Advice... need a new Vid Card but my budget is limited

[DJQuanta]

Hello Guys,

I'm looking for a new Video Card for the box I'm building but my budget is limited. At first I was thinking on a $100 limit, but checking the current options I've noticed that I might have to raise the limit a little bit, maybe in the $150 league (max).

It's been a while since I bought my last computer, and today there are so many options and specs I'm not familiar with, so I'm asking for your help to figure out which card to get.

First...a friend of mine told me about some specs I needed to weight before choosing the card:

- 128 Mb Vs. 256 Mb of Memory
- 128 bits Memory Bus Vs. 256 bits Memory Bus (btw...I don't find this spec in any of the cards Ive checked)

Second.... the GPU:

I've checked many options at newegg and zipzoomfly, as always when the budget is limited some corners must bet cut. There are cards with fast gpu's but only with 128 megs, there are others with 256 megs but not-so-fast gpu's, etc.

There are a few options that seems interesting:

With 128 MB:

- MSI FX5700-TD128 GeForce FX5700 AGP 8X 128MB ($109)
- MSI FX5700-VTD128 GeForce FX5700 AGP 8X 128MB ($129) (What's the difference between this two?)
- PowerColor R96A-HC3 Radeon 9600 PRO AGP 8X 128MB ($149)
- Sapphire Atlantis Radeon 9800 AGP 8X 128MB (128-bit) ($149)

With 256 MB:

- Sapphire Atlantis Radeon 9600 AGP 8X 256MB ($105)
- POWERCOLOR ATI RADEON 9600PRO Video Card, 256MB DDR, 128-bit Model "R96-D3G" ($131)
- DIAMOND ATI RADEON 9600XT Video Card, 256MB DDR, 128-Bit, DVI/TV-Out, 8X AGP, Model "Viper 9600XT" ($154)

And what kind of user am I ?:

- A user with not much money in the bank
- I do play games but I'm not a Power Gamer (thus I'm not willing to spend a fortune on a vid card)
- Of course I want the most bang-for-the-buck, I want to buy something that will be able to run games for a while, not something I'll have to replace in 6 months.

BTW... this is the machine I'm building:

- MSI K8N Mobo with an Athlon 64 2800
- Corsair Value ram 512 Mb
- 80 Gig 7200 rpm maxtor HD (from my previous machine)
- NEC 3500 DVD burner

As you can see this is an entry-midrange system, it's what I can afford.

Any help, advice, suggestion, etc... will be welcomed.

Thanks,

Quanta

 

[ElementK1]

Wow. Based on your budget and what you want, it's a very tough decision. I can see that. However, you said you want something you won't have to upgrade again in 6 months. Welcome to the world of PC gaming . Anyway, I'd find it hard to see tat any of the cards you listed would last you that long. The 9800 might be OK for another 8 months max. But more juice can be squeezed out of it if you only play games at low resolutions. Like me! I only play at 1024x768 medium to high details no AA or AF...that's why my TI has lasted me so long.

Basically, your options:
Buy a card now, and have to suffer with low resolutions for a while OR
Save more money, and buy a better card.

I recommend option 2

Element

 

[DJQuanta]

Thanks for the fast reply Element:

Well.... maybe saying that I doesn't need replacement in 6 months was too much, as I mentioned I'm not a power gamer, thus I dont see myself using all of the max options in games with max resolution etc.

The 9800 seems attractive to me, the issue with that one is that it has 128 Mb.... would that be a problem ??

Also....waiting is not an option, I need the card now 'cause its a new computer, and my current card sucks too much (I won't even mention what's my current computer and vid card or I could get slapped hehe)

 

[OMG1Penguin]

256mb is for >1024x768 for newer games in my experiences. The memory bus is going to be the limiting factor. I would say probably 9800@128-bit, 128mb ram. Unless you upgrade to 256-bit bandwidth, you are going to realize little performance gain going to 256mb ram.

 

[OnEMoReTrY]

If you can pay 180 for a 9800 pro, its gonna be a great increase and itl last you a lot longer. http://shop1.outpost.com/produ...sr:SEARCH:MAIN_RSLT_PG

 

[hawksballer]

if you want to wait a few weeks there is bound to be a 9800pro for 150 around black friday I have already seen it as low as 170 a few weeks back, I would go with that it will last you longer

 

[ElementK1]

Agreed, Hawks! Black Friday is sure to bring the 9800 Pro's price to right where you want it. That's where it's at, DJ!

