Need help choosing Video Card.

[BustedLX]

I bought a new computer on Friday off of Dell for $299.99. It's one bad ass server I found threw http://www.slickdeals.net anyhow being a server it comes with a garbage PCI video card.

Now I have an older 4X AGP GeForce2 32meg which is a hell of an improvement over what I have now but I'd like to get something newer for this new machine.

eBay has allot of great prices on nVidea cards but I'm having trouble choosing.

I don't play any video games but I would like to be able to should I want to. What should I choose? The 5200, 5600, etc. The new motherboard is an Intel 875P with an 8X AGP slot so I'm in good shape.

Please state the reasons for you suggestions and recommendations.

Thanks.

[pr3dSi]

i'd go with the NVidia FX5200, 128-ddr on agp, for the price its a steal. Even though the 5200FX is kinda their starting point on their new FX series, its really good for the price, also depends what games you're playing...i can name a lot of games out there which will easily challenge those cards you jus listed. So in the end, what games are u gonna be playing, if you do play any!

[cp[mike]]

crsex is right on about the 5200. it will be fine for most games u will run on it, and even if it starts to bog down u can set the graphics level lower (in most cases) and the game will run.

what kind of price difference are u finding between the 5200 and 5600 on ebay? and also, like crsex, any games in mind?

[deevergote]

www.pricewatch.com is the best place to find good deals on that kind of stuff. I have a gforce4 64mb myself (upgraded from the same thing you're replacing.)

[cokinut]

If you do decide to go invidia, don't go anything below the GeForce 5600. anything below is crap. learned first hand from my friend who returned it the same day.

Now, since i'm building a new comp system (P4 2.4c overclocked to around 3.4 ghz), i've been reading a lot about system components. I am no expert or anything. I've been reading reviews and the ATI radeon's are leading the pack. If you can get the 9600 PRO that's one of the bette bang for you buck cards although pricing is anywhere from $130-$170 for a card (online). They make different brands of the radeon's (sapphire and powercolor). good luck

[pr3dSi]

well, i'd have to disagree with you on the "anything under FX5600 isnt worth getting", based on no information on what kind of computer your friend, what kind of games he's playing, i can name atleast 20 games out there which will give you less then 30 fps even on a 5600 on an average processor speed (around 2.0ghz), cokinut is rite on one thing, ATI's definately all out performance, but with nvidia you get some extra crap even on the cheap cards you may or may not need, like TV out, or an s-video in, but once again, it really depends on what you're gonna be doing on your computer.

[xplode]

either the new geforces or the new radeons

[pr3dSi]

Originally posted by xplode
either the new geforces or the new radeons

the new Geforces are the FX series, the ones we've been talking about.

[BustedLX]

That's for the replies. Basically I have to spend as little as possible and get the most for my dollars (what a surprise).

The machine has an Intel 875P chipset and the processor at the moment is a P4 2.26 ghz 533 fsb. I will be upgrading to the 800fsb HT processor soon. Ram now is a small 128 megs of PC3200 but the Crucial 512 megs of PC3200 will be here soon.

Honestly I really only play StarCraft but I would like to be able to play MOA or games of the same platform if I want (or have the time).

No matter what I get it will be an improvement over what I've got.

I wanted to buy something with PNY's name on it since I've always had great sucess with their video cards. The FX5200 on eBay however is Apollo or something like that.

I wouldn't mind getting something Radeon but I know less about ATI then I do about nVidia. I used to be into the 3DFX chipset but when nVidia bought them out I jumped ship.

A friend of mine told me the TI-4600 chipset was also good, and I could probably find it cheap. So what do you guys think?

[pr3dSi]

with that chipset, the amount of ram you'll be getting, the ti-4600 sounds good, i'd go for it.

[BustedLX]

Would the FX5200 aso be alright?

[pr3dSi]

anything will work for starcraft, the other few games MOA, yea 5200 can handle, get the PNY chipset if you get it, i only have good stuff to say abt PNY too.

[cp[mike]]

ive never heard of apollo... but the PNY is good. they dont have any MSI ones on ebay?

ive been a long fan of ATI over the others, but recently they have been having probs with drivers, and just on average, sucky installations of brand new hardware. out of every radeon 9800 ive installed, ive never had one install with problem free. on the other hand, the geforces are getting increasingly better and cheaper. in the future im going to go with nvidia.

[BustedLX]

cpmike makes a great point, ATI's drivers suck ass. I had an ATI Rage card in my Server and that thing was a bitch to install. But after it was installed it turned out to be a great card.

Yes they do have MSI brand cards on eBay they are a slight bit more money. I would prefer to have something PNY though.

Hopefully I can buy something tonight and have it arrive before Christmas.

[BustedLX]

What do you guys think about the Radeon 9200?