Looking for a NEW card? Need help?

Hey, great thread!

I'm thinking of upgrading my video card too. I might hold out for some Boxing Day sales, but I'm not too sure on what to get. I currently have an AIW 9600XT which got me a little over 1300 in the 3dmark demo ...

I currently have a dual monitor setup (VGA) which I would like to keep, as well as a TV tuner, but I could always get a TV tuner card.

I play NFS:MW, FEAR, COD2, Quake4, I like to be able to play the newer gen games, but I'm not anal about having MAXIMUM settings (it would be nice, but I can't spend much on a single card, not that hard-core a gamer I guess )

I'm looking for something in the $200 range, hopefully that will come down after xmas, and that I can use dual-VGA monitors with. Suggestions? Thanks!

Maharg probably the best card for you would be the AIW with your budget. I see you have a fairly new cpu, are you sure you dont have a hybrid board with both agp and pci-e? It is hard to find an aiw much less an agp one. I managed to find an x800xt AIW but it is over your budget. A tv tuner costs money and if you want the tv and a vid card it is hard to find anything better than what you have for the price.

The X800XT is a big upgrade over what you have and it has the tv tuner built into it. If you want to go the vid card then separate tv tuner then maybe get a 6800XT or X800GT and maybe you can stay within that 200 dollar budget.

Link to x800xt aiw
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814102492

Im building a new computer and this is what Ive chosen so far:

CPU = AMD Athlon 64 3200+ Processor S939 Venice 2.0GHZ 512K L2 Cache
or
- AMD Opteron 144 Processor S939 Venus 1.8GHZ 1MB L2 Cach

Motherboard = Asus A8N-SLI <Premium, Delux, SE>(not sure which one because I dont quite know the differances yet) (PCI-E)

RAM = SAMSUNG 512MB PC2700 DDR333 184PIN OEM

PSU = Fortron 500W Blue Storm

My budget is about $200 but I wish to spend as little as posible while not getting crap. I'll probably keep this card for at least a year.

suckerr70 said:

Im building a new computer and this is what Ive chosen so far:

CPU = AMD Athlon 64 3200+ Processor S939 Venice 2.0GHZ 512K L2 Cache
or
- AMD Opteron 144 Processor S939 Venus 1.8GHZ 1MB L2 Cach

Motherboard = Asus A8N-SLI <Premium, Delux, SE>(not sure which one because I dont quite know the differances yet) (PCI-E)

RAM = SAMSUNG 512MB PC2700 DDR333 184PIN OEM

PSU = Fortron 500W Blue Storm

My budget is about $200 but I wish to spend as little as posible while not getting crap. I'll probably keep this card for at least a year.

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Well first I'd like to ask, why are you planning to use below-standard RAM? I'm specificly talking about the RAM's speed, in that PC3200 is the standard minimum now pretty much, since it works at the same speed as the processor HTT (200mhz).

Next, I'll just ask, what are you planning to use your system for? Gaming? I ask this because it helps us figure out if you need/want a stronger card, or a less strong card that will do well for it's purpose. Thx.

jcw122 said:

Next, I'll just ask, what are you planning to use your system for? Gaming? I ask this because it helps us figure out if you need/want a stronger card, or a less strong card that will do well for it's purpose. Thx.

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Good Question Idea there. Updated the original post!

Also, for suckerr70:

For the budget, currently something like X800GTO2 or 6800GS would serve you well, but I'd hold my money untill the after Xmas time or the Big Sales as prices should go down! Otherwise since you're building a system with SLI in mind I'd suggest to go with nVidia since SLI is more "mature compared to CrossFire not to mention you'd probably have to buy a new motherboard for ATi's CrossFire.