 

[SneakyStuff]

256MB memory = completely useless, unless you're getting an X800 series, or a 6800 series. If I were in your shoes, i'd get a 9700 pro, or 9800 pro off ebay. That would give you a nice price/performance ratio for your money.

 

[codeyf]

Going with the concensus here. Little more $$ should get you a R360 core 9800 Pro. w/128mb, 256bit. If you get lucky, like I did, you could end up with a 9800 Pro that shows as a 9800XT by default.

 

[DJQuanta]

Newegg carries a 9800 PRO for $155 (128 MB)... here are the specs:

POWERCOLOR RADEON 9800 PRO EZ Video Card, 128MB DDR, 128-Bit,

Is that one that needs a power connection to the PSU (is that good or bad??? )

 

[cubeless]

do a little searching on that card and u find that it's a 128bit memory bus card... hang out until after turkey day and get a real 9800...

 

[DJQuanta]

Well Guys.... I'm returning to my senses here. For a moment I was willing to go all the way up and buy the 9800 Pro 256 MB/256 bit right now (for around $200)... then I pictured my one year old son and my wife without a good x-mas gift this year and I said "Noooooooooooooooooooo......................" hehehe :shocked:

It would be great to wait until black friday but unfortunately is not possible, I'm outside the US (venezuela), so a friend of mine that's currently on vacation in Miami is going to buy the parts for me. She's coming back home November 19, thus I should be ordering all the parts this week to have a chance.

From what I can make out of all the comments, in the 128 MB - 128 bit field I would be getting only small benefits in choosing the top priced card I've checked (the 9800 128Mb/128 bits at $150), or the lowest priced one (Geforce FX 5700 at $100).

I think I'll stay in the middle ground, picking up a 9600 PRO 128 MB - 128 bit. I don't play FPS games that much, in fact I get bored of them pretty quickly, I'm more into Racing games and some sports titles, and one or two adventure games if I have the time.

If I'm getting a budget card that will need replacement in 3 months anyway, why go all the way up in price right now when my budget is more limited since I'm buying the whole computer??. I think it's better to go for a lower priced card right now and in 4 months sell this one and try get a better card. I think it will be easier for me spend $175 in february for a new card, than spending $200 for a card right now when I'm also spending $500 for the rest of the rig.

I've narrowed the choice to this:


Info-Tek ATI RADEON 9600 PRO 128MB/128-bit Model "R96P-C3H" Retail - $113

Please post your comments and opinions about this decision, any feedback will be very much appreciated, I'm not familiar with Info-tek's/Gecube products, but I guess most of this manufactures use the same reference design.

Thanks for all your help.

DJQuanta

 

[Nurse Jason]

I bought a "Gigabyte ATI 9600 XT" and i loved it. Such a good card, aside from occasionally when booting there would be some color issues, but once windows was booted everything was fine.

I think it cost me about 150.

 

[SneakyStuff]

Originally posted by: DJQuanta
Well Guys.... I'm returning to my senses here. For a moment I was willing to go all the way up and buy the 9800 Pro 256 MB/256 bit right now (for around $200)... then I pictured my one year old son and my wife without a good x-mas gift this year and I said "Noooooooooooooooooooo......................" hehehe :shocked:

It would be great to wait until black friday but unfortunately is not possible, I'm outside the US (venezuela), so a friend of mine that's currently on vacation in Miami is going to buy the parts for me. She's coming back home November 19, thus I should be ordering all the parts this week to have a chance.

From what I can make out of all the comments, in the 128 MB - 128 bit field I would be getting only small benefits in choosing the top priced card I've checked (the 9800 128Mb/128 bits at $150), or the lowest priced one (Geforce FX 5700 at $100).

I think I'll stay in the middle ground, picking up a 9600 PRO 128 MB - 128 bit. I don't play FPS games that much, in fact I get bored of them pretty quickly, I'm more into Racing games and some sports titles, and one or two adventure games if I have the time.

If I'm getting a budget card that will need replacement in 3 months anyway, why go all the way up in price right now when my budget is more limited since I'm buying the whole computer??. I think it's better to go for a lower priced card right now and in 4 months sell this one and try get a better card. I think it will be easier for me spend $175 in february for a new card, than spending $200 for a card right now when I'm also spending $500 for the rest of the rig.

I've narrowed the choice to this:


Info-Tek ATI RADEON 9600 PRO 128MB/128-bit Model "R96P-C3H" Retail - $113

Please post your comments and opinions about this decision, any feedback will be very much appreciated, I'm not familiar with Info-tek's/Gecube products, but I guess most of this manufactures use the same reference design.

Thanks for all your help.

