Best XP Graphics cards for Retro PC

[80-watt Hamster]

So why not use the 64 bit XP?

XP64 is a dumpster fire w.r.t. drivers.

 

[Shrek]

Didn't know that.

 

[Greenslade]

Okay , if this is DG41RQ , i have read pdf datasheet. its a ddr2 667/800 memory support.
For CPUs the support are generic core 2 quad , BUT only 95W . So if u want Q6600 , MUST BE 95W tdp version, stepping G0 of course ,recognize it of code on cpu physically "QXVD or SLACR".
Btw , from Q8200 to Q9650 are most 95W tdp.

Thanks for that info.So as long as they are 95w they are fine.

So why not use the 64 bit XP?

I did not know XP came in 64bit?

 

[pavle]

You can go ahead put a Q9400 on that board if you have Q6600 and Q9400 to choose. It's cooler (45nm) unless you can get higher clocked one.
And yes, 2 slots for either DDR2 667 or 800MHz on Intel DG41RQ.
512MB graphics card? People that don't know about GPU's usually name graphics cards by amount of memory. I know of quite a few of such, same thing, in the Pentium4 days they named a processor by its frequency, not the amount of work it can do in parallel.

 

[80-watt Hamster]

I did not know XP came in 64bit?

XP64 was released fairly late in the XP lifecycle, as a stopgap (in my opinion) for customers that were slow to adopt Vista or W7 but still needed 64-bit hardware support. MS never really pushed it out as a consumer OS, so it wasn't widely distributed, and lots of hardware had poor or nonexistent compatible drivers. I don't know if you're thinking about trying it, but don't.

EDIT: It's been correctly pointed out that XP 64 came out well before Vista, let alone W7..

 

[Greenslade]

A SATA connector does not carry much current; 4.5A for each voltage, so 54W at 12V

432W on the 12V line; not bad.

It does not look very promising Ezcool 500w psu Silent fan technology 24 & 20 Pin Ready Meets Intel v2.03 enhanced +12V Over-voltage and current protection +3.3V;+5V;+12V 100% Burn-in and hipot tested; short circuit protection EMI Filter built-in For 775; AM2 and all backward compatible CPU's White boxed CE/ FCC/ UL approved ROHS Compliant PSU Ratings: +12V 34A +3.3V 28A +5V 30A -5V 0.3A -12V 0.8A +5VSB 3.0A Connectors Included: 1 x 24 & 20 Pin Main Power 1 x 4 pins Main Power 2 x HDD/CD-ROM Power 1 x FDD Power 2 x Serial ATA .Most of the cabals look like they are Molex connectors. That's not going to be satisfying It is ready for me to pick it up from the click and collect store tomorrow. From looking at the PSU it looks like I will have to buy a new one.

 

[Greenslade]

XP64 was released fairly late in the XP lifecycle, as a stopgap (in my opinion) for customers that were slow to adopt Vista or W7 but still needed 64-bit hardware support. MS never really pushed it out as a consumer OS, so it wasn't widely distributed, and lots of hardware had poor or nonexistent compatible drivers. I don't know if you're thinking about trying it, but don't.

Thanks for that, no I was not going to try it.

 

[RJARRRPCGP]

80-watt Hamster said:


lots of hardware had poor or nonexistent compatible drivers. I don't know if you're thinking about trying it, but don't.

The only problem I had, was that EAX strangely failed, IIRC. When I was testing Halo Custom Edition. Lots of driver support for Asus' socket 775 motherboards.

Often times, at least with socket 775, no benefit from Vista and 7 and they would just use more RAM than XP x64 Edition! Vista x64 and 7 x64 usually isn't recommended for <5 GB of RAM.

Microsoft killed Direct Sound support with Vista and later, so XP is recommended, unless you're able to find a way to emulate EAX for DirectX 8.1- DirectX 9-era games.

 

[Mr.Scott]

W7 x64 works just fine on 4 gig of ram.

 

[pavle]

... From looking at the PSU it looks like I will have to buy a new one.

Not necessarily, without any upgrading of CPU (it has high enough frequency) you can just put a GeForce GTX 750 (requires no additional power connector) card in there and it's good enough for almost all older games.

