Advice for a cheap bastard

[Concillian]

My brother-in-law is finally upgrading his Athlon-XP system soon and I'm the local hardware guru. (Clarification: He's getting MB / RAM / CPU / Video card, so Video card will be PCI-E)

Thing is I haven't really kept up to date on "budget" video cards.
The man is cheap. Super cheap. He balks at spending an extra $10 to go for 2GB of super cheap RAM instead of 1GB of super cheap RAM.

I swear he comes over to our house and starts wondering out loud why games look so great on my computer... I tell him it's 90% the fact that I spend money on my video card (7800GT currently) and he is too cheap to do that (9600 pro), but he doesn't want to hear it.

I don't have an exact figure, but I'm guessing he will start seriously protesting above about $100 for a card. That's usually about when he starts looking at the lists himself and pointing out crappy $50 64 bit memory cards asking me "why not that one? It's only $50 and has 256MB". At which point I really have to bite my tongue... the things I put up with for my wife (but she is worth it).

Battlefield 2 is the most demanding thing he currently plays, but who knows 3 years from now when he starts considering upgrading again, so trying for best bang for buck.

I'm trying to steer him into waiting and seeing what the new "low end" cards will bring whenever they are introduced, as I imagine these will be the best overall value in much the way that they are for the mid and high end right now, but I'm not sure he'll listen.

Assuming I can't convince him to wait another month or two for the new cards, what do you think my best bet is?

Looks like 7600 GT / 8600 GT for nVidia or x1650 pro / 2600 pro for ATi are likely considerations. I'm kinda leaning 7600 GT?

I know there are some cheap x1950 pros around, but I'm not sure his cheap-ass power supply will handle them. I know I've read some with x1950s and power supply issues, so I'm just going to avoid that card altogether. Especially since it would also require me squeezing some extra juice from that stone in his wallet.

Any input is welcome.

 

[InflatableBuddha]

X1950GT for $130 would be a lot better than any cards you've listed, although it is a bit over budget. The 2600 XT for around $115 might be a good call.

7600GT is likely the best AGP card you can get for $100, but it's getting pretty long in the tooth by current standards.

 

[s44]

I assume he's still on AGP?

I think the Egg has a $113 AGP 2600XT, if that's not too rich for his blood.

 

[VChuck]

Save yourself the aggravation.You know hard headed cheap people usually have to find out the hard way, in order to learn anything.Just let him have his way.he will learn...and you can say later, I tried to tell you but.... you get the picture.

 

[Rockhound1]

If he is just upgrading his Athlon-XP system with a new video card, then it is sure to be an AGP 8x/4x slot.

In the $100 range, go with the 7600GT from nVidia or the 2600XT from AMD.

Good Luck!

Edit: After browsing Newegg, it doesn't look likely that you will be able to get a 7600GT or a 2600XT anywhere near $100. If the video slot was a PCI-E instead of AGP, then that would be another story. You may be limited to a 7600GS or a X1650PRO if your brother-in-law wants to stick to a $100 limit.

 

[Concillian]

Sorry, he's upgrading Mobo / CPU / RAM / Video card

He will, of course, be buying a PCI-E motherboard.
CPU will be a low end X2 (2.0 or 2.1 GHz)

 

[Rockhound1]

Ahhhh. If it is a PCI-E slot, then you are back at a 7600GT or a 2600XT.

 

[bryanW1995]

If he's that super-cheap then get a used vid card on fs/ft. A 7600gt would be good imho b/c most people who own those don't oc and probably don't use it for demanding modern games to stress it, anyway. I sold a used 7600gt on fs/ft for $65 shipped about 4 mos ago, look for a deal like that and your wife and her brother's wallet will both love you.

 

[lyssword]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16814102034 cheapest 1950gt
or http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16814130297 cheapest 8600gt
8600gt will be 30-40% slower than 1950gt ati in most cases but 8600gt lower power consumption and should be equal or better than 7600gt. And there is currently no cheap 7900gs to be found which would equal 1950gt in performance.

 

[waffleironhead]

sell him your 7800gt at 3/4 to half retail

newegg 7800gt 135.99x .75= ~100

then you upgrade...

 

[bryanW1995]

Originally posted by: waffleironhead
sell him your 7800gt at 3/4 to half retail

newegg 7800gt 135.99x .75= ~100

then you upgrade...

NICE!
you could buy a 3850 then for 79 total after selling the 7800gt Now, we all know what trash thg is, but they do have some cool video card charts. according to this http://www.tomshardware.com/20...ard/page6.html#summary
and assuming that 3850 is about equal to 2900pro, you could move up 5 levels for that $79. you really should do this, you know :evil:

 

[aka1nas]

I would just find a benchmark of a game he plays at whatever resolution he'll need to run, print it out for him, make it clear what framerate he needs for it to be playable, and let it be his problem.

