I'm upgrading my vid card from geforce 2 64mb, which ran the game well on low quality. I want to be ready to run high details for the release though! I found these 3 cards all on best buy's site, they are all $130 which falls in my budget. I'm leaning towards the geforce since I was pretty happy with my last one (plus its on sale, normally 150), but I figured I'd ask for other opinions, maybe radeon runs GW better. Your thoughts please:
ATI - RADEON 9250 Graphics Card 100-436012
256MB DDR memory; PCI interface; 400MHz clock speed; ATI CATALYST software
ATI - RADEON 9550 Graphics Card 100-437105
256MB DDR memory; AGP interface; TV-out; 400MHz clock speed; 128-bit memory
PNY - Verto GeForce FX 5700 VE Graphics Card VCFX5756VA
256MB DDR memory; AGP 8X/4X interface; S-video output; 400MHz clock speed; NVIDIA ForceWare
Opinions on which card is better?
Zorque
Virtuoso
I think the 9550 is better. That's the one I'd go with, given the choices.
-Virt
-Virt
Unforgiven
personally I am like you with a GeForce card, but in real life I am a ATI person so I would suggest either the 9250 or the 9550 because with any 256mb graphics card you can run the game fine and ATI is all about quality so why not go for that.
Bgnome
we need to know what motherboard and processor you have. if you are unlucky like me and a few others, you will be VERY limited, (PCI only), in your video card choices..
ZennZero
As I posted in unforgiven's thread:
http://www.chiefvalue.com/app/produc...tem=14-127-154
That is pretty hot for the price. Some people have successfully flashed them to 9600's as well. If you are looking to spend in the mid $100s, this is unbeatable for the price (after $30 rebate):
http://www.monarchcomputer.com/Merch..._Code= 190327
http://www.chiefvalue.com/app/produc...tem=14-127-154
That is pretty hot for the price. Some people have successfully flashed them to 9600's as well. If you are looking to spend in the mid $100s, this is unbeatable for the price (after $30 rebate):
http://www.monarchcomputer.com/Merch..._Code= 190327
Unforgiven
ZennZero how is that $60 card is it really worth it because maybe I should get that let me know on my thread thanks.
Zorque
Wow a $60 one for 128MB that is great! I have a Althon XP 2200, 512mb RAM. I do have an AGP 4X/8X slot so thats not a problem. For video cards the more memory it has the better right? So with this 128mb one will my computer run GW on the best quality? Or should I splurge and get the 256mb one for $130?
Loviatar
Quote:
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Originally Posted by Zorque
Wow a $60 one for 128MB that is great! I have a Althon XP 2200, 512mb RAM. I do have an AGP 4X/8X slot so thats not a problem. For video cards the more memory it has the better right? So with this 128mb one will my computer run GW on the best quality? Or should I splurge and get the 256mb one for $130?
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it will eat that 256 nb one for breakfast
amount of memory is only half the story
ZennZero
Quote:
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Originally Posted by Loviatar
if you are going to spend 130 go for 30 more for the 6600GT in the link above as the 6600GT is the current bang for the buck today
it will eat that 256 nb one for breakfast amount of memory is only half the story |
As an aside to this, I was rather suprised to see I can max out everything on guildwars comfortably on my system. It would be nice to have the option to crank things up a little higher (more antialiasing, AF, draw distance, texture quality, etc.) for those of us that can handle it.
Zorque
Ok let me see if I get this straight...
MSI Radeon 9550 128MB DDR AGP 4X/8X Video Card - $60
-Great price, will run GW at top settings but might need to upgrade again for newer games in the future.
ATI - RADEON 9550 Graphics Card 256MB DDR memory; AGP interface; TV-out; 400MHz clock speed; 128-bit memory - $130
-A good card that will run GW at top settings, but not so much better than the MSI Radeon 9550 with 128mb to justify paying an extra $70
XFX GeForce 6600 GT 128MB DDR3/8x-AGP/TV-Out/Dual-DVI - $158 (after $30 mail in rebate)
-Easily run GW at top settings. Will be useful for other graphic intensive games that come out in the future, so I won't need to upgrade again for a while.
Does my understanding here seem to be on target? If so I think I will go ahead and order the Radeon 9550 128MB card for $60. If it will play GW at top settings I don't imagine I will be picking up any newer games for quite awhile! If I splurg to get the 6600 GT it should be because I need it for other games right?
