Totally newb question. I'm great with a PC outside of the hardware section haha. I've installed RAM and such with ease but I've never ripped apart a computer, installed a card or a PSU or something, so I'm a little scared. It's my first time (this is starting to sound weird). I bought 2x 128 MB 64 bit Gigabyte ATI Radeon 9250 Graphics cards along with a Powercolor ATI Radeon 9550 256 MB 128 bit AGP 8x Graphics card for $20 (shipping included, anyone need the 128's? Haha 
), and even better, they all work! The guy said the 256 MBer was a little loud, though. But, considering I usually have my nice Logitech X-230's blasting Bon Jovi until I'm death, or even when my music isn't on, my fan is right next to my head keeping me cool blocking out all sounds from my PC hardware , and I am going to pop the 256 MBer in. I could use it for simple Aero interface on XP, or for Vista if the OS becomes good one day, and light to moderate gaming, so, I figured this was a good grab (I could easily get a new PSU and get a little more money to get a 512 MB card or something higher edge, or convince my brother that his ATI Radeon 9800 Pro 128 MB isn't as good as the Radeon 9550 because it has half the video RAM, and then trade him cards haha), and the other two cards were just a nice bonus.
The Dell Dimension 4600i motherboard has a happy AGP 8x slot sitting waiting for a card, and I have no idea how to put it there. I noticed in my brothers computer and in my old computer the cards stick out the back of the PC. Okay... so... uh... what? (I sound like an idiot, I know, ONE DAY I WILL BE GOOD AT THIS, SO HELP ME FOR THE TIME BEING! Haha.) I noticed my brothers ATI Radeon 9800 Pro is quite large, Dell cases seem to be smaller, so is this thing going to be half my case size? Yikes, I always thought graphics cards would be smaller. I also have no flippin' idea on what cords go to it. I have a standard Dell Dimension 4600 shipped 250 watt PSU (yeah, the crappy one, it is a powerful PSU, for being 250 watt. It's been going strong for years, I don't see it failing anytime soon, if it does, though, $30-40 and I can get a new, better one, I made a topic and it appears the 9550 would do fine with the 250W), and there is a crapload of cords; how anyone bothers to find the right one is beyond me. What cord(s) goes to the card?
The cards do not come with any hardware CD's, so, how the heck do I get the drivers? Download them prior to installing the card from ATI's website, or, just install the card, log on my PC (I don't think the card would work without the drivers, just a guess) and then download them?
I over-analyze everything. Hopefully if my brother is here he can help me install it, but, I doubt he will be, or he'll be too drunk to do it. Thanks for the help!
~NeciFiX
), and even better, they all work! The guy said the 256 MBer was a little loud, though. But, considering I usually have my nice Logitech X-230's blasting Bon Jovi until I'm death, or even when my music isn't on, my fan is right next to my head keeping me cool blocking out all sounds from my PC hardware , and I am going to pop the 256 MBer in. I could use it for simple Aero interface on XP, or for Vista if the OS becomes good one day, and light to moderate gaming, so, I figured this was a good grab (I could easily get a new PSU and get a little more money to get a 512 MB card or something higher edge, or convince my brother that his ATI Radeon 9800 Pro 128 MB isn't as good as the Radeon 9550 because it has half the video RAM, and then trade him cards haha), and the other two cards were just a nice bonus. The Dell Dimension 4600i motherboard has a happy AGP 8x slot sitting waiting for a card, and I have no idea how to put it there. I noticed in my brothers computer and in my old computer the cards stick out the back of the PC. Okay... so... uh... what? (I sound like an idiot, I know, ONE DAY I WILL BE GOOD AT THIS, SO HELP ME FOR THE TIME BEING! Haha.) I noticed my brothers ATI Radeon 9800 Pro is quite large, Dell cases seem to be smaller, so is this thing going to be half my case size? Yikes, I always thought graphics cards would be smaller. I also have no flippin' idea on what cords go to it. I have a standard Dell Dimension 4600 shipped 250 watt PSU (yeah, the crappy one, it is a powerful PSU, for being 250 watt. It's been going strong for years, I don't see it failing anytime soon, if it does, though, $30-40 and I can get a new, better one, I made a topic and it appears the 9550 would do fine with the 250W), and there is a crapload of cords; how anyone bothers to find the right one is beyond me. What cord(s) goes to the card?
The cards do not come with any hardware CD's, so, how the heck do I get the drivers? Download them prior to installing the card from ATI's website, or, just install the card, log on my PC (I don't think the card would work without the drivers, just a guess) and then download them?
I over-analyze everything. Hopefully if my brother is here he can help me install it, but, I doubt he will be, or he'll be too drunk to do it. Thanks for the help!
~NeciFiX
