Graphics upgrade

[wviperw]

My friend is looking to upgrade his graphics card, partly because HL2 is coming out here in a few days. I tried to convince him to wait, but he has his mind set on buying a new graphics card. Assuming a budget of around $150-$250, what would you guys recommend for somebody who plays/will play Doom 3 and HL2.

His current specs are:

Shuttle AN35N-U
AMD Barton @ 2200mhz
512mb PC2700 DDR RAM
GeForce 4 Ti4200 128mb

I'm currently telling him to either get a 256mb 9800 (pro?) or a 128mb 6800 such as this one.

 

[imported_Computer MAn]

Here is probably the best buy for $250. 6800

 

[belazeru]

oooh a BFG 6800. hmm...tell you friend to save up an extra 149 bucks a get the 6800GT. It doesnt matter what brand although i do love my BFG 6800GT OC. Also i hear eVGA, and gigabyte are good brands.

 

[Mo0o]

Originally posted by: belazeru
oooh a BFG 6800. hmm...tell you friend to save up an extra 149 bucks a get the 6800GT. It doesnt matter what brand although i do love my BFG 6800GT OC. Also i hear eVGA, and gigabyte are good brands.

Thats almost twice the budget he's working with. If he's looking for a budget card a 9800pro is the way to go. Otherwise go w/ the 6800

 

[Mrvile]

I would get the 9800 over the 6800 b/c it's 256 bit, but the 6800 isnt a bad choice.

 

[cheesehead]

6800 can beat the pants off of a 9800, despite being 128-bit.
6800 all the way.

 

[Rike]

Tell your friend to WAIT! HL2 will look great, but it should be very playable on his current rig. Wait for the 6600GT/X700 to go AGP and then buy. Then you stay in budget and get a better card. Besides it's is always more fun to see the big difference when you upgrade. If he does his upgrade early, he'll miss that fun.

 

[Le Québécois]

Tell him to go with the 6800 128MB if he has the money, if not, go for a 9800 PRO 128MB, dont buy the 256MB its not worth it, no speed boost at all.

 

[imported_Computer MAn]

Originally posted by: Mrvile
I would get the 9800 over the 6800 b/c it's 256 bit, but the 6800 isnt a bad choice.

6800's are all 256 bit, the 6600 is 128bit

 

[InlineFive]

Originally posted by: Computer MAn

Originally posted by: Mrvile
I would get the 9800 over the 6800 b/c it's 256 bit, but the 6800 isnt a bad choice.

6800's are all 256 bit, the 6600 is 128bit

I agree, the additional bandwidth the 68xx series offer is probably going to be worthwhile in the long run. Here is a deal for a BFG 6800 OC for $250. It's a little over budget, but like I said, I think the double bandwidth is worth it.