http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...onics&v=glance
Should I just buy this cheap one or just spend a decent amount on one?
Graphics cards =/
Supremacy Of Malice
I got a new comp that’s pretty nice but my graphics card is actually worse than my last one. I need somebody’s opinion on the deal posted below. If somebody could tell me what the best graphics card is that’s no more than $300 that would help a lot also.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...onics&v=glance
Should I just buy this cheap one or just spend a decent amount on one?
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...onics&v=glance
Should I just buy this cheap one or just spend a decent amount on one?
Juke
Hmm, $300 is a pretty good budget for a video card....
Depends on what other games you would want to play... if it's just Guild Wars the 9550 would be semi-decent..
For games such as Half-Life 2, F.E.A.R, CoD 2 w/ dx9 you'll want a better card.. such as :
Radeon x800 pro
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...onics&v=glance
Radeon x800xl (better in most benchmarks than x800 pro, little bit more pricey)
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...onics&v=glance
BFG nVidia GeForce 6800
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...games&n=507846
PINE TECH. XFX Geforce 6800 GT
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...onics&v=glance
All ove the above will be excellent for Guild Wars...
And I'm assuming you're motherboard is AGP because you linked to a card that is AGP so all the cards I linked above are also AGP.
Hope this helps you out.
Edit: What was your previous video card?
Depends on what other games you would want to play... if it's just Guild Wars the 9550 would be semi-decent..
For games such as Half-Life 2, F.E.A.R, CoD 2 w/ dx9 you'll want a better card.. such as :
Radeon x800 pro
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...onics&v=glance
Radeon x800xl (better in most benchmarks than x800 pro, little bit more pricey)
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...onics&v=glance
BFG nVidia GeForce 6800
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...games&n=507846
PINE TECH. XFX Geforce 6800 GT
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...onics&v=glance
All ove the above will be excellent for Guild Wars...
And I'm assuming you're motherboard is AGP because you linked to a card that is AGP so all the cards I linked above are also AGP.
Hope this helps you out.
Edit: What was your previous video card?
LifeInfusion
300 for a graphics card... Hell that's almost half the price of my whole PC
M1h4iL
If your using your pc to just play GW then a 6600gt will do an exellent job, its the best card for your dollar performance wise. I got one my self and play all of todays games pretty well (HL2, CSS, Far Cry, Doom3)
Link http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/se...0&Go.y=0&Go=Go
Its only around $150 so you will save soem money.
If however you play other games and want to spend more and make your self future proof then go with a 7800gt http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/se...0&Go.y=0&Go=Go
Heres a brief compariosn:
Link http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/se...0&Go.y=0&Go=Go
Its only around $150 so you will save soem money.
If however you play other games and want to spend more and make your self future proof then go with a 7800gt http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/se...0&Go.y=0&Go=Go
Heres a brief compariosn:
Old Dood
Quote:
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Originally Posted by LifeInfusion
300 for a graphics card... Hell that's almost half the price of my whole PC
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My next game box will have SLI. It will not have the latest greatest video card(s) on it...it will have the next tech down. That way I will still enjoy great graphics and once again...save major buck-olas.
BTW...M1h4iL....nice chart there you posted. Very helpful for those that don't fully understand all the different kinds of cards and their variations. I noticed that the X800XL 256Mb & 512Mb are really not that different in 3D Marks...goes to show that it isn't always ram amounts that make it faster.
I have to agree that the Nvidia 6600GT is the best bang for the buck now on video cards. It will give you decent performance and not break the bank.
Supremacy Of Malice
DAM... Thanks for all the help, it was alot more than I expected. If you have anymore sugjestions/tips I would apreciate them to.
NVIDA Geforce 4... something... dont remember so ill try looking for it.
Thats what I was thinking when I looked into this but im going to spend a decent amount on this one and make it prety nice this time.
Quote:
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Originally Posted by Juke
your previous video card?
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by LifeInfusion
300 for a graphics card... Hell that's almost half the price of my whole PC
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Loviatar
Quote:
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Originally Posted by Supremacy Of Malice
DAM... Thanks for all the help, it was alot more than I expected. If you have anymore sugjestions/tips I would apreciate them to.
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if you are in the US buy from these people.good prices and top reseller ratings for years.
http://www.newegg.com/
also can you confirm PCI EXPRESS OR AGP?
4runner
Newegg.com enough said!!
