AGP Card! Which one? UK Anandtecher's help most needed!

[A2KLAU]

HI I am looking for an AGP card and my budget is lying inbetween GF2 MX and GTS. The money is too high for a MX card and too low for a GTS card, and I am not to sure about Radeon. Please help! Could you please help me out all you UK Techies. My Budget is something along the lines of £120-£190 say or somewhere along those region. A little bit above or below is fine. I want the best card that this price range can offer, and also could you give me a range of cards so I can have a choice.

Thanks in advnce to everybody!

SKY.

P.S could you give me some links to sites where I could order too. Thanks!

 

[MCS]

Hello there fellow UK-er!

Try Scan or Overclockers UK

You should be able to pick up a 32MB GTS card for £200 or under, even at somewhere like PC World...

Cheers

 

[AMB]

Hi, If you can stretch to £200, I would defintly go to a GTS.

As I have said before, I would recommend Dabs.

I am partial to Creative and Hercules.

Geforce GTS2 32MB AGP Rp

 

[bacillus]

also look at www.dabs.com

 

[TheCorm]

How much is your budget?

What resolutions are you gonna play in, if it's mainly 800x600 or 1024x768 then a Geforce 2MX would be fine, if you were looking for 32 bit colour at 1024x768 or 1280x1024 then a GTS would definately be a better choice.

If you do get an MX, the elsa one is a good card because it's better for o/c (big heatsink) and theres the VIVO module if you would be interested in that (costs about £30).

www.dabs.com
www.insight.com/uk/
www.watford.co.uk

Corm

 

[lumpyhed2]

i'm rather partial to buying from scan. I have bought a Geforce SDR and the stuff to upgrade to a Duron 800 from them.

 

[A2KLAU]

Thanks for the replies guys! I am planning on doing most of my gaming in 800X600 and in HIGH quality. I don't need extreme amounts of FPS but I need the graphics to be smooth. And hopefully work with an Asus A7V. MX sounds OK for me but I was hoping to pick up a good quality card with GTS but I dought the prices can limbo that low... Well I'll see if I can stretch my budget abit! Does the Asus V7700 GF2 GTS DDR 32M Pure sound good to you guys? I know it is 20 pounds above my budget, but if it is extremely good then I maybe able to work something out.

SKY.

And thanks again guys!

 

[JimF]

The UK buy.com has a £30 off your order special offer if you spend £60 or more. Buy.com

You could get the Elsa Gladiac 2 GTS for £202.76 less £30.00 = £172.76 which is within your budget.

 

[A2KLAU]

Thanks Jim F, but I was rather wanting something abit more powerful, not that the Elsa wasn't, but in one of the past issues of PC Pro they are this test thing on AGP cards and I am looking for the top 3 or 4 cards... I think Elsa came 3d or 4th, still a good card, but I'll check this out and see if this 30 pound thing will allow me for the Asus V7700 or the Creative one. Or maybe even a Radeon... On the subject of these cards, which is better Nvidia GF2 GTS or Radeon?

Thanks again guys!

SKY.

 

[AMB]

I'd go with the GTS, instead of the Radeon. Just my preference and opinion.

 

[A2KLAU]

Thanks! Nvidia I go for! Any mroe help guys?

SKY.

 

[Mem]

If you go with a Geforce2 card use Nvidia drivers rather then drivers from ASUS,Creative etc.

 

[A2KLAU]

How come? Are they more reliable or something like that... And when I install the card should I use the original install drivers and then flash them with Nvidia driers or download Nvidia oes straight away and use them instead?

Thanks,

SKY.

 

[Mem]

They update quicker then the brand drivers from Creative,Asus etc,also more Members here including myself use them,if you install say Creative or Asus drivers first & change your mind & want to try Nvidia reference drivers you will need to uninstall the Creative or Asus ones first before trying Nvidia drivers,also there are some cool overclocking programs for Nvidia drivers & as I said no-one brings out drivers faster then Nvidia.

 

[A2KLAU]

Thanks MEM! By the way do any of you know any links about the Pencil trick? I want to look it up and see what it is because I am now getting interested with the T-Bird overclocking thing, becasue I am going to get one soon hopefully.

SKY.

 

[AMB]

Mem, for once, I may have to disagree,

Creative's FastTrax drivers are top notch, and are kept updated. They are probably more stable, as they are tested by Creative.

 

[Mem]

AMB Trust you to disagree LOL..anyway I switched from Creative drivers to Nvidia drivers last year & have had no problems period,it really is a personal thing which way you go,but at least with Nvidia drivers you have loads to choose from.

 

[snow patrol]

MicroDirect have the 32meg DDR Radeon in stock for 135 pounds including VAT. It says it's OEM, but you do actually get it in a retail box with a warentee et all. I think this has to represent about the best deal currently available.

 

[Deathwish2000]

check out http://www.pcindex.co.uk and dont forget to look at http://www.cclcomputers.co.uk

Cheap! and good

 

[A2KLAU]

Thanks guys again for the help! I am checking the sites out now! The Radeon seems well priced and has taken over the value for money of the Nvidia.

I will work something out I hope!
Thanks again!

SKY.

 

[billabong]

I got a 32 Mb DDR Radeon a month ago from CCL Computers (always had good service from them). The card replaced my Creative Geforce DDR and I had a Creative DDR MX as a stop gap for a week.

The radeon is a great card and much cheaper than the GTS so I'd go for the GTS and spend the change on some ram or some beer.