Free Weekly Tech Newsletter

LordofEchoSide · 11-28-2002, 02:31 PM

what vid card should I get for my system? specs are in sig

Fastfly · 11-28-2002, 02:42 PM

Geforce 3 Ti500.

LordofEchoSide · 11-28-2002, 02:43 PM

recommended brand?

RobH · 11-28-2002, 02:50 PM

Gainward makes a heck of a card,I have a GForce3Ti500 and it is a nice card,but the newer GF4 4200,4400.4600 are wonderful cards.
I recently had the chance to install a Radeon 9700 pro (Sapphire) and it really was a nice card.
It is going to depend on what your using the computer for,but for the money right now the GForce4 Ti4200 is a good buy.IMHO

LordofEchoSide · 11-28-2002, 02:53 PM

I would want a G4 Ti4200, but I heard that you need at least 1.2 Ghz

Fastfly · 11-28-2002, 03:41 PM

And thats why I said g3 ti500

LordofEchoSide · 11-28-2002, 03:59 PM

I know :-*

LordofEchoSide · 11-29-2002, 02:40 PM

ok, I got a question. after looking at the cards recommended on the "assulym gf4 ti4200 = 89$" and "which video card for christmas" threads, I can either get the GAINWARD/CARDEXPERT GeForce 3 Ti200 128MB or the asylum gf4 ti4200. well the 4200 is better of course, but I have only 1 GHz. I hear that the 4200 needs at least 1.5 GHz, so the question is: would the 4200 perform better than the gf3? now I know it's not gonna perform at it's max because of the processor, but would it actually be slower then the gf3?

Alienware_Dude · 11-29-2002, 02:57 PM

I doubt it. I've never heard that the Ti's are processor-dependant. Can anyone collaborate this?

***glc*** · 11-29-2002, 04:21 PM

I have a customer who had a 1 GHz Dell 4100, and we put a Ti4400 in it, it worked just fine.

The 3D Mark was about 6700. We pulled the card and put it into a P4 2.53 custombuild, and the 3D Mark went to 10k.

If you want a Ti4200, go for it.

LordofEchoSide · 11-29-2002, 04:39 PM

well I'm off to go buy it

quick question, would I just need to install the card and use the old drivers, or would I have to uninstall the drivers, install the card, install the drivers, then update them?

**Alaron** · 11-29-2002, 05:34 PM

Your best bet is too use the drivers that will come on a CD with the card. Just as you said, uninstall your old drivers, put in the card, then when the computer starts up the "New Hardware" wizard install the new drivers that you will get in the box with the card. Then you'll be good to go.

Texuspete00 · 11-29-2002, 07:27 PM

I always tstrive to get the most out of my system. I would forgo the driver cd and get internet new ones. That;s just me. Did you get ther in time for the 4200?

LordofEchoSide · 11-29-2002, 08:03 PM

no I did not

***glc*** · 11-30-2002, 03:35 PM

Start by installing the drivers off the CD to get the card working - then you can consider updating them.

LordofEchoSide · 12-05-2002, 09:08 PM

since I missed out on the deal, should I get the G3 Ti 200 or would it be better to wait for the G5 to come out and have the G4 Ti 4200 to drop in price?

Jeradln82 · 12-05-2002, 10:13 PM

Quote:

since I missed out on the deal, should I get the G3 Ti 200 or would it be better to wait for the G5 to come out and have the G4 Ti 4200 to drop in price?

If you really want the 4200, get it. I was doing the same thing you just said. Putting it off and hoping for a price drop. Only thing when you do that, is it gives you too much time to look around and consider different options. Then your back to the beginning trying to figure out what you REALLY want again. ya kinda get what I mean? I was going to wait untill I upgraded my whole system before I got my new video card. But I find myself looking at so many different things. Now I'm done! No more video card shopping. I'm getting the Gainward 4600 or 4200. Depending on my mood that day, so that will be decided on the day I buy it. Go for it and get the 4200! Or wait longer wishing you had a better video card and anxiously checking the internet everynight for price drops, only to get disappointed..lol

LordofEchoSide · 12-05-2002, 10:28 PM

I shall do that, now I just gotta wait to get 50 more bucks

Blakhart · 12-08-2002, 07:54 PM

Went from a gf3ti200 to a gf4ti4200/128.
It does 300/500, and the image in tribes2 and cs is outstanding without the aa and af enabled, and far faster than my gf3. I run this one in 32bit color, ran all previous at 16bit as 16 is faster.
32bit is soo sweet looking in comparison, plus newer games are made to look "right" in 32bit. The 4200 can handle it easily.
You will not be sorry for getting a vid card you can upgrade around.

wolfie · 12-08-2002, 08:48 PM

i had a g4 4400 running in a 1 ghz ran fine.

wolfie

FantasySoul · 12-08-2002, 09:09 PM

ehem......what about the ATI RADEON 8500?
Not a bad card.......