DJQuanta

Why not try something like this. Leadtek 5900XT

 

[DJQuanta]

Originally posted by: SneakyStuff
Why not try something like this. Leadtek 5900XT

That's a good board, but at $180 its also out of my budget (like the Radeon 9800 PRO)

 

[Matthias99]

Seriously, the 5900XT/9800Pro is 50-100% faster than the 9600Pro, and will last you a *lot* longer if you plan on holding onto the card for a while.

Edit: I just read this thread a bit more, and you said this above:

If I'm getting a budget card that will need replacement in 3 months anyway, why go all the way up in price right now when my budget is more limited since I'm buying the whole computer??. I think it's better to go for a lower priced card right now and in 4 months sell this one and try get a better card. I think it will be easier for me spend $175 in february for a new card, than spending $200 for a card right now when I'm also spending $500 for the rest of the rig.

If you're looking for a stopgap to hold you over for a few months before you buy something better, a 9600Pro is not it. Look for a used GF4Ti4200 or Ti4600. The only reason I could see doing this, though, would be to wait for a 6600GT in AGP, which should beat out the 9800Pro at a similar price point, and/or drive the price of the 9800Pro down. But, in this case, I'd suggest just not buying anything, as any card you buy right now will likely lose value in the next few months.

I guess I'm just confused on what you're trying to accomplish. If your budget is so tight that you can't swing an extra $50 for a vastly superior video card (you referenced not having money for Christmas presents for your family!), maybe you shouldn't be building a computer at all right now.

 

[DJQuanta]

Originally posted by: Matthias99
I guess I'm just confused on what you're trying to accomplish. If your budget is so tight that you can't swing an extra $50 for a vastly superior video card (you referenced not having money for Christmas presents for your family!), maybe you shouldn't be building a computer at all right now.

Well actually the part about my family was a joke, thought it was clear with the "Noooooooooo" scream and the emoticons, sorry if that confused people. The tight budget of course is not a joke.

I need to buy the parts right now, first because as I mentioned in the previous post a friend of mine is buying the parts for me in the US, and bringing those parts back to my country on November 19. Second my current computer is almost fried and pretty much old school: cd-rom not working, PSU is dying any moment, cpu fan makes weird noises, etc. I need my computer for my everyday work and a bit of fun on the weekends.

I'm trying to buy a new computer with a limited budget, and I'm trying not to make to much sacrifices in the computing power side in order to have a small room for upgrading in the near future. Otherwise I could go for a xp 2600+ barton with a nf7. Instead I'm going for a A64 2800+, which although not a huge step in performance compared with an XP, is a more current platform. The price difference of $80-$100 of the 5900gt/9800pro cards compared to the 9600pro really makes an impact in the budget. For a person that lives and works in the US $100 is not that much money, but for people in latinamerica it makes a difference.

Thanks,

Quanta

 

[PrayForDeath]

Since your saving why don't your get a 2800+/3100+ Sempron instead of A64?

 

[overst33r]

i say you should get a regular 6600 at about 150 online when they come out.

 

[SonicIce]

Originally posted by: mariok2006
i say you should get a regular 6600 at about 150 online when they come out.

I agree, a 6600 will own everything at that price.

 

[Matthias99]

Originally posted by: DJQuanta

Originally posted by: Matthias99
I guess I'm just confused on what you're trying to accomplish. If your budget is so tight that you can't swing an extra $50 for a vastly superior video card (you referenced not having money for Christmas presents for your family!), maybe you shouldn't be building a computer at all right now.

Well actually the part about my family was a joke, thought it was clear with the "Noooooooooo" scream and the emoticons, sorry if that confused people. The tight budget of course is not a joke.

Sarcasm doesn't always work well online; everyone's deadpan when they type. You didn't use the typical "I'm kidding" emoticons, either ( or ).

I need to buy the parts right now, first because as I mentioned in the previous post a friend of mine is buying the parts for me in the US, and bringing those parts back to my country on November 19. Second my current computer is almost fried and pretty much old school: cd-rom not working, PSU is dying any moment, cpu fan makes weird noises, etc. I need my computer for my everyday work and a bit of fun on the weekends.

I understand that, but then above you referenced maybe buying a more expensive card in February. If you're going to do that, I'd suggest trying to limp along with something crappy (like, say, a GF2/GF4MX) until then, or at least not spend $100+ on a 9600Pro. OR, just bite the bullet now and get a 9800Pro/5900XT (or try to find a used 9700Pro/9800NP).

