

Stratics' Finest
Alumni
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
This might not be of help to you as I have no clue what a slimline pc is.. However, here is my system:


  • CPU: AMD Athlon™ 64 3400+ Processor (512KB L2 cache, 2.4GHz, 1600MHz FSB)
  • Operating System: Genuine Microsoft® Windows® XP Media Center Edition 2005
  • Chipset: ATI RS480
  • Memory: 1024MB DDR (400MHz) Expandable to 2GB
  • Hard Drive: 200GB
  • Video: ATI Radeon® Xpress 200 (PCI-Express® )128MB DDR shared video memory

I had terrible problems playing the game with my Onboard Video Card. I found out that ATI's weren't supported too well by AoC so I went and got a nVidia GeForce BFG 6200 OC, 256MB DDR2 Memory ($74.99 at Wal-mart) only to find out that my mainboard/cpu wasn't compatible so I took it back and got:

ATI Radeon HD 2400 PRO 256 DDR2 PCI Express x16 - $99.98 at Wal-Mart (I'd loved to have gotten a bigger badder one, but money is tight and this was a splurge I shouldn't have done, but did. Now, it seems well worth it as the other games I play, LotRO and CivIV play like my pc is a god - they both played beautifully before.. now it's like Holy Hanna!!).

After installing the latest drivers for it, I signed into AoC and it was literally like night and day. The only problems I seem to have now are lag spikes.

Companies need to get on the ball and realize that ATI's need to be fully supported, I find it rather odd that gaming companies would only support one of the two largest Graphics Card companies. Especially when an equal ammount of PC's come factory shipped with them.

So, for ATI users, unfortunately you need to luck out like I did and find a Video Card that is compatible with your system (usually apparent by your onboard factory shipped or cpu company, e.g. if you have an onboard ATI and/or AMD CPU, you probably should use an ATI card) and one that runs AoC well. Unfortunately also, not everyone can afford to upgrade their PC just for one game. I couldn't, luckily I have a loving mother who was willing to do the splurging for me.
 
A

Alrich

Guest
slimline pc in lehmon's terms:

it is a "skinny" pc that you cannot put fullsize video cards (or other card additions in for the matter).

On a normal, full size pc, the metal bracket that is on the monitor plug end of the card, is what... 4-5 inches? On a low profile card for slim or micro size PCs, this bracket is about 3 inches.

So that 80 dollar walmart card, or 90% of them out there for the matter, just simply don't fit inside the computer case.

Ah well, the card is only 80 bucks, I will try it out, should be ages of improvement over the pos Radeon x600 128mb in there now anyway. The card I want to get (galaxy 8600) is too unavailable :sad4:
 

Orvago

Stratics' Finest
Alumni
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
Thanks Nok, those are cute! I'll stick with my big desktop with lots of room for upgrades, hehe.

*Orvago smiles*

Good luck with your vid card Alrich, let us know the outcome for sure!
 
P

Panthos

Guest
Either of those vid cards should work if you keep the video options on low, shadows disabled, water reflection set on none and particles set to yourself or none.
 
Top