Alias_X
I have the ATI Radeon 9550. Mine cost $99.99, and was teh version made by ATI. It plays Guild Wars fine, and I have 256mb of RAM. I downloaded the Half Life 2 demo, and it ran that fine. The only problem was that it took 5 minutes to load, because of my RAM, but other than that once it was booted up, I maybe got one studder. Keep in mind I have a 1.7ghz P4, and 256mb of RAM. I am loving the card so far, and it is certainly a great deal for the price.
Will I upgrade?
Well, I recently upgraded to this card, even though it isn't the latest and greatest. All of the benchmark tests, I basically say SCREW UM'. My old build with 1.7ghz P4, 256mb of RAM, and Nvidia GeForce 2 MX 400 played Guild Wars, even though all of the parts benchmarked pathetically. In fact, I got no studders in GW. Sure, you are going to be able to run all games on the latest and greatest. Good for you. Not enough people actually try stuff out on old hardware to see if it will run the same games also. People assume that 256mb won't run crap, so they don't even pay attention to trying games on it. I will upgrade to an SLI setup with two video cards later, when I get the cash. For now, my ATI Radeon 9550 is wonderful.
If you go with the Radeon 9550, you won't regret it, unless of course you don't have an AGP slot.
Sure, you can get a 7800 for $300, but the Radeon 9550 is major bang for the buck.
Also note, my system has NO OVERCLOCKING. People have got to stop always putting out the top best graphics cards, and mention some others that will save you money and get the job done.
If you want to spen all of the $300, get an Nvidia 7800. It will stay up to date for a month. If I were you, I would get the 9550, I love mine!
Will I upgrade?
Well, I recently upgraded to this card, even though it isn't the latest and greatest. All of the benchmark tests, I basically say SCREW UM'. My old build with 1.7ghz P4, 256mb of RAM, and Nvidia GeForce 2 MX 400 played Guild Wars, even though all of the parts benchmarked pathetically. In fact, I got no studders in GW. Sure, you are going to be able to run all games on the latest and greatest. Good for you. Not enough people actually try stuff out on old hardware to see if it will run the same games also. People assume that 256mb won't run crap, so they don't even pay attention to trying games on it. I will upgrade to an SLI setup with two video cards later, when I get the cash. For now, my ATI Radeon 9550 is wonderful.
If you go with the Radeon 9550, you won't regret it, unless of course you don't have an AGP slot.
Sure, you can get a 7800 for $300, but the Radeon 9550 is major bang for the buck.
Also note, my system has NO OVERCLOCKING. People have got to stop always putting out the top best graphics cards, and mention some others that will save you money and get the job done.
If you want to spen all of the $300, get an Nvidia 7800. It will stay up to date for a month. If I were you, I would get the 9550, I love mine!
Old Dood
Quote:
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Originally Posted by Alias_X
If you want to spen all of the $300, get an Nvidia 7800. It will stay up to date for a month. If I were you, I would get the 9550, I love mine!
|
I still think the 6600GT is the best bang at this moment in time. I just checked newegg.com and they have the 6600GT's AGP type for about $134.00 and up. That is not bad. The PCIe versions are about the same except they have a couple of 256Mb 6600GT's where as the AGP versions are only 128Mb.
Guess we will have too see what Supremacy Of Malice will end up getting...Just let us know....it is fun to spend other people's money.
Supremacy Of Malice
Quote:
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Originally Posted by Loviatar
also can you confirm PCI EXPRESS OR AGP?
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NetworkGuru
Here's a guide on buying video cards.
This page of the guide tells you about AGP and PCI express.
And I would also recommend newegg.com
This page of the guide tells you about AGP and PCI express.
And I would also recommend newegg.com
Old Dood
Or you can go to www.pcpitstop.com and let is scan your system. It will tell you all that you have on it. From what monitor you have and it's build date...CPU...Memory..Video...blah..blah..blah.. It will also recommend tweaks and fixes for things like your IE cache file size and what not. Tell you if you have spyware or a virus...etc.
Supremacy Of Malice
Thx for the links but were do I go on the link you sent me Old Dood?
Old Dood
Quote:
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Originally Posted by Supremacy Of Malice
Thx for the links but were do I go on the link you sent me Old Dood?
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Dex
Quote:
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Originally Posted by Old Dood
I noticed that the X800XL 256Mb & 512Mb are really not that different in 3D Marks...goes to show that it isn't always ram amounts that make it faster.
