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Best video card for $50?

J

JCase

Member
I'll be putting together a machine for my brother in the next few weeks, and all he'll need it for is email/internet with occasional dvd output to his tv. Since no serious gaming or graphics will be done on this machine, what's a good video card for ~$50?
 
So the GeFORCE4 TI4200 is a better performer then the Radeon 9100 or 8500 or 8000pro ?

I've looked at various benchmarks @ Tomshardware, - seems that RELATIVE performance differ depending on which benchmark you look at. Doesn't seem to be a clear cut, hands down best.
 
Originally posted by: dxpaap
So the GeFORCE4 TI4200 is a better performer then the Radeon 9100 or 8500 or 8000pro ?

I've looked at various benchmarks @ Tomshardware, - seems that RELATIVE performance differ depending on which benchmark you look at. Doesn't seem to be a clear cut, hands down best.
Click to expand...

GeForce4 Ti4200 is the best performer, than the Radeon 8500 (non-LE), then the Radeon 9100/Radeon 8500LE (which are the same card), than the 9000Pro. The "8000Pro" does not exist (I think it was a type and you meant to say 9000 Pro.).

Good luck!
 
thanks, any suggestions on where to get a referb GeForce4 TI 4200 - looked at NewEgg and its going for $89 - was hoping get it cheaper. Is $70 range unreasonable ? Guess I'll go check ebay :-(
 
Originally posted by: dxpaap
thanks, any suggestions on where to get a referb GeForce4 TI 4200 - looked at NewEgg and its going for $89 - was hoping get it cheaper. Is $70 range unreasonable ? Guess I'll go check ebay :-(
Click to expand...

There are several sites listed on Pricewatch that are selling the 64MB Ti4200 new for less than $80 shipped.

I wouldn't get a used or refurbished card unless I was saving quite a bit by doing so...

 
Originally posted by: Pudgygiant
I vote 9200. The dx9 compatibility is worth the loss in performance.
Click to expand...

The 9200 is NOT DX9 compliant.

EDIT: Saw a 9200 box at Circuit City claiming DX 9.0 compliance. I don't believe this, as the 9200 is based on the 8500, which is a DX8.1 chip. Decide for yourself.
 
He may SAY he's not doing any SERIOUS gaming, but if he EVER wants to do something 3D he'll appreciate having something halfway decent.

For thst reason, ~$50 gets you a Radeon 8500LE or 9100 (same thing, though the 9100 has some ssssslight improvements) and is your best bet on the cheap.
 
when i was looking for a ~$50-ish card (before I broke down for a 9800 np), there was a guy selling 8500 le's on eBay for $50 buy it now; might want to check that out if you don't see anything in FS/FT
 
Best performance depends on the game you're playing. The GF ti4200 and the ATI 8500s are very similar in speed on average - some are good at some games, others are good at others. However, the ATI cards look better: they are crisper in 2D performance and the textures in 3D games have always looked better to me.

I used to be a GF fan, but I wouldn't recommend them over ATI at this point unless you are going to be using the card with a specific game that is known to be run exceptionally well with that particular card. If it's going to be a non-gaming machine, the ATI cards have a better 2D display. The Radeon 8500s were so "sweet" in a general sort of manner that ATI stopped producing them and subsequently released three inferior cards that seemed better because of the higher numbers on them: the 9000, 9100, and 9200.

That said, if you would consider spending a weee bit more ($70 or so), I would recommend an Radeon 8500 (non-LE). Next choice is a Radeon 8500LE or a 9100 (same card). Note that with these cards, the 64MB models tend to perform better than the 128MB models (unless you really need all that extra vid RAM - which I doubt you will considering the stated purpose of the machine).

Stay far away from the FX vid cards. If you really want to get a cheap card that performs relatively well under light cirtcumstances, get an old Radeon 7000 or a GF2 MX400. You shuold be able to find either for $25 or so. I'd go for the Radeon 8500 myself. Much more bang for the buck.
 
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