Yet another question on graphics cards

I'm currently upgrading the old desktop at the moment. I haven't done this in years, and today's graphics card market is complicated business compared to a few years ago. I'm looking for advice from someone who knows about graphics cards.

My motherboard is the MSI 7173; also uses the designation RC410M - it's old, but was considered high end when I got it, so should still provide everything I need from it. It uses an ATI chipset. The manual lists a number of ATI graphics cards that are compatible. Does this mean that nVidia graphics cards are not compatible with my motherboard? Or is it simply that MSI and ATI have a business arrangement whereby MSI will promote ATI products?

If so, then what is the ATI equivalent of the GeForce 7900 GTX? I'm looking for that, or better.

I'm looking to play Age of Conan aswell as supporting windlight; AoC gives it's minimum required spec as being a GeForce 6600, but I want to try to match the recommended spec if I can afford to (the afore mentionned 7900 GTX).

I've seen an ATI HD2600 Pro for pretty cheap on dabs.com. Does anyone have experience of this card also?

NVIDIA cards will work on ATI motherboards.

I thought they should, but wanted reasurance. That's good, as it gives me more scope to get the best price if I can cast my net further. I was a bit perturbed by the manual's complete failure to mention nVidia. I assume that this is simply part of a business deal with MSI and ATI to promote ATI cards.

Last time I upgraded a PC, SD-RAM was the standard and AGP was considered super high-end cutting edge technology.

Does this look like your motherboard?

http://www.msicomputer.com/product/p_spec.asp?model=RC410M-L

It has integrated video (on the motherboard) by ATI, but it also has a PCI-E slot which will work with most modern video cards, NVIDIA and ATI alike. I took a glance at what I think is the downloadable version of your manual and it does list a bunch of ATI cards in the appendix, but I think that list is geared toward their proprietary triple-monitor setup dealie that they're calling SURROUNDVIEW - it presumes you're going to use both the integrated video AND another card for a fancy 3-monitor setup. Unless you're going to do that, get whatever video card you want (and any card you buy will run 2 monitors just fine should that interest you at some point). Re-read that part of your manual with that in mind, I bet it will make sense. Motherboard manuals almost never list recommended video cards for normal use, any recent card should work.

I have a slightly older ATI card myself, but for the most part NVIDIA stuff seems to do better on OpenGL apps like Second Life - so going with your first instinct there is probably a good idea.

Do pay attention to recommended power supply ratings as you shop for video cards, modern cards require plenty of power and you might need a slight upgrade there to go along with your new card. It's tempting to skip it, but try not to - underpowered video cards can exhibit all kinds of intermittent, frustrating problems that are hard to diagnose.

Hope some of this helps

Based on my experience using an ATI graphics card with Second Life, and based upon what I've read in other forums, it seems that at least Second Life has fewer issues with nVidia graphics cards than with ATI graphics cards.

With my ATI card, everything else on my computer works just great. It's just Second Life that causes problems. From reading through some of the technical forums, it seems to me a lot of the problems I have are shared by other users with ATI cards and don't happen as much with people who have nVidia cards.

In the end I settled on an Sapphire Radeon HD2600XT 512MB - it was the best compromise on performance and price I could find. Thanks for the advice, people.

i am totally confused about graphics cards.
i was thinking about getting a laptop. I have seen 1 that has 2GB memory and a Mobile Intel GMA X3100 Graphics Card. Is that good enough or do I need something better?

You made the right choice. Never good to mix Nvidia cards with ATI chipsets and visa versa. Many times it WILL work, but often you will have problems as well. Just safer to use same with same.

I don't see it listed on the SL system requirements page (http://secondlife.com/support/sysreqs.php) but I think it used to be listed, and I think my work issued laptop has that video card, and SL works on that Laptop, rather well i might add. If you give me a reminder PM later tonight I can check my laptop for you when i get home to verify it's video card.

Better not tell my system that; for a long time I was using an ATI chipset motherboard with an NVidia card. (I eventually swapped out that motherboard because its USB ports failed, not because of any problems with the video.) The one exception: if you want to use two or more video cards working together (NVidia SLI or ATI CrossFire) you will usually have to stick with motherboards that use the same manufacturer's chipset. ATI and AMD are the same company now, so AMD motherboard chipsets count as ATI for this discussion.

Darn, I wish you'd posted a while back, Shirley..........
I'm currently the proud owner of a Foxconn m/board and a Sapphire Radeon X1650 graphics card. Works fine - at least I think it does - but the card was bought with the intention of ultimately getting a second and twinning them via ATI Crossfire. Only after I'd got the system did I find out that the m/board has nVidea chipset and I'm stuffed for using a second ATI card in dual mode - and that was only through questioning the m/board company direct as the manual was seriously vague.
Wish the IT companies would be a bit more upfront with product info at times.