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((# horizontal pixels) * (# vertical pixels) * (color depth in bits-per-pixel)) / 8 = size of frame-buffer in bytes
and the rest is used for textures and some scene information. Don't get me wrong, more video RAM allows the graphics sub-system to process hi-res textures faster, which can really impact framerates depending on the game (the game has to use high-enough resolution textures for it to make a difference), but for the most part it's the power of the GPU itself that is going to determine how "fast" the card is.
Sure, there are other factors (memory bandwidth, interface bandwidth, amount of on-board memory, efficiency of the device driver, etc.), but none of them make as much of a difference as the amount of raw power of the GPU.
On that note, you're getting some good advice. The GeForce 6600GT is a good deal, but the 6800GT is getting close to being a great deal too. I wouldn't recommend the 6800 Ultra, though, as it's a bit over-priced and is actually an older version of the 6800 core than the GT. The Ultra version doesn't have the PureVideo enhancements that are nice for DVD decoding and general hardware-assisted video stream processing.
As was said, if you want to spend $300 I'd go for the 7800GT.
Alias_X
The ATI Radeon 9250 is only PCI I think, but it is the best PCI card there is at the moment. The 9550 is sort of like the 9250, but in AGP form.
If you want to save some cash now, go with the 9550. If you want the best, you certainly have the money for it, so go for it!
If you want to save some cash now, go with the 9550. If you want the best, you certainly have the money for it, so go for it!
Old Dood
Dex,
I understand...but according to the chart the X800XL 256Mb & 512Mb are not that much different. That was my point....seems a waste of cash to get the 512Mb. The X800XL weakness(if you want to call it that) is it is NOT made to be overclocked. It is already pretty much set to it's max out of the box. Another reason I bought it...I do not overclock my gear anymore.
Also I liked the X800XL over the 6800GT because they are pretty evenly matched in speed (The 6800GT is a Pixel shader 3 tho..where as the X800XL is a 2) and it was at the time a $100.00 cheaper then the 6800GT.
I understand...but according to the chart the X800XL 256Mb & 512Mb are not that much different. That was my point....seems a waste of cash to get the 512Mb. The X800XL weakness(if you want to call it that) is it is NOT made to be overclocked. It is already pretty much set to it's max out of the box. Another reason I bought it...I do not overclock my gear anymore.
Also I liked the X800XL over the 6800GT because they are pretty evenly matched in speed (The 6800GT is a Pixel shader 3 tho..where as the X800XL is a 2) and it was at the time a $100.00 cheaper then the 6800GT.
Dex
Quote:
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Originally Posted by Old Dood
Dex,
I understand...but according to the chart the X800XL 256Mb & 512Mb are not that much different. That was my point....seems a waste of cash to get the 512Mb. The X800XL weakness(if you want to call it that) is it is NOT made to be overclocked. It is already pretty much set to it's max out of the box. Another reason I bought it...I do not overclock my gear anymore. Also I liked the X800XL over the 6800GT because they are pretty evenly matched in speed (The 6800GT is a Pixel shader 3 tho..where as the X800XL is a 2) and it was at the time a $100.00 cheaper then the 6800GT. |
I like ATI cards too. I loved my old Radeon 9800 Pro...it served me well for a looooong time (and still is in my HTPC box). The thing I like about the nVidia 6xxxGT cards is the hardware-assisted video capabilities. ATI is only just coming out with technology that can compete with PureVideo. Outside of that the products are pretty equal at this point. Both companies have had ups and downs with driver support, etc., but it's really 6 vs 1/2 dozen. nVidia is cheaper on the high-end right now. The 7800 series GeForce cards are pretty cheap compared to ATI's x1800 series cards for nearly the same kind of performance. Crossfire isn't as mature a technology as SLi, but it looks like it has potential.
BTW - I don't overclock anymore either. I used to have fun doing it, but now I just want my hardware to stay stable and cool without my having to monitor/worry about it all the time. What can I say, I guess I'm getting old too...
Lateralus
Hey, this is Supremacy Of Malice, I just wanted to change my name. While im registering and checking my system for PCI EXPRES of AGP can somone post what the best graphics card would be for me?
Lateralus
The scan went faster than i expected but I didnt get what I was looking for. Maybe someone can tell me if this is PCI or AGP?
