What is a good budget AGP card that doesnt suck?

[Panzerknacker]

So I'm looking for a budget card for some old computer (KT133/Athlon 1ghz). I want something that is as good as those awesome GF4MX. I looked around, but everything that is not way overpriced has the infamous crappy 64bit memory interface (9200se, 5200 non ultra, MX4000) meaning that they will be blown out of the water by a GF2. Is it just me or are those budget cards way overpriced? I mean I'm not going to pay 50 euros for 64bit mem interface, and if I want 128bit I need 80 euros or something. I have a 9200SE here in another computer (64bit) and it can't even run Quake 3 at 640x480 lowest detail at a acceptable framerate (it's about 50 average, but when even the smallest thing happens on screen it drops to 20 or something so it's unplayable). And that was in a system with KT266, Athlon 1ghz, 768MB DDR.

Maybe someone has something laying around he wants to sell?

[Battle_Rattle]

Hiya!

Not sure what might be best.... You may have to do some google searches of benchmarks and the like.

I have one question though....why spend the money on a gig of HyperX ram when you're running the card that you are? It doesn't make too much sense to me.

[Panzerknacker]

Yeah what's wrong with that? I bought the HyperX in hope that it would give me a good OC, what has that to do with the geforce 3? Some question is for you, why are u running a 5200 (which gets owned by my geforce 3) with a A64?

But I searched the whole friggin internet all those benchies and Tom's VGA charts but I just get even more confused by that. For example, the 5200 seems a good card, it beats the GF4MX 440 by far in many benchies, but in others like quake 3 engine and WC3 it get's destroyed by the 4MX. Is it possible to run the 5200 in DX7 mode in every game?

[Battle_Rattle]

Lol very good point.... Why the hell AM I running that crap card?

But thankfully my MSI Nvidia 6600gt is on its way...should be in tommorrow and I'll update my specs...

But it stilll doesn't change the questionable rationale for throwing that ram into that system, all the while asking what 50 euro card one could buy to replace the one that was made in 2001.

I'm just not sure though, It's a difficult question. The the Tom's Hardware AGP chart is a decent source though....best of luck my friend!

[Panzerknacker]

LMAO well, the budget card I'm looking for is actually not for the system in my sig, it's for the Athlon 1ghz system (I got 4 computers). I just keep my GeForce 3 in my Athlon XP 3200 system with the HyperX!

[cuddles]

There are no good budget cards that don't suck. All budget cards suck, that's why they're budget cards. Get a 9600 Pro.

[elitebear4]

what it has to do with your geforce 3 is that, getting good ocs is pointless if you have a card that will completely bottle neck your performance

[jcw122]

9800Pro

[Battle_Rattle]

What Elitebear said was a good point.... find a way my friend to bounce up to a 9800 pro or 6600gt ....sell some blood LOL

[Panzerknacker]

What if I was overclocking the rig for other things than gaming? I will not get a new graphics card for that rig untill the first game comes out that doesnt run with it. With doesnt run I mean that when I start the game it comes up with a error telling me my card is too old. Since it will be a long time before a game as good as RTCW comes out, there is no reason for me to upgrade.

But back ontopic now, should I just get a crappy 5200?

[Panzerknacker]

LMAO now that we can't continue saying how crap my GF3 is (which it isnt, in fact it owns all your X800's and 6800's heh heh) nobody has something left to post? Please tell me if I buy a 5200 will it run NFSU2, RTCW and Warcraft 3 at a acceptable framerate at low settings in a AMD 1ghz system?

[ryanmartini]

Radeon 9550
Radeon 9600 Pro
Radeon 9800np

Powercolor 9800SE 256bit [almost 100% success in flashing to a pro]

[KoolDrew]

Get a 9600 Pro.

[Panzerknacker]

FFS I am talking about a BUDGET card for a damn ATHLON 1GHZ on a KT133! I mean something that is under $60. I know u guys want to help me but please understand that I mean a real budget card not a freakin' mid end card LMAO :p!

[electrorcamd]

If you can find one, maybe an FX5700LE, 5600, or 5500. Also the Radeon 9250 looks to be okay and around $60. You can also sometimes find a 9550 for around that much with rebates.

[bobburn]

my friend has an fx5200, he runs RTCW at high settings at 1024x768 but he has a 2.8ghz p4. I'm guessing you should be able to run the game at low settings.

[99'erForever]

I had a Radeon 8500 on a 1.2 Athlon. I could play Warcraft III and GTA3 at 1024x768. It usually ran 45+ fps

[ComPuterFreak90]

9600pro, 5700LE

[Panzerknacker]

gues I'm just going to get a 5200. Or I put the Radeon 9200se form my server into that box, see if I can overclock it a bit.

[Moto7451]

Jetway Radeon 9550 128MB with 128bit memory. its $60 at newegg last I checked. Mine overclocks well. 440/300 & still room on the core (I'm using a crappy Crystal orb which is probably holding me back).

