Best low profile agp video card for gaming?

[Hav0k99]

I am trying to make a gaming machine out of a 1ghz small footprint PC. I'd like it to be able to run ut2004. Right now it's got a low profile FX5200 64bit 128mb ddr card. I'd like to get the best thing for this. Both the AGP and PCI are low profile

 

[VIAN]

I'd say probly the 9600.

 

[Peter]

9600SE that is then. The major performance loss in low profile cards is the fact that in order to fit everything onto the LP form factor, you need to make the memory bus 64-bit - no matter whether it's an NVidia chip or an ATi.

PowerColor usually ship their LP cards with both slot bracket shapes - normal for dualhead support (2nd VGA on a cable), and LP.

 

[Hav0k99]

There is a 9600SE low profile @ newegg thats says it's 128bit. Can that be right?

 

[Peter]

Nope. The difference between 9600SE and plain 9600 is exactly (and only) that, memory interface width.

I just browsed newegg's "Shop by category", Video cards, 9600SE. No wrongly classified stuff there, but some cards that use the plain 9600's PCB but still with no RAM chips above the main chip.

Your choice there is the PowerColor card I recommended earlier already - there are other low profile cards in the list, but this is the only one that actually comes with an LP slot bracket (see image #4).

 

[Blastman]

There is a low profile Sapphire 9600 at newegg ($93.75) that is 64bit memory even though it doesn?t say. Basically it?s an SE for $20 more in disguise so I would avoid that one. Assume all low profile cards are 64bit.

 

[Hav0k99]

Thank you all for your advice. The powercolor looks like the best option! I hope this is quite better then the 5200 I got.

 

[irenealan]

GIGABYTE ATI RADEON 9200 Video Card, 128MB DDR, 128-bit, DVI/TV-Out, 8X AGP, Model "GV-R92128DH" -RETAIL

also servers as a good video card around the $60 - $70 dollars price range... is this the best one I can get around such price range?

 

[irenealan]

actually can someone explain what's a LP card? And the difference between 64bit and 128bit. If I have a ViewSonic E790 CRT, would it work with these cards? Thanks...

 

[Peter]

LP = low profile. This form factor requires the cards to be less than a certain height, and also has a shorter slot bracket, obviously. Just go look at the product pictures for the PowerColor 9600SE card at newegg.

 

[Blastman]

I?m going to say jumping from a 5200(64bit) to a 9600se will be a decent jump in performance (30 -50%) most of the time and more sometimes, but you are going to be so CPU limited on only a 1.0GHz machine you may not get any jump in performance in a lot of games.

It may hardly be worth a graphics card upgrade.

 

[MercenaryForHire]

Originally posted by: Peter
The major performance loss in low profile cards is the fact that in order to fit everything onto the LP form factor, you need to make the memory bus 64-bit - no matter whether it's an NVidia chip or an ATi.

I've got two Quadros and a FireGL that say you're wrong. 😉

- M4H

 

[feross101]

hey,

I have a similar problem, I have a Dell Optiplex GX270 small form factor with 2.4Ghz, 1GB DDR yada yada.. anyway, I want to get an LP card but am partial to Nvidia...

Would this be the equivalent or almost equivalent to the ATI card that was recommended?

http://xpcgear.com/geforce4mx440.html

Thanks,

Fernando

 

[MercenaryForHire]

Originally posted by: feross101
hey,

I have a similar problem, I have a Dell Optiplex GX270 small form factor with 2.4Ghz, 1GB DDR yada yada.. anyway, I want to get an LP card but am partial to Nvidia...

Would this be the equivalent or almost equivalent to the ATI card that was recommended?

http://xpcgear.com/geforce4mx440.html

Thanks,

Fernando

It would be equivalent to (in some cases possibly better than) the 9200SE, I think. The 9600SE would be quite a bit better.

- M4H