Best Video for $50?

[MidiGuy]

What is the best video adapter I can get for around $50?

 

[mdcrab]

I have purchased two of these cards now. Both work great for $49.

They are advertised as refurbs. The first one came thru in a retail box w/ instructions, CD etc. The second one came thru in a zip lock bag with CD etc. The second card also has an S-Video out connector but I have never tried it yet, as it just came on Thurs this week. At $49 each they are a pretty good buy.
REFURBISHED: GAINWARD/CARDEXPERT GEFORCE2 Ti450, 64MB (NO TV-OUT) DDR 4.5ns

PS They have "Special Free FedEx Saver Shipping" so they are under your $50 limit.

mdcrab

 

[spanky]

Originally posted by: MidiGuy
What is the best video adapter I can get for around $50?

it really depends what u want to do with ur pc. mdcrab's choice would probably be best for gaming. i saw a 64mb radeon vivo on FS/FT for $45 shipped... that is a decent card for gaming (well... all i play is CS) and ice crisp 2d... and u get all the bells and whistles of having vivo

 

[MidiGuy]

The guy I'm building for isn't a gamer. The system is actually for his wife, and she mostly wants to do e-mail and things like that, plus scanning pictures. So I'm probably looking for an emphasis on quality 2D display.

 

[SickBeast]

any low-end ati card would be great. i had a radeon ve, and the 2d on it was superb.

 

[spanky]

Originally posted by: SickBeast
any low-end ati card would be great. i had a radeon ve, and the 2d on it was superb.

what he said.

 

[bockchow]

the hot deals forum had a few posts about a radeon 32mb pci going for like $30 at walmart and compusa. i have the agp version and it's a great card for the money.

 

[MidiGuy]

Are ATI cards better for 2D than nVidia cards? I would prefer to get an nVidia card, and I would prefer that it be new and in a retail box. What would be the best nVidia card I can get for $50-$70?

Thanks again!

-Midi

 

[spanky]

in the $50 range... the nvidia cards u have to choose from r not known for 2d quality. maybe u could get a retail radeon 7000. it is based on the radeon ve core and seems affordable.

 

[sash1]

Originally posted by: MidiGuy
Are ATI cards better for 2D than nVidia cards? I would prefer to get an nVidia card, and I would prefer that it be new and in a retail box. What would be the best nVidia card I can get for $50-$70?

Thanks again!

-Midi

ATi's 2D is far superior to nVidia. My experience with nVidia cards has been with awful 2D, and it strains my eyes.

I would suggest a cheaper Radeon (VE, LE, 32Mb, etc.)

You won't find any good nVidia cards for your purposes with your budget.

Just curious, why would you prefer nVidia?

~Aunix

 

[HitenMitsurugi]

The difference in "2D" image quality between ATi and Nvidia is fairly exagerrated in my experience. I use a 19" viewsonic professional series monitor, and I've tried a number of different systems with it. Both an old TNT and Rage128 are crap. Between the old Radeon and a Leadtek Geforce2, overall image quality is comparable between both cards until you reach 1600x1200. At 1600x1200 the Radeon is noticeably crisper at 1600x1200. I have not had the opportunity to check out a Radeon 8500, but the quality of the Geforce 3's is quite acceptable, and when I spend 10 hours in front of the monitor in photoshop and illustrator at high resolution there's no eyestrain above and beyond the usual. As for the Geforce 4's, I have not had a chance to experience those firsthand either, but look at a Parhelia review and their measure of image quality, and technically the Geforce4 has superior image quality to a Radeon 8500.

As for the best card between 50 and 70, I'd say a Geforce2 Ti for gaming, or one of the old Radeons. If the Radeon 9000's come down in price a little more soon, I'd probably recommend that.

Originally posted by: AunixP35

Originally posted by: MidiGuy
Are ATI cards better for 2D than nVidia cards? I would prefer to get an nVidia card, and I would prefer that it be new and in a retail box. What would be the best nVidia card I can get for $50-$70?

Thanks again!

-Midi

ATi's 2D is far superior to nVidia. My experience with nVidia cards has been with awful 2D, and it strains my eyes.

I would suggest a cheaper Radeon (VE, LE, 32Mb, etc.)

You won't find any good nVidia cards for your purposes with your budget.

Just curious, why would you prefer nVidia?

~Aunix

 

[CelticDemolition]

yeah, man... sounds like image quality is at a premium here, you really should get a radeon card. people deliberate over whether or not nvidia gf2 cards have good or bad image quality; some say its bad, others say its not so bad. but nobody ever says ati 2d is bad. in my mind, i think that makes it more accurate...

 

[spanky]

from my experience, i do notice difference between nvidia and ati cards in 2d (as well as 3d). i have a kvm with 2 rigs setup. one is powered by a radeon 8500, and the other by a gts-v. whenever i switch back and forth between machines, i can tell the gts-v is not as crisp and clear. if gaming is not ur primary concern... u should really go ati (or matrox).