If he's that cheap, he'll complain about anything you suggest. His might open his wallet up a little more if he comes to the conclusion that he needs card model X himself.

 

[Denithor]

Agreed, sell him your 7800GT for $100, then add another $85 and pick up a 3850 that will smoke it completely.

Otherwise, (shameless plug coming) I have a couple of new/sealed PNY 7900GS cards that I'm selling for $80 shipped (see sig). These will run a bit below the x1950pro (link) but consume less energy and overclock better than the x1950pro (link).

 

[Rockhound1]

Originally posted by: Denithor
Agreed, sell him your 7800GT for $100, then add another $85 and pick up a 3850 that will smoke it completely.

Otherwise, (shameless plug coming) I have a couple of new/sealed PNY 7900GS cards that I'm selling for $80 shipped (see sig). These will run a bit below the x1950pro (link) but consume less energy and overclock better than the x1950pro (link).

Go with Denithor's suggestion. :beer:

 

[MadAd]

oh its mentioned already, just i couldnt believe how cheap second user 7800GTs were on ebay the other day, all that power for the price of a nasty thing from the store

 

[Concillian]

Decent idea, though I probably wouldn't sell him the 7800GT, I'd sell him the x800XL in my wife's computer for too much money then move the 7800GT to her computer.

The bastard won't even buy dinner or beer when I work on his computer, he just comes over, eats our food, then complains about how long I take working on his computer for negative pay. He can pay too much for a used x800XL.

 

[clickynext]

Yeah just sell him one of yours. Or an 8600GT might be a good option as well, though I'm not sure if it's better than the 7800GT in pure speed.

 

[Dudewithoutapet]

I was able to find some cheap 7900GTs on craigslist. I got mine for $95 in June and then someone else recently sold 2 in SLi and a power supply for $110.

 

[nullpointerus]

Originally posted by: Concillian
Decent idea, though I probably wouldn't sell him the 7800GT, I'd sell him the x800XL in my wife's computer for too much money then move the 7800GT to her computer.

The bastard won't even buy dinner or beer when I work on his computer, he just comes over, eats our food, then complains about how long I take working on his computer for negative pay. He can pay too much for a used x800XL.

Welcome to the 21st century!

Free counseling, food, and tech. support come standard with all new family members. You just happen to be the tech.-head of the family...so YOU get to provide all of the last item! (I'm in the same boat, except I am living with the people who complain about my help.)



Next time he makes a fuss, tell yourself you are sleeping with his sister...

...just don't say it out loud!

:laugh:

 

[LittleNemoNES]

why not look @ the cards in my sig?

 

[bryanW1995]

Originally posted by: Rockhound1

Originally posted by: Denithor
Agreed, sell him your 7800GT for $100, then add another $85 and pick up a 3850 that will smoke it completely.

Otherwise, (shameless plug coming) I have a couple of new/sealed PNY 7900GS cards that I'm selling for $80 shipped (see sig). These will run a bit below the x1950pro (link) but consume less energy and overclock better than the x1950pro (link).

Go with Denithor's suggestion. :beer:

yes, denithor's two suggestions are plans A and B. Plan C is also install some "questionable" porn on his computer and then arrange for his wife to see it on there...:evil::evil:

I'm a really bad person.

 

[Rockhound1]

Originally posted by: bryanW1995

Originally posted by: Rockhound1

Originally posted by: Denithor
Agreed, sell him your 7800GT for $100, then add another $85 and pick up a 3850 that will smoke it completely.

Otherwise, (shameless plug coming) I have a couple of new/sealed PNY 7900GS cards that I'm selling for $80 shipped (see sig). These will run a bit below the x1950pro (link) but consume less energy and overclock better than the x1950pro (link).

Go with Denithor's suggestion. :beer:

yes, denithor's two suggestions are plans A and B. Plan C is also install some "questionable" porn on his computer and then arrange for his wife to see it on there...:evil::evil:

I'm a really bad person.

I like the way you think!

 

[Fenixgoon]

honestly, i'd go with something from FS/FT - a 7800GTX can be had for $80-100

 

[Concillian]

Originally posted by: bryanW1995
yes, denithor's two suggestions are plans A and B. Plan C is also install some "questionable" porn on his computer and then arrange for his wife to see it on there...:evil::evil:

I'm a really bad person.

Lol... wife

You give him too much credit.

Thankfully every woman he's tried to be involved with has had the sense to avoid significant commitment with him. Most last one date or less.

 

[Skunkwourk]

I'd also go with selling your 7800GT. However make sure you emphasize you're doing him a favor and that hes getting lucky. I don't know him, but he seems like the type that would cry foul and accuse you of a cheat if he felt you made .01 more cents off him than you needed to.