I'm trying to buy a new computer with a limited budget, and I'm trying not to make to much sacrifices in the computing power side in order to have a small room for upgrading in the near future. Otherwise I could go for a xp 2600+ barton with a nf7. Instead I'm going for a A64 2800+, which although not a huge step in performance compared with an XP, is a more current platform. The price difference of $80-$100 of the 5900gt/9800pro cards compared to the 9600pro really makes an impact in the budget. For a person that lives and works in the US $100 is not that much money, but for people in latinamerica it makes a difference.

Thanks,

Quanta

I'd rather drop to an AXP/NForce2 platform with a 9800Pro than take the S754 platform with a 9600Pro. An overclocked Barton 2500+ will only be a serious bottleneck with a 6800GT or faster GPU, whereas any 8-pipeline 256-bit GPU is a LOT faster than a 9600Pro. If you want real upwards mobility in terms of upgrades, you really want Socket939 -- S754 tops out with the 3700+, and may not get dual core processors.

And -- while I realize I'm a stupid American with no sense of cost of living or the value of money in other countries -- if an extra USD$50-100 (which buys you a LOT of extra gaming performance) is breaking the bank for you, maybe you shouldn't be buying anything right now. Just my $0.02.

 

[DJQuanta]

I'd rather drop to an AXP/NForce2 platform with a 9800Pro than take the S754 platform with a 9600Pro. An overclocked Barton 2500+ will only be a serious bottleneck with a 6800GT or faster GPU, whereas any 8-pipeline 256-bit GPU is a LOT faster than a 9600Pro. If you want real upwards mobility in terms of upgrades, you really want Socket939 -- S754 tops out with the 3700+, and may not get dual core processors.

Well... I rather not drop from the 754 platform to the XP realm, if I want to upgrade in a few months my mobo and processor it would be easier for me to sell a A64 with a 754 mobo.

Anyway I'm trying to play a bit with the components to gain a bit of "space" in the budget.

I'm dropping the MSI mobo and getting an EPoX "EP-8KDA3J" nForce3-250Gb instead ($72), that's a $30 gain and now I'm in the $150 field for the vid card.

Newegg carries an Aopen 5900XT for $172 .... and a Rosewill 5900XT for $175.... let's see where I can squeeze up those $25 bucks


My Newegg cart currently contains this:

Corsair Value Select 184 Pin 512MB DDR PC-3200 - Retail - $72.50

EPoX "EP-8KDA3J" nForce3-250Gb Chipset Motherboard for AMD Socket 754 CPU - $73.00

AMD Athlon 64 2800+, 512KB L2 Cache, 64-bit Processor - Retail - $132.00

NEC 16X Double Layer DVD±RW ND-3500A OEM - $69.99


Cheers.

Quanta

 

[Marsumane]

What video card do u currently have? Maybe its enough to tide u over till a 6600 comes out for $150?

 

[VIAN]

For the price of the card that you want, 256MB is out of the question, but not that big of a loss. 256-bit memory bus about your maximum price.

256MB is usually a gimmick, that's why it's in those slow cards. Manufacturers know the extra 128MB won't be used, but as long as people think so, what's the problem with making some bucks on it. 256MB is reserved for High End cards at this time. In about 1 year, it might be recommended for highest quality playability in most games, but it may take about another 3-4 years before it becomes a requirement.

From those selections, your best bet is the 9800 for 149 bucks, which is a decent card. Dependent on your settings, it might last you another year.

If you want a 9600 Pro, there is one on Newegg for 106 that says Bulk at the end.

Don't try the 5900XT. 9800 Pro is a much better option and is probably the best option for your system.

Yes, I would get a Sempron 2800+. it's about 20 bucks cheaper.

All FROM ANANDTECH REAL TIME ENGINE

$
107: Sempron 2800+ 32-bit, 333MHzFSB - no 64-bit support and there is little difference between 333FSB and 400FSB
062: Corsair 512MB DDR400 - it was cheaper than DDR333
073: EPoX "EP-8KDA3J" nForce3-250Gb
053: Toshiba 8x DVDR - still does everything, but a bit slower, you listed a high end DVDR.
163: Radeon 9700 Pro - unless you can find a 9800Pro for the same price or 10 bucks more.

458: TOTAL

 

[DJQuanta]

Ok.....I'm dropping the Nec burner and getting the Toshiba, almost $20 bucks less.

I researched with google and most ppl say to stay away from the EZ card, quality problems, slow memory, slow bus.

So at this point is this: 5900XT ($165), 9600XT ($135), 9600Pro ($105)

BTW...I'm limited to the options listed at newegg.