I'd like to upgrade my vid card within the next 2 months Along with other things, here are my current specs and what they will be:

CPU = Sempron 64 2600+ with new mobo will be @ 2ghz (250 x 8)
Motherboard = FIC K8-800T, will be DFI Lanparty UT nF3 250gb
RAM = 512 - 768mb ddr 400
PSU = some old 400watt, will be Fortron AX450
Curr. Vid card = Sapphire Radeon 9250 256mb
BUDGET! = ~$100
Bus = AGP 8x

So, i come here asking what would be the best with that?
OR i could go with an NF4 like this
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813136162
something under $100 for the motherboard and get a PCIe that's around $100, i got a $200 budget for the mobo and videocard, what do you guys think would be best for me?

Edit: i plan on gaming and general use

princeofdarknes said:

I'd like to upgrade my vid card within the next 2 months Along with other things, here are my current specs and what they will be:

CPU = Sempron 64 2600+ with new mobo will be @ 2ghz (250 x 8)
Motherboard = FIC K8-800T, will be DFI Lanparty UT nF3 250gb
RAM = 512 - 768mb ddr 400
PSU = some old 400watt, will be Fortron AX450
Curr. Vid card = Sapphire Radeon 9250 256mb
BUDGET! = ~$100
Bus = AGP 8x

So, i come here asking what would be the best with that?
OR i could go with an NF4 like this
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813136162
something under $100 for the motherboard and get a PCIe that's around $100, i got a $200 budget for the mobo and videocard, what do you guys think would be best for me?

Edit: i plan on gaming and general use

Click to expand...

Welp, would you be planning for upgrades in the future? If so, I'm inclined to say that you should use that motherboard you posted, since that would be a great idea for future use, and because AGP cards will be hard to find (and some already are....or some are already out of production entirely)

The DFI Lanparty UT nF3-250GB is also ~25 bucks MORE than that nF4 (PCI-E) motherboard, so I'd say yeah, go PCI-E, it will also give you a wider selection of video cards, and better compatibility/features for gaming.

So lets see...$200 mobo and video budget:

Minus 75 for the nF4 motherboard=125 bucks

After doing about 10 minutes research by searching on newegg.com, I found this http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814102644
It's the x800GTO, for $130 bucks which is 5 bucks over, but it has a $20 Mail-In Rebate...and I'd trust newegg.com with anything, so their rebates should be good.

Anyway, As always, make sure you ask around about that card before buying.

yeah, i looked at that x800GTO, but i found one 256mb for $20 more (which also has the rebate i think), and i think i'm willing to save up $20 for an extra 128mb, thanx for the suggestion, i'm using sapphire right now and i have no complaints, i'll look into the card and reviews.
So i probably will go with the nF4 infinity, looks good, good reviews

princeofdarknes said:

yeah, i looked at that x800GTO, but i found one 256mb for $20 more (which also has the rebate i think), and i think i'm willing to save up $20 for an extra 128mb, thanx for the suggestion, i'm using sapphire right now and i have no complaints, i'll look into the card and reviews.
So i probably will go with the nF4 infinity, looks good, good reviews

Click to expand...

Ohh nice find, may I ask where you found it? (link?)

And yeah, the Infinity series by DFI is great, it's the same high-quality boards just without the bling factoring of the LANPARTY series, and at much cheaper prices.

Wow, I updated to the latest catalyst drivers, and my 3dMark score jumped from 1600 to 2000! Not a bad upgrade for $0!

jcw122 said:

Ohh nice find, may I ask where you found it? (link?)

And yeah, the Infinity series by DFI is great, it's the same high-quality boards just without the bling factoring of the LANPARTY series, and at much cheaper prices.

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X800GTO $159: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814102602
Looks like it went up in price (or i have a bad memory) and the mail in rebate is done for both this and the 128mb version
And i also found these other deals from sapphire
X1300PRO $101: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814102641
X1600PRO $129: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814102651

So, i now think i'll wait a bit to get $130 for the vcard and get the X1600PRO
And get the DFI nF4 Infinity, but this will be in march, so prices go down and this will be much more affordable. The bling factor is a letdown, but its has PCI-e

Edit: sry, fixed my X1600 link
I noticed they're the same exact board but with different coolers and processors.
I have an exhaust fan that runs just below my vid card in the PCI bracket, do you think this will mess with the sapphire X1600PRO's fan?