MSI Radeon 9550 128MB DDR AGP 4X/8X Video Card - $60
-Great price, will run GW at top settings but might need to upgrade again for newer games in the future.
ATI - RADEON 9550 Graphics Card 256MB DDR memory; AGP interface; TV-out; 400MHz clock speed; 128-bit memory - $130
-A good card that will run GW at top settings, but not so much better than the MSI Radeon 9550 with 128mb to justify paying an extra $70
XFX GeForce 6600 GT 128MB DDR3/8x-AGP/TV-Out/Dual-DVI - $158 (after $30 mail in rebate)
-Easily run GW at top settings. Will be useful for other graphic intensive games that come out in the future, so I won't need to upgrade again for a while.
Does my understanding here seem to be on target? If so I think I will go ahead and order the Radeon 9550 128MB card for $60. If it will play GW at top settings I don't imagine I will be picking up any newer games for quite awhile! If I splurg to get the 6600 GT it should be because I need it for other games right?
Zorque
Actually the $60 one says "out of stock" Did I wait too long? 
SSE4
Quote:
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Originally Posted by ZennZero
Right - If even half. You will often see manufacturers slap 256mb of memory on a low end card to appeal to the "more is better" crowd.
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If I were you, I would get the 6600GT if you can. Even save up for longer, it's more worth the wait than a 9550/5700, because those are currently more or less the "low-end" of the market. Although they'd still play games, the 6600GT is worth the extra money, and will last longer than both of those cards, despite them having more dedicated VRAM.
metalkobra
Well, personally i have a geforce FX 5500 256mb and it runs well with my mobo and stuff, but im thinking about changing my mobo to an nforce because i would THINK that would give added performance, and i plan on getting an amd fx64 5500 as well =D (when i get a job) and probably another gig of ram and i will be set 
p.s. for you overclockers out there like me, dont forget to get a good water cooling system!
but yeah i would go with the 6600GT, it might run better with your mobo.
p.s. for you overclockers out there like me, dont forget to get a good water cooling system!
but yeah i would go with the 6600GT, it might run better with your mobo.
Zorque
Ok, you conviced me. I'll get the 6600GT, This link is the best deal? Is this a trustworthy website?
http://www.monarchcomputer.com/Merch..._Code= 190327
http://www.monarchcomputer.com/Merch..._Code= 190327
ZennZero
Quote:
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Originally Posted by Zorque
Ok, you conviced me. I'll get the 6600GT, This link is the best deal? Is this a trustworthy website?
http://www.monarchcomputer.com/Merch..._Code= 190327 |
Loviatar
i personally only deal with newegg.com for the last few years
at top of reseller ratings and excellent prices
http://www.newegg.com/
at top of reseller ratings and excellent prices
http://www.newegg.com/
metalkobra
damn right .
.
Zorque
Oh no! I don't think I can use the Geforce 6600GT after all. I was looking at my mboard, its the
ECS K7S5A-Pro Socket A 266FSB DDR Motherboard
and I think it only has a 4x AGP slot. I thought I remembered it being 8x when I got it , does this mean I need to look for something else?
ECS K7S5A-Pro Socket A 266FSB DDR Motherboard
and I think it only has a 4x AGP slot. I thought I remembered it being 8x when I got it
, does this mean I need to look for something else?
ZennZero
Quote:
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Originally Posted by Zorque
Oh no! I don't think I can use the Geforce 6600GT after all. I was looking at my mboard, its the
ECS K7S5A-Pro Socket A 266FSB DDR Motherboard and I think it only has a 4x AGP slot. I thought I remembered it being 8x when I got it , does this mean I need to look for something else? |
Darkmane
Quote:
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Originally Posted by Zorque
Ok, you conviced me. I'll get the 6600GT, This link is the best deal? Is this a trustworthy website?
http://www.monarchcomputer.com/Merch..._Code= 190327 |
I have bought items from Monarch, they were good priced and I had no problems. One thing I'd like to add is that I hope you have a 350+ watt power supply, and a good one at that.
SSE4
Quote:
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Originally Posted by metalkobra
and i plan on getting an amd fx64 5500 as well =D
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The 6600GT will be worth your money. Believe us when we say it's a good card.
