ArcadeVga PCI slot problems

[psychlone78]

Hello All. I just got a monster from dell. Pent 4.....3GHz ....800FSB
512MB Dual Channel DDR SDRAM @ 400MHz...80Gig hardrive 7200 RPM
The video is integrated so is sound. I got my Arcade VGA card from ultimarc with much excitement. When I opened my pc the card wont fit through the back slots. Even if I try to get it in the card doesnt even fit the pci slots its too long.. Does anyone know if this is a problem with dells in particular...or maybe got a bad card?

[Popcorrin]

The arcadevga is an AGP card.

[elvis]

3 choices:

1) Find a second-hand ArcadeVGA from when they were still PCI

2) Don't use an ArcadeVGA, and instead use something like AdvanceMAME and custom video modes through software.  You will most likely need a new PCI video card anyway for this, as the onboard intel i8XX cards are quite poor for this sort of thing, which makes (1) a more logical choice.

3) Buy a new motherboard with an AGP slot.  Do be careful, as Dell have a bad habit of making custom boards, cases and power supplies that don't fit with other components.  You may have to shell out for a new case and power supply also, and transfer your drives and CPU across to the new system.  I can see costs racking up here, which again points back to (1).

It certainly does pay to do some proper research before buying expensive equipment.

I'll make a request here that the powers that be sticky this thread, so that others may learn from it and not waste their hard earned money on Dell rubbish also.  Although the warnings on the Ultimarc website were obviously not enough, so I doubt this would be either.

[2600]

Actually, please don't sticky this as there are so many things wrong with your post that it may confuse people more.

A) The AVGA never came in PCI.

B) The new system probably either has PCI Express and maybe a couple of PCI slots or no expansion slot for video(If you give us the model number, we can figure it out).  If it really is a "monster system" I don't think you meant to say get a new PCI card.  I believe you meant PCI Express, which is entirely different.  They shouldn't of even put PCI in the name as it is because it seems people are having a hard time differentiating the two.

C) You assume his system is i8xx based.

psychlone78 does have other options.
1. Keep the system as is and make do.  Probably would be fine.  Just don't get all the specific resolutions, but maybe you wouldn't care.
2. Get an OLDer PCI card to use with advance mame.
and maybe more options.

[elvis]

Actually, please don't sticky this as there are so many things wrong with your post that it may confuse people more.

A) The AVGA never came in PCI.

B) The new system probably either has PCI Express and maybe a couple of PCI slots or no expansion slot for video(If you give us the model number, we can figure it out).  If it really is a "monster system" I don't think you meant to say get a new PCI card.  I believe you meant PCI Express, which is entirely different.  They shouldn't of even put PCI in the name as it is because it seems people are having a hard time differentiating the two.

C) You assume his system is i8xx based.

psychlone78 does have other options.
1. Keep the system as is and make do.  Probably would be fine.  Just don't get all the specific resolutions, but maybe you wouldn't care.
2. Get an OLDer PCI card to use with advance mame.
and maybe more options.

A) I was under the impression the older Radeon 7000 based AVGA was a PCI device?  Apologies if it wasn't.  In fact, some quick googling just now seems to confirm it wasn't.

B) No, I meant PCI.  The large majority of systems still have some PCI slots (much like it took many years before we saw the death of ISA slots from PCI boards).  And MAME certainly doesn't *NEED* and AGP card, nor a PCI-Express card for that matter.  And yes, there are plenty of retailers who still sell new PCI video cards.  Not new as in "new chipset", but new as in "not second hand".  Most of these are older chipsets like Radeon VE/7000, Radeon 9200, Nvidia GeForceMX400 and FX5200 cards.  These are perfectly fine for MAME, and also will reach lower resolutions with tools like SVGALib and AdvanceMAME much better than integrated Intel video.

Here's an Australian reseller who sells *NEW* PCI video cards:
http://www.gamedude.com.au/prod_list.php?maingroup=VIDEO%20CARD&secondgroup=ALL%20PCI%20MODELS

I'm sure you can find much cheaper and more variety in the US, based on your market and population densities.

C) Aren't most cheapy Dells? And even if they aren't, the i9xx video sucks just as bad.

1. If you're happy sticking to 640x480.  Lower resolutions are difficult to do with onboard intel video, which is generally total pants.  And if you've got a genuine arcade monitor that can do low res, you sure as hell want to use it.  Not doing so would be a complete waste (and a crime, to some people).

2. That's what I said 2 posts ago, and you told me I was talking about PCI-Express, when I certainly was not, and then you proceeded to tell me I was giving bad advice!

At the end of the day, the OP should have put some research in before parting with his dollars.  And everyone else should do their best to avoid Dell all together.

[2600]

At the end of the day, the OP should have put some research in before parting with his dollars.

Can't argue with that.