Both the x1600Pro and x1300Pro are crap, reason being they are using a 128-bit bandwith for their memory, which is a big performance hit. Right now the standard for memory bandwith is 256-bit.

oh, i didnt notice, didnt really think that'd be to detramental, so i guess i'll try to hold out long enough to get the X800GTO.
Ya know it was mostly the cheaper price and the bigger number that attracted me to the X1600PRO, but then you said that it was 128bit and normal nowadays is 256, so then i went and looked at the GPU/VPU datasheet and i noticed the GTO had alot more high points other than the core speed is slower, but i'm sure i can overclock that a bit (Gotta love atitool)
Before this i noticed the x1300pro had only 4 pipelines, but then i saw the board was the same as the x1600pro, so i thought maybe they could be unlocked, not for me to worry about though.
Ah well, it all depends on my price range then and how much prices go down and how more advanced games get.

Looking for good gamer card for $300 max, or should i get new cpu?

cpu- amd ath 64 3000+ (1.8 gig)
mobo- asus a8v deluxe
ram- 4x corsaire VS 512 pc3200 ddr400
psu- aspire 520w
current vga- ATI 9800 pro AGP

current problems- 9800 will not run games in 8x, and just dont have the clarity im looking for i can play bf2 on high with AA at 2 or 4x and still get the jagged edges, ive seen too many dream machines and just not happy with my machine any more, LOL. Honestly it runs pretty well but these SLI machines are awesome with the right equipment. ill be building one in the future but need a good card or some ideas for the time being.

thanks

princeofdarknes said:

oh, i didnt notice, didnt really think that'd be to detramental, so i guess i'll try to hold out long enough to get the X800GTO.
Ya know it was mostly the cheaper price and the bigger number that attracted me to the X1600PRO, but then you said that it was 128bit and normal nowadays is 256, so then i went and looked at the GPU/VPU datasheet and i noticed the GTO had alot more high points other than the core speed is slower, but i'm sure i can overclock that a bit (Gotta love atitool)
Before this i noticed the x1300pro had only 4 pipelines, but then i saw the board was the same as the x1600pro, so i thought maybe they could be unlocked, not for me to worry about though.
Ah well, it all depends on my price range then and how much prices go down and how more advanced games get.

Click to expand...

Yeah I made the same mistake when I was searching over newegg.com for a ~@$200 card for a friend, and didn't realize it was 128-bit until I read a review so yeah.

ktgamer said:

Looking for good gamer card for $300 max, or should i get new cpu?

cpu- amd ath 64 3000+ (1.8 gig)
mobo- asus a8v deluxe
ram- 4x corsaire VS 512 pc3200 ddr400
psu- aspire 520w
current vga- ATI 9800 pro AGP

current problems- 9800 will not run games in 8x, and just dont have the clarity im looking for i can play bf2 on high with AA at 2 or 4x and still get the jagged edges, ive seen too many dream machines and just not happy with my machine any more, LOL. Honestly it runs pretty well but these SLI machines are awesome with the right equipment. ill be building one in the future but need a good card or some ideas for the time being.

thanks

Click to expand...

Well right now, I'm gonna say the x800 XL:
http://www.pricegrabber.com/p__ATI_Radeon_X800_XL_Video_Card,__8028722
$250 (lowest price)

I saw the x850Pro at a lower price, but it has 12 pipes compared to the XL's 16 pipes. The XL only runs a tiny bit slower w/ clocks also.

As always, research your stuff before you even consider buying it.

thanks that was pretty much the same conclusion i came up with. happy holidays!

update on my search

I'm trying to decide wether or not to upgrade my GPU. I have an XFX 6600GT AGP right now and have been looking at all the possiblilites. I don't want to spend more then $200-$225 US.

some of the offers I've seen but can't decide what's the biggest improvement/best price for an upgrade.

