I have no idea how to buy a new video card and which one is compatible with my computer. There seems to be different pins and different thing and I can't understand any of the requirements language on Newegg as I'm trying to figure out which one to purchase Can anyone help me? I know I need to get a new video card that has at least 64MB of memory and directx9, but how can i tell if it is compatible with my current computer? I really can't wait until vista comes out, but until then, I still want to edit my 1 year old's home videos.

Here are the specs of my computer :
Dell Desktop Dimension 2400
Operating System: windows xp home edition
processor: 2.8 gigahertz intel pentium 4
Memory: 512 MB
Current Video card: intel 82845g
Multimedia: Sound max integrated digital audio



Thank you in advance for your help!
Joanne

HI cambridgecritic.
Your system has three standard PCI (not PCI express) expansion slots and no AGP slots either.
This is going to narrow your choices considerably. Standard PCI video cards are getting scarcer by the day and prices are at a premium compared to just a few years ago. Look at the description of the card when buying. If it says PCI Express or AGP, you can't use it.
Wether or not you go with an ATI or NVidia chip based board is your call. I prefer Nvidia myself.
You'll need to disable your on-board video before installing a new card as well.
When you do install it, put it in the first available slot farthest away from the CPU.

Thank you so much for your reply. I had no idea really where to start to look for what to buy. Does it matter how many pixel pipelines (I don't know what pixel pipelines are but it seems like there are a choice of 1, 2, or 4)?

Here's a list of cards on Newegg that fit your needs:

PCI Video Cards w/ DirectX 9.0 Support

Of them all, I'd personally recommend:
PNY Geforce FX5500

But I'm a big fan of PNY cards and specifically the NVidia chipsets.

Cheers!