Video card for Win98 SE/XP dual-boot?

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I think I damaged the video port on the integrated video on my Dell Optiplex GX110 by hitting the video cable when installing new shelves. It's the computer I use to play my old games that aren't compatible with modern Windows. It's also the computer I had when I first purchased the Infinity Engine games (BG & IWD series) all those years ago.

Swapping monitors has no effect, nor does swapping video cables, and the monitors and video cables work just fine on other systems with VGA ports. It keeps acting like the video cable is loose, and jiggling it fixes it temporarily.

Anyways, does anybody recall what PCI video cards they used around 20 years ago? The computer only has PCI slots, and the card needs to work with both Windows 98SE and Windows XP. Obviously I'll have to shop used on ebay or something, but I'm open to suggestions.
I'd want something good enough to play Mechcomamnder 2 and if possible Neverwinter Nights. The old integrated video hit the low end of the former but would not work with the later, and why not upgrade since even the best upgrade I can get for that ancient computer is obsolete today?
Finally, I don't want to put a lot of money into an ancient computer, but I doubt that would be an issue given the age and obsolescence of the cards I'd be looking for.
I've been trying to find reliable info on the specs, but they get things wrong. Games that require 8mb of video ram run on this system (just barely), while many sources say it only supports up to 4mb. Dxdiag also reports 8mb of video ram at times.
So any suggestions on what would work that would be better than what I had?
Key importance is that it works with both Windows 98SE and XP, and that I can still find drivers for it. Also preferably spending less than $50, though I might have to go $75 including S&H to Chicagoland.

 

My build from 20 years ago has an AGP slot for a video card, with a Matrox Millenium G400 Max. You don't have an AGP slot?

I'd expect that any video card compatible with your PCI spec would be significantly better that anything you had bought at the time, and work fine with your games.

I'm running old Windows games on my i7/Win 7 setup without problems. I go to old machines only for DOS games, and that's mainly for the slower CPU speed.

 

According to the docs included on the hard drive it does, but there is no diagram or picture of the inside showing where, and all the slots look identical and it has a PCI internal modem.
IIRC (it has been a while since I did anything with them) AGP slots are slightly different in size.
If it has an AGP, I can't find it.
Should I make a pic?

 

I'd say AGP would be the preferred choice for card, if you've got the slot.

See if this helps, there's a picture and description of the slot and the keys: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accelerated_Graphics_Port

What's the motherboard? Do the docs mention the AGP spec it's compatible with?

There may also be some info to be gleaned from the BIOS, if you boot into that and look around.

Follow-up:
Looks like you have integrated AGP graphics, but no AGP slot. So you'd need a PCI card, as you thought.

Sounds like you may have broken a solder joint on the motherboard's video connector.

 

Like I said, it only has PCI slots. If not, tell me which one is the AGP port?
https://sorcerers.net/community/media/imag0792.4966/
https://sorcerers.net/community/media/imag0791.4967/

 

As I said above, no AGP slot.

PCI slots look like 5V 32-bit.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peripheral_Component_Interconnect

Here's some info that might help finding what Dell might have recommended for video options, though you'd likely have to look elsewhere now: https://forums.techguy.org/threads/old-dell-optiplex-gx110-graphics.749512/

 

Yeah, that looks like the old PCI slots (not to be confused with the newer / current PCI-express slots, which may have different sizes). Not sure if any graphics cards are still sold in that format, though, I don't think it's been used in forever. Probably best to look for stuff second hand, because this old stuff new tends to be more expensive now than it was back then. Although second hand runs the risk of something that dies in a couple of days/weeks/months.

 

I didn't think I had a any chance of finding new, but I was hoping for suggestions on what to look for. I have zero recollection of what models were available at that time, and the requirement to support the Windows 98SE part of the dual-boot is very important. I was just hoping for a suggestion for a card that is equal or better than the integrated video the machine came with. I cited Mechcommander 2 and Neverwinter Nights 1 as the most demanding games I will want to be able to play on this system. MC2 barely runs, and NWN reports insufficient video RAM.
Although I might not bother with NWN.

 

If memory serves, I think Radeon 9850 might have been a card from that era. Or nVidia 4880 or something.

 

You might check some old reviews for those games on IGN or Gamespot, and see what they say about hardware and OS. Once you've got some ideas on cards, it should be easy to find out if they have drivers for Win98.

As for finding something, if you've got an independent PC repair shop in your area, you might call or stop in to see what they've got lying around. Obviously, Craigslist and ebay, too.