2007WFP / Graphics Card advice -- will my computer be enough?

Question

Hello everyone, My first post (plus I'm a bit of a technical newbie, so easy on the language!) -- I'm sorely tempted to buy one of those 2007WFPs. The problem is that I'm running a relatively barebones computer, I think -- a Dimension B110 with 1gb of memory. The monitor is simply running off the VGA plug in the OEM motherboard (with an integrated Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator 900 chipset and an Intel 82865G graphics controller, not sure what that means exactly), and I don't have a separate dedicated graphics card. So -- Question #1: Will my current graphics capabilities be able to handle the native resolution? What I'm going to use it for: watching DVDs. I don't own a DVD player, or a TV (no space); I don't play games either. Which leads me to -- Question #2: can't I just attach an inexpensive DVD player with a DVI output into the 2007WFP and watch movies from there? (Yes, I've gone through the forum looking for a definitive answer -- one poster says it's fine, another says I should really just invest in an actual graphics card. I suppose if I can afford a monitor I can afford a graphics card as well, but I'd rather save money.) Thanks in advance!

gpro · Answer

Q1: Intel® 865G/865GV Chipset Datasheet

p23
Maximum 3D Resolution Supported: 1600x1200x32 @ 85Hz
Maximum Overlay Display Resolution: 2048x1536x32

p175
The GMCH’s analog port uses an integrated 350 MHz RAMDAC that can directly drive a standard progressive scan analog monitor up to a resolution of 2048x1536 pixels with 32-bit color at 75 Hz.

The GMCH’s DVO ports are each capable of driving a 165 MHz pixel clock. Each port is capable of driving a digital display up to 1600x1200 @ 60Hz. When in dual-channel mode, the GMCH can drive a flat panel up to 2048x1536 @ 60Hz or dCRT/HDTV up to 1920x1080 @ 85Hz.

The 2007WFP resolution is 1680x1050x60Hz. For your usage it looks OK.

Q2: You can do that but you can also watch DVDs on the computer's DVD drive if it has one. If not they would be cheaper than a standalone one.

If this is your system, it looks like it does not have an AGP slot, and only VGA out.

thewilyf · Answer

Thanks for your quick response, gpro!

gpro wrote:

Maximum 3D Resolution Supported: 1600x1200x32 @ 85Hz
Maximum Overlay Display Resolution: 2048x1536x32

The 2007WFP resolution is 1680x1050x60Hz. For your usage it looks OK.

I should have asked this earlier -- and if I wanted a bigger monitor, say, something that went up to 1900x1200 -- would it still run? (I'm guessing that "Maximum Overlay Display Resolution" is the important part here.)

Q2: You can do that but you can also watch DVDs on the computer's DVD drive if it has one. If not they would be cheaper than a standalone one.

If this is your system, it looks like it does not have an AGP slot, and only VGA out.

Yes, I watch DVDs all the time on the PC -- just wanted a bigger monitor, that's all.

I guess it looks like I can't even buy another graphics card if I wanted to without practically buying a new PC! =(

gpro · Answer

video overlay is for things like watching DVDs. For normal use this is the relevant bit: The GMCH’s analog port uses an integrated 350 MHz RAMDAC that can directly drive a standard progressive scan analog monitor up to a resolution of 2048x1536 pixels with 32-bit color at 75 Hz. Bear in mind that the chipset specs may not be fully implemented. For example, the chipset supports dual-link DVI but the system doesn't have a DVI port.

Monitors

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