nvidia geforce 8400gs - any XP out here?
 

To the enlightent ones: greetings :D

Hey, I posted a question about beefing up an i915 Intel on-board "graphics card" - well, I was given the wise advice to install a card...anything would be better than this.

Okay, so, I've only got a PCI (one!!) slot, and that's where the video card should go, an nvidia geforce 8400gs. Driver should come from nVidia's themselves...

Any thoughts? The card is kinda ... not cheap, so a little over-and-tru about this would be nice.

Admitted, it may not be the best card...but it should be better than intel's masterpiece, that is good for a biz-PC as this one is...

Thanks Programs!

Thor

Yes, but. . .
Your selection is poor with pci. Performance will not be great. Maybe go for a new motherboard to put your cpu & ram into? Some of them even have graphics onboard. As long as it's ati or nvidia graphics, you should be ok.

It depends what you want to achieve with that system. For multimedia and older games that card will be sufficient, but not for newer games. By the way, nice little machine you have there.

Thanks for the replies...and the complements on my machine :) . A new machine is not yet an option. I'd like to smoothen Runescape...that's basically it. Oh, it runs, but with all the textures off and roughened edges (grass/roads and such)...

So...yeah, just that, and some Blendering (3d modelling and such)...but for the rest, whatever I throw at this little box, it gobbles it up nicely.

Sadly, there's only ONE slot...and it's PCI. :( ...

So the range of possible cards is somewhat limited...

According to the Runescape wiki it needs minimum a Geforce 3 with 64MB RAM, so a 8400 GS should be more than sufficient.

:redface:

Hmmm, o dear, me as a Runescape Affectionado have not even been to the wiki...shame on me...

Thanks! So...this'll be the card, then!

:hattip: I tip my hat to the gurus and Wise Ones!

Thor

Good luck ;) I have a 8400 gs based video card in my Ubuntu desktop and had some problems getting it going. This was an existing install where the 6200 based card was replaced by a 8400 based card.

Depending on the kernel version, you might have to apply the nomodeset parameter, else the system will not even get to X due to nouveau. If you have grub, remove the quiet splash (not sure if this applies exactly to lilo) till you have a system that will boot. Seems to be solved with later kernel versions; I recently remov3ed the nomodeset and the system booted without an issue.

The Ubunutu recommended driver did not work; I'm currently using the 260 dot something from the nVidia website (it was the latest at that stage if I remember correctly) and have no problems. The Ubuntu recommended driver might now work; I haven't tried it recently as I have better things to do.

Just sharing the experience, might all be much simpler in Arch ;)

Thanks Wim, now I'm a bit better "armed" against mishaps. I'd use the drivers from the Arch repo, after a firm backup, and setting te system in init 3. From there on, I'll tiptoe towards a graphical environment. Reason is that the updates and (if needd) removal can happen tru the built-in systems. But, a trip to nVidia's site may be needed, dunnow. There's nothing yet on the system as far as things nVidia are concerned, so no conflicts to be expected...

I just sent a mail ordering the card. I expect a reply as soon as the "goods have arrived"...

I'm exited, though.

Thor

From what I see online the Geforce 8400GS is a PCIE card. Do you really have only a regular PCI port ? Because I don't know of any (good) graphics card that works with that.

There are PCI versions of the 8400GS, even as low profile version.

Interesting, but I cannot imagine what terrible performance it must have.

Well, you made me curious, too. The only benchmark I found for a that card I could find was this one, where that card is tested in comparison to the Intel 945GC onboard-chip of an Atom 330 board. At least it should give Thor_2.0 a good performance gain in his game (IIRC he is using the Intel 865G currently, which is way slower), and it is totally OK for multimedia.

...yes :( ... sadly, it's all I've got. I even took a picture and mailed it to the shop where I ordered the card. it's PCI (see attachement). But, as TobiSGD mentioned: it'll be an improvement over what I've got now, and I can keep using my current box for some more years as everything else pretty much...works.

I think the card may just extend the lifespan as the rest of the stuff does'nt have to stretch this far anymore in terms of grapgical work...

But...yes, I'm aware PCI is not the best way to go, but it's the better wat than what's on now...

Just a little note that I forgot; mine is not a PCI.