 

[lexluthermiester]

Sure, lots of people ignore good advice.

It's not good advice, it is woefully incorrect. It seems your understanding of 32bit Windows needs improvement. See to that and quit spouting disinformation.

Still, my reason of posting my screenshot was to provide evidence about your wrong assumption and NOT to encourage OP to buy this card to use (which is too expensive either way).

Exactly.

So, moving on...

I see i can get a

15pin SATA Power to 6pin PCI-E Express Adapter Cable​

for as little as £1.50?I did not realize they were so cheap. Whether or not the power supply will have any spare cables ,or be capable of running one let alone one with two 6pin ones is another thing.

Does the PSU you were looking at not have two PCIe connectors? You shouldn't need an adapter cable like that, but it should work fine.

 

[Greenslade]

It's not good advice, it is woefully incorrect. It seems your understanding of 32bit Windows needs improvement. See to that and quit spouting disinformation.


Exactly.

So, moving on...


Does the PSU you were looking at not have two PCIe connectors? You shouldn't need an adapter cable like that, but it should work fine.

I was talking about the PSU in the Pc it looks like it does not have any GPU connectors.

 

[eidairaman1]

XP64 was released fairly late in the XP lifecycle, as a stopgap (in my opinion) for customers that were slow to adopt Vista or W7 but still needed 64-bit hardware support. MS never really pushed it out as a consumer OS, so it wasn't widely distributed, and lots of hardware had poor or nonexistent compatible drivers. I don't know if you're thinking about trying it, but don't.

W7 wasnt even thought of , it wasnt until after the dumpster fire vista was.

 

[lexluthermiester]

I was talking about the PSU in the Pc it looks like it does not have any GPU connectors.

Gotcha. For some reason I thought you were replacing the PSU. Maybe I was thinking of another user/thread...

 

[Greenslade]

Gotcha. For some reason I thought you were replacing the PSU. Maybe I was thinking of another user/thread...

Not yet anyway.Just collected it today, it is a big case there seems to be something rattling inside the case ,hope it is just a screw. There are two more USB ports on the front when the door is flipped up.I thought just four on the back was not many.It looks as in the pictures in excellent conditionJust hope it is all working.It was not packed that well but a lot of people don,t know how to pack properly.I like this guys videos

how to pack bulky items.A very informative video.

 

[TheinsanegamerN]

Going to agree with qbit, the 285 is a great choice. Technically it was the last high end card to release under XP's reign before 7 took over, it can run most any DX9 title maxed out at any 2000s era resolution, and they are relatively quiet and cool for blower cards.

I jsut got one for my XP PC, and for $42 it's a great card. What I woudl have given to have one of these growing up.....

Alternatively the geforce 260 216 core edition isnt much slower and can be had for $30. And has that funky 448 bit 896 MB VRAM buffer. Funky is cool.

 

[Greenslade]

Going to agree with qbit, the 285 is a great choice. Technically it was the last high end card to release under XP's reign before 7 took over, it can run most any DX9 title maxed out at any 2000s era resolution, and they are relatively quiet and cool for blower cards.

I jsut got one for my XP PC, and for $42 it's a great card. What I woudl have given to have one of these growing up.....

Alternatively the geforce 260 216 core edition isnt much slower and can be had for $30. And has that funky 448 bit 896 MB VRAM buffer. Funky is cool.

The problem with the 285 the power is 204w meaning a 550 PSU plus the fact that and the 260 use 2x6 182w for a 450 PSU.As people have mentioned on here they don,t think my PSU is up to the job.Certainly for the 285 as my PSU is only 500w.Plus the fact i doubt if there is one 1x6 on there let alone two.Thanks for your input anyway.

Not necessarily, without any upgrading of CPU (it has high enough frequency) you can just put a GeForce GTX 750 (requires no additional power connector) card in there and it's good enough for almost all older games.

I looked at a video of someone testing it .It was the worst anyone had said about any of the recomdationds people have suggested on here.This guys video gave it a right slating.

