Video card worthiness

[Mercutio]

I have a customer who likes Yahoo and Realarcade sorts of games.
She wants a new PC, and she is completely OK with spending money if I think it's a good idea.

My recent experiences with older women who play computer games has been mixed - two of them started playing Nancy Drew games that ultimately required them to upgrade to something DX9 capable - I used the inexpensive X700 cards that are sold on woot.com from time to time. In both cases I was kind of amazed that the upgrade was needed and kind of annoyed that they had to spend the money to get a bigger graphics card (they, on the other hand, were pretty happy about it).

Anyway, I don't play those sorts of games, but I'm kind of wondering whether it might be time to start thinking of anyone who says "games" as someone who needs midrange video hardware, whereas I used to be able to say that GMA3000 or nv6100 or R200 is more than good enough, since more and more of those "simple" games seem to have really complex graphical requirements.

 

[ddrueding]

For quite some time now, none of my users get on-board video. Dedicated video memory is always a good thing, and having an upgrade path is useful.

 

[Mercutio]

The overwhelming majority of the time, it makes no difference. All the onboard graphics options are actually decent for everyday sorts of things, including playing Bejeweled and Text Twist.
The main question is, are those simple flash/java games going to outstrip current offerings for onboard video or lead users to games that require nicer hardware, and if so, how nice is enough?

 

[ddrueding]

My thought is that I don't want a computer to fail to run anything older than it is. It doesn't have to run well, or quickly; just successfully install and start at the lowest settings.

 

[Will Rickards]

Disclaimer: I'm basically following this advice in my system so I might be biased.

There have been some software updates to the intel drivers for their intergrated graphics. It may be good enough. I'd probably start there and upgrade to an actual graphics card if and when it is needed. The intel graphics supports SVDO so I can add a little card that gives me dual dvi outputs to run dual monitors if I want. This little card does little more than interpret the digital video signal being sent by the onboard graphics.

 

[Bozo]

I have been trying to buy motherboards with onboard video and a PCI x16 slot for a video card. Makes it real easy to upgrade if the user grduates to more intensive programs/games.

Bozo :joker:

 

[Mercutio]

Are there modern motherboards that don't have a 16x PCIe slot?

 

[Bozo]

Are there modern motherboards that don't have a 16x PCIe slot?

They have the 16x slot, but not onboard video.

Bozo :joker:

 

[ddrueding]

Every modern mobo that I know of has a 16x PCIe port. (excluding VIA EPIA)

My problem is usually as follows: Build a system for a guy doing quickbooks. One weekend, his family visits, and his grandson brings his favorite computer game. If it doesn't work, you will hear about it.

 

[LiamC]

http://www.theinquirer.net/gb/inquirer/news/2007/10/10/ati-releases-pcie2-cards

Read in combination with
http://www.techreport.com/discussions.x/13352

Taken together, an ATi HD 2400 might not be a bad entry level...
Cheap and more oomph! than the integrated X1250

 

[Mercutio]

The ones that keep coming back to me are 50 or 60ish single or divorced women who start on Gamehouse titles or Yahoo games, then move into things that are advertised through that - Puzzle Pirates, the Sims,Tale in the Desert or the most recent Nancy Drew titles.

They are to a one understanding about why I did not make them buy a video card but now there's kind of a profile in my mind of an older gamer who starts with Literati and ends up pricing DX10 hardware.

 

[ddrueding]

Grandma gamers...sweet.

 

[Mercutio]

Grandma gamers...sweet.

Yeah, just my luck that the women I know who play games are all my mother's age...

 

[ddrueding]

I've dated a few women my mother's age...