Yeah, it is a PCI port, and it will be better than an Intel card. From the benchmarks it looks like you might just be able to play CS on it.

Well, that's the main aim here. Either that or 1) get a new PC (no option...yet) or 2) no play, I'd like to save some cash and reduce the Grand LandFill with at least one pc, so I'll try to extent the lifespan of the one I got...

@ Wim, no sweat, I verified at the retailers, it's a PCI, but, to be on the safe side, I'll open the box and check...tomorrow...the card has arrived...

By the way, any benchmarks I can run? GLXgears gives me some 83-and-small-change worth of frames per second...

GLXgears is in no way a benchmark. Run a few games that show you the FPS and then compare.
Even if you get a new PC I wouldn't discard the old one. You can at least do several things with that, like building a little file-server, a torrent box, a small web server, ..., eventually with downclocking/-volting the CPU to save energy.
Can be a testbed for different funny things.

Well, the thing started out planned to be a print/IceCast server, but my previous one...could only handle 80Gb worth of drive...so, the plan got changed/frozen in... :D

A recent benchmark for graphics is:
http://unigine.com/products/heaven/download/

I'm not sure the intel card could even run it tho. Instead maybe try:
http://www.phoronix-test-suite.com/i...hp?k=downloads

Cool...but, let's see if I can get tru the following task list first

- make a backup (check)
- make a backup of /etc/X11 (check)
- go get the card
- verify it's a PCI before I dish out the cash :)
- set inittab to init 3
- install the thing
- get the drivers - I'll try the repo of my distro first...there is need for kernel interfaces that need compiling, better be safe here
- reboot
- login as the regular user
- issue "startx"
- take some Valiums
- ???

Crossing my fingers...

Thor

I doubt that you will have any problems, I never had any with NVidia and Arch.

Thanks! Well, I'll know within some 24 hours, or less!

But...it's a great opportunity to just make a backup...take a plunge and learn something.

Linux...did I mention I love Linux? Here's that warm feeling again... :)

What do you mean? You are aware that Linux does not really have the limitation?
The bios on a system that I gave away recently had the infamous 32GB limit. Added a 80GB in that system, bios does not recognize it but Slackware did not have an issue using it.

Okay, now, THIS is interesting. What would, for example, happening at install? I assume Parted and C° would'nt even mind. Indeed, the BIOS does not "understand" anything beyond 80Gb, too bad, because it was a qute little box (...come to think of it... WITH AGP ! argh!!! Oh well, the current box is faster anyway and has a SATA drive, and more memory...) which was the reason to sidetrack it as a recording studio.

Okay....this is cool news! Thanks, Wim!!!

8400GS, I've used a few. Mostly they are cheap and fairly nasty, but they work.

I havent used a PCI version myself, just PCIe. From what I've seen the PCI versions are just as cheap and nasty as the PCIe versions, but you havent got much choice with PCI cards these days.

From the benchmarks TobiSGD posted? They have little and possibly no relation to what Thor 2.0 would get...

The test is using a PCIe 8400GS, not PCI. CS:source is also quite CPU bound, and the test is using a slow Atom 330.

The only really good way to compare IMO.

Who really cares about some dinky benchmarks when you can test reality. :D

Nasty as in ... config wise? Frankly,
...this will really be the best way: just fire up something and see what gives... :)

Well, sometimes reading helps. ;)
But besides that you are of course right. I only posted that because it was the only benchmark I could find at all for a PCI version of the 8400GS. Says nothing about Thor's machine, just posted out of curiosity.

What was the excuse you used recently? Tired, that was it...yeah! I'm tired. I only just woke up when I posted that LOL.

I actually stuffed up, I read the GPU-Z and Everest info and saw PCIe. I forgot that it would have been using a PCIe to PCI bridge. :tisk:

'Nasty' as in thin boards, rather lame heatsinks with a 'rush job' feeling to how the heatsink is attached, poor fit and finish, etc..

BTW, make sure that your PCI card has the half-height backplates in the box. They can be a right pain to track down if they arent in the packaging, and making one is even less fun.

The requirement that I'm aware off is that the BIOS must be able to recognize one HD to boot from. The rest does not matter.
In my case, I screwed up the original HD (15GB) and replaced it with a 2GB and the 80GB. Slackware recognized both, I put the boot on the 2GB (that was detected by the BIOS) and the rest of the system on the 80GB and was ready to go.

