'Made for Windows Vista' - ???

findus · July 30th, 2008, 03:20 PM

I'm in the (very frustrating) process of buying (choosing - figuring out what my system can take) a new graphics card and have figured out the interface, voltage, etc., but am now coming up against reviews which say 'Built for Windows Vista' or something similar. Does this mean that these cards are NOT compatible with XP? Or is this just a marketing trick to attract new Vista users?

Thanks.

**GroundZero3** · July 30th, 2008, 04:24 PM

What card is it?

Go to the manufacture site and check to see if they have drivers. Just because it says built for vista (which i assume has something to do with DX10 and aero) doesn't mean it wont work in XP. Just make sure they have drivers.

tony_j15 · July 30th, 2008, 04:48 PM

its a marketing gimmick. I don't know of a single graphics card that won't work in XP. The benefits of one that says "vista ready" or something similar is that it will support DX10, but as GZ suggested, check the specs to be sure.

outlaw2001it · July 30th, 2008, 05:27 PM

Welcome to TechIMO.
Not only a marketing scheme, but to say they have the drivers available for Vista, or the card will work in Vista. The card does not have to support DX10 to be Vista ready. These video card manufacturers will do anything to make a buck.
You can take a look at this website for information about cards, and how much watts they draw. There are also reviews on the cards for you to make a better decision on whats right for you.

Video Card Reviews and Specifications - Welcome To GPUReview.com! - GPUReview.com

Doktr_Joe · July 30th, 2008, 06:09 PM

It's primarily a marketing scheme, I saw a bunch of standard 17" TFT monitors with "Windows Vista Ready" stickers on them. What the hell!?!

Pencheven · July 30th, 2008, 09:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Doktr_Joe

It's primarily a marketing scheme, I saw a bunch of standard 17" TFT monitors with "Windows Vista Ready" stickers on them. What the hell!?!

That is just the tip.. I found a Corsair power supply being advertised as "Vista Ready"... a PSU!! It really urks me how they think the IT community can be so stupid.

outlaw2001it · July 30th, 2008, 09:24 PM

Don't think about the "IT" community, think about all the computer users that aren't tech knowledgeable that are buying into this crap.

Pencheven · July 30th, 2008, 10:21 PM

Ahh but you wouldnt find a general computer user upgrading thier PC, theyd take it to PC World or something and pay through the teeth to have a 16 year old do it!

These are things found specifically in online stores, separate parts that youd only really find an enthusiast buying to build..

findus · July 31st, 2008, 11:08 AM

Thanks for the replies, chaps. The graphics cards were in the Nvidia 7300 through to 8800 range and were advertised as mentioned on a number of websites. It didn't sound at all right, thanks for the clear-up