Best GPU for ~$125?

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giantpinkbunnyhead

Diamond Member
Dec 7, 2005
3,251
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Hey guys...

I've been out of the loop for a couple years and don't know up from down with the latest GPU offerings. My roommate wants a new GPU in the $125 range, to replace an old 7800GT. If it matters, his system is an older one; still running a single core Athlon 3000+ with Win XP, MSI board (NF4) and 2GB Ram. He's using a 19" monitor. I'll help him pick out a new PSU if needed for a new GPU.

Anyway, I found a thread earlier linking to a 9800GT for something like $120. Is this a good card for the price, or can we do better? He really doesn't want to build a whole new system but would at least like to get a little better performance than he's getting now. Thanks!

 
taltamir

taltamir

Lifer
Mar 21, 2004
13,576
6
76
id recommend getting 2x2GB of DDR2 (70$) and a faster CPU to go along with the 9800GT...
 
Denithor

Denithor

Diamond Member
Apr 11, 2004
6,298
23
81
Sapphire 4850 $140AR free shipping

^^ is probably the best deal out there right now. That ASUS 9800GT Ultimate is basically just a rebadged & overclocked 8800GTS and priced at $130AR + $9 shipping it's the same price as the 4850 but not going to perform as well.
 
Keysplayr

Keysplayr

Elite Member
Jan 16, 2003
21,219
54
91
Jared just posted two links showing them performing fairly equal. So, flip a coin.
 
T

Tempered81

Diamond Member
Jan 29, 2007
6,374
1
81
Yah, and you can get about an extra 150mhz on either core for the overclock also:

650mhz to ~790mhz for the hd4850 and 725mhz to ~855mhz for the 9800gt.

Now it's up to the price (A/R), drivers & frequency of updates, your user preference, and the coin toss! :) (oh and the dual slot cooler of the 9800GT ultimate)
 
Denithor

Denithor

Diamond Member
Apr 11, 2004
6,298
23
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You seriously expect the already seriously overclocked 9800GT (clocked at 725mhz, stock is 650mhz) to hit >850mhz?

Really? Wowsers...

Now don't get me wrong, the 9800GT Ultimate is a great card but I don't think it's worth the same $140 you'd spend to get a 4850. And I own 3x8800GS, a 9600GT, a G92 8800GTS and have a GTX 260 on the way so don't think I'm an ATi fanboy or anything.

And I can tell you, my EVGA 8800GTS won't hit even 750mhz stable, I run it at 700mhz with the cooler cranked up some. At 725mhz I start getting errors in F@H and artifacts in games even though the temps stay in a safe range (70C max during f@h).
 
AzN

AzN

Banned
Nov 26, 2001
4,112
2
0
If I had to choose between g92GTS vs 4850 I'd pick 4850 no question. 4850 has better AA support over G92. Not to mention it does more GFLOPS and has HDMI support.
 
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jyjjy777

Member
Nov 7, 2007
28
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Unless you upgrade that CPU the wisest choice would be to look for one of the 9600 GSO deals that have been around lately. Here's a nicely overclocked one for $55 after rebate;

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16814130361

Might still need a new PSU for it. If so the HD4670 is an equivalent that's a bit pricier but shouldn't need a new PSU.
Anything more powerful than those cards is going to be pointless with that CPU. If you do upgrade the CPU then the 9800gt ultimate/HD4850 suggestions are good ones.
 
Denithor

Denithor

Diamond Member
Apr 11, 2004
6,298
23
81
Originally posted by: jaredpace
I'm just quoting the review (they oc'd it to 854mhz on the core):
...
The Asus Ultimate obviously has a higher Vgpu with the stock settings in their bios.
Click to expand...

Ok, I can see that now, it probably uses the 9800GTX pcb with higher voltage to the core. I know my 8800GTS cannot even come close to those numbers. At that speed, yes, it would be some serious competition for the 4850. But remember, 850mhz is not guaranteed for any particular card, in the overclocking game results may vary.
 
evolucion8

evolucion8

Platinum Member
Jun 17, 2005
2,867
3
81
With such slow CPU, performance gains going from a 7800GT to any other card will be fairly minimal. Any card with the HD 4650 performance or better will be CPU bottlenecked considerably.
 