[12am]

is there any way you could get your hands on a used ti4200? those should be selling for cheap these days due to the sheer abundance of em 3 years ago, and the performance of them would be a nice step up from your gf3.

[hkgonra]

I would find a used ti4200 or a radeon 8500le you should be able to find either one for $40 or less.
I have a low-end system that I setup to run win98 just for old games. I put a voodoo 5500 in it.

[threeme2189]

well on my p4 1800 \(sucky sucky) i run nfsu2 with a gforce 2 so a 5200 could do it with one hand...
maybe the systems the bottleneck and not the vid card too much?

[Brundle Fly]

...take the advice about buying a ti4200, I bought a 5200, they suck. The ONLY thing they have over a 4200 is DX9 support. Considering a 5200 can't play DX9 games at a decent resolution, DX9 support means nothing whatsoever, they are not a gamer's card, end of story. I dropped my 5200 into my wife's system, she doesn't game, and got myself a ti4200, it smokes the 5200. I have an 1100 Celery in my system, so we have the same bottleneck. Check out the difference, and I haven't figured out the best tweaks for it yet. I still want to pull the HSF and get some good TIM under it...

Albatron ti4200/ASUS FX5200
http://service.futuremark.com/compare?2k1=8295865

...if you want a budget card for an older system, go ti4200-ti4600, the 5200 will disappoint you, I found out the hard way...

[xnewnx]

i'd also go with Brundle Fly's advice and get at Ti4200-4600, that would seem the very logical choice under your condition. i dont know WHY the hell all of those people kept trying to push mid level cards like 9600's and 9800's on you,
personally, i would go with a Ti4200 myself, still the best bang for the buck in that price range.

[Nandro]

I am also in agreement on the Ti 42-4800. The OC great and can play most games including HL2 (in dx8). You can find some super deals on ebay for Ti's at or under $50. It will serve you well for now and be a good backup card to have for emergencies.

[Panzerknacker]

@Brundle Fly

Yeah I'm starting to see it. But there is one thing I don't understand. Do your guys remember 3-4 years ago, when we were all running Quake 3 with our AMD 1ghz/gf2? Yeah you remember the game actually ran good, not highest settings maybe, but it ran at a acceptable framerate. Now'as I'm figuring out, it appears that all those budget cards of today, with the crappy 64bit mem interface, although there have newer chipsets and higher speeds, JUST CAN'T run Quake 3 at a f'in acceptable framerate in the same system as the gf2 4 years ago!

Yes I tried my 9200se in the AMD 1ghz KT133 system, and Warcraft 3 was completely unplayable at LOWEST settings. Actually, the framerate dropped to as low as 1-5 FPS in combat. WTF is this? I remember I had my GF3 in a system like this and it ran WC3 easy without problems even at high detail.

So I'm concluding that those cards really suck. And I'm not going to get a Ti4200 or faster for this old computer. I think I'm going to look for a old Geforce 2 or something, that is WAY faster than a 9200se damnit. I'm also thinking that all this ****ty DX8 and DX9 stuff is only slowing the cards down, because they just can't handle it and should run in DX7 mode.

Thanks for all the replies,

Panzerknacker

And please no more replies like 'get a 9550 or a Ti4600', because those cards are WAAAAAAAAAAYY too fast for the system I'm going to put them in.

[Nandro]

Check out the big brain on Panzerknacker!! Actualy that is a good observation. I wonder why that is. Maybe the drivers were "OPTIMIZED"?

[schismspeak]

If you get a geforce 2 card, try to get one with 64MB of ram, it'll do quite a bit better with the newer games than a 32MB card will. You might also look for the GF4mx440, it may be easier to find.

"And please no more replies like 'get a 9550 or a Ti4600', because those cards are WAAAAAAAAAAYY too fast for the system I'm going to put them in."

So why not put the ti4200 in your system in the sig and put the GF3ti in the 1ghz athlon system? That would be the best deal. Might be something to think about..

[moho]

...take the advice about buying a ti4200, I bought a 5200, they suck. The ONLY thing they have over a 4200 is DX9 support. Considering a 5200 can't play DX9 games at a decent resolution, DX9 support means nothing whatsoever, they are not a gamer's card, end of story. I dropped my 5200 into my wife's system, she doesn't game, and got myself a ti4200, it smokes the 5200. I have an 1100 Celery in my system, so we have the same bottleneck. Check out the difference, and I haven't figured out the best tweaks for it yet. I still want to pull the HSF and get some good TIM under it...

Albatron ti4200/ASUS FX5200
http://service.futuremark.com/compare?2k1=8295865

...if you want a budget card for an older system, go ti4200-ti4600, the 5200 will disappoint you, I found out the hard way...
i agree totally the FX's up to the 5700's are ****. they perform like my old radeon 7000 32MB. id go with what ^^ guy above me posted, that seems to be ur best bet

[sean478]

i agree with the 9550 because it is cheap and u can mod it into a 9600 pro/xt


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