Ideas on a new graphics card

[Destinmatt]

I need to change to a different video card since mine doesn't seem to support very many games. I currently have a Nvidia Geforce MX 440 128mb. I need some ideas on a new card that will play virtually any game but doesn't cost to much (I'm probably gonna buy on ebay). By to much I mean over $100. I also would like to know which manufactor I should go with.

[forizzle111]

for $100 ur not going to get too much. if i were u i wud save up atleast $200 or more. get a Geforce 6800Gt i believe they run around $280 but it will play just about anything u can throw at it. :)

[Alaron]

For under $100, I'd grab a <a href="http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814102510"target="_blank">Radeon 9600XT</a>

If you can stretch a little more, this <a href="http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814102362"target="_blank">Radeon 9800Pro</a> is a great choice.

And if you can go further, or find a deal on Ebay, a Geforce 6600GT can be found for around $150.

HTH :)

[Destinmatt]

gheez when did cards get so exspensive. I paid $50 for Geforce fx 5200 128mb that I had before this one!

[Alaron]

Graphics technology evolves very rapidly and there are gamers who will pay hundreds for the top of the line cards. But, power can be found on a budget, all of the cards I listed will play games <i>much</i> better then any Geforce 4MX. :)

[Hi Ho]

gheez when did cards get so exspensive. I paid $50 for Geforce fx 5200 128mb that I had before this one!
The GeForce 4MX is a downgrade from a 5200, and the 5200 was a rather poor card too. A 9600 Pro or 9800 Pro would be a major upgrade over what you have. Like mentioned above, you can get a 6600GT for $150 brand new from Newegg if you happen to catch a sale.

[glc]

There's an old saying - "if you want to play, you have to pay". This really does apply to gaming on a PC when it comes to video cards. If you don't game, a $30 video card or any modern onboard video will work just fine. It's the game developers that are driving video card technology. If your games are 5 years old, a $30 card will play them fine. If they are new games, forget it.

[Destinmatt]

I'm noticing a price diference between the manufactorers. Is there any difference?

[Hi Ho]

There really isn't much difference between manufacturers for ATI cards. They are all pretty much the same because ATI is strict about quality control. On the Nvidia side I would go with Asus, eVGA, Gigabyte, MSI, PNY, Leadtek, or BFG.

[ikari120378]

I got myself a R9700pro at around $130...too expensive, I guess :confused:
But here in my place, everything's a little bit (or too much) more expensive than any price lists I see on the net :mad:
Like R9800pro, it's still around $200 and up for the retail version, that's why I can only get my 9700 in OEM version.
One more thing, make sure every aspect of your comp is adequate for the new card, such as the power supply. If your new card is gonna utilize the external power supply then u should check the wattage, or even the brand of the PSU.
I had to buy a new PSU just for operating my VGA card in a stable condition,'coz it's unstable when having a heavy game rendering.
That's all for a consideration

[Destinmatt]

is the 9700pro a good card it seems to be a steal on ebay. It has the 8 pipelines and has a pretty good numbers. http://www.ati.com/products/gamer.html
Is the all-in-wonder versions of cards better or worse for gaming?

[Hi Ho]

The 9700 Pro is now 3 generations old. It's a good card but it is behind the times. A new 9800 Pro can be had for not much more than a 9700.

[fedz]

9800pro is coming down to the $100 mark, it can be had for $130 on Newegg

:) fedz

[kram 2.0]

is the 9700pro a good card it seems to be a steal on ebay. It has the 8 pipelines and has a pretty good numbers. http://www.ati.com/products/gamer.html
Is the all-in-wonder versions of cards better or worse for gaming?
The ATi All-in-Wonder versions are basically the card plus multimedia functions - nothing different. So if you were to go ATI AIW Radeon 9700 Pro, it is the identical card as the ATI Radeon 9700 Pro, only that it can handle VIVO, cable in, etc.

ATI Radeon 9700 Pro, considering it's three generations old, is a powerhouse. In many cases, the R9800 Pro is the better deal.

kram

[xxBAFOWxx]

I have a Radeon 9600pro, now on newegg for $75 and i play games like rollercoaster tycoon 3, unreal tournament 2004, and Doom 3 just fine. on high settings.

Unless your a real game freak or just like to have "the big guns", you dont NEED those high end cards.

[fedz]

A 9600pro will NEVER play Doom3 in any respectable manner at high settings at any resolution above 640x480
However, it is a very decent budget card, and will handle doom3 and HL2 at low settings and resolutions

:) fedz

[nicolaus corelius]

no comments (read my sig)

[Enigma]

Beg to pardon but my 9600 XT ran Doom 3 on 1280x1024 (17" LCD. I can't stand the distortion of lower/higher rez). It was on Medium setting but it ran at 25-45 fps which for me is fine because I had a pirated copy :\ I'm on dialup so the best part after beating the game (multiplayer) would be unplayable.

[glc]

Enigma, we frown on piracy discussions here - please read the forum rules. Thank you.

- Moderator -

[fedz]

Nicolaus you've obviously never owned a X800XT-PE :D

Enigma: fair enough. I count 60+FPS as playable, and we were talking about a 9600pro at high quality. I'm not sure about the difference between high and med quality, but I'm sure Doom3 looks incredible with 99% of settings
I stand corrected - partly

:) fedz

[xxBAFOWxx]

ok i just went back and checked, i was playing on med settings. BUT!

I pressed the button that says "scan hardware for optimal settings" and it put it on "ULTRAHIGH quality" and 1700 blah resolution. then i played it and it lagged just ever so slightly, but playable... remember, not high but ULTRA HIGH settings.. SO HAh!, not only that, but im playing music and downloading at the same time!

choke on them apples :p

games are not based on just VIDEO CARD, my processor is P4 3.0ghz with 1gb ram, im sure that helps.

EDIT: recording music not just playing it