I would go for this one GTX660 2gb. on Cex £48 i can colect from the shop. It has to be good this guy never says good things about most of the cards he tests.And yet he gives it a thumbs up.It must be good.

i know i will have to buy a 1x6 cabal ,hopefully it will have a spare cabal to connect the 1x6 to.

Not necessarily, without any upgrading of CPU (it has high enough frequency) you can just put a GeForce GTX 750 (requires no additional power connector) card in there and it's good enough for almost all older games.

I looked at a video of someone testing it .It was the worst anyone had said about any of the recomdationds people have suggested on here.This guys video gave it a right slating.https://youtu.be/KG3Enqa2MzE?t=410
Model - AX7850 2GBBD5-2DHPPE
The 7850. PowerColor PCS+ Radeon HD7850 2GB Graphics Video Card
Removed from my own PC during upgrade, has been an excellent card.
I have stripped and cleaned inside and around the heatsink but the plastic shroud feels a little sticky, not that it should really bother you once installed.

Comes boxed with all original fittings.That would be £64 would that be a good price bearing in mind it is boxed?
Ghost AMD Radeon HD 7850 2GB GDDR5 PCIe x16 HDMI Graphics Card GPU £55 make an offer.

The seller just says used. What should i go for the gtx660 2gb at
£48 or one of the 7850?The guy in the video recommenced the 7850 anything the guy recommends must be good. He slates most of them off.

 

[80-watt Hamster]

The problem with the 285 the power is 204w meaning a 550 PSU plus the fact that and the 260 use 2x6 182w for a 450 PSU.As people have mentioned on here they don,t think my PSU is up to the job.Certainly for the 285 as my PSU is only 500w.Plus the fact i doubt if there is one 1x6 on there let alone two.Thanks for your input anyway.


I looked at a video of someone testing it .It was the worst anyone had said about any of the recomdationds people have suggested on here.This guys video gave it a right slating.

I would go for this one GTX660 2gb. on Cex £48 i can colect from the shop. It has to be good this guy never says good things about most of the cards he tests.And yet he gives it a thumbs up.It must be good.

i know i will have to buy a 1x6 cabal ,hopefully it will have a spare cabal to connect the 1x6 to.


I looked at a video of someone testing it .It was the worst anyone had said about any of the recomdationds people have suggested on here.This guys video gave it a right slating.https://youtu.be/KG3Enqa2MzE?t=410
Model - AX7850 2GBBD5-2DHPPE
The 7850. PowerColor PCS+ Radeon HD7850 2GB Graphics Video Card
Removed from my own PC during upgrade, has been an excellent card.
I have stripped and cleaned inside and around the heatsink but the plastic shroud feels a little sticky, not that it should really bother you once installed.
View attachment 220703 Comes boxed with all original fittings.That would be £64 would that be a good price bearing in mind it is boxed?
Ghost AMD Radeon HD 7850 2GB GDDR5 PCIe x16 HDMI Graphics Card GPU £55 make an offer.
View attachment 220705
The seller just says used. What should i go for the gtx660 2gb at
£48 or one of the 7850?The guy in the video recommenced the 7850 anything guy recommends must be good.

7850. Pitcairn was a darn good piece of silicon.

 

[Greenslade]

7850. Pitcairn was a darn good piece of silicon.

Is it worth going for the 7850 over the GTX660,?if so is it worth me paying extra for the expensive one that is boxed and cleaned for £64?If i make an offer on the other one i should be able to get it for £52 i should think.The GTX660 2GB at CEX at £48 comes with a 24 month guarantee.

 

[TheinsanegamerN]

I am rocking what will properly be a overkill Windows XP Gaming ITX RIG but I am happy and it's really silent, fast and just works.

CPU: Intel Core i3-4130 (If my memory surf me correct)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-L9i
Mobo: Asus P9D-I (Intel C222 chipset)
RAM: 2x2GB ECC Memory
GFX: MSI N750 Ti TF 2GD5/OC
SSD: KingFast 256GB SSD
PSU: SeaSonic SFG 300W Industrial SFX PSU
Case: Fractal Design Core 500
OS: Windows XP Pro 32bit

Only thing I am thinking about changing is the CMOS battery it's dead but they cost too much because it's not a standard battery and I been thinking about a GTX 950 or something with a DisplayPort because I use this on my Asus ROG Strix XG27UQ 4K monitor.

