Cheap graphics cards

[industrian]

In a few months time I'm gonna be building a new computer. But enough about that, I'm talking about the two PCs I have right now. Look at my signature for my current specs and you'll see the weakest link, the stumbling block of high technology, "TEH EVIL MX440." Basically, i NEVER want to use this technological travesty ever again, and will be looking for two high powered but cheap(ish) graphics cards for my two PCs (the one in the sig, and my other one, a Athlon 2400+XP w/ 512mb RAM.)

I've been looking at 9600XTs for both of them, any other recommendations? I'm willing to spend up to £150 per card. (And probably will sell one of the PCs after it's got a new card.) I'll enquire about getting my FX5950 Ultra fixed, but S.P.D. are being S.H.-.Ts about it.

[stilz]

If you are willing to spend 150 pound, I'd think that your best bet would be a next gen. card, aka either the 6600gt or its ATI equivalent. Though the 6600gt seems to be "teh r0x0rs" among the next gen. cards (for ~150 pound, that is). Other than that, if you can find a vanilla 6800 for that price, it's heck of a card as well. Oh, and I do mean the AGP versions.

[Evil_Neko]

If you don't want to spend too much I have a ATI Saphire 9600 256 meg, it can play everything I have tried on it so far (half life 2 being the biggest @ 1024*768, 4*AA and high in the other settings without any slowdown) It cost me about £80 when I bought it 7 months or so ago. also the other specs for my system are the same as your athlon PC. so not a bad card for the price especially if its just a secondary PC

[n_w95482]

You should be able to get a 6600 GT or a 9800 Pro for well under 150 pounds, unless the shops over there overcharge a lot. If you have a choice between the two, go for the 6600 GT.

[james.miller]

you shouldnt be touching a 9600 for the sort of money. a month back i recently picked up a 9600XT for the tasty sum of £47 WITH a HL2 voucher. For around £100 you are looking at 9700pro's or 9800pro's or 6600gt's. Any more than that, and you should be saving for a 6800NU/6800GT

edit: right now you can get a 9700pro for £82.19 from overclockers.co.uk. 9800 pro's are going for £122.79 while OCuk's own branded 6600GT is £129.19

Originally Posted by Evil_Neko

If you don't want to spend too much I have a ATI Saphire 9600 256 meg, it can play everything I have tried on it so far (half life 2 being the biggest @ 1024*768, 4*AA and high in the other settings without any slowdown) It cost me about £80 when I bought it 7 months or so ago. also the other specs for my system are the same as your athlon PC. so not a bad card for the price especially if its just a secondary PC

im sorry but thats not possible. my 9600xt struggled with 1024x768 @ 4xFSAA. My 9700pro was very good however.

[Evil_Neko]

>>im sorry but thats not possible. my 9600xt struggled with 1024x768 @ 4xFSAA. My 9700pro was very good however.

I dont see how thats possible. the game runs fine for me at tose settings. Are you using the latest version? the first time I played through it it was jumpy at lower than those settings but then after they patched it it runs fine at the settings I stated

also all the 9600XTs at overclockers are over £80. My card has reduced a bit though.

[james.miller]

I bought the card from overclockers and yeah. there's nothing wrong with my card or drivers. I had the second highest scoring 9600 class card on overclockers.com, and my card was still at stock.

Originally Posted by Evil_Neko

also all the 9600XTs at overclockers are over £80. My card has reduced a bit though.

My card was sold as an end of line card. Thats why it was cheaper. Besides anybody who buys an £80 9600 over an £83 9700pro needs to be shot. The 9700pro's are far faster.

[fivefeet8]

Get the 6600gt if you like Nvidia. Get the x700pro if you like Ati. If you don't care much about either IHV, get the 6600gt.

[industrian]

As a note: Overclockers = godly.

I'm hoping to send a RMA application within the next few days for my FX5950 Ultra. That'll save me a bit of money.

[D.D.]

doesnt the 6600gt run over the x700pro (dunno bout xt but i expect the same)? unless if u want top end stuff (ie. x850xt, x800xl), why get ATi? as i see it now, if u wanna get the best singlecard ( ) performance in the top end, go ATi, if u want top mid-range price card performance, get nvidia. in between top-top and middle-range, get nvidia.

[cooliscool]

James.. I'm playing HL2 @ 6xFSAA, 8xANISO @ 1024x768 and it runs absolutely fine.. by that I don't mean OMG INSANE 120FPS, but from in the 60s-70s down to the high 40s, although always playable and stunning looking.

Yeah the 9700P's are faster, but that doesn't mean the 9600XT is a bad card at all.. don't know what your issue was with it, but it runs everything I throw at it fine.

Just because I don't pull in some insane 3DMark score (at least in 03 or 05, which were 5460, 1534 respectively), doesn't make it a bad choice. Got 16,768 in 2001SE btw.

[james.miller]

yeah and i got over 15k with a stock 9600xt. I get 21.6k with my 9700pro in the same system. I never said i have a problem with the card. I never would have bought it otherwise. In fact, for £47 it is shockingly good value. What im saying is when compared to 9700pro's that sell for the same price it is NOT a good card to buy.

[ChrisRay]

The problem with the 9600XT is that currently the card doesnt make much sense to buy. There are better values out there. Is it a bad card? No. But its not worth the money currently IMO.

[fivefeet8]

Originally Posted by D.D.

doesnt the 6600gt run over the x700pro (dunno bout xt but i expect the same)?

The 6600gt is better than the x700pro, but not by much. Both are pretty good, but the 6600gt is the better buy. There is no x700xt anymore. Ati pretty much canned it. The x800 128meg is probably taking it's place.