question about my new HP Pavilion media centre PC?

Question

hi brought a HP pavilion media centre m7630 and it's working ace but i don't no that much about pcs well only the basics but i have to quesion that need to be answered:

1. How good is my pc for entertainment wise?

2. How good is my graphics card?

3. with the pc i got a extension to the monitor because the standard ports on monitors don't directly fit in the port on my hp but also i have to ports where u can fit the monitor i tried but and they both work but one when i plug it in and i open the ati catalyst control centre it goes blank for a second then it opens up but if i plug it in the other one it does not and opens up with a blank screen why is this and why does my pc have to monitor ports and one like a normal pc does?

here are the specs of my pc:

intel core 2 duo processor E6300 1.86GHZ

2GB ram

320 GB hard drive

512mb ATI Radeon X1650 SE (how good is it)

intel high defnition audio 7.1

answer my questio please :)

Answer 1

Good Processor (not excellent but good).
Nice amount of memory
Good Hard Drive though I would have gone for 500GB to 750GB in this day and age

I'll get to the graphics card later...

Not so great on the audio, but you'll only notice that if you have a nice set of speakers attached to it.

Now, the graphics card. Well, it's okay, it's not great and it's not even the regular X1650, it's a SE version (that's bad). The SE version is something only OEM manufacturers can buy and install, it's a cheaper underclocked version of the normal X1650. The X1650 is a competitor to the Geforce 7600GS/7600GT from nvidia and frankly, the nvidia cards wipe the X1650 all over the floor. I'd consider replacing the X1650 with a 7600GT, maybe that's just me, the 256MB 7600GT will run you about $130 and the 512MB version will push $150 and at that price you may as well pick up the 7900GS for $150 after rebates from Buy.com, http://www.buy.com/prod/XFX_GeForce_7900GS_256MB_DDR3_450Mhz_PCI_Express_x16_Video_Card/q/loc/101/203471612.html

Your audio, you should probably do something about that as well. Get at least an Audigy 4 which will run $50, http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16829102011 note you'll have to download the drivers from Creative since the OEM version does not include the driver CD.

Or you could go with the X-Fi sound card for $65, http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16829102007 and I would spring for that (again, just me).

As far as the speakers go, you won't be using the full potential of either sound card until you have a nice set, even analog speakers will do, I like the Logitech X-530s for $50, http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16836121118

Some things to note, I would hold out on getting a new graphics card right now, unless you NEED it. DirectX 10 boards are just around the corner, at least the more affordable ones are, the 8300 and 8600 series from nvidia are forthcoming and will replace the 7300/7600 series.

As far as number 3 goes, maybe someone else will have a solution for that.

Answer 2

Performance wise, your machine is decent. It is far more than the average user needs, and should play most games well enough.

Your graphics card should handle most games, though some really graphic intensive games may require you to turn down the level of detail somewhat. If you do any serious gaming, video editing, or 3-d drawing/animating, then you may want to upgrade, but unless it won't do something you need it to do, then it is sufficient.

As far as plugging the monitor in, it sounds like you've got a video card on the motherboard (handy if your video card ever dies, and you need to do simple computer tasks, or get files to fix your card). Plug the monitor into the ATI card, using an adaptor if necessary--it will be away from the rest of the jacks/plugs since it is an add-on. I would suggest checking with ATI to make sure you have the most up to date driver.

Answer 3

Your PC is not exactly "top of the line" but it will do just about anything you want it to.
As for your graphics card and its ports, one is probably a typical VGA port, shaped like a rounded trapezoid with 3 rows of 5 pins. The other could either be more rectangular in shape. This is also called a DVI port.
VGA is typically used for analogue monitors, while the DVI port is specifically designed to be compatible with both analogue and digital signals.
Your graphics card probably comes with both simply to maximize compatibility with whatever monitor you choose, since most users don't know the difference. This particular model comes with a DVI-DL (per the ATI website) or dual link, which is becoming more and more typical of newer video cards which is meant for higher resolution displays and is capable of supporting HD monitors.
Which one you choose to use is really up to you since it really makes no difference.
Of course, two ports doesn't necessarily mean you can connect two monitors to the same card.
My monitor also sometimes goes blank for a moment and then comes up with I'm starting up my computer or the monitor is turning back on. I imagine that the system may be simply detecting your monitor's capabilities and choosing which mode to start up in if you're using the DVI port. And since the VGA is strictly an analogue port, it probably doesn't have this feature.

Answer 4

You have a decent machine there, the only thing I see hurting it all at, is the clock speed of the processor. It is a great processor, but it is just a little slow for some games out there. There is two monitor ports because you have onboard video and a video card, you need to plug the monitor into the spot at the bottom, the one that is horizontal. Update the drivers from ATI, I think that will solve your video issues..

Answer 5

I have a similar system. It works very well and plays the latest games my kids have. I'm new to media center and love it - works great. Your ATI video card replaces the integrated video they had on the motherboard - the one it replaces has been disabled to allow the ATI to work properly.
The ATI card is a great graphics card.