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Is there a way to check and see what kind of video card a computer needs without taking it apart?
Also, What are some of the best, decent priced video cards. I am mainly looking for the best video card that will be able to hand Second Life.
Thanks
BahaiMa22
Pretty much any video card will allow you to play Second Life. It has low requirements.
First you need to determine which expansion slots you have available. SiSoftware Sandra will tell you:
http://tinyurl.com/6v7xt
You can also tell by finding the model number of your motherboard and searching for the specifications.
You can also tell by opening the computer and looking at the motherboard. In this picture, the top slot is AGP. The bottom slots are both PCI.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:AGP_slot.jpg
AGP slots are almost always that brownish color.
The second-from-the-top slot in this picture is PCI Express x16.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fc/PCIExpress.jpg
If you have any empty PCI, PCI Express x16, or AGP slots, then you can install a video card. AGP and PCI Express x16 are best. AGP is slightly faster than PCI-e, but PCI-e is more common.
After you figure out the expansion slot to use, just buy a video card for that slot. Any recent card will run Second Life. Below I list some good, low-cost ones. Also, if your computer is not a tower, you may need low-profile card instead.
PCI:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130289
AGP:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150269
PCI Express x16:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130378
or
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814139018
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(Rating: 5)
I was hoping you'd be answering this one for me, Thanks so much! xxx
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