GAINWARD CARDEXPERT G4TI4200 128MB DDR W/TV - ULTRA/650TV GOLDEN SAMPLE...good for o/cing? good quality?

[FluxCap]

I can get this card for $160 shipped. Is this a good time and choice for getting one?

Also, how can I find out the ns on the ram on the board before I buy it? I would like to know in case I O/C the board.

 

[AnAndAustin]

Hey FluxCap.

Gainward 4200 'Golden' cards aren't actually any better than the rest of the 4200 cards, nearly all 4200-64MB use 3.6ns roughly reaching 300/600 while nearly all 4200-128MB use 4.0ns rr 300/550 ... the 128MB cards even at the lower o/c are the better buy IMO. Gainward, like Leadtek, have always be reknowned for top image quality on GeForce cards but ALL GF4 cards seem equally great for IQ now anyway. Gainward do certify an o/c for their Golden cards, but 99% of all 4200 cards exceed this anyway. Gainward do offer among the best build quality and cust service from what I hear, so that's a bonus.

All in all, I'd see how much extra you're paying, if it isn't much then go for it, just don't be expecting sensational o/c'ing as for that you need the more available Asus 4200-128MB Deluxe or the less available Suma 4200-128MB Special Edition, as these are pretty much guaranteed 4600 type speeds.

If you are planning on sticking a 4200 in with your Athlon 700 and a new CPU is more than 6 months away then a Rad8500 or GF3 are much better alternatives, they taper out around 1.4ghz while the 4200 continues to imp[rove significantly, at 700mhz you won't see much diff between any of these cards.

 

[FluxCap]

Hello

I am getting this card now and getting my new rig in about 2 months so I was just trying to get a good card and be prepared. I will look for some Asus cards and check the price.

 

[FluxCap]

Well I just did some searching and no real luck yet. Anyone have an idea where to get an Asus version close to the same price as the Gainward?

 

[cdub]

I have this very card, OC'ed it to 300/513.

That's not great on the memory frequency side, I would have been happier if I could have reached 4400 speeds. Also I haven't tried to turn the juice any higher on the processor. It's possible it will go higher. YMMV.

 

[FluxCap]

Will my Asus K7M mobo support a 4x AGP board like the Asus/Gainward GF4 TI4200? I will be using this mobo for about 2 months more so I hope so...

 

[FluxCap]

bump

I am pretty sure a new card will scale down to 2X speed?

 

[AnAndAustin]

What chipset does the Asus K7M use, a quick check of the Asus site should confirm gfx card compatability but I believe all SktA mobos are AGP2.0 compliant so it would be more down to your case (heat disipation and ventilation) and your PSU being able to supply the power.

In any case I would be VERY sure that a GF4TI will work more than fine in your current setup, at worst you'd have to set to AGP2x which hardly hurts perf, or maybe get a better PSU (eg Enermax or Antec 400W).

You should find the enhanced 4200 cards (Asus Deluxe and Suma SE) will come in at about the 4400 pricing, $200ish. They are generally better than 4400 but not by a whole lot and a 4400 will sell on much better when the time comes. IMO The Gainward 'Golden' cards aren't worth it and the name is mis-leading as best (very usual for Gainward). See how the prices stack up once you decide on a type of card and the features you want. So long as you don't get one of those 4200-128MB 4.5ns RAM cards (which are VERY rare) you should quite easily hit 300/550 otherwise you'll be limited to about 300/460.

 

[FluxCap]

Down to my case for o/cing or just general use? I am just concerned with it running on my board for a few months and I will start to O/C it when I get my new mobo and processor.

I think I may get the Asus Deluxe 4200.

 

[Mk1980]

I have Gainward ti42000 128mb oc to 310\580 and in open gl I can run beyond 600mhz memory no problem, also on 600mhz memory in games like Warcraft3 without artifacts, but in direct x 8.1 pixel vertex shader using games is artefacting just small on nearly 600mhz frequency, I have added cooler under card, which helps a bit. I have bought this card before 3 weeks and was gaming this month heavy, but now is here that Asus card in our slow market country at same price and I am little angry, how big is difference in performance between 310\580 and 310\650???? overclocked card?? Could it be huge difference??