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Need advice on Graphic cards
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Junior Member
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16. January 2006 @ 15:24 |
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Hi,
im new here and saw some of the other topics that you've help other people with and you seem to know what your doing so i have a question to ask.
I'm looking to buy a graphics card after buying my new computer because it comes with a ATI Radeon X200 which im pretty sure isnt a good card at all. Im going to have about $150 left afterwards and im looking to play games like counter-strike:source, half-life 2, fear, etc. the specs for the computer are here
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=7631592&type=produc...
Thanks for any help you can give me.
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ScubaBud
AfterDawn Addict
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16. January 2006 @ 16:26 |
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Found this by doing a Google search. Of course many are a matter of opinion but what I would suggest is that you research on Newegg.com what you money can buy in a graphics card that is the highest on the list. I also would go to each games site and see what they recommend as well. Personally I prefer NVIDIA cards.
Examples:
Video cards from best to worst :
X850XTPE
X800XTPE
GeForce 6800 U
X850XT (really more tied with GF6800U)
GeForce BFG 6800GT OC
Radeon X800 XT
GeForce 6800 GT
X800XL (better value than GF6800GT though)
Radeon X800 PRO (whomever put this behind the GF6800 doesn't know their cards)
X800/R430-12P (still not enough tests to determine it's place)
GF6800
GF6600GT
X700Pro (X700XT MIA, but there are a bunch of X700Pro+ out there which would equal GF6600GT)
X800SE Can be better and worse than the GF6600GT and X700Pro but sucks because usually far FAR more expensinve. And anyways SE = Sucky Edition.
Radeon 9800 XT
Radeon 9800 XT
(Why 2 R9800XT ?)
GF6800LE
X700
Radeon 9800 PRO 256 *(Personally Prefer the R9800P-128 over this cardm cause this card's 256mb of DDRII runs too hot and doesn't OC worth a damn)
Radeon 9800 PRO
GF6600
GeForce FX 5950 U
GeForce FX 5900 U
Radeon 9700 PRO (In Shader heavy or PS2.0 games this beats even the best FXs)
Radeon 9800 (same as above)
GeForce GF 5900
Radeon 9700
X600XT
Radeon 9500 PRO (This card FAR outperforms the R9600XT in modern games and really the FX5900XTs benifits are in areaswhere all these cards get 100fps so what's +/- 5fps?
[x]X600Pro[/x]
GeForce FX 5900 XT
Radeon 9600 XT (actually in newer DX9/PS2.0 games the R9600XT will outperform the FX5900XT [and even the FX5900 and 5900U many times]) FX5900XT is better in more olde games so gets the nod.
Radeon 9600XT 256 (Who put this so high up, the 256mb version in most cases has slower memory than the 128mb version and the extra 128mb has little impact on weak [4pipe] cards)
PCX5950 (Poor PCIe cousin of the other X5900 series)
GeForce FX 5700 U
Radeon 9600 PRO Once again in newer/future games the R9600P will outperform the FX5700U. I'd say they are close to tied especially with the OCability of the R9600P.
Radeon 9800 SE-256bit (Rare, but strong card, basically an R9500Pro ver.2)
GeForce FX 5800 U (This card is a TERRIBLE card, not worth the money or hassle, and performance SUXOR!)
GeForce FX 5800
X600
Radeon 9800 SE-128bit (Just below the R9600P)
GeForce FX 5700 (Definitely better than the GF4tis, just turn on AA/AF to find this out). Seriously the G4ti's advanatge is in old outdated games.
R9550
GeForce FX 5600 U FC (See above, Rev.2 is better than the GF4tis)
GF6200 (Depending on model [fulle dedicated texture memory, w/ TurboCache wo/ TC])
X300
PCX5750
GeForce4 Ti 4600 8x
GeForce4 Ti 4600
GeForce4 Ti 4400
GeForce4 Ti 4200 8x
GeForce4 Ti 4200 128
GeForce4 Ti 4200 64
GeForce FX 5600 U (In newer games will be better than GF4tis, also will allow better AA/AF settings I think this is too low, but not going to defend a card even nV decided wasn't good enough)
Radeon 9500 128 (Far better than given credit for, but not worth placing correctly)
X300SE
GeForce3 Ti 500 64
Radeon 8500 64
Radeon 8500 128 (Whomever made the list doesn't realize the 64mb is clocked faster, and resolutions need 128mb kill these cards anyways so little benifit from the extra 64mb)
GeForce FX 5600
FX5200Ultra (Far FAR Too Expensive for it's performance, but better than often thought)
GMA900 (Intel's latest integrated solution isn't great but will get you better than some older cards)
R8500LE/R9100
R9000Pro (or rare R9200Pro)
Radeon R9600SE (give boost thanks to benifits in newer games)
FX5500
FX5600XT/SE
FX5200
GeForce3 Ti 200 128 (Too old to argue placement, but shouldn't be bought for any current gaming)
GeForce3 Ti 200 64 (ditto)
Nothing worth Mentioning (Intel Extreme 2 would end up being wiser choice)
Quote:
Most of the cards below this point do not have pixel shading.
