ATI Radeon X700

IS this a good card?

Well, it is a good card, but i would recommend a NIVIDIA 6800 128mB card. Make sure you have an AGP card slot or a PCi or PCi-E express card slot on your motherboard for it to go into.

Elrey, for someone that has just been asking a lot of others on what is best to build a new PC, what is your reasoning on buying an NVidia6800 over the X700?

For a start, you weren't entirely sure what to buy yourself, so giving advice is not necessarily a good idea, unless you can give facts to your reasoning.

And to answer the Poster, yes, the X700 is a good card, but it depends on your budget and what you are looking for. The X700 is a cut down version of X800, and sometimes i think the price difference isn't worth it. I would go for an X800.

Before the flamers arrive, this is all my own opinion and I'm am trying to open the Posters mind to alternatives.

People are recommending the 6800 due to it's cost to performance ratio over cards in a similar price bracket. However, if money isn't an object and you want the best you can get, I would go with a top of the line ATI X850. Ok, it might be more costly, but at this moment in time it's the best you can get in my book.
There is the top of the line Nvidia 6800 GT Ultra which others may say is the best, which is when we get into slanging matches between ATI and Nvidia.

All in, it depends on what you want to go for.

Both 6800 and X850 have there good and bad points, but in most scores the ATI wins out in the reviews i have seen. Although to get the Top end cards you would need to upgrade to PCI Express.

Probably the best thing to do, is get a non biased opinion which is hard on these boards and search for some Thorough Reviews and get some averages across the board on the cards you wish to look at. There are some good reviews out there.

Also, depending on what you require from the card, is a good indicator of what you are really after with regards to cost and card.

Hope that makes a little sense.

I already have this card. My uncle gave it to me. If it will run GW then it is good enough for me! I was just seeing if it wouldnt run GW is all.

It'll run Guild Wars just fine. I would've suggested a Geforce 6600GT over it, but it'll do.

Yeah, Im getting a Geforce 6800gt in 2 months

@Dirkiess, its not like i dont know anything about computers. I know that the NVIDIA will no doubt outpreform the X700 for less. You can get the 6800 regular for around $188 retail from newegg.com. Now Im just sharing my knowlege, so that Principa Discordia and Lovitar and every1 else who helped me doesnt have go go repeating it every 2 seconds. Now yes, i do have facts for my reasoning. I was reading a review that showed that the NVIDIA would outpreform the ATI x700 in everything but the really high resolutions. (2048x1536) So dont question me like im a complete dumbass, cause you accused me of being pc illeterate without having any info about what i know, so i would consider what you are saying against what i just said. (Confusing i know) Now the NVIDIA 6800 from Leadtek 128mB card goes 325 core and 700 memory. I think thats pretty good in my book, and it comes with Splinter Cell Pandora tomorrow, Prince of Persia, and some other games if you buy it Retail.

Bingo. See, if you had just said that instead of just telling him to buy the Nvidia, it makes a lot more sense and gives him a reason to go for the Nvidia over the X700.
The only reason I said you didn't appear to know much was from your other post, where you were asking a lot of simple questions for PC literate people, which surprises me when you say you know about computers, as you didn't appear to know much in there either, with regards to cables and such.

Anyway, this isn't having a go at you, just people need to realise they need more information when asking for advice on these Forums because people aren't mind readers.

However, as we know from what he has just said, he already has the X700. Ok, a little more info from the Poster would have helped matters too, but that's beside the point.

just keep the x700 untill the next gen cards that should save you money

Makes a lot of sense to me. The X700 will be fine for a good few years and should run most games farely well. I would suggest seeing how you get on with it and if it works fine, then save your money and wait a bit longer.

There are new things around the corner and buying a current card at this time, could be a money waster. However, like i always say, it's down to the individual to do what they wish.

Huh. Never would have guessed...

Make sure that you have the catalyst 4.11 drivers for it, as i've heard that they are good compared to the 5 catalyst drivers, because it presents some kind of compatibility issue. If you have any problems with the card, try downgrading from 5 to 4.11 or getting the 4.11 drivers.

Though you can try the 5.4 drivers, as that is what I have, and I dont seem to have any compatibility problems in any games that I have yet to find. I personally really like my 9800 Pro 256, so id go and agree with the others on saying to stick with it until the next gen comes out. Granted mine is AGP 8x, its still not to bad compared to PCI Express.

Its funny, cause ive tried both Intel and AMD, and Nvidia and ATI, and I like em both really. I cant seem to find fault in either 4 brand. I figure in about 2 years, ill just go through reviews again, ask some of my buddies, and buy what I think sounds best, regardless of brand.

I can run GW with max settings and no lag! Probabley cause I got a MAJOR memry upgrade lol.