Graphics card upgrade advice

[Fuze]

I have a friend who is selling his "old" 9800 Pro for $150. I have a Ti4200 128 meg now. Now, while I know the card I'd be buying has been in good hands, it's still 150 bucks. I have someone lined up to buy mine for 50 too. So I'd really be getting the 9800 pro 128 mb for 100 bucks. Now I just always question myself about, "do i really need that?". I'm in 11th grade and will be going to college soon so I figure I might as well put the money I've acquired for that card into my bank account. I'm also the type of person that once i put money into my account, I don't take it out until college or something so...

my thought is, if I spend that money on the 9800, I woudln't even be able to buy any games that would utilize it? Although the deal seems so good that I can't pass it up. I think if I wait a few days my anxiousness to purchase it will go down.

But any words of advice from anyone? Like, I haven't been up on benchmarks latley, so are 4200's that bad nowadays ? I'm outta the loop for a few months on computer equipment and my card that i thought was good is suddenly "bad" lol its amazin'

[i3OSS]

if you wait for the new x800 vc to come out, the price drop of the 9800pro would come down to ~ $150ish. so you wont be missing out on much, but for now...thats a good deal.

[glc]

The Ti4200 is still a good card. Are you having issues with any software that indicate you need a better video card? If not, just wait. Benchmarks don't play games.

[(51)]

If you post what games you are playing, or would like to play, it will be easier to make a decision. You can't play games in college anyway...you have to study!

The 9800 would be a step up, but only if you're playing newer games.

[fedz]

Originally posted by (51) If you post what games you are playing, or would like to play, it will be easier to make a decision. You can't play games in college anyway...you have to study! The 9800 would be a step up, but only if you're playing newer games.

...says he with his sparkling new asus 9800xt!
I'm a student as well and I'd go for it if I didn't live in the UK!
If you don't have any urgent monetary problems the 9800 pro is a good investment.
fedz

[VideoQuasar]

You must be real happy to get TO in free agency fuze!


Now to the matter at hand. Save you money for college kiddo. Your card is just fine for your system I would bet. The card is only as good as it's supporting cast. If you had maybe a screaming CPU and all, then maybe you would see a significant difference. This is just my opinion of course.