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Thread: Should I get a new video card?

  1. #1
    Member stealth17's Avatar
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    Should I get a new video card?

    I have a 1mb Diamond Stealth S3 Trio 32/64 16bit PCI video card now and my computer is:

    PC Chips M811LU Motherboard
    AMD Athlon XP 2400+ (NOT OCed)
    256 Mb Kingston PC2100 RAM
    CoolerMaster Areo 7+ HSF

    I don't do a LOT of gaming but some. I do a lot of internet browsing, media playing, and cd burning.

    Should I upgrade to a better video card that supports DVI out (for the flat panel I will soon be getting)? I prefer AGP(faster) card over PCI. I am only looking to spend around $100 tops.

    Thanks for the help!
    DFI nF4
    Opteron 150 @ 2800mhz 24/7
    FX-53 @ 3400mhz
    eVGA 7800gtx
    2x1gb G.skill HZ
    OCZ Powerstream 600watt

    TheOverclocked.com

  2. #2
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    I would definatly get a new video card... Something like a Radeon 9000 or a GeForce FX 5200 are right in your price range.

  3. #3
    Junior Member AsianBatman's Avatar
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    For only 100$ you can't find anything good for intense gaming. I would save about 80$ more to get a decent budget card like an 9600pro or 9600xt. Also, all video cards now have a VGA outpot(for crt monitors) and a DVI output for your future flat panel. With today's game requiring directx9, buying a r9000 would be a waste of money, and buying a 5200 would also be a waste of money because it barely supports directx9.
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  4. #4
    Ultimate Member iceblue's Avatar
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    A good buy under $100 is the Ti 4200. Great card.

  5. #5
    Member Sparky Lang's Avatar
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    Sorry if I am hijacking this thread, but I've been considering a Ti4200 also and would like to know if there is any advantage in getting one of the new FX series of cards. Does DX9 compatibility get you very much?

  6. #6
    Extreme Member! BipolarBill's Avatar
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    No it doesn't. The low-line cards with DX9 support are usually pretty pitiful. The Ti4200 still has real bite.
    MS MCP, MCSE

  7. #7
    Junior Member AsianBatman's Avatar
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    I haven't seen any ti4200 cards under 100, usaully they are 120.
    ti4200 is also good if you are on a budget, but not great for directx9 games.
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  8. #8

  9. #9
    Member Sparky Lang's Avatar
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    Originally posted by AsianBatman
    I haven't seen any ti4200 cards under 100, usaully they are 120.
    ti4200 is also good if you are on a budget, but not great for directx9 games.

    I run DX9 games now on my Geforce2. What am I missing, exactly? Eye candy?

  10. #10
    Junior Member AsianBatman's Avatar
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    Well thats even better than, lol price watch has a ti4200 for 914 dollars...lol. GF2, i am surpised that it is running the game, what resolution and wat settings are you using? What directx game are you talking about?
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  11. #11
    Member Sparky Lang's Avatar
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    Max Payne 2, KOTOR, Jedi Academy...... I usually run 1024x768 with most details turned on.

  12. #12
    Ultimate Member MadPistol's Avatar
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    Originally posted by Sparky Lang
    I run DX9 games now on my Geforce2. What am I missing, exactly? Eye candy?
    Truthfully, 2 things.

    1. Eyecandy (as you put it): the games do look 10 times better than they do on a DX7 card like a geforce 2.

    2. Performance: Most Directx cards on the market today (excluding the Geforce FX 5200 ) are pretty high performance cards. You will find that games like Halo and Unreal 2 are optimized for DX9, so when they are on a DX9 card, you will notice a pretty big jump in "refinement" in your games. Not to mention you get BIG bragging rights.

  13. #13
    Ultimate Member MadPistol's Avatar
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    Originally posted by Sparky Lang
    Max Payne 2, KOTOR, Jedi Academy...... I usually run 1024x768 with most details turned on.
    You are probably missing most of the "goodies" in the game. Don't get too excited because the games can probably look a lot better than they do right now.

  14. #14
    Ultimate Member ComPooTer's Avatar
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    he said he doesnt do too much gaming so he wouldnt really need to spend money on a mid-range card like a 9600 pro or XT


    i would say even a cheapo geforce4 mx would be pretty good for his price range and requirements. and if your motherboard doesnt support AGP u can get a geforce fx5200 PCI

  15. #15
    Junior Member AsianBatman's Avatar
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    He said some, so a ti4200 would serve him well. Better than a gf4 mx and 5200..
    CPU: 2.4c
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    RAM: TWINX512-3200LL
    HSF: TT P4 SPARK 7+
    GFX: ATi 9800 (420/315)

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