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10-04-2004, 08:10 PM
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#1 |
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Member (7 bit)
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Kansas City, Kansas
Posts: 83
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Best video card for around $200
Hi all,
I'm looking for a vidoe card for around $200 USD at newegg. Right now I'm going with a SAPPHIRE ATI RADEON "9800 Atlantis" Video Card, 256MB DDR, 128-bit, DVI/TV-Out, 8X AGP card. I would preferbably like a 256MB card but If there is something that beats it, please, fill me in. Edit: I am doing moderate to heavy gaming. Like call of duty, Command and conquer, battlefeild 1942, and maybe far cry. I'll get the rest of my specs in later. Last edited by Eagle 101; 10-04-2004 at 08:13 PM. |
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10-04-2004, 08:27 PM
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#2 |
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No - the best card is definately the Sapphire Radeon 9800 Pro 256-bit 128MB - it's the double buswidth of the one you listed, but half the vRAM. The buswidth is far far more significant when it comes to gaming performance, but the onboard vRAM is a minor factor. It's 196 USD - almost undisputably the best card for the price.
kram
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"For today, goodbye. For tomorrow, good luck. And forever, Go Blue!"
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10-04-2004, 08:29 PM
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#3 |
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Member (12 bit)
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: NYC, NY
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agreed. the onboard video ram doesn't matter currently so much as the buswidth. correct me if i'm wrong but you can allow your system to "lend" the graphic card some memory through apertures in the BIOS?
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10-04-2004, 08:33 PM
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#4 |
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Member (8 bit)
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: New Jersey
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yeah.. from what i've heard you don't even need to use your system memory for your video card to use. 128 Memory seems to be sufficient enough. I'd go with the 9800 Pro 128 just Kram suggested. However, i'm looking more towards the XT since it has higher performance. By Christmas, hopfully, it will go down to ~$200
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10-04-2004, 08:37 PM
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#5 |
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Member (7 bit)
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Kansas City, Kansas
Posts: 83
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Yeah I'll probrably go with xt then. I'll be buying it around christmas anyway, ok thanks guys!
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10-04-2004, 08:55 PM
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#6 | |
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Quote:
kram |
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10-04-2004, 08:58 PM
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#7 |
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Member (12 bit)
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: NYC, NY
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IMO you want a video card, there are 3 choices for reasonable priced (mid range and above). you get Radeon9800Pro for 200, Geforce6800GT for 400, for 500-600, i'm actually looking towards the ATI side of things with the X800XT PE because they have superior performance when eyecandy is turned on and thats why you spend 500-600 on a graphics card.
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10-04-2004, 09:03 PM
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#8 |
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Member (9 bit)
Join Date: May 2003
Posts: 420
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If you're waiting until Christmas, there is a possibility that the nVidia 6600GT will be out by then in AGP. It should go for around $200 and it beats everything else at the price range.
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10-04-2004, 11:42 PM
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#9 |
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Member (4 bit)
Join Date: Sep 2004
Posts: 9
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I second what juicelooser just said. The 6600 GT *might* be out on AGP around Christmas... if that's the case, it offers great performance for around the 200 dollar mark. In fact, that's what I'm doing; just waiting for it to hit newegg.
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10-05-2004, 03:25 PM
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#10 |
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Guys, remember that if you wait forever on a card, you will never get it - around Christmas, I'd probably say a new "GeForce 6700" would be annouced...or something along those lines. If you need a graphics card, go ahead and purchase...otherwise, you'll be stuck waiting like I was for 10 months (happy I did, because the ATI Radeon 9800 Pro is an awesome card).
kram |
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10-06-2004, 03:28 PM
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#11 |
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Member (9 bit)
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: New Jersey
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although kram is right... if you want to look into the 6600GT, check www.gameve.com. just go to the searches and type in 6600gt. most of the cards arent out yet, but you can browse them and their prices. im definatly waiting for that. also on this site, you can get a tsunami case with the window for less than $120!
anyone know about their shipping and how they are? thanks Jason
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10-07-2004, 07:33 PM
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#12 |
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Member (4 bit)
Join Date: Oct 2004
Posts: 10
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Radeon 9800 Pro 256 MB Vs. 128 MB
http://www.rojakpot.com/default.aspx...var1=92&var2=0
You may get more for your money by modding your video card. From the article: "Although the 256MB Radeon 9800 Pro may seem like a sheer waste of money, it may actually turn out to be a real steal! Why? Because one can actually turn the 256MB Radeon 9800 Pro into a 256MB Radeon 9800XT!" |
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10-07-2004, 07:42 PM
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#13 |
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Member (12 bit)
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: NYC, NY
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i wouldn't do that cuz softmodding the 9800pro doesn't work 100% of the time. i'm not even sure if it works 80% of the time. better off buying the normal version and have the warrenty then to go ahead softmod void the warrenty and have a good chance that it won't work.
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10-07-2004, 09:16 PM
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#14 |
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Technically, the ATI Radeon 9800 Pro 128MB version with a 256 buswidth can also turn into a Radeon 9800 XT, but with less vRAM...you just have to match up the core, which is R360 on the XT and what's on most of the 9800 Pros (Sapphire, MSI, etc), and flash the software...seeing if it recognizes itself as the 128MB 9800 XT. I highly recommend NOT doing this, as Yuanji mentioned, its chances of success in any shape or form is less than 100%.
kram |
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10-09-2004, 01:58 AM
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#15 |
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just a tech
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: central valley CA
Posts: 1,409
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I got that same radeon 9800pro for $220 around a year ago. It is a great card, regardless of what I paid for it, I have no need to upgrade nor do I see a need anytime soon. I think I scored 5487 on 3dmark2003 with only an athlon2500 and 512mb of ram
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