(Meaning they are very slow for 3D)
Radeon 9200 64*
Radeon 9500 64* (Still better than the FX5200/R9000/GF3ti/GF4MX)
GeForce FX 5200 U* [b/](Better than this, still crap for what it's sold as, but better than bottom of original list)
GeForce4 MX 460
GeForce4 MX 440 8x
GeForce FX 5200
GeForce4 MX 440
Radeon 9600 SE* (Far better than this, actually useable but SE still something to avoid)
Radeon 7200 32
Radeon 7200 64
GeForce 2 MX 400 64
Radeon 7000
PCX 4300/5300
GF4MX4000
Radeon 7500
XGI Volari (any of them - Huge Suckage)
Xabres (Ditto)
Matrox Cards (Best2D cards available, but forget doing any gaming except the fun of surround gaming which isn't a performance issue but a proprietary benifit)
Quote:
*Has pixel shaders, but sucks too much for it to be usefull
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Junior Member
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16. January 2006 @ 16:57 |
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well what kinda card would you recommend me buying. i have a price range of about 150 but im willing to add 10 or 20 more dollars to that. i just wannt to get a card thats gonna last me a while so i can play CS source, HL2, and fear. once the time comes i'll probably upgrade the card with out a problem i just dont have alot of money to spend cuz i have to buy the pc first.
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ScubaBud
AfterDawn Addict
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16. January 2006 @ 17:11 |
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I stated what way you should go, by doing a bit of research within Newegg.com and even a Google search for recommendations on which game is better with what card.
The first thing would be to see exactly how your new PC pans out with the games before even upgrading to a different card.
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Junior Member
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16. January 2006 @ 17:22 |
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oh ok i see. well thanks for you help.
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ScubaBud
AfterDawn Addict
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16. January 2006 @ 17:25 |
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Let us know how it plays with the Graphics in your new system. :)
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AE27
Member
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16. January 2006 @ 19:37 |
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Dont let the door hit you on the way out, beacause I dont want ass prints on my new door!
This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 16. January 2006 @ 19:47
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Junior Member
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17. January 2006 @ 11:28 |
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on newegg i found a couple of good graphics cards for about 180 plus shipping, but they are referbished cards. Do you think they are worth the money?
the main one im looking at is the ATI radeon X800 XL
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ScubaBud
AfterDawn Addict
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17. January 2006 @ 11:58 |
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I personally never buy refurbished merchandise. I always believed that if one person had a problem with it, why take the chance on being Number#2 with the same problem.
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Junior Member
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18. January 2006 @ 11:13 |
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AfterDawn Addict
4 product reviews
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18. January 2006 @ 12:02 |
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I say, why buy something if you know it's had a troubled past?
Oh and scubabud, any reason why you emitted the 2006 generation of cards from there? I assume merely due to the expense, right?
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Junior Member
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18. January 2006 @ 12:17 |
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where does it say that card is a referb.
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AfterDawn Addict
4 product reviews
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18. January 2006 @ 12:25 |
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dr_no
Member
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18. January 2006 @ 12:27 |
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Yes, I think it does. Matter of fact I was checking out the AGP version of that card just a little while ago.
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Junior Member
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18. January 2006 @ 12:29 |
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hey thanks sammoris i was looking all night and i never saw one lower than 180. BTW why do you think it was that high and the same exact card on the same sight is so much cheaper. and also what does VIVO stand for + what is a could heat range for the card while its playing games. in a couple of the reviews it was said that it idled at around 30 degrees C and was up to 70 usage. is this very bad, will i need to invest more money into fans and such?
This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 18. January 2006 @ 12:35
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AfterDawn Addict
4 product reviews
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18. January 2006 @ 12:43 |
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No graphics card will come with a fan that isn't powerful enough, in the same way as no prebuilt system will come with inadequate cooling. It all depends whether or not your case already runs warm or not - try a program like motherboardmonitor or Hmonitor to find out - you want below 40ºC really. if it's about that, then you may want bigger/more case fans. YOu can also buy PCI slot exhaust blowers. VIVO stands for Video-in video-out, so it will support an image incoming and display that as well as outputting the PC image to the monitor. The temperature limit for graphics cards is above 70ºC normally, in fact its three figures. I wouldn't worry about heat with a card in that part of the range.
As for prices, some board manufacturers charge more and others less, and some deals are retail (snazzy box, manual, CD, leaflet etc) and others OEM (cardboard box with just the component inside), which obviously makes them cheaper.
