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[Teddy G.]

My video monitor and video card are among the oldest things in my system and my old CRT monitor is beginning to "dim"(Brightness is all the way up!).

I hope both last until I can replace the entire "box" with all new, superb quality "fun stuff", but, Justin Case... In any event I may keep, or whatever - give away, something my old machine and it would be nice to have a working monitor with it, anyway.

If I decide to go out and pickup an inexpensive monitor and card at the local drug store(They do have them there, right?), can I anticipate any possible problems?

For instance, my mother board is just old enough to specify a 4X AGP video card, at best. Am I alright getting an 8X video card(About all that's around, at least on "RIGHT NOW" notice)? I hear they are supposed to be "backwards compatible", but..? Anything I need to know..?

What about the "old" video drivers? Somehow uninstall them or just forget about the old drivers, the new ones will "take over" fine?

Another question would be - do most monitors and cards now offer digital I/O(I forget what they call it.)? Do I care?

Thankx for any video monitor help!

TG    

[xAm]

Teddy,

GENERALLY, a monitor's a monitor.

The only drawback to getting a new monitor is that it'll probably be worth more than yer' old box, right?!?

I take it you're using one of the older versions of plug-n-pray? No biggie...

Get your new monitor, but before you hook it up, go to the mfr's site and DL the latest and greatest driver... prep a CD/Flop/MemStik... swap the mutha' out... good to go.

Max

[Andy Peters]

Teddy G. wrote on Sat, 28 October 2006 14:42

My video monitor and video card are among the oldest things in my system and my old CRT monitor is beginning to "dim"(Brightness is all the way up!). I hope both last until I can replace the entire "box" with all new, superb quality "fun stuff", but, Justin Case... In any event I may keep, or whatever - give away, something my old machine and it would be nice to have a working monitor with it, anyway. If I decide to go out and pickup an inexpensive monitor and card at the local drug store(They do have them there, right?), can I anticipate any possible problems? For instance, my mother board is just old enough to specify a 4X AGP video card, at best. Am I alright getting an 8X video card(About all that's around, at least on "RIGHT NOW" notice)? I hear they are supposed to be "backwards compatible", but..? Anything I need to know..?

A 4X AGP slot will accept an 8X card.  The 8X card may have a Molex power connector, identical to those on hard disks, for addition power.  Make sure you have an extra drive power connector.

Quote:

What about the "old" video drivers? Somehow uninstall them or just forget about the old drivers, the new ones will "take over" fine?

Definitely configure your video display for plain-vanilla VGA or SVGA (800x600, minimal colors), then reboot to make sure that took.  Then uninstall the old drivers.  Then install the new card and install its drivers.

Quote:

Another question would be - do most monitors and cards now offer digital I/O(I forget what they call it.)? Do I care?

If you foresee buying a high-quality LCD, make sure you get a DVI port.  Many LCDs don't have analog (VGA) inputs, only digital.  (Note that the card's DVI port includes analog output.)  Actually, you should look for a card that has two DVI ports (which can be tricky to find, for some reason).  This way, you can connect two Apple Cinema Displays (or whatever) without problems.   You don't want to buy two displays, only to discover that your card has only one digital out.

-a

[Teddy G.]

Actually, my old video card is a VooDoo, which didn't work properly with Windows 2000, as Voodoo went out of business before releasing(At least to me) proper drivers. I stumbled along for some months until, one day, I did a Windows Update which "found, downloaded and installed" a set of drivers that have worked perfectly ever since(Where they came from?). Anyway, it was a trying time I have no desire to repeat.

If I have to do it, at least now I have some good advice as to how to do it.

Thankx much!

TG

[John Monforte]

How about this idea?

Pick up an old computer off the trash pile or buy one used for $5. Scavenge it for a monitor card and/or monitor.

Not only do you get by on the cheap, but you delay the introduction of toxins into our landfills.

It good that "vintage" computers don't have the same cachet as vintage audio gear!

Its very likely plug and play for VGA/SVGA settings, but drivers are easily found on the web.

Good Luck!

[Teddy G.]

I recently got an old laptop computer for free. So far it's cost me money for an old 98 SE OS and within 3 days the hard drive "went away". A "new" one? 140 bucks. A used one? Where? In what shape?  

An old friend gave me an old boat, a little sailboat. Great! So far I've put over $2500 into it, just to get it going again. And I still have an old sailboat, parts of which may "fail" fairly quickly(Or not?). Still hasn't even hit the water - I'm tired of seeing the darned thing after working on it all year and the weather is not always so good, now...

Fortunately, the sailboat and laptop are not something that NEED to work, at all, ever, just something to play with and if I don't want to spend, no problem.

My main computer, however, is something else again. It's got to work faultlessly or I lose money. In this instance, at least, a "cheap" new something that may not be everything I want it to be - fine, for now.

I think finding a used ANYTHING is a great idea(I've got piles of old stuff.), but, in this case - where? And, wouldn't I then have the "same old" situation that I have now? An "iffy" monitor in a cfitical situation, with no time to "play"? A plus on buying "new/OK" for now, is that I may end up WITH a "nice used one on the shelf", to "sub" for the "real" new one I hope to get, if needed? I was r-e-a-l- glad I hadn't sold my old powered speakers when I got the laptop(Long as it lasted...) as I used them to play music through it in the garage/ham shack. I just may ask around about used monitors! Thanks! Good idea.

New? Used? Back to bed? It's a toughy......


Thankx for eveyone's comments and advice,

TG

[xAm]

TG,

You can try your local University's surplus or even the state surplus... then again, you're in that same "sail"-boat... it's still an unknown, used monitor.

A new so-so 17" should be something less than $120.

Again, I wouldn't worry about the old drivers... hell, most of the time they won't uninstall anyway. Just get the latest and greatest downloaded before you install.

Then when it asks for the new hardware... you're golden!

Personally, the thought of a used monitor for a "must have" situation... NOPE!

Again, my .02

Max