$200 and a need for graphics

[justplaingreg]

check out my sig for my system specs. I have 150$ right now and I REALLY need a new graphics card to take advantage of my new hardware. I'm running a geforce 4mx440 which is crap because I'm a hardcore gamer that plays unreal tournament 2003 and can't wait for doom 3.

I need help picking out a new graphics card. On my mind is the radeon 9500 pro or the geforce 4 TI 4_000, but I'm open to other sugesstions.

p.s. money is few and far between for me so price should be around 200 or lower.

[drew.]

gf4 ti 4600

[justplaingreg]

is the extra performance worth the 50$ price mark up?

[i3OSS]

wait, a little bit when the 9700 price drops to around $200

[icallmedan]

Ti4400 probably wouldn't be that bad either, thats what my cousin has, and like you is a hardcore gamer, and he has his clocked at Ti4600 speeds. He gets around 12,400 in 3dmark 2001. He has 2.6GHz WHich was 1.6GHz(overclocked with Abit IT7), 512Mb Corsair, Ti4400, and massive cooling systems for his processor, and a better cooling system since he clocked his card better.

[justplaingreg]

AHHHH!!! this is like the 100th time i heard about overclocking. either the graphics card or the processor. How do you do it?

[crjdriver]

Newegg has the 9500 pro 128 meg by Sapphire for $178.00 with free shipping. I have the 64 meg version and love it, although mine is by powercolor. No problems whatsoever. I am getting 80-90 FPS in UT2003 @ 1024x768.

[justplaingreg]

thanks for that tip/price definitly check that out

[whargoul]

If you can get/save a little more money, you can get a Radeon 9700 non-Pro for $230.

[justplaingreg]

where?

and how big is the performance gap between the 9700 and the 9700 pro

[whargoul]

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduct.asp?catalog=48&DEPA=1&submit=property&mfrcode=0&propertycode=&propertycodevalue=3047,3668

The first card of the list.

The difference isn't very big, and it only has slower core/memory clock speeds.

[Jeradln82]

I'd say the ATI 9500Pro or the 9700 non-pro would be great.

The GF cards are nice as well, but if your like me and love the eye candy go w/the ATI.

If by chance you go w/the ATI be sure to intall DX9 and DL the demos on the ATI site. They're sweet! ;)

[jbbrown211]

Does it really matter whether you get an ATI radeon or a Sapphire Radeon? I am looking myself; what's the difference?

[whargoul]

For newer cards (9100 and up) it doesn't matter if go for an OEM Sapphire card.

[jbbrown211]

Are there any that are good quality, less expensive than Sapphire?

[BearEater]

Ti4200,if easily overclockable to beat 4400
Ti4600,good card

o..ya..i seen some hardware mods where they transformed Radeon 9500 Pro to 9700..just using a couple of solder.

[Force Flow]

A GF4 Ti series card is a good choice for that price. I'm happy with my Ti4200 ;)

[TimPoet]

Originally posted by justplaingreg
AHHHH!!! this is like the 100th time i heard about overclocking. either the graphics card or the processor. How do you do it? www.overclockers.com
Look for the articles for beginners.

[glc]

All ATI OEM's have to meet their standards - I don't think there are any bad ones.

[jbbrown211]

So in essence, there aren't really any bad "knockoffs". So why spend the extra money for the ATI card, when you can get Sapphire, etc so much cheaper? Are you just paying for the name?

[glc]

Not just the name - there are "value added" items that come with cards too - some of which can be useful. The more expensive cards may have higher quality or slightly faster ram chips on them - the only real advantage is they are more overclockable.

[morriswindgate]

ATI seems to set strict standards for the companies that build with their chips, unlike NVIDIA and others that seem willing to sell chips to a person working out of their garage building cards, as quality varies pretty much with the price.
Sapphire and powercolor ATI based cards are all great quality performers.
Also, somebody might be able to answer this, how come so many brands of NVIDIA based cards come with the drivers on CD-R disks that never seem to work right no matter what the brand? Or at least they did before I quit using them in favor of ATI.

[whargoul]

Sapphire 8500's can come clocked as low as 200/175. They are crap. I wouldn't recommend getting an OEM 8500. Though after the whole 8500 thing ATi told Sapphire either shape up or get out. Since there is the 9000 or 9100, it doesn't really matter.

[justplaingreg]

how much do you guys think the radeon 9700 pro or non pro price will drop when ati comes out with the mega fast 9800 pro...

[justplaingreg]

?

[TimPoet]

I think that question is too hard to answer. Too much room for error.

[Spyda]

the retail cards usually have the higher quality RAM, better for overclocking, and if you get a Ti4*00, they are easily overclockable to the next speed up Ti card, even to outpace them.

CPU overclcoking is done in BIOS on new motherboards, by adjusting the FSB
Graphics card overclocking needs software, either a program or the coolbits registry mod for Nvidia cards, the coolbits makes it easy to overclock using the driver properties panel

[Andrewxcav]

Gainward Geforece 4 Ti4800 very very cheap