# Fancy new computer don't work
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fancy-new-computer-dont-work/203152
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [September 22, 2003, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fancy-new-computer-dont-work/203152 "2003-09-22T19:01:38Z")
**Posts on this page:** 8
**Page:** 2
### Author:  [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)
#### Post date: [September 23, 2003, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fancy-new-computer-dont-work/203152/21 "2003-09-23T00:56:31Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Kinthalis \*
> \*\*Hmm killer system but low RAM and the terrible video card seem out of place.
>
> Add another 256 Megs of rAM to that bad boy and upgrade that ancient video card.
> A Radeon 9600 PRO and higher is what you are looking for đ \*\*
Thanks. Iâve been getting the parts over a month or two and was excited to get it together. I had a choice between 256 of ram and more later, or wait a few weeks to get 512. I grabbed the 256 just so I could get stuff up and running. As far as the video card, I had planned to take the AGP out of my old computer, and use it in the new one until I get a 9700 AIW in a few weeks. The old card didnât work, (Old AGP voltage is 3.3) so I went and got a 7000 (50 bucks) to tide me over for a few weeks.
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### Author:  [@Phage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phage)
#### Post date: [September 23, 2003, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fancy-new-computer-dont-work/203152/22 "2003-09-23T00:58:22Z")
I would say that the problem was the video card; you would be much better running in software render mode than with that card. The standard card that came with my laptop has 4 times more video memory; you might just be stressing the card to the point of failure.
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### Author:  [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)
#### Post date: [September 23, 2003, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fancy-new-computer-dont-work/203152/23 "2003-09-23T01:04:20Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Cillasi \*
> \*\*I agree with others who have posted. You are short on RAM and have a practically obsolete video card, especially for playing high refresh-rate games. If you canât afford the Radeon Pro, which is kinda expensive, you might want to go for the gForce 5200 or higher. Not as good a card, but will most likely run your games. \*\*
Ironically the 7000 was just a cheap temp card to hold me out to the 9700. I think Iâll take it back for store credit before the return date is up.
The only thing that doesnât make sense is that my 4 year old Nvidia TNT2 ran Q3 no prob. I know the 7000 is entry level, but I would have thought it was a few generations better then my old card, thatâs why I bought it as a temp card.
BTW if I forgot to mention it, the old card (AGP 3.3 v) wonât run on the new comp. (AGP 1.5 v)
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### Author:  [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)
#### Post date: [September 23, 2003, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fancy-new-computer-dont-work/203152/24 "2003-09-23T01:06:11Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Jake4 \*
> \*\*UhâŚafter 15 minutesâŚdid you try turning off the screen saver? đ \*\*
Yep thought of that, thanks, that got me a few years ago. đ
**Gotpass** , itâs the AGP version.
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### Author:  [@cletus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cletus)
#### Post date: [September 23, 2003, 7:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fancy-new-computer-dont-work/203152/25 "2003-09-23T07:59:58Z")
Are you sure itâs hardware and not software?
Try running another FPS. Better yet, download the quake 3 demo and see if you have the same problem with that. It might just be something with the program.
Eliminate the easy stuff first.
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### Author:  [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)
#### Post date: [September 23, 2003, 10:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fancy-new-computer-dont-work/203152/26 "2003-09-23T10:59:53Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by cletus \*
> \*\*Are you sure itâs hardware and not software?
>
> Try running another FPS. Better yet, download the quake 3 demo and see if you have the same problem with that. It might just be something with the program.
>
> Eliminate the easy stuff first. \*\*
Didnât think of trying the demo, good idea.
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### Author:  [@LordVor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LordVor)
#### Post date: [September 23, 2003, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fancy-new-computer-dont-work/203152/27 "2003-09-23T14:49:26Z")
I remember there being a distinct moment in time when ATI controllers went from being âcomplete crapâ to being ârather goodâ. The entire Rage128 line, for instance, tended to stink up the place. Iâm not sure what side of that dividing line the 7000 is on. If youâre looking for an older cheap-assed card to tide you by, you may be better off with an old GeForce II.
I assume that you learned that your MB doesnât support 3.3 V AGP when you tried to plug it in and there was a key in the way? If there wasnât, it isnât unheard of for a MB to support bothâŚ
In any case, Iâm fairly sure that this is a video problem, either hardware or driver related.
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### Author:  [@Elycien](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elycien)
#### Post date: [September 24, 2003, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fancy-new-computer-dont-work/203152/28 "2003-09-24T05:37:27Z")
Ok, just to toss my .02 in i think itâs actually the sound that is causing the problems. I noticed you put in a sound card and still have the problemsâŚbut iâm sticking to my guns and still staying itâs the sound in some way.
A very easy way to check this is to just play with no sound in gameâŚif it still freezes up then it isnât your sound card. If it doesnât freeze up then it is somehow related to sound and i would suggest going to dxdiag (type in the run box dxdiag), it will take a a little while for it to check everything and report the correct info (you will see a progress indicator in the bottem left when it first loads). Click on the sound tab and you should see a slider labeled hardware accelerationâŚmove it down a notch and see if the game is playableâŚkeep doing that until either the sound is fixed or you canât move the slider anymore. Oh, also see if it reports any problems.
Quake 3 is 2 years old (or older) so 256 mb of ram and a radeon 7k should run it acceptablyâŚif not with all the bells and whistles.
Some other things to try. Lower the settings in game for video and audio to their absolute minimums and see if that freezes up (it will be ugly as hell, but easy to try). Maybe try going into dxdiag an lowering hardware acceleration and see if that helps the crashes. I also second the notion of trying other games and seeing if you still have the problem. If you have access to another ddr ram module you might plug that in and see how the game runs (doesnât have to be the same speed, you are just checking for crashes, not speed).
I canât think of anything else to suggest offhandâŚsometimes gaming is nirvana and other times itâs a curse. Good Luck.
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