Vista - PCI E X-16 slot help me out please.

I have integrated graphics. It's the "choke point" in my system. I am not clear on graphics card upgrades. This is a simple question for most of you guys. Can I go out and buy a new PCI express card and disable my integrated graphics and use this slot for a new graphics card? I am confused....sorry for the newbie question.

P.S. what does GeForce 6150SE nForce 430 mean? Is it the motherboard and integrated graphics? It is listed as "chipset" in the system specs. I thought "chipset" was the motherboard.

Hello again.... (less than 5 mins later...)

Ok so now that your other post has been cleared up, let me get this one for ya.

Yes integrated graphics suck. Go buy a good video card, and put it into the PCIe16 slot, and plug in your monitor. You should be good to go (though read the installation instructions that come with the card) You do not need to disable your integrated graphics, so don't worry about that. Don't worry about asking dumb questions, everyone has them. (That includes all of us "skilled" or whatever rating....)

The GeForce 6150SE nForce 430 describes your integrated graphics. That is equal to a NVidia GeForce 6 series card, which they no longer sell off their website I dont think.

Hope I answered your question.

~Lordbob

Okay, thank you. I do not need to worry about disabling the integrated graphics? I have heard it both ways. I have read they will conflict? No? I will be giving it a try next weekend. Are most cards around $100 going to be far better than what I have now?

A radeon 4760 would be a good buy for you. Its probably the highest you can buy without upgrading your power supply.
Newegg.com - Apollo AP-HD4670 256MB Radeon HD 4670 256MB 128-bit GDDR4 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - Desktop Graphics / Video Cards

o yes you can get a heck of a card for a hundred dollars
and if you get a nvidia card you shouldn't have to worry with conflicts
i would recomend.....
EVGA GeForce 9600 GT Video Card - 512MB GDDR3, PCI Express 2.0, DVI, HDTV 512-P3-N863-TR at TigerDirect.com
this card as long as your power supply can handle it

Thank you very much for the options. I have heard that it's a good idea to go with Nvidia if that's what you have already. I have read that you should go with the same manufacturer if possible. I will look at those two and any more anyone wants to recommend. Thanks again guys.

I never thought of this but I could run into issues with a 300W PS. Thank you for bringing this to my attention.

And sooner than you think... do your homework before you spend your money.

That's not true unless you want to do a sli or crossfire setup. I have a similar motherboard with the onboard geforce 6100 and I have a Radeon 4850 installed on my system and it runs perfectly fine.

Whats your budget?

For $100 you can get a great card. No don't worry about the integrated graphics, I have done that many times with no issues.

A 300W PSU may not be enough. Consider getting a new one if you plan to do any more upgrades.

~Lordbob