If you cant read this or if this image wont work for you...
Video Board
Description ______________ Your Results
Brand/Model _____________ SiS 760
Resolution _______________ 1024x768 pixels
Colors __________________ 16 million
DirectX version ___________ 5.03.2600.2180 (xpsp_sp2_rtm.040803-2158)
OpenGL version ___________ 5.1.2600.2180 (xpsp_sp2_rtm.040803-2158)
Acceleration options _______ Enabled
Performance _____________ 108.41 MP/s (No similar CPU/MHz/video)
If you cant read this or if this image wont work for you...
Video Board
Description ______________ Your Results
Brand/Model _____________ SiS 760
Resolution _______________ 1024x768 pixels
Colors __________________ 16 million
DirectX version ___________ 5.03.2600.2180 (xpsp_sp2_rtm.040803-2158)
OpenGL version ___________ 5.1.2600.2180 (xpsp_sp2_rtm.040803-2158)
Acceleration options _______ Enabled
Performance _____________ 108.41 MP/s (No similar CPU/MHz/video)
Alias_X
It looks to me like you have onboard graphics...
Judging by that, I doubt the mobo has PCIe, but probably AGP.
Hit START, hit RUN, then type DXDIAG. press ENTER. Let it run, and under video, or direct x, or system... one of the tabs, there should be your system specs. It should have the amount of ram you have, and, your Graphics card.
Chances are your vid card is onboard, which makes this a little bit more difficult.
You should be able to open up your case, and look at the motherboard. I think the AGP slot is long and straight, then forks to the left.
Judging by that, I doubt the mobo has PCIe, but probably AGP.
Hit START, hit RUN, then type DXDIAG. press ENTER. Let it run, and under video, or direct x, or system... one of the tabs, there should be your system specs. It should have the amount of ram you have, and, your Graphics card.
Chances are your vid card is onboard, which makes this a little bit more difficult.
You should be able to open up your case, and look at the motherboard. I think the AGP slot is long and straight, then forks to the left.
eom
the red one is an agp slot.
but, you really need to look up your motherboard online and figure out what agp it supports, if at all -- 4x, 8x, etc
Alias_X
Also, if it is a new computer, you will void your warranty if you have any by opening the case and installing the graphicsc card.
Old Dood
Quote:
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Originally Posted by Alias_X
Also, if it is a new computer, you will void your warranty if you have any by opening the case and installing the graphicsc card.
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Lateralus
I got one more question that I can think of for you guys, actually three. What are the pros and cons of a PCI and an AGP? Which one is better in your opinion? Which one do you prefer?
Thanks for the all help before, this is probably the last question ill have on graphics cards.
Thanks for the all help before, this is probably the last question ill have on graphics cards.
Dex
Quote:
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Originally Posted by Lateralus
I got one more question that I can think of for you guys, actually three. What are the pros and cons of a PCI and an AGP? Which one is better in your opinion? Which one do you prefer?
Thanks for the all help before, this is probably the last question ill have on graphics cards. |
1X - 266MBps
2X - 533MBps
4X - 1.07GBps
8X - 2.1GBps
PCI-Express, the newest of the video interfaces, can currently make it up to 16x with one video card. Most SLi configs give 8x to each card, but newer ones can do 16x to each card.
So, PCI < AGP < PCI-Express.
BTW - Lateralus is my favorite Tool album. Saw Tool 7 times on that tour including once in Japan...=P
Lateralus
If PCI-Express is the best right now would I have to buy a PCI-Express motherboard or would a PCI motherboard work? Also, can you tell me if this is the best PCI-Express video card for about $300, is there anything bad I should be aware of this (like overheating or high req for this). If there is a beter card than this for about the same price on NewEgg plz post it.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814161157
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814161157
Narada
I don't know too much about heating and such for PCI-Express as I don't use it, but yes, you do need to buy a motherboard with a PCI-Express slot.
Mister Overhill
Put an ATI 9550 ($69.95 after rebate) and another 512mb of ram in my grown son's new budget E-machine, so he could try out Guild Wars and the latest racing games that he is into. For a low end card, it runs sweet.
Dex
I like the new ATI cards, but for around $300 I would go with a nVidia GeForce 7800GT card. More bang-for-your-buck. Here's an example:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814130249
Just make sure you get one with a copper cooler on it -- not an aluminum one.
