Help. Making graphics card purchase soon!!!

[herewego2006]

Ok. I've narrowed it down to a final 3 cards.

For 119$ I can get the ATI X700 Pro

For 169$ an ATI Radeon X1300 Pro

And for 179$ I can get the All-in-Wonder X800 XL


Is the difference in graphical performance worth the $ difference?

 

[mancunian]

I don't know about the prices in Canada, but I would get an X800GTO, unlock it to an X800XL, and then go and buy a pci tuner card. The Sapphire X800GTO has an S-Video TV out.

That way, you get the X800XL performance, but then have a separate tuner card to take to a next system.

 

[996GT2]

the X700 pro is NOT the card to have for gaming...unless you can find a X800XL/XT or X850 class card for less. Or on the nVidia side if you can find an AGP 6800GS/GT for less than the price of the AIW card.

The $70 is definitely worth it for the AIW
Also most any card will have a TV out (assuming it's not too old), but the AIW has a TV tuner built in to let you watch and record TV

lastly to the previous poster I dont think you can unlock a X800GTO AGP, I thought it was only on some Connect3D models and the Sapphire GTO^2s, which are PCIe

 

[Ika]

996GT2 : I believe we've all established that akshayt is blind.

okay sorry OP, had to get that out of the way.

Originally posted by: herewego2006
Ok. I've narrowed it down to a final 2 cards.

For 119$ I can get the ATI X700 Pro

And for 179$ I can get the All-in-Wonder X800 XL

Is the difference in graphical performance worth the 60$ difference?

i would say yes, especially if you're going to use the multimedia features on the AIW.

The X700 Pro was a fair card back in the day, but now it's very obsolete. It's not a hot performer, especially in the games you suggested.

For the X800XL, if you're talking $179 canadian, that's a definite go-fer. The X800XL is a good card, and overclocks fairly well. It's an even better deal once you throw in the AIW features.

 

[herewego2006]

The thing is that I don't know about the AIW features. I'm going to university where I won't have cable access so for TV shows I was planning on just downloading them and transfering the video signal to my big-screen. Like I won't have a cable or any TV signal to record or watch on my computer so that's why the AIW seems kind of pointless if any card lets me see my cpu screen on my tv-screen.

http://shopati.ca/product.asp?sku=2984012

Looks like I can get the X800 XL for 139.99 without the AIW features. I just don't want to buy something and then realize i can't use it for what I want to do.

 

[996GT2]

Well, its refurbished, but yeah go for it if you don't need the AIW features

But note its pre-order meaning not available at present time

 

[Ika]

Originally posted by: herewego2006
The thing is that I don't know about the AIW features. I'm going to university where I won't have cable access so for TV shows I was planning on just downloading them and transfering the video signal to my big-screen. Like I won't have a cable or any TV signal to record or watch on my computer so that's why the AIW seems kind of pointless if any card lets me see my cpu screen on my tv-screen.

http://shopati.ca/product.asp?sku=2984012

Looks like I can get the X800 XL for 139.99 without the AIW features. I just don't want to buy something and then realize i can't use it for what I want to do.

if you won't have cable then you're right, AIW is pretty useless. I guess if you're not a multimedia freak you shouldn't really worry about AIW. Get the X800XL for $140, thats a good price.

in case you still are still considering AIW, here are some things that it does:

-integrated FM tuner
-remote control for TV tuner
-bunches of inputs and outputs to TVs
-capture and edit your home videos using the video/audio inputs and the included software, record television shows using the Gemstar GUIDE Plus+ software, and output HD content.
blah blah blah... http://reviews.digitaltrends.com/review3303_main16523.html

so if you get the AIW i'm assuming you can output the content you plan on downloading to your big-screen in HD. that seems to be the only real benefit, though...

IMHO, not really worth it.

 

[herewego2006]

What does refurbishing mean in terms of video cards?

 

[mancunian]

Originally posted by: 996GT2
lastly to the previous poster I dont think you can unlock a X800GTO AGP, I thought it was only on some Connect3D models and the Sapphire GTO^2s, which are PCIe

You can. I'm running one.

Read this.

 

[nitromullet]

Originally posted by: herewego2006
What does refurbishing mean in terms of video cards?

IMO, if you're willing to go refurb you might as well hit ebay. Looks like you could get into an X800XT AGP for the money you are willing to spend.

This store here is selling a whole bunch of them starting at $150 US, I'm sure you could score one of those pretty easily.

http://cgi.ebay.ca/NEW-ATI-RADEON-X800-...79QQcategoryZ40158QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

I know there are a lot of people who don't like ebay on here, but it really isn't any more risky than buying refurb or open boxed items IMO.

 

[herewego2006]

Is the X800 XT Platinum Edition a noticably better card than the X800 XT?

 

[JBT]

Originally posted by: herewego2006
Is the X800 XT Platinum Edition a noticably better card than the X800 XT?

no not really probably less than 5% faster in most cases.

 

[orangat]

The x800xt/x850xt models are good card for $150+. Some of the benchmarks in newer shader heavy games like AOE3/Oblivion show those cards to be on-par with the 7800gt which is remarkable.

 

[nitromullet]

Originally posted by: herewego2006
Is the X800 XT Platinum Edition a noticably better card than the X800 XT?

Not a whole lot, but both of them beat an AIW X800XL.

some benchmarks from the X800 series "launch":

http://www.anandtech.com/video/showdoc.aspx?i=2044

and some from the X850 and X800XL launch:

http://www.anandtech.com/video/showdoc.aspx?i=2290

 

[LittleNemoNES]

Originally posted by: akshayt
if it is fx 5200 most probably it is agp.
If you really want to play comfortably, I would suggest.
Sell old cpu,mobo, ram and graphic card, this well get you a lot of money

Get Amd 64bit 3000 venice
a cheap/average pci e mobo
1gb X 2 ram
X1800XT 256mb, if you can't afford this one then maybe a lower 7600GT

Let us say you get 200$ from your old system, check in market section, I don't know.
Then If you put in another 250$ or so, this makes it 450$. Let us say that you get your cpu and mobo and ram in 175-200$, wait for conroe and amd price cuts first, for graphic card try to get a 1800XT if you can.
You can overclock your cpu if requried and the it will match a amd 64bit 4000 class in most games atleast.

the fastest agp graphic card will be roughly equivalent or maybe even slower than a 7800GT/X800XL class gpud but it would costa whopping 300$.

BAN HIM!

 

[996GT2]

Originally posted by: mancunian

Originally posted by: 996GT2
lastly to the previous poster I dont think you can unlock a X800GTO AGP, I thought it was only on some Connect3D models and the Sapphire GTO^2s, which are PCIe

You can. I'm running one.

Read this.

Alright, my bad, I thought you could not, but I guess you can