best PCI video card?

[dejavoo81]

unfortunately I do not have AGP slots. I am planning on gettina new rig next year but for now I'm shopping for the best pci video card out there. any suggestions? I have a voodoo 5 5500 right now. I"m happy with the graphics but the beta drivers out there are unreliable.

 

[Dissolved]

you should spend your money on a new mobo.. and get a agp card later..

 

[RainMaQer]

I have to agree with Dissolved... the only other vid card better than a Voodoo 5 is the Geforce 2 MX400.... and that's not that much of an improvement. Use what money you have and get yourself a good motherboard. Start your new system a little early

*EDIT*
And there I go again... thinkin Nvidia is the only choice
Ati cards also come in PCI format as mentioned below this post... ones that may kick the **** out of an MX400. Even still... I'd say get a new motherboard. That would be the best bet in the long run.

 

[Krome]

I had an ATI Radeon 32MB-SDR/PCI, that thing is bad. I'm currently looking @ the Matrox 450 PCI, 32 MB DDR and dual-monitor support. What system will it be running on?

 

[GoldenTiger]

I have to agree with Dissolved... the only other vid card better than a Voodoo 5 is the Geforce 2 MX400.... and that's not that much of an improvement. Use what money you have and get yourself a good motherboard. Start your new system a little early

*EDIT*
And there I go again... thinkin Nvidia is the only choice
Ati cards also come in PCI format as mentioned below this post... ones that may kick the **** out of an MX400. Even still... I'd say get a new motherboard. That would be the best bet in the long run.

An MX400 would be a downgrade from a V5 5500 . The V5 is neck-in-neck with the GF2 GTS, and better than it in FSAA performance. I agree though, a new motherboard like an Iwill XP333 would be a MUCH better investment.

 

[RainMaQer]

An MX400 would be a downgrade from a V5 5500 . The V5 is neck-in-neck with the GF2 GTS, and better than it in FSAA performance. I agree though, a new motherboard like an Iwill XP333 would be a MUCH better investment.

With that I have to disagree... My voodoo 5 only scored 4000-5000 on 3dmark 2000... where as a gf2 would score well over 1000 usually upwards of 2000 more than that. My uncle has an MX400 that performs just about the same as my Voodoo 5 did.

 

[CrystalMethod]

With that I have to disagree... My voodoo 5 only scored 4000-5000 on 3dmark 2000... where as a gf2 would score well over 1000 usually upwards of 2000 more than that. My uncle has an MX400 that performs just about the same as my Voodoo 5 did.

Don't forget that 3dmark benches using D3D, and not OpenGL. If 3Dmark did OpenGL, the Voodoo would beat the snot out of of the GF2. Pound for pound, they're about the same, it all depends on how you like your graphics to look. I personaly (<-SP? It's late, I'm tired, and should probably be in bed, but hey...) prefer OpenGL, but to each his/her own.

 

[RainMaQer]

Don't forget that 3dmark benches using D3D, and not OpenGL. If 3Dmark did OpenGL, the Voodoo would beat the snot out of of the GF2. Pound for pound, they're about the same, it all depends on how you like your graphics to look. I personaly (<-SP? It's late, I'm tired, and should probably be in bed, but hey...) prefer OpenGL, but to each his/her own.

Yes it does really depend on visual taste but also what the card would be used for. The V5 could play Q3 REALLY well... and the GF2 was definetly playable. And in D3D games it's the other way around. I really like both... I have yet to find a preference in D3D or Glide/OpenGL. But then most games these days are D3D... so that really almost doesn't matter

 

[AntiHeiss]

The bottom line is that PCI just isn't as good as AGP. AGP is faster and handles information better. Expect any PCI card to do about half of what a "simular" AGP card can do.
I'd wait for a mew motherboard too and get AGP then.
Good luck.

 

[FerrariF50]

I had an ATI Radeon 32MB-SDR/PCI, that thing is bad. I'm currently looking @ the Matrox 450 PCI, 32 MB DDR and dual-monitor support. What system will it be running on?

I think you and me have the same card... I have the Ati Radeon 32Mb Sdr. It's Pci..I just got it to hold me over becasuse I got Fed up with my Savage 4..But it was worth the price I payed for it because I hardly get any lock-up's now unlike the savage 4 which would Lock up Ut sometime in 30 Sec and sometime 2 Sec.