How to check if computer has video card

orangutang
Thanks. If I do not see an entry in the display tab, it will be good to assume that there is Video Card in the PC?

MASQUERAID
Wow.. you are really making me thing.. The donor is going to be a Dell Optiplex 760. The recipient is a HP530 CMT. Do you think that will help to get a clue if ther ewill be a match.

Thanks

Which form-factor?  The standard 760 that ships has an integrated board with both VGA HDMI output.  The small form factor has integrated VGA and DVI.  Unless you bought it with an nVidia or ATI option it doesn't have a card you can remove.  Check the Dell Support site for it's service tag if you're not certain or alternatively open the case (if it's the small form factor (SFF) there's a chassis intrusion alarm button that may need resetting in the BIOS if you open the box)

MASQUERAID
Here are the specs. do you see any compatible expansion card?

Base,MCSF,Pentium M Dothan, 2.0ghz, 2 Megb, 533fsb EPA
Information,Equipment
Module,Documentation,SERI/WSI English,DAO/BCC
Module,Dual In-line Memory Module,2G,2X1G,800,CL6 Optiplex
Module,Label,Intel,Desktop Core Duo-conroe,Core Duo Kentsfield
Module,Software,Quick Fix Engineering,WXPPSP3,Business Desktop
Thermal Module,Heatsink Mainstream,MCSF
Module,Software,VB32SP1 Digital Video Disk Drive,MUL5 Dao/bcc
Module,Information,Dell EnergyOffering,NO-LBL,Optiplex,755
Module,Software,WXPPSP3 Business Desktop English,DAO/BCC
Module,Software,WXPPSP3 Compact Disk Drive English,DAO/BCC
Module,Software,Powerdvd,8.1 Digital Video Disk Drive Business
Module,Shipping Material System,MCSF,Dell Americas Organization
Module,Card,Graphics,OUGA6 Loop,O,Digital Video Interface
Module,Information,Management AMT/DASH,760
Module,Cord,Power,125V,2M,C13 United States
Module,Media,Digital Video Disk Drive,Resource Dvd Optiplex,760
Module,Dvd+/-rw,8X,SLCY Toshiba Samsung Storage Technology,Optiplex
Module,Panel,Filler,3.5 Inch Form Factor,Matrix Cypher Small Form Factor,BLK,OPT
Module,Keyboard,104,United States,Black,Optiplex
Module,Chassis,MCSF,760,EnergySmart,Pwa Integrated,Third Party Maintenance
Module,Software,WINDOWS-LIVE Relationship Line Of Business
Module,Processor,Wolfdale E8400,Optiplex
Module,Label,Vista,Downgrade Premium,Optiplex,Precision WorkStations
Module,Software,VB32/64 Certificate Of Authenticity
Module,Software,Roxio,Creator Dell Edition,9.0,Relationship Line Of Business
Module,Mouse,6BTN,Laser Commercial,Logitech,Desktop
Module,Hard Drive,80GB,S2 Western Digital,VR150,Optiplex
Basic Support: Next Business Day Parts and Labor Onsite Response 2 Year Extended
Basic Support: Next Business Day Parts and Labor Onsite Response Initial Year
Dell Hardware Limited Warranty Plus Onsite Service Extended Year(s)
Dell Hardware Limited Warranty Plus Onsite Service Initial Year
Information,Equipment

Unfortunately, the HP has to be the one that handles the graphics, for now. :-(
We have found only one Dell 760 where the user has no need for video driver.

if we determine we have to get a AGP card for the HP, we will.

thanks again for your analysis.

Yes, this is your card "Module,Card,Graphics,OUGA6 Loop,O,Digital Video Interface"

But it's a PCI-E expansion board and won't fit the HP530 CMT

Thanks for figuring that out.

I just ran dxdiag and found out that the HP has a Graphic Controller. (Intel 82865G)-96 MB. Any recommendations on how we have enhance this for Graphics intensive apps.

Thanks again.

Not really - this is what you have http://www.intel.com/support/graphics/intel865g/sb/CS-009185.htm
What do you need to run? There's probably an AGP board that will help but it's a big compromise :(

ok. Actually, it is for the owner's teen son who is going to play a lot of games.! They do not want to afford to give a Dell, but rather than old HP, but they want to make sure it has a good video card.

The owner would be better off giving his son the 760.
Whatever else the 530 is NOT a gaming machine whatever you put inside
trust me on that.
http:M_1267282.html :)

i trust you on that.

How do I tell my owner who wants his son to have good gaming experience, but all the Optiplex's are already distributed to key people, and they do now want to buy another pc now, but they are ok to buy a card etc if it will help.

I could suggest a good card but it will work better than the machine it's attached to and son is likley to complain it's not good enough to beat his online opponents.
Depends on if his dad is prepared to take that risk or tell his son that's all you're getting & it's better than not having a PC to game with ;)

If you have a full size case then this 7600GS with 4/8X AGP is about the best you can get without over-taxing the 530's power supply.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814143069  = $100

It won't play most games released in the last 18 months well (or at all!!)

If we know what son wants to play it might help :)

MASQUERAID
Thanks much. You are a champion!

Thanks for the reco on  7600GS also.

I will get back to you on those details asap.

The boss feels, now that it is not worth spending the $ on a card, if it not going to promise better performance. So he is going to choose to tell the gamer to be happy with what he has.

This fellow goes for any aircraft game.

Is Intel 82865G a proper video card (96MB), just lower MB than 7600GS ?

It's not about "better performance" it's about the difference between being able to run software or not.  Putting in a graphics card means you can play the game.  The computer it's attached to means "just not very well".

The Intel Chipset is an integrated card, sharing the CPU and system RAM to process video. It's not a "proper" video card in that video cards do the graphics processing themselves and take the load off of both CPU and RAM.

A basic requirement for game graphics is 128MB available memory and support for vertex and pixel shading. None of which the 82865G can provide. Flight simulation is pretty graphics intensive.

It's just not going to work without putting a dedicated card in there but if you put a card in at least it is possible to play.

"It's just not going to work without putting a dedicated card in there but if you put a card in at least it is possible to play."

You mean to say, if the fellow can have only the HP to play and wants to play flight games, he better have the 7600GS ? (even though the HP may or may not be able to use the 7600GS ?

Thanks

The HP will be able to use the graphics card

HP without separate graphics card - very limited gaming
HP with separate graphics card - able to game but because of limitation of the HP machine (not the graphics card) won't be able to get highest settings/best performance

The HP box is the limiting factor NOT the graphics card