Identifying a graphics card?

deecrypt · Apr 25, 2006, 12:03 PM

Hi,
I am interested in methods of identifying the graphics card for a given laptop, prefrebly without opening it up. An scanners perhaps? I cannot visit the manufacturers website as the company went bust last year (in U.K, the company name was Tiny Computers). It is a pentium 3, 1.3 Gig, 496 RAM laptop.

If I must open it, then please let me know what it should look like as I am currently unable to identify it.

Thank you for your time

Khurram (United Kingdom)

***temeteus82*** · Apr 25, 2006, 12:16 PM

Hi!
And welcome to DH!
If you are using Windows 2000 or XP then you might look to device manager in Computer managment console.

deecrypt · Apr 25, 2006, 01:53 PM

Thank you temeteus82 for your reply,
I guess I should have explained myself a little more. I have already checked the Device Manager and under VGA Controller, my device is listed although it tells me that the driver is not installed or is missing. I try using the Windows setup to reinstall drivers but to no avail, not even from the net. It does not give me a manufacturer either. This is why I need a way of checking my graphics cards manufacturer.

Thank you again

PangingJr · Apr 25, 2006, 02:07 PM

System Information (Start/Run... Msinfo32.exe) ->Components ->Display,
or Problem Devices.

***temeteus82*** · Apr 25, 2006, 02:59 PM

I see. It might have built-in chip in the North-bride chip. I would bet that it's Intel's media accelerator that would explain the amount of RAM you have, the chip uses normal RAM as video memory. To identify the chip get program called cpu-z.

PangingJr · Apr 25, 2006, 03:48 PM

Intel Chipset Identification Utility 2.91
http://support.intel.com/support/chi.../CS-009266.htm

deecrypt · Apr 27, 2006, 05:04 AM

Thank you temeteus82 and PangingJr,

temeteus82 = I used the cpu-z software and managed to find the manufacturers name and subsequent model number which allowed me to find the right graphics drivers. Just for your reference, it was on the southbridge (S3 Twister integrated graphics).

PangingJr = I downloaded and tried to use the 2.91 ver of the intel utility but it kep telling me that a newer version is required and when I tried to update, it would tell me that one is not currently available. I'm not sure why that happened but I thought you would like to know.

Cheers again for the help, it is appreciated

pr0digal jenius · Apr 27, 2006, 10:05 AM

s3 twister.....sounds like your laptop is of a similar lineage to the older compaq presarios, so you may actually check compaq's site if you have any drivers you can't find, as i recall them having PIII's and S3 chips