As said, I gave the system away recently (actually I sold it for a small fee) and somebody tried to get XP installed. If I recall correctly, they managed to get some 'lite' version installed but were never able to access the 80GB disk. Got it back for free ;)

Well,

It's official...I should mark this thread a solved...because there's no solution...

For crying out loud...the card does'nt fit...

Too bad.

@ Wim

Now that's what I call: good trading! :D Anything you could do for the current economical situation ;)

However, the trick is good, I could use that on an other box, the one I refered to is a small-form, only space for one drive. As a side note: avoid small-forms if possible...

Thor

Damn.

Thats a full-height slot. You might be able to find a 8400GS PCI that will fit into the limited length in that case. If you cant, most of the 6200s are shorter than the 8400s.

BTW, what case/system is that? Its possible that you could unblot some of the internal metalwork and get the 8400GS PCI you have now to fit into the case.

I agree that you should avoid small form factors. I bought an Atom-based microATX system, and it was really hard to fit the DVD drive in there (it fit, but the drive jammed when I tried to eject). I had to use a hammer and assemble things a bit differently from the assembly plans to be able to fit it. Of course, I cannot recommend taking a hammer to it ... or a saw, but I would at least analyze the situation a bit and see if there is a way to fit it without breaking anything.

@ Cascade9

Yup, the exact same word I screemed :)

Yeah, real downer .. the store gave me a IOU ticket, so the money is still there...it's an HP/Compaq 530 - nice enough...but a pain to expand, it seems...

@ H_TeXMeX_H
Yeah...they outha label the boxes...like cigatettes...:D

Oh well...

Thor

I feel sorry for the PC with that fat monitor on top :)

@ Wim Strukenboom

So did I, so I moved things around a bit...to little too late, the thing came back with an ugly vengeance...

And, yes, a flat monitor would be the next (logical) step...

Oh well

Not quite enough info, there has been a lot of HP/compaq d530 models.

Just avoid 'corporate' computers IMO.

Better advice. Build it yourself and you know what you get.

@ cascade9
...well, she's not getting any thing anymore, so there. I'll just use the Voodoo3 on an other box. That one runs Debian, lshw sees the card, all I have to do is tweak the card...yeah, I know, an other piece of antique.

Man, I need a new PC....I feel like an archeologist....

Wise words, lesson learned. But..."they look so cute"...eh, I'll stick to my teddybear...if I can tear him away from the keyboard...

Oh well...

@ TobiSGD

Actually, that's not even a half-bad idea. I used to build my own systems all the time. Wonder if that's still possible, after all, developments kept happening...

I was building the microATX one myself.

Even if you put a pic of model number up I dont think I could read it :D

*edit- voodoo 3s are hardly new, but they were at least decent for 3D. Just because something is old doesnt make it useless.

Its easier now to build your own computer than it was in the past IMO.

Thanks it'll be a joy tweaking it...and yes, old is proven, not useless...

Thanks for the nudge. My next one should be home made...just like TobiSGD mentioned, at least you know what's in the box.

By the way, the little one? A d530u/P2.66/40bn/256D/4 EUROA4 - whatever that means :) and, she's on the way out. As soon as there's enuff cash... :D

If its on the way out, I probably shouldnt go figure out how hard it would be to hack the case to make the card fit.

As for the model number, it tells you almost everything. d530u/P2.66/40bn/256D/4 EUROA4?

d530u = ultra slim case
P2.66 = Pentium 4 2.66GHz
40b = 40GB 7200RPM HDD
256D = 256MB RAM in single channel mode
4 = WinXP OS
Euro = made for the Eurpoean market

http://h18000.www1.hp.com/products/q.../11632_na.html

Well, not anymore...

...tell me about it. I'll recycle it for a media server (icecast) for in-house use. A PC in the kitchen, one in the living room, one in my bedroom, all wired up, and my MP3's are everywhere...that's the plan. Got over 250Gb of music...took me a zillion years to mp3-fy my CD's...

That's the main future for that thing.

...marked it as "solved" - though the solution is not what I expected :) : build a new PC...

Thanks gang!

Thor