PNY Verto Geforce 6200 (256MB) Agp VGA Dvi Svid HDtv Breakout Pod

THE CHANGE

I have built all of my own computer systems since the mid 1980s. By doing so, I can handle the issues that may crop-up along the way and save myself a great deal of money. Not only do I save dollars in repair or diagnostic cost but by building the system from scratch I can invest more money into the actual hardware. This generally translates into a more powerful system for around the cost of a bargain basement or mid-range retail priced computer setup.

I have gravitated to the new motherboards featuring the PCI-Express bus yet. My present needs are fully matched and lots of room still to grow within the system. This doesn't mean the system does not need a tweak here and there for better performance and these tweaks and upgrades can be made as wanted without breaking the bank.

CPU (Central Processing Unit) the main brain in any computer is a Intel Pentium 4 Northgate (hyper-threaded) with 2GBs of ram running on a MSI ATX mainboard. Just prior to writing this review it sported a Nvidia Geforce 5700 LE with 256MBs of DRR ram. This graphics card has been astounding and hasn't caused any issues over the last three years or so. It's been a true workhorse. I have been a nVidia supporter since their first release into the retail markets. Until something better comes along I'm a Die Hard nVidia follower.

IF IT'S NOT BROKEN DON'T FIX IT

The old adage of if it's not broken don't fix it. doesn't always hold true. Just because something isn't broken doesn't mean there isn't room for improvement. Don't replace the entire computer for more performance for this can be quite costly. But a new purchase of fresh new hardware can be the booster you need to make your computer appear like new again.

That's why this month I purchased the PNY Verto Geforce 6200 (256MB) Agp VGA Dvi Svid HDtv Breakout Pod from Newegg.com for around $68 bucks with a $10 mail-in-rebate. The rebate here was a surprise when I landed on the newegg.com web site after researching this particular graphics cards.

WHY GeForce 6200 with 256MB?

I made this purchase of the PNY Verto Geforce 6200 (256MB) Agp VGA Dvi Svid HDtv Breakout Pod for the following reasons:

One I wanted a faster graphics card that would accommodate a AGP slot and would only require one slot.

Two It had to meet the requirements for my MSI mainbaord.

Three The PNY Verto Geforce 6200 (256MB) Agp VGA Dvi Svid HDtv Breakout Pod adds and High Definition out when I interface it later to a HDTV that my previous card did not support.

OUT OF THE BOX!

Out of the box you get one PNY Verto Geforce 6200 (256MB) Agp VGA Dvi without fan just a heatsink, One S video cable, One HDtv breakout Pod, One CDROM driver disk, and One Manual. The PNY Verto Geforce 6200 (256MB) Agp VGA Dvi Svid HDtv Breakout Pod comes with a one year warranty but when you register online PNY extends your warranty two additional years. For me a longer warranty (though I've never had to use a warranty) offers me more faith in the companies manufacturing the product.

INSTALLATION SUPER EASY !!!

NVidia graphic cards have always been super easy to install. The first step is to remove your previous version of graphic card drivers. Shout down the entire system and remove the power cable, open up the case, and remove the old graphics card. Once this is complete, insert the new PNY Verto Geforce 6200 (256MB) Agp VGA Dvi Svid HDtv Breakout Pod graphics card reassemble computer, reattach cables and power up. The Windows XP Pro New Hardware wizard will find the new device. Insert the provided driver CDROM and tell the wizard to continual. Be sure to follow the on screen instructions. In many cases you may be asked to restart your computer -- do so at that time. Once rebooted you can go into the video properties and make adjustments. — And WOW! For under $60 your system will feel like you spent thousands.

NOT EVERYTHING TURNS OUT ROSES

Be prepared for problems to arise. It's not uncommon and generally a new driver patch will rectify any issues. For most you should not need to do anything.

Though the PNY Verto Geforce 6200 (256MB) Agp VGA Dvi Svid HDtv Breakout Pod works splendidly in my system using nVidia's latest drivers an issue did arise. However, this particular issue only occurs when I place the system into standby. The computer goes into standby without problem but waking from it is another story.

The solution was to downgrade the nVidia driver to version 93.71. After surfing the internet this driver has appeared to aid several with the same situation. Now my baby goes to sleep and wakes up as requested.

Some people shy away from standby mode but this is the way I've used my PC for over twenty years. Monday through Friday I place the system into standby and a full shut down on the weekends. Don't worry folks, I don't go with a computer I merely switch to a notebook. I couldn't survive without my PCs daily fix — I'd go mental in a heartbeat.

BURN BABY BURN

As I mentioned earlier the PNY Verto Geforce 6200 (256MB) Agp VGA Dvi Svid HDtv Breakout Pod I purchased came without a fan. This was of a little concern so I monitored the graphics card temperature throughout the day under my most demanding routines. The graphics card tempeture easily reached 60 degrees Celcous or 140 degress Ferinhite. Though this is consider well below the maxium threshold for this card. I felt it was neccasary to aquire a fan and heatsink combination to bring down the tempeture several degrees. Because the system case was only displaying 95 degrees ferinhite.

I opted for an evercool solid copper heatsink and clear fan combination. The fan sported a red and blue LEDs but this is mere iceing. Now the PNY Verto Geforce 6200 (256MB) Agp VGA Dvi Svid HDtv Breakout Pod operates at a solid 24 degrees Ferinhite below to as much as 36 degrees below.

OVERALL SATISFACTION

The PNY Verto Geforce 6200 (256MB) Agp VGA Dvi Svid HDtv Breakout Pod is a solid and highly reliable graphics cards. As has been the previous NVidia cards. The drivers and card appear to be very stable and reliable. I'm not a gamer so I don't speculate on how well this graphics card will handle some intense games. The card can be overclocked and I may opt to do this at a later date. In general I don't overclock CPUs or Graphics Cards.

No this is not the best high-end graphics card on the market. But if you are like me and just want to add a little more perfomace and freshness to your present computer. This PNY Verto Geforce 6200 (256MB) Agp VGA Dvi Svid HDtv Breakout Pod would make an excellent choice. The price can't be beat for everything the card provides.