Vid Card

[Riddick]

Need a suggestion on a vid card. I want to upgrade my GF4 ti4200. At first I was planning on doing that when I upped the whole comp but I am thinking 1.8gig with 1gig of ram is gonna last me a little while longer so just want to get that card upgraded.

So basically I am looking for a good card that I can plug in my computer right now but then upgrade and plug into my computer like 6 months from now ( and still hopefully have a good card). This is for EQ2 as well so I really need a card with a cubic ton of RAM probably but also the other things that make vid cards great for other games (I have no idea what that other stuff is no, I only know the obvious stuff...).

So basically all those factors are confusing the patooey out of me and I have no idea what to get. My head starts steaming just when I start thinking about NVidia to ATI.. Money is always an issue of course as well but I can be lenient about that.. yay for 0% APR that lasts until Tax season!

[Bachanus]

It does appear to me that all cards are pretty much ATI or INVIDIA. So you want Bobs ATI set, or Wendles ATIset, Cletus Nvidia, etc. I really dont think that there are many differences.

They range from $125 - $600+. Pick a spot and jump in :) Actually I dont know crap. I just started researching how to build a PC last month. But at the moment, I am leaning towards a 6800GT 256m GDDR3 256 bit. Currently around $400.

I do know that the 6800s are the best currently, but something new could pop any minute. That is Invidia product. Its ATIs turn to catch up I think.

Pick a price then let Rooster give you the details. Im just blabbin :cheese:

[Murrie]

IMHO by far the best bang for your buck as per my research is the ATI 9600xt.
It should run you about 150$ (less online at places like newegg. - maybe slightly more for one with 256mb of ram)
The nvidia 6600 looks like a good alternative, but im not very firmiliar with it as its just hit the market...

If you can afford it the nvidia 6800 ultras, and the ATI x800 xt are the top of the line, but they cost it.

toms hardware is a great place for benchmarks http://graphics.tomshardware.com/
and hardop evaluates cards in real world enviroments (IE playability in games) http://www.hardocp.com/reviews.html?cat=Mw==

If i was to recommend a card (or buy one right now) I would get the ati 9600XT, the x600 and nvidia's 6600s might be a good alternatives but i just dont know enough to recommend one of them, but I bet you wouldnt be disapointed.

Whatever you do DONT get any of the 5XXX line of nvidia cards.

[Rooster]

Bubba, just let me know what your budget is.

Murrie's got most of it right, but skip the ultra's/XT in the high end stuff.

[Riddick]

Well considering I want something that will be great 6 months from now I should probably be willing to put forth some cash on it. Say maybe $300 as a good deal with a max of $400 being my "hmm, let me sleep on it" price?

[Aasimon]

One thing a computer can do that most humans can't is be sealed up in a cardboard box and sit in a warehouse.


Deep thoughts, by Jack Handy

[]LoL[Harm]

I just recently went through looking for an upgrade for my Radeon 9700, but none of the solutions that would give me solid performance for the next 6 months were economically sound decisions given that nothing that would have that much staying power cost under $500. I'm waiting for PCIe to take hold and then will upgrade my entire system.

You may want to check out the gains you'll be getting by purchasing a video card still based on AGP over what may be out in 4 months for PCIe.

[Murrie]

You could probably get an ATI 9800pro for 300$ - I think some of the basic Nvidia 6800s are around that price point too. Id probably go with the 6800 as long as you dont get one of the neutered ones (not sure which for nvidia, but for ATI anything with an SE designation is crap)

Damn i was looking around newegg.com right quick and found this:

SAPPHIRE ATI RADEON 9800PRO Video Card, 256MB DDR, 256-bit, DVI/TV-Out, 8X AGP, Model "ATLANTIS RADEON 9800PRO" -RETAIL
$278.50

Thats a smoking deal - only problem is the card is last generation...

I think im gonna agree with Rooster when he gets back in here, get a sub 200$ card like the
XTASY ATI RADEON 9600XT Video Card, 256MB DDR, 128-Bit, DVI/TV-Out, 8X AGP, Model "VTK9600XT256" -RETAIL
$175.50
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=14-129-033&depa=1

Save the cash, youll either still be using that card in 12 months, or nothing you could buy today would be usable...

[Murrie]

Harm the 9700 for a three year old card is still holding its own, no real reason to upgrade from it as i understand the market. It fully supports DirectX 9 and will run modern games in only slightly lower quality than the current crop. Brigantia has a 9700 and if told her to keep it.

Getting off that 4200 of Riddick's will have plenty of benefits for him though.

As for the AGP/PCI debate, from by limited research the PCI express cards are currently only marginally better cards. The only reason to hold off for a PCI express card would be if he was planning to switch to pci express in 6 months - which i dont expect to be necessary to have fun with your PC (in a year yea, but not 6m)

[Elvtin]

totally!@ I have a Radeon 9700 and it ownzors all my games nippletasticlly...
but i would go with the 9600 murrie suggestestest.. it's nice and somewhat cheap and a decently ghetto fabulous card. I'm accually think'n about getting one for a 2nd pc.. :p

[]LoL[Harm]

Yeah my response was mostly about his $300-$400 budget...I was basically agreeing with what you just reiterated, just in a not very clear way:

I think im gonna agree with Rooster when he gets back in here, get a sub 200$ card like the
XTASY ATI RADEON 9600XT Video Card, 256MB DDR, 128-Bit, DVI/TV-Out, 8X AGP, Model "VTK9600XT256" -RETAIL
$175.50

[Murrie]

cool, i wanted to assure you of what you sound like you already know, the 9700 is still nippletastic and there isnt any reason to upgrade other than having too much extra money...

