I can not figure out what drivers I should be using for my desktop. I have a Dell Optiplex 620, and it says I have the ati radeon x600 se, but I do not know if that is a stand-alone card or an onboard. Anyway, could some of you smarter computer folks tell me what the latest drivers are for my video card? Please attach links.
Thanks in advance.
Keith
A Radeon is an external card. You can tell for sure by looking where your monitor is plugged into the computer. Is it plugged into one of those 1/2″x4″ slots (perpendicular to the row of USB, mouse, keyboard stuff)? If so, it’s a card (but the Radeon is a card).
Just go to http://www.ati.com and download the latest drivers from the link at the top. It’s a single driver package that handles the entire Radeon line of cards, so it should be pretty much self-explanatory from there.
Pb
Are you sure that’s not a “PCIe 128MB ATI Radeon X600SE”? Sounds like it’s a stand-alone card, because the integrated graphics for that mobo should be from Intel.
Ishaan
Assuming you are running Windows XP, get the Catalyst Control Center Package from here (X600SE is an external card):
https://support.ati.com/ics/support/default.asp?deptID=894&task=knowledge&folderID=27
John Cole
Yes. It is an x600 se.
Pb
I’m guessing you want this one, then. You are running Windows XP, right?
Richard Bottoms
Make sure you have selected PCI (or AGP) video rather than onboard video in SETUP. (You know when then machine first starts and set hit DEL for setup)
Usually if you have video on the the mother board there will be a video connector near where the Parallel port is. A video card will be in one of the slots. If it came that way then usually the setting is okay.
Ryan S.
Be sure you uninstall your old video driver before you nstall your new drivers
Pb
Also, using Windows Update (or now “Microsoft Update”) might work.
Keith
Windows Update usually lags several weeks behind the latest Catalyst drivers, although they’re usually the more solid (and lighter, as it doesn’t include the Control Panel) version.
Todd K.
Big fan of your blog. It’s probably best to get the drivers from Dell: http://support.dell.com/support/downloads/download.aspx?c=us&cs=04&l=en&s=bsd&releaseid=R133173&SystemID=PLX_GX620&os=WW1&osl=en&deviceid=8568&devlib=0&typecnt=1&vercnt=5&formatcnt=1&libid=6&fileid=178857
-Todd
p.s. sorry for the long link.
Rusty Shackleford
I just updated my Radeon x1600 video drivers last night. There should be a Catalyst file dated 9/20/06 that will install the driver and console.
waddayaknow
As a sys admin I would first go to Dell.com and use the support link (looks like a ‘?’ in a blue circle) and choose the driver download selection. When the page comes up enter the service tag info from the frame of the computer and you will get a list of download types. Choose the video driver heading and go from there. Dell provides a utility that will search your set for it’s current hardware config. There will also be instructions for downloading and installing new drivers as well as a way to tell whether or not you need updated drivers. I would be careful about downloading drivers from the ATI web site and just installing them. It may be possible that the Dell drivers are configured to work with that particular hardware configuration and ‘ordinary’ drivers may hose something up. Not likely but a possibility nonetheless.
Phillip J. Birmingham
You might try the Omega drivers for ATI:
http://omegadrivers.net/
The Other Steve
If you just want stable, I would suggest the Dell route.
Matthew J. Stinson
The Omega Drivers Mr. Birmingham listed work well, as do DH Zeropoint drivers, which can be found in an affiliate of that website. Sadly, Dell usually stops updating its official drivers even though ATI has released new driver versions.
Thorstein Veblen
Download the latest Catalyst drivers with or without the Catalyst Control Center from ATI’s website. If you get an “.inf” error when you try to install it there is a free patcher that provides a workaround. It’s really easy to use and well worth the small trouble as the new CCC and drivers from ATI are far superior to the cobweb covered “updates” that Dell is currently providing.
Below is a link to the patcher with instructions if you need it.
http://www.driverheaven.net/modtool/
I hope this helps.
BTW, I love your blog. There are some really sharp wits that contribute here.