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giantpinkbunnyhead

Diamond Member
Dec 7, 2005
3,251
1
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Thanks for the replies everyone. Very helpful stuff. I know he needs a newer CPU too, but his wallet is pretty thin. Besides, he's still got a Socket 939 board so he won't be able to grab any of the recent CPU's. I could probably set him up with a dual-core Opteron at least. It's pretty easy to surpass a 3000+. Her certainly can't afford to upgrade the whole computer. He just wants to be able to play City of Heroes without things bogging down so much in the crowded areas. His only other staple is WoW.
 
spdfreak

spdfreak

Senior member
Mar 6, 2000
966
76
91
A more balanced approach would be a cpu upgrade to dual core and a 9600GSO video card. Should come in under his budget and with a 19in monitor, he won't need anything more than a GSO.
 
C

CurseTheSky

Diamond Member
Oct 21, 2006
5,401
2
0
With a 19" monitor, I'd DEFINATELY go with CPU / motherboard / RAM over a new graphics card. If his 7800GT is PCI-E, he can even keep that until he can afford a newer card. At 1280x1024, something like a 9800GT or HD4850 seems like a waste.

That's going to take some extra cash (probably closer to $200-250) but I think it would be well worth it.
 
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scruffypup

Senior member
Feb 3, 2006
371
0
0
There are two paths to consider,... ignore the replies stating more ram,... would not be worth it in XP 32 bit as you wouldn't even see the entire 4gb, let alone the extra 1.25gb you would see wouldn't be as cost effective,...


1) either a 9800/8800 gt for $100-$120 range After Rebate (even if it is a little much for a 19" monitor it allows max settings and then he can keep that for a while and focus on the motherboard/cpu later + Overclock the CPU a little if you feel comfortable with that

2) get a 9600GSO 384mb or a 9600GT 512mb depending on deals you find $50-$65 After Rebate and get a cpu a little higher http://www.tigerdirect.com/app...thlon-64-X2--Processor
is one of the few socket 939s still out there that would fit the bill for ~$50

Path #1 would be best for future upgrades, especially if you feel comfortable with a slight overclock on the stock cooler, which should be fine. (this would be if he is upgrading the processor and motherboard soon - within 6 months)

Path #2 would be better for overall usage, while still getting better graphics, if he is planning on sticking with this setup for a while still (1+ years definitely go this route)
 
Denithor

Denithor

Diamond Member
Apr 11, 2004
6,298
23
81
Path 2 FTW

MMOs tend to be more CPU/RAM dependent than many people realize. A friend of mine had an e6300/7900GS/512MB RAM (carried from his previous build--he didn't think he needed any more) and WoW ran like crap at 12x8 once he got into any cities with people running around. I bumped him up to 2GB and he was able to run smooth at 16x10.

Now, since your friend already has 2GB I would say the next thing to focus on is the cpu. Either get that X2 3800 scruffypup recommended or try to find a faster one on eBay, not many of these chips left in retail distribution any longer (since AMD quit making them in favor of the AM2 chips). Don't spend more than about $50-60 though, no sense throwing money into a dead end system. Wait with upgrading the video card until you've tried out a faster cpu, that 7800GT may still be adequate for older MMOs.
 
nerp

nerp

Diamond Member
Dec 31, 2005
9,865
105
106
I'd spend $20 to $25 more and get a 4850. Awesome card for the money. Best card I've ever owned, price/performance wise.
 
S

steelodon

Senior member
Oct 29, 2007
584
13
81
I agree with scruffypup's recommendation #2. You don't want to get a higher end video card and have it bottlenecked by your CPU.
 
quadomatic

quadomatic

Senior member
May 13, 2007
993
0
76
No video card is going to help with a CPU that slow. Go grab a cheap Core 2 Duo and a mobo and oc. Then get a new video card.
 
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