And yes, you would need to get a motherboard with a PCI-Express slot if your board doesn't have one. Do you know if you have AGP or not?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814130249
Just make sure you get one with a copper cooler on it -- not an aluminum one.
And yes, you would need to get a motherboard with a PCI-Express slot if your board doesn't have one. Do you know if you have AGP or not?
Lateralus
Quote:
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Originally Posted by Mister Overhill
Put an ATI 9550 ($69.95 after rebate) and another 512mb of ram in my grown son's new budget E-machine, so he could try out Guild Wars and the latest racing games that he is into. For a low end card, it runs sweet.
|
Quote:
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Originally Posted by Dex
I like the new ATI cards, but for around $300 I would go with a nVidia GeForce 7800GT card. More bang-for-your-buck. Here's an example:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814130249 |
Quote:
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Originally Posted by Dex
Just make sure you get one with a copper cooler on it -- not an aluminum one.
|
Quote:
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Originally Posted by Dex
Do you know if you have AGP or not?
|
Mathias Deathwater
Sorry to kinda hijack this thread, but I have a small, non-guild-wars-related video card problem myself. All I really need to know is how to tell the difference between pci-express and normal pci. I know my motherboard doesn't support VGA, but I'm not sure if I can use a pci-express card. If I can, I was thinking of getting somthing like this. Thanks, and sorry again. 
Lateralus
Quote:
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Originally Posted by Mathias Deathwater
Sorry to kinda hijack this thread, but I have a small, non-guild-wars-related video card problem myself.
|
Almost forgot a important question about the graphics card you suggested Dex. In the specs of the graphics card it says it needs "System Requirements Minimum of a 450 Watt power supply" does that mean just the card alone uses that much energy? If not, does it reach that much use commonly or rarely?
Dex
Quote:
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Originally Posted by Lateralus
Np, your question is basickly something I would ask myself.
Almost forgot a important question about the graphics card you suggested Dex. In the specs of the graphics card it says it needs "System Requirements Minimum of a 450 Watt power supply" does that mean just the card alone uses that much energy? If not, does it reach that much use commonly or rarely? |
The link I posted is the card that I have. It does have a copper cooler on it and stays quite cool at the speeds it comes clocked out of the box. I've never seen it go over 45C after hours of playing.
Dex
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Mathias Deathwater
Sorry to kinda hijack this thread, but I have a small, non-guild-wars-related video card problem myself. All I really need to know is how to tell the difference between pci-express and normal pci. I know my motherboard doesn't support VGA, but I'm not sure if I can use a pci-express card. If I can, I was thinking of getting somthing like this. Thanks, and sorry again.
|
Maybe you're thinking of AGP (Accelerated Graphics Port)? Both an AGP port and a PCI-Express port look very different than a regular PCI port. They are both longer than a PCI port, and both an AGP port and a PCI-E port suitable for a video card will have a plastic clip at the end of the slot to help hold the card in place. You won't have more than 1 AGP or PCI-E port on the board unless the board is SLi-capable (2 video cards at once), and you'd know if it were.
Lateralus
Quote:
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Originally Posted by Dex
It does have a copper cooler on it and stays quite cool at the speeds it comes clocked out of the box. I've never seen it go over 45C after hours of playing.
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Vnewbie
Quote:
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Originally Posted by Supremacy Of Malice
I got a new comp that’s pretty nice but my graphics card is actually worse than my last one. I need somebody’s opinion on the deal posted below. If somebody could tell me what the best graphics card is that’s no more than $300 that would help a lot also.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...onics&v=glance Should I just buy this cheap one or just spend a decent amount on one? |
Dex
Quote:
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Originally Posted by Lateralus
What does clocked mean? I see and hear this oftenly.
|
Processors, memory, and communication buses in your PC function in cycles, or pulses. When people talk about how something is clocked, they're talking about clockspeed, or the frequency of the pulses. When you're talking about like hardware (i.e., the same type of processor chip), higher pulse/cycle rate, or clockspeed, is faster.
However, don't be fooled into thinking that higher clockspeed = more power/faster. There are Athlon64 chips clocked at 2GHz (or ~2,000 MHz) that crank out more raw power than a Pentium 4 running at 3.4GHz (or ~3,400 MHz). The clockspeed only translates into power when you're comparing apples to apples.
Lateralus
Ive herd a couple times that AMD Athlons are beter for gaming than pentuims. Is this ture?