Zorque
Quote:
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Originally Posted by ZennZero
No worries Zorque -- an 8x card will just run at 4x on your motherboard. There shouldn't be any substantial difference in performance either.
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The deal is done:
XFX GeForce 6600 GT 128MB DDR3/8x-AGP/TV-Out/Dual-DVI (Retail Box)
1 $188.00
Shipping: Federal Express Ground - Five (5) to Seven (7) Day
Woot! Should get here just in time for the 27!
Thanks for all your help guys. See you on the 27th!
ZennZero
Well, in my experience the case is the one component you can cheap out on and, as long as it can handle enough fans for adaquate cooling, you will be fine (+/- a few cut fingers from the cheap stamped steel). Now having said that, I currently have an absurdly expensive case (compared to my former $15 model) and it was worth every penny:
http://www.silverstonetek.com/products-lc03.htm
Anyway, I'm glad we could help.....And don't forget the rebate -- that is what really makes the price on that 6600gt hot!
http://www.silverstonetek.com/products-lc03.htm
Anyway, I'm glad we could help.....And don't forget the rebate -- that is what really makes the price on that 6600gt hot!
Beelzebubba
Quote:
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Originally Posted by Zorque
Well thats good news! Yes I have a 400W power supply, although I got it with my case from PriceWatch $20 for both together, haha - so I question how "good" it is. Hopefully it works ok, either way...
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I've had to replace power supplies on quite a few of those budget cases, so I'm talking from experience.
Of the choices, the 6600GT is definitely the way to go.
Also, Monarch Computers is located about 2 miles from my house, and they are very reliable, I buy hardware from them quite a bit.
Brett Kuntz
Quote:
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Originally Posted by Zorque
I'm upgrading my vid card from geforce 2 64mb, which ran the game well on low quality. I want to be ready to run high details for the release though! I found these 3 cards all on best buy's site, they are all $130 which falls in my budget. I'm leaning towards the geforce since I was pretty happy with my last one (plus its on sale, normally 150), but I figured I'd ask for other opinions, maybe radeon runs GW better. Your thoughts please:
ATI - RADEON 9250 Graphics Card 100-436012 256MB DDR memory; PCI interface; 400MHz clock speed; ATI CATALYST software ATI - RADEON 9550 Graphics Card 100-437105 256MB DDR memory; AGP interface; TV-out; 400MHz clock speed; 128-bit memory PNY - Verto GeForce FX 5700 VE Graphics Card VCFX5756VA 256MB DDR memory; AGP 8X/4X interface; S-video output; 400MHz clock speed; NVIDIA ForceWare |
If you want a cheap card which performs insanely well for it's cost, the ATi 9600 XT is your best bet, by far. The 9600 XT support PS/VS 2.0 I believe, and has a very fast GPU clock (526MHz) which means it can perform shader operations faster then most cards. Although shader operations aren't everything there is to graphics, in newer games, shading is taken advantage of extensively.
A Saphire 9600 XT will be best, not only are they cheaper, but they have better fans which allow for more overclocking. Don't let the OC scare you, ATi supports and condones overclocking, they even build it into their drivers, and will replace your video card if the OCing breaks it, for free. You can pick up a 9600 XT for about $125 usd, or $93 refurbished.
It's closest competetor is the nVidia 5600 XT, which retails for about $102 usd, but this card benches significantly lower then the 9600 XT, the extra $23 is worth the extra oomph you'll get from going with the 9600 XT.
ThinkHarder
Do not listen to what kunt0r said!
While he is right in saying the amount of memory actually has little effect on the performance of most modern graphics cards but sadly the card he recommends, the ATi Radeon 9600XT is so VASTLY inferior to the Nvidia GeForce 6600GT in so many ways its not even funny. Let me go a little deeper...
The ATi 9600XT is quite an old card now. Its bigger brother, the 9800XT, is also getting on a bit. It's quite a bit faster than the 9600XT. The Nvidia 6600GT is faster than the ATi 9800XT in most if not all cases. The ATi 9600XT does not have a leg to stand on. Its performance is nowhere near that of the 9800XT let alone the 6600GT! While the 6600GT is slightly more expensive its performance will more than make up for it and its really not worth getting anything less than a 6600GT these days.