[]LoL[Harm]

I was actually shocked to see how poor gains had been made in the video card market. I thought for sure by now that there would be some solutions out there that would rock my world.

Purchase date of my current vid card: 9/26/2002 2:29:34 PM

2 Years and there isn't anything out there worth the effort to upgrade to.

[Murrie]

yea ATI is still basically running with the same tech they used to build the 9700. That card was like a year ahead of its time and theyve been milking the technology ever since, which was smokingly fast when it was released and has only been refined and beefed up since.

Nvidia in the mean time managed to bungle a whole series of cards in the 5xxx line. (suppose to be DX9 cards but could not handle it anywhere near the 9700)

Nvidia seems to be back with the 6xxx line but here we are 2 years later only a little further ahead of where the 9700 was at release...

[Roscoes_C&W]

Get the one that looks the coolest. Get one with sweet ass fans and crazy colors. That's the most important thing. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise because when it comes down to it and someone else got the sweet ass looking video card and you didn't, they will be the one gettin laid Saturday Night and you will be the smellin your own farts and playing mmorpg's by yourself with your weak video card and your night will end yet again with your penis in your hand.

[Rooster]

there's nothing in the $275-375 range worth it.

Go with

$220 card, nVidia 6600GT 128MB (http://www.buyxg.com/store/item.asp?key=VC-145-104)
or
$388 for a nVidia 6800GT 256MB (http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=14-130-203&depa=1)

If you want to save some money, but have to have 256MB video RAM:

$153.50 ATI Radeon 9600XT (Sapphire) (http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=14-102-335&depa=1)

[Murrie]

what might help make up your mind:
i believe the nvidia cards run EQ2 graphics engine a slight bit better. (sony is a Nvidia partner)

If you can afford it that 6800gt is a just about the fastest graphics card out there currently, once you upgrade some of the other parts of your PC you probably wouldnt need to worry about upgrading again for another 12 - 24 months.

[Riddick]

Yeah, I went and sat on my throne for about 15minutes last night when I got home and thought about it long and hard. I came out and bought that 6800gt. Should have it by monday I think. Thanks much for all the input.

[Rooster]

Just remember to turn on FSAA & AA... it runs it gud!

[Riddick]

AA = Anti-Aliasing I am guessing but what is FSAA? Don't try to confuse me with all this technical mumbo-jumbo damnit! I am still proud of myself for the fact that I got all my LED lights to work properly when I put in my last motherboard, I think if I try anything more difficult I might run screaming.

[Rooster]

FSAA is Full Scene (screen) Anti-aliasing.

AA is anisotropic aliasing (perspective correction)

What Wattage power supply you have in your system currently? the 6800GT plugs into the power supply for uber juice.

[Bachanus]

What Wattage power supply you have in your system currently? the 6800GT plugs into the power supply for uber juice.

Do power supplies come with a connection for vid cards standard? Or only the higher end powers? I would hate to plan on using a 6800GT with no juice.

[Rooster]

The video cards come with a power splitter.

[Bohdan]

Still running with a 9700 Pro myself and it handles everything I throw at it with ease. I would buy another one today if they still made them.

Boh

[Rooster]

Bohdan, ever try running NFS:Underground 2 at 1600x1200? Or Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow, or Sims 2 or Roller Coaster Tycoon 3, or City of Heroes?

1600x1200 gaming ROCKS.

Or if your monitor can't handle 1600x1200, then 1280x1024 w/4xFSAA & 8xAA.

9700 Pro can't do that. :)

But yeah, 1024x768, it's fine & dandy! (and there's NOTHING wrong with that!)

[Bohdan]

Bohdan, ever try running NFS:Underground 2 at 1600x1200? Or Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow, or Sims 2 or Roller Coaster Tycoon 3, or City of Heroes?

1600x1200 gaming ROCKS.

Or if your monitor can't handle 1600x1200, then 1280x1024 w/4xFSAA & 8xAA.

9700 Pro can't do that. :)

But yeah, 1024x768, it's fine & dandy! (and there's NOTHING wrong with that!)
Eyes over 40 years old. Monitor is 19 inches. 1600x1200 not going to happen without bigger monitor or Fountain of Youth. Even 1280x1024 is painful. 1152x864 is acceptable, and I do run both DAOC (very seldom these days) and WOW in that mode.

Boh

[]LoL[Harm]

1600x1200 is almost unplayable for every game I own because the text is too freaking small and I have a 21" monitor. I tried SimCity4 in 1600x1200 for a while but then got tired of being hunched over my monitor all day, I like sitting back and relaxing in my chair. Maybe I'm going blind I don't know. I play all my games at 1280x1024 even Doom 3 at high vid settings and I didn't have any problems. So my 9700 can do some of it. I don't have those other games, but of the games I do have 1280x1024 runs fine, and has for the 2 years I've owned the card. Since there is a way to up the font size in WoW I will be trying out 1600x1200 just because so much is taken up by cosmo's these days.

[Rooster]

I run BF:V at 1024x768 without FSAA or AA because it really screws up the text if I go higher resolution or turn on the aliasing.

It's just not an efficient graphics engine.

But, it's about the gameplay more than the graphics really.

[Nekochan]

Since I bought a 19" Samsung 193P, I have been running everything at the monitors native resolution of 1280x1024. All other resolutions looks crappy in my opinion, and you need a reasonably good video card for that. My 9800 pro does fine, but if I had to get a card for this monitor today, I would probably get an X800 of some sort.

[Bachanus]

is it me? or are these cards made upside down. Why put cool pictures on teh cards, if they install pic down where ya cant see them.

[Rooster]

Hah.. good point :)