best card for old system?

[junkyardDawg]

here's the deal

I'm passing my old rig to my son and he'll want a little more gaming power than my radeon 8500. I want to get him a good card but I don't want to go overboard with something his system can't run good. system is:

asus nForce2 ultra 400
1700+ t-bred b (had it to 11x200 at one time, will probably turn it back up for him)
2x256 crucial pc3200

I was thinking about a nVidia 6800 if it wouldn't be wasted in this rig.

suggestions?

thanks

 

[bcoupland]

The best card for that system would likely be a 6600GT. Just get the best deal on a AGP version that you can and you'll be set. Anything more powerful will be badly bottlenecked.

 

[kmmatney]

The 9800 Pro is barely slower than the 6600GT, but only costs around $125 nowadays. The 6800 would be faster, and is $189 at NewEgg, while the 6600GT falls in between the two, in the $150-$160 range. I'd go for either bang-for-buck (9800 Pro) or the best overall card (6800).

 

[Pete]

I'd suggest a used 9700 Pro (some have an issue with rolling line on the VGA out, but if he won't be using dual monitors, just use a DVI->VGA adapter on the DVI out) or 9800 Pro for under $100, or the Leadtek 6600GT at NewEgg for $155 after $20 rebate. The Leadtek is a lot more, yes, but it's new and it includes two good games and HDTV out. It'll also be faster if you OC that Tbred again. At stock 1700+ speeds (1.46GHz), I doubt you'll see a big difference b/w a 9800P and a 6600GT.

Either way, ensure you have a solid 300W power supply.

Actually, newer games also appreciate more than 512MB RAM. If it's not without your budget, consider adding a $20AR (and before shipping) PNY 512MB PC3200 stick at Outpost.com. I don't know how three sticks of RAM will affect your overclock, but 768MB should be that much better than 512MB. I'm not completely sure, but I think a 9800P and the RAM may offer a better gaming experience than just the 6600GT.

6800 would be nice, but most are $180 and up. If that's your budget, then get the GT and the RAM. Heck, if you can swing two sticks of that PNY RAM (get a friend to order one for you?), that much better. Then maybe try to sell the 2x256 sticks in For Sale while they're still worth anything (256MB PC3200 sells for as little as $8AR these days), or pass them onto another (friend's?) system.

 

[dug777]

I'd suggest a 9800 pro if you are going new (can be had for as little as $105 these days i hear), or a 9800/9700 pro used for that rig. Certainly no more than a 6600GT, and get him another stick of RAM.