Sapphire X800 Pro VIVO OEM (16pipe currenty, unlocks to XT PE

BFG GeForce™ 6800 OC 128MB AGP, able to be unlocked with RivaTuner to 16 pipes (140 shipped)

Leadtek A400 128mb Nvidia 6800 $130

Leadtek 6800nu w/ Arctic Silencer. Unlocks for me but YMMV. I first overclocked, then unlocked shader, then pipes if the order matters to you. I ran it stable at 402mhz core clock and 802mhz memory. That core clock speed is 2 mhz above the ultra! Great card, comes with all accessories that it shipped retail with expect Prince of Persia and Splinter Cell (Still has Big Mutha Truckers and Gunmetal). OC was done with coolbits, unlock with rivatuner. So you're getting the cooler, card, and 2 games for...

$165 shipped

1 Leadtek 6800GT AGP. Comes with all games as included in the box (Prince of Persia 2, Tomb Raider). Includes original driver, utilities disk, VGA-DVI converter and molex splitter. BIOS has been modded to stock speeds of 400/1100. $215

BRAND NEW BFG Tech 6800gt AGP with the Rev.2 Cooler. Had mine at 450/1.18 on the stock cooler and 465/1.22 on water. Youll get the origional box and all the contents. Im asking $210

MSI 6800 GT AGP with Zalman VF700-CU cooler. Asking price: $200

Gigabyte ATI X800 XT VIVO (labeled as pro but came with all 16 pipes)
It easily clocks to 500/500 and higher but I have never gone higher.
The Heatsink on it is better than the standard ATI heatsink in that it also covers the RAM chips. I still have the box, cd's and all of the cables for this including the VIVO cables for Video In/ Video Out.
I am asking $200 for this. It still sells for more. It is basically an XT with VIVO. Worth more than a typical Pro.

Thanks

Zetachi

Looks like you've copy/pasted some classified ads here?

Having a 6600GT AGP would hold me on for at least 8 months to a 1 year OR untill I get enough money for an upgrade to PCI-E system. Altough judging from THG's 3D Performance chart it'll give you about 34-40% boost if you upgrade to one of the cards outlined below.

Now out of all the cards I'd got with either the BRAND NEW BFG 6800GT, since it comes with LifeTime warranty and brand new or if the warranty isn't a concern I would've checked out that X800Pro VIVO. Also what's the price for Saphire X800Pro ViVo that unlocks to 16 pipes?

zetachi said:

update on my search

I'm trying to decide wether or not to upgrade my GPU. I have an XFX 6600GT AGP right now and have been looking at all the possiblilites. I don't want to spend more then $200-$225 US.

some of the offers I've seen but can't decide what's the biggest improvement/best price for an upgrade.

[#3] - Sapphire X800 Pro VIVO OEM (16pipe currenty, unlocks to XT PE -- What's the PRICE? Might consider this one

[#1] - BRAND NEW BFG Tech 6800gt AGP with the Rev.2 Cooler. Had mine at 450/1.18 on the stock cooler and 465/1.22 on water. Youll get the origional box and all the contents. Im asking $210 -- Not a bad deal it being Brand New and BFG offers Lifetime warranty.

[#2] - Gigabyte ATI X800 XT VIVO (labeled as pro but came with all 16 pipes)
It easily clocks to 500/500 and higher but I have never gone higher.
The Heatsink on it is better than the standard ATI heatsink in that it also covers the RAM chips. I still have the box, cd's and all of the cables for this including the VIVO cables for Video In/ Video Out.
I am asking $200 for this. It still sells for more. It is basically an XT with VIVO. Worth more than a typical Pro -- Seems like a good deal if warranty isn't a concern.
Thanks

Zetachi

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Holy Deals, Batman! Where did you find those 6800GT deals! Those are INCREDIBLY cheap...retail ones go for $270+, I'd say hurry up and buy one of thise before anyone else grabs them, their insanely good deals for a seriously good card.

The x800XT VIVO deal is also very good.

Got any links? I'd really love to buy one of those.