Video Card help

[Spacemom]

I'm lost.

My son recently downloaded a game to play on the PC (Mirrors Edge) and it's having problems. I ran the game site's "can your computer handle this game" program and everything was okay except our video card.

We have an Nvidia Geforce 6150se nforce 430. From my research I've found that this isn't really a graphics card, it's just built on the motherboard.

The site said we need at least "256mb memory with shader model 3.0 Nvidia Geforce 6800 or equivalent, Geforce 7300 is below minimum requirements."

I'm so confused. I thought the higher the number, the better the card?

I've found a Nvidia Geforce 8400GS 512mb DDR2 for a reasonable price. Does anyone know if that one would work? 8400 is higher than 6800 but they've confused me with the 7300 not meeting minimum requirements. I can't figure out the way they name these things which one is better than the other.

Thanks for any help.

[TrogL]

1. The model numbers are meaningless

You need 512 Mb at an absolute minimum.

If this is for gaming you should be paying at least $300. I spent $CAN450 for my latest card and I've never been happier. I've been using Nvidia for awhile now but their last card pissed me off so I've got back to ATI.

[canetoad]

2. With Nvidia cards

Look at the letters accompanying the product number. The lower end is GS and GT, better is GTS and the best is GTX.

[Betty88]

3. you dont have to spend $300 on a video card

go to newegg.com or a site like that. I game and never spend more than $150 on a card. The trick is not to buy into the "newest/faster..moremoremore" I am currently running an ati 5770 that I got on sale for $150, they can now be gotten at this price almost anytime.

If you don't want to spend that much look at something like this about $40 after rebate
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130533

remember to check that it will work in your computer. I like newegg because the reviews are great and can they be very helpful in choosing hardware

[DainBramaged]

4. ($74.99 after $20.00 Mail-In Rebate )

I see A LOT of computers like yours for modifications. Where possible, I upgrade the CPU to a faster one more memory, and this video card, which I have installed on the computer to my right on my desk (Warhammer On-line gaming system):

XFX GT240XZNFC GeForce GT 240 1GB




buy it from Newegg, if nothing more it will DRAMATICALLY improve your gaming and overall performance experience.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150451&Tpk=XFX%20GT240XZNFC%20GeForce%20GT%20240%201GB

The best part,

$94.99
($74.99 after $20.00 Mail-In Rebate )
$7.87 Shipping

(Yesterday's deal over)
No external power needed, low power consumption due to 40 um. Great performance. Integrated HDMI sound component. Easy installation.

[sofa king]

5. Don't let the numbers fool you.

Right now, the best Nvidia cards are numbered in the 400 range, for example the GTX 480.

The nForce 430 is the type of motherboard you have. It's a mini-ATX board, which probably means it's in a small and narrow case. That can cause some problems with heat buildup, as video cards, especially the good ones, crank out a lot of heat.

Do not buy a card that fits in an "AGP" slot. What you're looking for is PCI-E.

(forget everything else I said! DainBramage found a better card for cheaper. I think his advice is much better than mine was)

[RoyGBiv]

6. FYI

The GeForce GT 240 is the current "cheap but serviceable" card. I've installed several of them in various machines, and for the most part they do far more than what the owners want.

They are not "gaming" cards, as such, but the fact of the matter is that most people who want gaming cards don't really.

Long story short, follow the advice given above. I'm just here to pile on.