ATi and Nvidia drivers have a facility that automatically overclocks your card to levels which it believes are safe. While doing so will never break your card but if you manually overclock then be very very careful. I must point out that while overclocking is a great way to get extra performance out of your hardware for nothing but IF YOU BREAK YOU CARD DUE TO OVERCLOCKING IT YOU WILL VOID YOUR WARRANTY AND WILL NOT GET A REPLACEMENT, be it an ATi card, Nvidia card or otherwise.
While he is right in saying the amount of memory actually has little effect on the performance of most modern graphics cards but sadly the card he recommends, the ATi Radeon 9600XT is so VASTLY inferior to the Nvidia GeForce 6600GT in so many ways its not even funny. Let me go a little deeper...
The ATi 9600XT is quite an old card now. Its bigger brother, the 9800XT, is also getting on a bit. It's quite a bit faster than the 9600XT. The Nvidia 6600GT is faster than the ATi 9800XT in most if not all cases. The ATi 9600XT does not have a leg to stand on. Its performance is nowhere near that of the 9800XT let alone the 6600GT! While the 6600GT is slightly more expensive its performance will more than make up for it and its really not worth getting anything less than a 6600GT these days.
ATi and Nvidia drivers have a facility that automatically overclocks your card to levels which it believes are safe. While doing so will never break your card but if you manually overclock then be very very careful. I must point out that while overclocking is a great way to get extra performance out of your hardware for nothing but IF YOU BREAK YOU CARD DUE TO OVERCLOCKING IT YOU WILL VOID YOUR WARRANTY AND WILL NOT GET A REPLACEMENT, be it an ATi card, Nvidia card or otherwise.
Studio Ghibli
Anyone know what card the GW staff use for those screenshots?
I went out and bought an AIW 9800 Pro to replace my GeFore MX 440 because of Guild Wars, and I can't tell if I'm getting the same quality or not.
I mean, dayam, it sure looks nice.
Just can't tell if they're on par.
I went out and bought an AIW 9800 Pro to replace my GeFore MX 440 because of Guild Wars, and I can't tell if I'm getting the same quality or not.
I mean, dayam, it sure looks nice.
Just can't tell if they're on par.
ThinkHarder
Quote:
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Originally Posted by Studio Ghibli
Anyone know what card the GW staff use for those screenshots?
I went out and bought an AIW 9800 Pro to replace my GeFore MX 440 because of Guild Wars, and I can't tell if I'm getting the same quality or not. I mean, dayam, it sure looks nice. Just can't tell if they're on par. |
Not sure what card they use but a 9800 Pro is still a very good card, being a little slower than the 6600GT we were talking about. It will run Guild Wars easily on max detail.
Then you also have the AIW features - you can watch TV on your PC!
Loviatar
Quote:
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Originally Posted by ThinkHarder
IF YOU BREAK YOU CARD DUE TO OVERCLOCKING IT YOU WILL VOID YOUR WARRANTY AND WILL NOT GET A REPLACEMENT, be it an ATi card, Nvidia card or otherwise.
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my 6600GT came with a maker specific overclocking utiity and no warning of using it voiding the warranty
i havent used it because it is fast enough out of the box and a few more FPS are meanless except for bragging rights
NiknudStunod
Stay away from retail stores like best buy when buying computer parts. Sites like Newegg.com are the way to go. There delivery is cheap and efficient and they have some unbeatable prices.
http://www2.newegg.com/Product/Produ...0&order=priced
Here is a couple pages of prices for vid cards $180 down to $26
4.99 for saver shipping is the way I would go to.
http://www2.newegg.com/Product/Produ...0&order=priced
Here is a couple pages of prices for vid cards $180 down to $26
4.99 for saver shipping is the way I would go to.
ThinkHarder
Quote:
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Originally Posted by Loviatar
mostly right but there are exceptions
my 6600GT came with a maker specific overclocking utiity and no warning of using it voiding the warranty i havent used it because it is fast enough out of the box and a few more FPS are meanless except for bragging rights |
pepper
hi , I have a choice of 2 cards to install one is being the Nvidia fx5500 256mb
or the Sapphire Radeon 9600 pro 256mb
please tell me which is best to install
I want a super duper video card...not a super duper pooper scooper
or the Sapphire Radeon 9600 pro 256mb
please tell me which is best to install
I want a super duper video card...not a super duper pooper scooper