My XP rig is an optiplex 7010, the last optiplex dell made that was
A) standard micro ATX
B) uses standard 24 pin connectors.
C) is compatible with XP out of the box.

an i5 3470 is an odd combo with a GTX 285, mostly because the thing doesnt put out much heat compared to core 2 era CPUs. I'm still debating downgrading (and I have a thing for old dell desktops for some reason).

The problem with the 285 the power is 204w meaning a 550 PSU plus the fact that and the 260 use 2x6 182w for a 450 PSU.As people have mentioned on here they don,t think my PSU is up to the job.Certainly for the 285 as my PSU is only 500w.Plus the fact i doubt if there is one 1x6 on there let alone two.Thanks for your input anyway.

A 500w should have at least one 6 pin. running a 182w GPU shouldnt pose any issues for a 500w PSU. The 550w recommendation is made with poor quality PSUs in mine.

What model is your PSU? manufacturer, ece? For all we know your generic supply could have superflower internals in it.

Is it worth going for the 7850 over the GTX660,?if so is it worth me paying extra for the expensive one that is boxed and cleaned for £64?If i make an offer on the other one i should be able to get it for £52 i should think.The GTX660 2GB at CEX at £48 comes with a 24 month guarantee.

Dont bother with the cleaned one. Clean or not youre going to want to dissassemble the card and change the paste anyway, might as well get the card that needs a good dusting and save the cash.

 

[80-watt Hamster]

Is it worth going for the 7850 over the GTX660,?if so is it worth me paying extra for the expensive one that is boxed and cleaned for £64?If i make an offer on the other one i should be able to get it for £52 i should think.The GTX660 2GB at CEX at £48 comes with a 24 month guarantee.

I think so, but admit to some bias due to very good experiences with that family of chips. The 660 is hypothetically a little faster, and it's hard to say no to more performance for less money with a warranty. Honestly, you can't really go wrong either way. GBP64 is a bit much to ask for a 7850 vs a 660 @ GBP48, however. 660 in that case, but it's a tougher call at 48 vs. 52 (IMO).

One nice thing about the 7850 is that its descendants were in use all the way through the R9 300 series, so the drivers are very well-developed. I don't know that the Kepler family has aged as well. More Nvidia-savvy folks may be of a differing opinion.

 

[Greenslade]

I think so, but admit to some bias due to very good experiences with that family of chips. The 660 is hypothetically a little faster, and it's hard to say no to more performance for less money with a warranty. Honestly, you can't really go wrong either way. GBP64 is a bit much to ask for a 7850 vs a 660 @ GBP48, however. 660 in that case, but it's a tougher call at 48 vs. 52 (IMO).

One nice thing about the 7850 is that its descendants were in use all the way through the R9 300 series, so the drivers are very well-developed. I don't know that the Kepler family has aged as well. More Nvidia-savvy folks may be of a differing opinion.

Unfortunately no 7850 in stock at CEX. There lots of versions of the 7850
Sapphire £55. Pitcirn. 2gb £42 Pitcirn. 1gb £28. Ghost 2gb £30 Ghost 1gb. £22. these would be the prices for them if they were in stock.Heres some pictures

It's not good advice, it is woefully incorrect. It seems your understanding of 32bit Windows needs improvement. See to that and quit spouting disinformation.


Exactly.

So, moving on...


Does the PSU you were looking at not have two PCIe connectors? You shouldn't need an adapter cable like that, but it should work fine.

There is not one fan in there Apart from the one on the PSUone Molex cabal.I am a bit peed off that there is not one Fan in there apart from the one in the PSU.IT IS NOT GOING TO WORK WITH OUT A FAN'He also said he would send me a coda for XP. which he did not do Can anyone tell me what board this i don,t think it is the one i thought it was. The picture of the side panal does thing on there count as a fan?I hope someone can give me more info on this? There is a cabal for a speaker no speaker is on it.

Gotcha. For some reason I thought you were replacing the PSU. Maybe I was thinking of another user/thread...

