Fedup Voodoo5 owner - Need upgrade suggestions

[outsiderGT]

Alright, I've tried to survive along w/ my Voodoo5 using all the hacked up drivers various sources have cooked up for us, but I can no longer take it. Jedi Knight 2 runs like crap and I dont even want to know what SoF2 or the next Unreal will run like.

I want to upgrade my card right away so I can play JK2 and SoF2... but I would like to spend about $100 cause I'm short on dough right now. I was considering the Radeon8500 LE 64mb version which seems like a decent deal, but Im not sure how long this card will last me...

What would you guys recommend? Maybe spending $200 on a GF4 TI4200? I'm open to suggestions...

 

[spanky]

Originally posted by: outsiderGT

What would you guys recommend? Maybe spending $200 on a GF4 TI4200? I'm open to suggestions...

good idea

 

[BFG10K]

I second the GF4 Ti4200. You'll get some serous performance without breaking your wallet.

 

[richleader]

Spending $100 on a geforce 3 ti-200 to play those games now and saving the difference for upgrading to a next generation (after r8500 / Geforce 4) to get the most out of Doom 3 could be another option.

 

[ddragon]

I would recommend a Radeon 8500. Since you're used to Voodoo5's image quality, a GeForce could be a disappointment. Well, at least I did this (exchanged a Voodoo5 for a Radeon 8500LE) a month ago and I've been happy since

 

[rippk]

Not sure what kind of a rig you have ... but assuming that you have a machine that was the bomb when the V5 came out ... I would go with a GF4 4200. Might be able to find it for around $170 if you shop around.
There's nothing wrong with the radeon ... but I think you'll be happier with the GF in the long run.

 

[Instagib]

Originally posted by: BFG10K
I second the GF4 Ti4200. You'll get some serous performance without breaking your wallet.

Or a Ti 4400

 

[Goi]

Quote

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Originally posted by: BFG10K
I second the GF4 Ti4200. You'll get some serous performance without breaking your wallet.
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Or a Ti 4400

Or a Ti 4600
Or a Quadro4?
Hell, why not break the bank for a 3DLabs Wildcat III?

Seriously though, have you guys read his budget? It looks like he's on a serious budget here so I think its more practical to stick to the budget rather than tempting him to spend more than he wants to. With $100, you have several choices, including, from lowest to highest performance, a GF4 MX420/440/460, a GF3 Ti200 or an ATI Radeon 8500LE.

 

[sandorski]

An upgrade is certainly a good idea, but if you can wait until Saturday May 25 new WinXP Voodoo drivers will be coming. Look here for more info.

 

[BFG10K]

a GeForce could be a disappointment

It won't be as the 3D image quality on a GF3 is much better than a Voodoo5, except possibly in FSAA.

Hell, why not break the bank for a 3DLabs Wildcat III?

That would be a totally foolish decision as you'll likely get a pretty slideshow when you try that card for 3D gaming.

Seriously though, have you guys read his budget?

Yeah and he was speculating whether he should spend $200 on a Ti4200.

 

[Goi]

I was just naming those expensive cards off the top of my head. It wasn't meant to make much sense, doh...I know he did mention the Ti4200, but it seems that some are bent on recommending the best of the best to normal people with a budget, and I was just trying to set the budget straight so that we don't get too excited with getting the best and most expensive...

 

[Mavrick007]

Originally posted by: richleader
Spending $100 on a geforce 3 ti-200 to play those games now and saving the difference for upgrading to a next generation (after r8500 / Geforce 4) to get the most out of Doom 3 could be another option.

That's what I would do, go with a Radeon 8500 now if I was on a budget and save up for something to upgrade to later.

 

[Flatline]

I'm running an ATI Radeon 8500LE right now (mine's the 128MB version) and it's a great card; I have personally always liked the Radeon line, as it is usually feature-rich, has outstanding image quality, and is robust enough for just about anything you want to play. However, the TI4200 is also a very tempting card because of its price-performance ratio...
The trick is, you could actually pick up an 8500 for just over $100 and you'd be spending a lot more on the 4200 right now. The 8500 does outperform the GeForce 3 TI200, so if the $100 price range is what you're looking at I would personally recommend the Radeon. Then you could keep the extra $$ and move up to a next-gen card later.