Video card help?

[Warlock TCK]

Hey guys.

I'm trying to get together an estimated price for upgrading my computer and while I have the other parts I want for it in the shopping cart and ready to go, I'm trying to decide if the video card is a good one. I'm not one to throw down $600 for a card, but I'm looking for a card in the $150 and under range. I know I'm not going to get phenominal performances from cards in that range, but it's what I'm comfortable spending.

I found this one (http://www.buy.com/retail/product.asp?sku=204446699&loc=101) and the price is too good for a card that's DX10 capable.

Help a brother out. If this is good, I might buy two and go SLi.

[Vinny]

That card sucks cock.:) Just because a card is a DX10 card doesn't mean shit unless you're talking about the 8800 series (or the overpriced HD 2900XT). SLI is only worth it for the extreme gamer who's got money to burn.

Get this, it's a beast.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102067

Probably one of the best DX9 cards and at $160, you can't beat the bang per buck you'll get this with this. You'll play pretty much any game maxed out and really high resolutions.

If you want something cheaper, like under $100, look around for a Nvidia 7600GT.

[Jedi1979]

i have 2 8600gt cards in SLI mode and it works great... but i got them for a total of $210 for both ...i wouldnt touch the 8500 cards though

[Warlock TCK]

Not to sound like a nub, but could someone explain why the 8500 is bad other than "it sucks cock"? Kinda hard to use that as a reason to not get it if it sounds like someone's opinion and not fact lol. (No offense, Vinny)

I'm just on a kinda tight budget and although I've been able to find some okay deals on a motherboard, CPU and memory, it's hard to find a good deal on video cards. I'm not worried about absolutely top of the line graphics, I just want something that I can use to bridge the gap between DX9 and DX10.

[Vinny]

It's not an opinion but you are right to ask for proof.:)

http://www.legionhardware.com/document.php?id=637
A 7600GT vs a 8600GT and the 7600GT holds it's own against it. To quote the article, "the 8600GT is a joke" might not be the same as sucking cock but... it's close. Now, take a gander here:
http://nvnews.net/reviews/inno3d_8600gt_8500gt/index.shtml

The 8500GT has half the stream processors and it's a slower card in all aspects. All that basically means is that the 8500GT isn't a very good card though granted, I've never seen one as cheap as the one you linked to.

If you really need a budget card to hold you over until DX10 is in place, I'd get this. It's about $20 more but well worth it.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130062

There won't be any DX10 only games for a while since a majority of people still own DX9 cards or less.

What's the rest of your specs, what kind of games do you plan to play, and at what resolution? The 8500GT might get you by. Memory and HDs are at an all time low right now so it's a good time to buy those components.

Also, take a look here. Some guy asked about what his best option would be between SLI'ed 8600GT, X1950XT and some other crap.
http://forumz.tomshardware.com/hardware/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=240036

[Jedi1979]

listen to Vinny...the 8500 is crap and that article comparing the 8500 and 8600 just proves it especially since the 8600 isnt all that it could have been and it blows the 8500 out of the water

[Warlock TCK]

Now that I think about it, Vinny made a good point about DX10 not being around for a while.

So staying with nvidia, maybe I should get the 7600 then?

[bmsdaddy]

Find a cheap 7900GS, I had one before I got my 8800GTS. The 7900GS overclocks like mad and you can pick one up from Newegg for as little as $150 out the door. Several even have rebates making them lower.

[ofacto]

Find a cheap 7900GS, I had one before I got my 8800GTS. The 7900GS overclocks like mad and you can pick one up from Newegg for as little as $150 out the door. Several even have rebates making them lower.

This one should probably come back in stock in a couple of days, its only $99 AR and there are rumors that you can unlock some extra pipes to turn it into a 7900 GT:

http://shop1.outpost.com/product/4970851;jsessionid=F0aaquBP8aHxKVJwKfWycw**.node3? site=sr:SEARCH:MAIN_RSLT_PG

[Vinny]

Yeah, either get the 7600GT or the 7900GS. The 7900GS is a nice little boost over the 7600GT for only $20 more.

Use this chart to figure out if you think it's worth it. The two cards should already be chosen, just select a game and the resolution.
http://www23.tomshardware.com/graphics_2007.html?modelx=33&model1=712&model2=716&chart=275

[Allnatural]

I'll echo what everyone else has said. Unless you're getting at least an 8800 GTS, don't bother with the DX10 cards. I'm a fan of eVGA, so I would choose between this (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130017) and this (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130056). Both come factory overclocked, and both should tide you over until DX10 games are more prevalent.

I have the 7900 GS and I'm very happy with it.

[Jedi1979]

the 8500 is crap...the 8600 is just overpriced for what it does....

if it was cheaper they it would be much more desirable...i got mine for $105 after coupon and rebates so i wont complain one bit and it made it a very easy decision to go SLI...

[Moxio]

I'd recommend the X1950XT like spill said.

[Warlock TCK]

I've never tried ATI cards. Always been an nVidia man. Everyone's feedback is making me sit on the fence with this (and damn, it hurts! :booty:).

[Vinny]

I already recommended the X1950XT in my first post here, seems like it's too much... but it's $160 now and at that price it's a steal.

ATI cards, I think, usually offer a better bang per buck for the average gamer. But Nvidia cards have much better warranty support. I think there are 3 companies that provide lifetime warranty with Nvidia cards but I don't think I've seen a single ATI based card with that kind of a backing.

[Photomotoz]

Throw all the ATI Vs. Nvidia crap out. I used to ATI exclusive because they had the better crads for a while. Now Nvidia comes along with the 8xxx series and SLI and dominates over ATI for a while. Seriously, just go with what is good.

For my experience ATI usually has slightly better image quality but not really anymore, there was an issue with Nvidia lowering quality to get faster speeds but that has been resolved. Also, the drivers for both companies suck. The Vista drivers for Nvidia totally blow and ATI has crappy drivers for the 2k series.

Go with the 1950XT, it has good bang for the buck.

Brand loyalty is one of the stupidest things out there. Go with whomever is currently best and you will always be happy.