***glc*** · 12-09-2002, 12:12 AM

Not a bad card at all, but a GF4 Ti is a better gamer. If the choice is between the 8500 and a GF3, I'd take the 8500.

FantasySoul · 12-09-2002, 03:09 AM

But does the RADEON 8500 will be able to support the upcoming games like DOOM 3??
In this case....I think the Geforce 4 will be a wise choice

LordofEchoSide · 12-09-2002, 10:42 AM

I'm was going for Nvidia

wolfie · 12-09-2002, 05:34 PM

the best for gaming

wolfie

Strong Lead · 12-09-2002, 05:35 PM

Other than asking ppl on the boards, how am I supposed to know when a video card is dependent on a processor?

**pam123** · 12-10-2002, 05:05 PM

Errr....
It's a combination of rule of thumb and economic commonsense.
First, please, all video cards are depend on the processor.
What is usually meant is that it doesn't make good sense to buy a 9700pro for your P II 400 rig with the assumption that you will now be able to play all the newest games. Not to put to fine a point on it, the answer to that one is no.
In fact the 9700pro is limited by every processor now in existence!
The specs on the card's box are useful but the good rule of thumb is the more powerful the video card, the more powerful the processor.
How powerful is that?
Check the specs of the games you play.
There was a time, like two years ago, when the recommended specs for the cpu were 500MHz, now, that's the required and recommended is 800 and up.
The minimum for the new Everquest is going to be 733MHz.
Planetside, the on-line FPS everyone is curious about, thinks 1GHz will run the game well but that more is better ( it's on their site ) and is still debating whether or not 512mb of ram will be required.
You see what I mean about video cards in all this, the most powerful card in existence will not get that P II 400 up to the start.
Now about straight technical stuff.
On the PCmech home page there are essays on computer parts and function that are very good, you'll also find the box for Maximum 3D. Listed in it is the 9500 pro review at [H]OCP. It's an excellent review and one of the benchmarks they ran covers your question.
Processor limited video card functioning is dependent on the game and their explanation dwarfs anything I could tell you.
It's pretty complete and if you feel up to it the anandtech review of the card covers similar ground.
If that's not enough go over to Tom's Hardware and read their painfully in-depth articles on video card functioning.
There are other good sites for info, like extremetech, but that should get you started.

Sorry! I had no idea this would be so long.

11-28-2002, 02:31 PM	#1
LordofEchoSide Member (10 bit) Join Date: Jun 2002 Posts: 614	Vido Card Recommendations what vid card should I get for my system? specs are in sig Share Share this post on Digg Del.icio.us Technorati Twitter

11-28-2002, 02:42 PM	#2
Fastfly Aerospace Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: MN, USA Posts: 1,177	Geforce 3 Ti500. Share Share this post on Digg Del.icio.us Technorati Twitter __________________ FastFly

11-28-2002, 02:43 PM	#3
LordofEchoSide Member (10 bit) Join Date: Jun 2002 Posts: 614	recommended brand? Share Share this post on Digg Del.icio.us Technorati Twitter

11-28-2002, 02:50 PM	#4
RobH Member (11 bit) Join Date: Jul 1999 Location: Louisville,Ky Posts: 1,167	Gainward makes a heck of a card,I have a GForce3Ti500 and it is a nice card,but the newer GF4 4200,4400.4600 are wonderful cards. I recently had the chance to install a Radeon 9700 pro (Sapphire) and it really was a nice card. It is going to depend on what your using the computer for,but for the money right now the GForce4 Ti4200 is a good buy.IMHO Share Share this post on Digg Del.icio.us Technorati Twitter

11-28-2002, 02:53 PM	#5
LordofEchoSide Member (10 bit) Join Date: Jun 2002 Posts: 614	I would want a G4 Ti4200, but I heard that you need at least 1.2 Ghz Share Share this post on Digg Del.icio.us Technorati Twitter

