What are the best budget cards and why?

[Tracert]

This is for all you budget people (and anyone else who is interested).

To make comparison fair lets break this into 4 categories.
1. $0-$30 USD
2. $31-$60 USD
3. $61-$90 USD
4. $91-$120 USD

The cards should be found routinely at these prices, brand new, not used. So a bad example is someone saying that they bought their Radeon 7500 for $20.00 off some guy because that is not something that will happen all the time.

Remember this is for the low budget systems so that is why it only goes to $120.00 I am hoping that with this information we will be able to recommend a card in anyone’s budget. We pretty much all know how the large dollar cards (in my eyes that is $150 on up) do, but what we don't know is what to recommend to a guy who only wants to spend $30 or maybe $50 dollars.

Although 3D is important and that is why it is nice if you can post benchmarks with your report, it is not king. So be sure to state all reasons for your card choices at each or any level in the four categories.

[Tracert]

Since I started the thread I will go first.

I have had some experience with the Radeon VE card (mentioned below in my Sig).

I paid $47.00 plus $7.00 shipping in USD which places my card in the upper side of Category 2. I bought this card because it has good 2D quality and very good DVD playback and S video out. I also do a lot of AOEII and the Direct 3D on this card is better then that of an MX. Not that I really cared but it also came with 2 Monitor outputs which actully has come in kinda handy.

My 2001 BM is hurting at 1179 but that is with everything at default. I need to mess with some drivers and do some o/cing in order to see what it is truly capable of (I didn't run the BM yet at 112 FSB). But that is where I stand for now.

Lets hear some of your stories with budget cards, be it bad or good.

[Dagon]

I'd say in the ATI area the RADEON 32 mb DDR(7000) and RADEON 7500 are the best budget cards.

I bought a retail 7000 online a couple of months ago at newegg for like 60$ and my 7500 OEM was 99$.

[Inteleron]

Note: All card w/o shipping.

1) - ATI Rage Fury Pro 32mb / 29.00
2) - Visiontek Xtasy Geforce2 GTS-V / 49.00
3) - MSI Geforce2 Ti200 64mb DDR / 84.00
4) - Hercules 3D Prophet 8500LE / 165.00

4 doesn't fit that price range, but its definitly the next on my list.

oh and one of those Geforce4s would prolly edge one of those out. :D

[Tracert]

Have you actually seen one of those GF4's for sale? I still haven't seen one, although I really havn't looked that hard.

[Yodums]

Originally posted by Tracert
Have you actually seen one of those GF4's for sale? I still haven't seen one, although I really havn't looked that hard.

Newegg has the GeForce 4 MX 440 I believe for 115.00.

yodums

[Tracert]

Dagon,

Did you have any benchmarks for the 7000 and 7500?

[Black Hawk]

GEFORCE 4?!

115 BUCKS?!

HOLY COW!!!

Where is it? I don't see it there...

[Tracert]

I just looked all through newegg and I don't see that card anywhere.

Can you post a link?

Don't forget that it isn't a real Geforce 4... you got a little too excited there ;)

[Dagon]

Originally posted by Tracert
Dagon,

Did you have any benchmarks for the 7000 and 7500?

I benched my OEM 7500 and so far it's only got 38XX tops in 3dmark 2001, overclocking only helps like couple of hundred points.

[Wicked Klown]

Originally posted by Black Hawk
GEFORCE 4?!

115 BUCKS?!

HOLY COW!!!

Where is it? I don't see it there...


Go to www.pricewatch.com they have a belive 4 or 5 sites with them for sell, But they are the GeForce4 MX440`s.

[Tracert]

I pulled us off the topic a little, here is a thread that deals with the MX440's and I posted a link there to where one can be found.

Thread link here (http://forums.overclockers.ws/vb/showthread.php?s=&postid=499191&t=9605#post499191)

Dagon... you got any BM's on the 7000?

[Dagon]

Originally posted by Tracert
I pulled us off the topic a little, here is a thread that deals with the MX440's and I posted a link there to where one can be found.

Thread link here (http://forums.overclockers.ws/vb/showthread.php?s=&postid=499191&t=9605#post499191)

Dagon... you got any BM's on the 7000?


Naw, sorry it's in my sisters computer and I'm off away in college. My parents 32ddr le flashed to retail specs(166) get's like 26XX if I remember right.