Help me get a new video card

[Sandman]

Right now all I have for a video card is a crappy integrated Intel graphics chip, which obviously sucks. I play some PC games, but just ones like WoW and WarCraft III that are not that graphic intensive.

I am looking for a decent video card somewhere in the $100-$200 price range that will allow me to play games on the Source engine (DoD, CS, HL2, etc.) and games like DOOM 3.

Can anybody tell me what would give me the best bang for my buck?

[NoZ]

Currently Im running a ATI Raedon X550/600 Pro 256mb PCI Express. Its a good price and runs all games at a high quality. Heres a list of card from NewEgg, all in the $100-$200 range

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.asp?N=2010380048+4017&Submit=ENE&SubCategory=48

[stanDarsh]

PCIeXpress or AGP?

I'm guessing AGP, in which case perhaps a Nvidia 6600GT, here is some pricing for various cards (All in Australian Dollars, so perhaps use a currency converter (http://www.oanda.com/convert/classic))

http://umart.net/au/index.php?cPath=91

[Generic Wheaties]

Specifiy if you're....
PCI
PCI-E
or
AGP only..

[Garfunkel]

6600gt or X800gt will be your best bet, if a little over your limit, we realy need to know it it is PCI, PCI-E or AGP.

[Sandman]

How do I find out if I have PCI-Express or AGP?

[Garfunkel]

Do you know any anformation about your motherboard? have a manual?, if you open her up there may be a label or something to tell you it has PCI, PCI-E or AGP.

[WolfmanNCSU]

How do I find out if I have PCI-Express or AGP?


AGP is the top slot in this pic...

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/d/d1/AGP_slot.jpg/400px-AGP_slot.jpg

PCI-e are below...

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/f/fc/PCIExpress.jpg/250px-PCIExpress.jpg
from top to bottom: x4, x16, x1, x16, and an old PCI (non express)

[Zodiacboyscorp]

PCIE

Sapphire X850XT - ATI

$172.75

http://www.pricegrabber.com/rd.php/pg=p~~1/r=280/m=6408590/q=o/mt=0~9~399.95~168.00~286.97~1~2~/k=4ea3d76102a7651627c60753667ca766/search=x850xt

Radeon X800 XT / X850 XT
Codename: R420, R480, 13 micron technology
16 pipeline
256-bit memory bus
500 Mhz core, 500 Mhz DDR(1000 Mhz Effective) Memory X800 XT
520 Mhz core, 540 Mhz DDR(1080 Mhz Effective) Memory X850 XT

The X850XT have the distinction of being the fastest of Ati's X8x0 based products. For the price this is an amazing deal for this performance. It's only weakness: slightly older technology as it is shader model 2.0b compliant - not SM 3.0 compliant.

AGP - This needs to be overclocked to be worth it!

Geforce 6800 GS

$196.98

http://www.pricegrabber.com/rd.php/pg=p~~1/r=500/m=16392898/q=n/mt=0~5~240.50~189.99~212.5~1~1~/k=eddc522157869a888344123d870dc97f/search=Geforce%206800%20GS

Geforce 6800 GS
AKA: Geforce 6800
Codename: NV41, 13 micron technology
12 pipeline
256-bit memory bus
350 Mhz core, 500 Mhz DDR (1000 Mhz effective) Memory

The Geforce 6800 GS spec sheet sounds identical to the X800 GTO: a 12 pipeline processor with a 256-bit memory interface.
Beware the 6800 LE and 6800 XT, which have fewer pipelines (8 vs the GS' 12), and also look out for undesirable 6800's that have a cut down 128-bit memory interface. Clockspeeds wil vary wildly with 6800's, so pay attention to what you're buying.


If you have the option for both then get the X850XT for it is superior.

[IEatFriedPikmin]

i am running dual nVidia 256 mb Geforce 6800s. It works great... although i am not sure if it is necessarily worth it. When I just had one, it worked quite well too, although i couldnt maximize all settings in CoD2 and FEAR.

[Zodiacboyscorp]

At that price point he would be better off with a single ATI X1800 XT's.

[Garfunkel]

now that is a great price for the x850xt!, we get so ripped of over here in oz, if you can afford that it would be fantastic.

[Generic Wheaties]

Most Intel-Onboard systems are so lame they only have PCI.... No PCI-Express.

Anyway, what kind of computer do you have? We can look up the model and see what it has.