Need Some Help? Type Your Keywords Here:

Still Need Help? Type Your Keywords Here:

Free Weekly Tech Newsletter

11-28-2002, 03:41 PM	#6
Fastfly Aerospace Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: MN, USA Posts: 1,177	And thats why I said g3 ti500 Share Share this post on Digg Del.icio.us Technorati Twitter

11-28-2002, 03:59 PM	#7
LordofEchoSide Member (10 bit) Join Date: Jun 2002 Posts: 614	I know :-* Share Share this post on Digg Del.icio.us Technorati Twitter

11-29-2002, 02:40 PM	#8
LordofEchoSide Member (10 bit) Join Date: Jun 2002 Posts: 614	ok, I got a question. after looking at the cards recommended on the "assulym gf4 ti4200 = 89$" and "which video card for christmas" threads, I can either get the GAINWARD/CARDEXPERT GeForce 3 Ti200 128MB or the asylum gf4 ti4200. well the 4200 is better of course, but I have only 1 GHz. I hear that the 4200 needs at least 1.5 GHz, so the question is: would the 4200 perform better than the gf3? now I know it's not gonna perform at it's max because of the processor, but would it actually be slower then the gf3? Share Share this post on Digg Del.icio.us Technorati Twitter

11-29-2002, 02:57 PM	#9
Alienware_Dude Red Sox Nation Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Upstate NY Posts: 2,546	I doubt it. I've never heard that the Ti's are processor-dependant. Can anyone collaborate this? Share Share this post on Digg Del.icio.us Technorati Twitter

11-29-2002, 04:21 PM	#10
*glc* Forum Administrator Staff Premium Member Join Date: May 2000 Location: Joplin MO Posts: 37,773	I have a customer who had a 1 GHz Dell 4100, and we put a Ti4400 in it, it worked just fine. The 3D Mark was about 6700. We pulled the card and put it into a P4 2.53 custombuild, and the 3D Mark went to 10k. If you want a Ti4200, go for it. Share Share this post on Digg Del.icio.us Technorati Twitter

11-29-2002, 04:39 PM	#11
LordofEchoSide Member (10 bit) Join Date: Jun 2002 Posts: 614	well I'm off to go buy it quick question, would I just need to install the card and use the old drivers, or would I have to uninstall the drivers, install the card, install the drivers, then update them? Share Share this post on Digg Del.icio.us Technorati Twitter

11-29-2002, 05:34 PM	#12
Alaron Kickin' it Staff Premium Member Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: USA Posts: 7,723	Your best bet is too use the drivers that will come on a CD with the card. Just as you said, uninstall your old drivers, put in the card, then when the computer starts up the "New Hardware" wizard install the new drivers that you will get in the box with the card. Then you'll be good to go. Share Share this post on Digg Del.icio.us Technorati Twitter __________________ Fold for PCMech: Team 13761

11-29-2002, 07:27 PM	#13
Texuspete00 Member (9 bit) Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Bridgeport, CT USA! Posts: 404	I always tstrive to get the most out of my system. I would forgo the driver cd and get internet new ones. That;s just me. Did you get ther in time for the 4200? Share Share this post on Digg Del.icio.us Technorati Twitter

11-29-2002, 08:03 PM	#14
LordofEchoSide Member (10 bit) Join Date: Jun 2002 Posts: 614	no I did not Share Share this post on Digg Del.icio.us Technorati Twitter

11-30-2002, 03:35 PM	#15
*glc* Forum Administrator Staff Premium Member Join Date: May 2000 Location: Joplin MO Posts: 37,773	Start by installing the drivers off the CD to get the card working - then you can consider updating them. Share Share this post on Digg Del.icio.us Technorati Twitter

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
Show Printable Version Email this Page	Search this Thread: Advanced Search
Display Modes	Rate This Thread
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode	Rate This Thread:

12-05-2002, 09:08 PM	#16
LordofEchoSide Member (10 bit) Join Date: Jun 2002 Posts: 614	since I missed out on the deal, should I get the G3 Ti 200 or would it be better to wait for the G5 to come out and have the G4 Ti 4200 to drop in price? Share Share this post on Digg Del.icio.us Technorati Twitter

12-05-2002, 10:28 PM	#18
LordofEchoSide Member (10 bit) Join Date: Jun 2002 Posts: 614	I shall do that, now I just gotta wait to get 50 more bucks Share Share this post on Digg Del.icio.us Technorati Twitter