Can you look at my last post on here lots of questions I would like you to give me some advice i am at a lost.Thanks Lex.The seller said it is working as it be. Needless to say i have not tried it yet.How can someone sell a PC without a back fan?

 

[lexluthermiester]

£48 or one of the 7850?

That is the better of the cards in that post. I would recommend that 7850, or a 6850. 2GB model would be best, but for XP gaming a 1GB model would still be good.

The RAM you showed in the pics is DDR2-667. I'd suggest finding a matching stick on ebay so you can get 4GB in dual channel. Don't worry about the differences between 667mhz and 800mhz RAM. For that system the difference wouldn't matter much. The dual channel operation is far more important.

 

[Greenslade]

That is the better of the cards in that post. I would recommend that 7850, or a 6850. 2GB model would be best, but for XP gaming a 1GB model would still be good.

The RAM you showed in the pics is DDR2-667. I'd suggest finding a matching stick on ebay so you can get 4GB in dual channel. Don't worry about the differences between 667mhz and 800mhz RAM. For that system the difference wouldn't matter much. The dual channel operation is far more important.

There were two two ram sticks i took it out to show you.
What about the question about there being
*NO FAN IN THE BACK OF THE CASE*?
There is also a cabal with *SPEAKER *not connected to anything,
i can not see a speaker in there.
*How can a PC work without a back fan in the case?*
I think i have been sold a potato If i put one of those high powered Graphics cards in, surely i will need a back fan in the case?I do have another PC i was hoping to swop the fan out of there to the new case, but it is to small Would you not agree it does need a fan in the back of the case?Have you ever known a PC that does not have a fan in the back of the case?Does that round plastic thing on the side panal mean i don,t need a fan in the back of the case?Hope you are having a good day Lex.
What caba; do i need for this sata to sata x 6 ?

I think so, but admit to some bias due to very good experiences with that family of chips. The 660 is hypothetically a little faster, and it's hard to say no to more performance for less money with a warranty. Honestly, you can't really go wrong either way. GBP64 is a bit much to ask for a 7850 vs a 660 @ GBP48, however. 660 in that case, but it's a tougher call at 48 vs. 52 (IMO).

One nice thing about the 7850 is that its descendants were in use all the way through the R9 300 series, so the drivers are very well-developed. I don't know that the Kepler family has aged as well. More Nvidia-savvy folks may be of a differing opinion.

I have just seen this video and it looks like they are about even

and that is with the 1gb version of the 7850.One on eBay £38 make an offer the 1gb modal.I just ordered a 1 x 6 cabal.
What would be a good cheap fan for this.?

 

[80-watt Hamster]

There were two two ram sticks i took it out to show you.
What about the question about there being
*NO FAN IN THE BACK OF THE CASE*?
There is also a cabal with *SPEAKER *not connected to anything,
i can not see a speaker in there.
*How can a PC work without a back fan in the case?*
I think i have been sold a potato If i put one of those high powered Graphics cards in, surely i will need a back fan in the case?I do have another PC i was hoping to swop the fan out of there to the new case, but it is to small Would you not agree it does need a fan in the back of the case?Have you ever known a PC that does not have a fan in the back of the case?Does that round plastic thing on the side panal mean i don,t need a fan in the back of the case?Hope you are having a good day Lex.
What caba; do i need for this sata to sata x 6 ?


I have just seen this video and it looks like they are about even

and that is with the 1gb version of the 7850.One on eBay £38 make an offer the 1gb modal.I just ordered a 1 x 6 cabal.
What would be a good cheap fan for this.?

Most cases don't come with built-in speakers anymore. If you want POST beeps, grab a piezo speaker like this:

A PC can sometimes run without an exhaust fan, if the amount of heat the components generate is low enough. Many did before processors started dissipating more than a few watts, relying on the PSU fan to pull in the small amount of fresh air required. But yes, you'll want more than that if you add a graphics card. The thing on the side panel is a duct for the CPU cooler, meant to help it get cool air from outside the case rather than relying on the already-warm air inside.

Arctic F12 or P12 are decent for what they cost. I like Noctua Redux fans, but a fan is a fan for the most part. Grab a 120mm that tickles your fancy and call it a day.

I don't understand your question about SATA.