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ScubaBud
AfterDawn Addict
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18. January 2006 @ 13:22 |
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Quote:
Oh and scubabud, any reason why you emitted the 2006 generation of cards from there? I assume merely due to the expense, right?
No, actually I pulled that info from a Google search to give NJman a starting point, and ofcourse suggested he go on Newegg.com to check out cards as well. Since his budget was near $150, he could search Newegg.com for any year card within his budget.
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Junior Member
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18. January 2006 @ 14:40 |
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In your opinions do you believe that the Radeon X800GTO will play halflife 2 CSS and BF2 if i dont overclock it, cuz i dont wanna over clock it until i can get an extra fan and powersupply.
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dr_no
Member
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18. January 2006 @ 14:42 |
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Yes HL2 and BF2 would be just fine. I need one myself for DOD source with all settings maxed out.
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Junior Member
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18. January 2006 @ 15:05 |
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ok thanks very much thats really the only reason i wanted to get this new card. even though this is off topic :P is dod source just as good as dod?
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OzMick
Suspended permanently
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18. January 2006 @ 15:31 |
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Just my experience, but I'll probably not buy an ATI again, or at least not in the next 5 years or so. The stock fan on my 9800XT is faulty, and the driver support is nowhere near as good as nVIDIA. Up until fairly recently, there were no official drivers from ATI for any 64 bit operating systems, Windows or Linux. I just wish I hadn't paid AU$700 for it two years ago... My old GeForceII is still a reliable stand-by and has been loaned out several times to see others through rough patches and even I resorted back to it a short while ago, its still pretty damn fine for day-to-day, and even was able to play GTA San Andreas on it (sort of).
Other brands on my NO-BUY list:
ATI
SONY
NETGEAR
Brands on my AWESOME list:
PIONEER
SAMSUNG
YAMAHA
AMD
This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 18. January 2006 @ 15:35
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Senior Member
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18. January 2006 @ 15:40 |
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get Iomega Ati Catalyst driver for ati graphic card it's much more superiior than the one that comes with it.
stop hoping, start loving.
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AfterDawn Addict
4 product reviews
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19. January 2006 @ 07:27 |
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"here were no official drivers from ATI for any 64 bit operating systems, Windows or Linux" - there still aren't for most hardware.
Also, the fan doesn't come from ATi unless you bought an ATi board. The board and fan is the responsbility of the board maker, e.g. sapphire, powercolor, connect3d etc.
If it is an ATi board then ATi are at fault, but ATi's boards have never been the cream of the crop.
It's fine for people to have a no buy list, Epson, Acer and Benq are on my list, plus of course Qtec, who should be on everybody's list.
I do stress though that I don't put a company on my no buy list if they sell me a faulty product. I've had to return a Viewsonic monitor (despite disgusting customer service) and they're not on my NBL, neither are Philips for a faulty CD player, or D-Link for a faulty router.
Epson: Two faulty printers (One broke outside warranty, the other on end of warranty (Break-on-demand does still exist)
Acer/Benq: Two faulty CDRW drives (one within two months, the other within two weeks)
Sony are on my buy with care list, mainly because I don't mind the playstations, but building break-on-demand products and hearing stories of poor aftersales support, I'm a little wary.
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dr_no
Member
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19. January 2006 @ 08:10 |
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NJman,
I'm a DOD addict so you have my answer. I can't tell if DOD source is as good as the original until I have a card which lets me max out the settings. :) Tried to play with my 9800Pro but it just doesnt cut it. Lowered the settings but it's not the same. :(
OZMick,
Never ever had a problem with an ATI product including 3rd party manufacturers.
From your not to buy from, Sony is high on my list also.
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OzMick
Suspended permanently
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19. January 2006 @ 11:44 |
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From what I have heard, practically EVERY 9800 Radeon is practically identical, regardless of the branding. The fan itself has a big ATi sticker on it, so every time I power on the system and the fan just hangs I get a big red reminder of who made it. That said, I know I can get replacement rigs for the heatsink and fan, but I've got a small form factor case, and nothing will fit. My MAIN gripe with ATi is the driver support, and although someone said that there still aren't for a lot of things, nVIDIA had beta drivers out almost immediately, and a lot of the others at least make information open source for drivers to be hacked together for Linux. ATi took probably over a year, with a message on the webpage saying something like "Coming Soon" the whole time. What a year of wasted visits to that webpage. Same gripe I have with NETGEAR, they just bury their head in the sand and pretend that any OS beyond 32 bit Windows XP doesn't exist. They don't even have the courtesy to say "Sorry, it might be xxx years", they just give you a blunt NO.
I just like to live by the old proverb of "Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me."
This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 19. January 2006 @ 11:49
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