Help me pick a new video card for my son

[frazzled]

I could use a bit of advice, folks, buying a video card has become much more complex in the past year or so...

I built my little guy the following machine a few years ago:

Aopen AX6BC MB running a celeron 300A at 450...it still runs like a top.
128 Meg CAS 2 PC100 RAM
15 inch Samsung monitor
2 5400 RPM HDDs (IBM x 2)
Voodoo 3000 AGP
Aureal Vortex 1 card
Sidewinder gamepad
pretty CS speakers
Win95 (I need to upgrade this, obviously)
3Com NIC hooked to our home ethernet LAN


I know that it's a bit geriatric, but it's doing OK. And yes, it is due for a serious overhaul (any suggestions are very welcome).

Although he is only 6, he is a very avid sports gamer...loves NFL Fever (still), the new FIFA soccer game and Sammy Sosa HH basball. Last night we tried to install the new demo for the 2002 version of HHBB...what a disater :| . I was up until all hours thanks to DirectX8 which doesn't seem to like either the OS or maybe the more recent 3dfx drivers. In any case, I had figured that with 3dfx going down that I would have to upgrade his vid card sooner or later, maybe this direct x8 problem is a warning shot....

I use Matrox exclusively (lots of imaging), so I'm a little lost as to what to get him given the limitations of his current CPU, stuck at 800x60 with a 15 inch monitor, etc. I want the "affordable" best for my little sports gamer. I'd prefer to keep the price as reasonable as possible since it has to go through Dad, who is less, uh, open to these things than I am....

Any and all suggestions would be greatly apreciated!

Thanks

fraz

Forgot to mention, I probably lean towards ATI for the text resolution, but I'm not sure if it it is really a factor at that resolution.

 

[bluemax]

For a Celeron 450A (like mine!) I'd normally suggest even sticking with the Voodoo3 which is a natural for those sports games of today and earlier. Brand new stuff, however, may be an issue.....

The new Radeon LE (not VE!!) is a super, super deal. Well under $100US and plenty fast enough for anything, best potential for the future. You can't go wrong at this price, and the QUALITY of the video output is better than that of your Voodoo3 (send it to me! It's better than what I have! )

You'll get a lot of people suggesting a Geforce2 MX card which isn't a BAD suggestion, but if you get one make sure it's one of two brands: VISIONTEK or ELSA. Everyone else's MX card is potentially subject to really bad and fuzzy text/graphic quality on the 2D desktop.

I know your 6-year-old won't be a stickler for such, but be good to his eyes so he won't need glasses that can create laser-beams when he's 30.

I vote for the super-cheap but awesome quality Radeon LE (or even 32MB DDR if you find IT under $120 or so!)

 

[oldfart]

That 450A is going to limit you. The Voodoo 3 3K is actually overkill with that CPU as it is. You may want to consider a CPU upgrade. As far as a budget card goes, the Radeon LE (see info about it in this fourm) is the current best bang for the buck. A GeForce 2MX is also in that catagory. I would try more to find out why the V3 is not behaving. The current drivers and DX8 should be fine together.

 

[frazzled]

Yeah, I agree with you oldfart (some moniker!), for all I know the problem lies entirely with the demo. Luckily my little fellow was so happy to get ahold of the game he didn't seem to mind running it with software rendering. :Q

Maybe he's due for a CPU upgrade after all. I was planning on picking up another 128 Meg RAM for him this weekend since it's dirt cheap. I can see it now, I'll upgrade the CPU and then decide the video card is limiting and THEN my husband will be really annoyed.

I guess I better head off to the other hardware forum to figure out which CPU makes sense since I'm not up to another MB swap right now....

Thanks for the input, guys, and bluemax, thanks for the rundown on the Radeon cards...the threads have been confusing as hell and I appreciate your cutting straight throught to the point!

thanks,

fraz

 

[Mobius7]

Ok.. I know there seems to be a lot of Radeon support in here, and I am, as predicted, one of those people who is going to suggest a GF2/MX. Either way (Radeon or GF2) you should be okay, but I have to warn you away from the brand VisionTek that was recommened above. VisionTek used 7ns memory rather than the 6ns specified in Nvidia's reference design, and then overclocked that memory to get it to the specified 166mhz operating speed. Works, but if you ask me, it's shady. :\

 

[bluemax]

Somehow, I don't think this lady is going to ridiculously overclock her 6-year-old's video card like some looneys in here do.

 

[TravisBickle]

a voodoo3 runs QIII 800x600 at 41fps with the latest drivers I believe. for that res it is plenty good enough. but if he wants a new video card get an mx because it might help that cpu better if you keep it and you won't have to fiddle with the drivers so much to stop the kid blubbing

 

[oldfart]

My V3 3K would run Q3 @ 70+ FPS 800 x 600 on a PIII 733. This is with 16 bit color obviously, but details turned up.

 

[TravisBickle]

wow yeah, silly me forgot to add the cpu speed. I bet the kid still get 30fps tho.

 

[oldfart]

I dont think the 6 year old will be playing Q3 anyway.

 

[BFG10K]

I agree with Oldfart. The Voodoo 3 is just fine for a system like that and it's unsual that you're having problems with it. Make sure you're running the latest 1.07.00 WHQL drivers which are DirectX 8 compliant. You could also try running DirectX 7A if the game doesn't require DirectX 8.