12-08-2002, 07:54 PM	#19
Blakhart Banned Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: in harms way Posts: 2,768	Went from a gf3ti200 to a gf4ti4200/128. It does 300/500, and the image in tribes2 and cs is outstanding without the aa and af enabled, and far faster than my gf3. I run this one in 32bit color, ran all previous at 16bit as 16 is faster. 32bit is soo sweet looking in comparison, plus newer games are made to look "right" in 32bit. The 4200 can handle it easily. You will not be sorry for getting a vid card you can upgrade around. Share Share this post on Digg Del.icio.us Technorati Twitter

12-08-2002, 08:48 PM	#20
wolfie Member (11 bit) Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Brooklyn Park,Minn. Posts: 1,864	i had a g4 4400 running in a 1 ghz ran fine. wolfie Share Share this post on Digg Del.icio.us Technorati Twitter

12-08-2002, 09:09 PM	#21
FantasySoul Member (9 bit) Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 412	ehem......what about the ATI RADEON 8500? Not a bad card....... Share Share this post on Digg Del.icio.us Technorati Twitter

12-09-2002, 12:12 AM	#22
*glc* Forum Administrator Staff Premium Member Join Date: May 2000 Location: Joplin MO Posts: 37,773	Not a bad card at all, but a GF4 Ti is a better gamer. If the choice is between the 8500 and a GF3, I'd take the 8500. Share Share this post on Digg Del.icio.us Technorati Twitter

12-09-2002, 03:09 AM	#23
FantasySoul Member (9 bit) Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 412	But does the RADEON 8500 will be able to support the upcoming games like DOOM 3?? In this case....I think the Geforce 4 will be a wise choice Share Share this post on Digg Del.icio.us Technorati Twitter

12-09-2002, 10:42 AM	#24
LordofEchoSide Member (10 bit) Join Date: Jun 2002 Posts: 614	I'm was going for Nvidia Share Share this post on Digg Del.icio.us Technorati Twitter

12-09-2002, 05:34 PM	#25
wolfie Member (11 bit) Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Brooklyn Park,Minn. Posts: 1,864	the best for gaming wolfie Share Share this post on Digg Del.icio.us Technorati Twitter

12-09-2002, 05:35 PM	#26
Strong Lead Member (7 bit) Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Denver, CO Posts: 114	requirements Other than asking ppl on the boards, how am I supposed to know when a video card is dependent on a processor? Share Share this post on Digg Del.icio.us Technorati Twitter

Subscribe to THE INSIDER

Need Some Help? Type Your Keywords Here:

Still Need Help? Type Your Keywords Here:

Free Weekly Tech Newsletter

12-10-2002, 05:05 PM	#27
pam123 Computing Professor Staff Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2001 Posts: 11,718	Errr.... It's a combination of rule of thumb and economic commonsense. First, please, all video cards are depend on the processor. What is usually meant is that it doesn't make good sense to buy a 9700pro for your P II 400 rig with the assumption that you will now be able to play all the newest games. Not to put to fine a point on it, the answer to that one is no. In fact the 9700pro is limited by every processor now in existence! The specs on the card's box are useful but the good rule of thumb is the more powerful the video card, the more powerful the processor. How powerful is that? Check the specs of the games you play. There was a time, like two years ago, when the recommended specs for the cpu were 500MHz, now, that's the required and recommended is 800 and up. The minimum for the new Everquest is going to be 733MHz. Planetside, the on-line FPS everyone is curious about, thinks 1GHz will run the game well but that more is better ( it's on their site ) and is still debating whether or not 512mb of ram will be required. You see what I mean about video cards in all this, the most powerful card in existence will not get that P II 400 up to the start. Now about straight technical stuff. On the PCmech home page there are essays on computer parts and function that are very good, you'll also find the box for Maximum 3D. Listed in it is the 9500 pro review at [H]OCP. It's an excellent review and one of the benchmarks they ran covers your question. Processor limited video card functioning is dependent on the game and their explanation dwarfs anything I could tell you. It's pretty complete and if you feel up to it the anandtech review of the card covers similar ground. If that's not enough go over to Tom's Hardware and read their painfully in-depth articles on video card functioning. There are other good sites for info, like extremetech, but that should get you started. Sorry! I had no idea this would be so long. Share Share this post on Digg Del.icio.us Technorati Twitter Last edited by pam123; 12-10-2002 at 05:07 PM.