lost on video

[xSauronx]

its a pretty strict budget, i could maybe come up with a few more bucks for something, but not say...another 100.

heres the setup im going to be putting it in: A64 3000, 1g pc 3200, MSI K-8 neo4

this system is for my brother, who plays BF2, and looks forward to playing Oblivion, but hes a gamer and will end up playing a number of games over time.

what would he be best to get right now for his money? im way out of the loop on video cards and dont know the reputation of certain chipsets, manufacturers etc currently.

thanks

 

[dug777]

i'd suggest a 6800 vanilla myself, or an x800...

a good level up from the 6600GT.

As to manufacturers and warranty, i understand BFG/Leadtek/Asus are excellent, but i'm sure others will be able to help you out with advice there. My Sparkle 6600GT is excellent, aside from a rather noisy fan, and it overclocks very nicely
.

 

[Fadey]

You can get a saphire x850 pro for $199 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814102593R

 

[Fadey]

or a refurbished x800xl for $199 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814125174R id recconmend the saphire x800GTO2 for $199 tho coz word is u can unlock it to a full x850xt with a few tweaks. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814102595

 

[Nickrand]

I'm in the same situation, trying to upgrade for 200ish - max. I was going to buy a 6800GT if I could find one cheap, but they are impossible to find in AGP at a cheap price. I'm moved onto the 6800 vanilla.

 

[Kogan]

If concerned about BF2 and other directx games, check these benchmarks out:
http://www.anandtech.com/video/showdoc.aspx?i=2466&p=3
http://graphics.tomshardware.com/graphic/20050705/vga-charts-pcie-06.html

And you'll want to get an ATI card for the best BF2 performance for the money.

Here's some really good deals:
X800pro for $155 refurbished:
http://www.chiefvalue.com/app/productdetails.asp?submit=search&item=14-102-465R

X800pro from ATI for around $185 shipped after 1010 coupon:
http://shop.ati.com/searchresults.asp?dept_id=39

X800xl for around $180 from one of the guys in the forsale/trade forums.

And if you can find an x800gto2 for around $200 and feel like unlocking and overclocking, this will give you the best performance. These aren't really worth the inflated $250 price that some sites charge though - since you can typically find refurbished/used x800xt's for that price (which is what you're hoping to unlock/overclock to with a gto2).

6800 vanillas aren't the best for pci-e systems because these have lower speeds than the agp variants and can't be unlocked. They also aren't so great in BF2.

 

[xSauronx]

some good info guys thanks

am i taking a large risk going refurb? do most refurb cards do ok for everyone, and are just returns based on performance or some such rather than a hardware problem?

 

[SickBeast]

Originally posted by: xSauronx
some good info guys thanks

am i taking a large risk going refurb? do most refurb cards do ok for everyone, and are just returns based on performance or some such rather than a hardware problem?

i bought a refurb x800pro from ati and it's been fine. they're still waranteed, so the risk is minimal.

 

[hans030390]

Refurd isn't a huge risk, but it is a risk without a doubt.

It pretty much comes down to this. Get a new 6800 if you want shader model 3. If you dont want it, well dont ask me about ATI, because i'm not to sure what would be best.

If you're getting into refurb, check out http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814122209R

its a refurbished 6800gt (Leadtek, very good company). It's $230, but it'd probably be worth the extra money compared to a 6800 vanilla. But, if you dont want shader model 3, i'd recommend looking into the ATi cards.

 

[xSauronx]

Originally posted by: hans030390
Refurd isn't a huge risk, but it is a risk without a doubt.

It pretty much comes down to this. Get a new 6800 if you want shader model 3. If you dont want it, well dont ask me about ATI, because i'm not to sure what would be best.

If you're getting into refurb, check out http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814122209R

its a refurbished 6800gt (Leadtek, very good company). It's $230, but it'd probably be worth the extra money compared to a 6800 vanilla. But, if you dont want shader model 3, i'd recommend looking into the ATi cards.

not familiar with what shader model 3 is used in....dont say games, i understand that. i dont know *which games

like i said, he plays BF2 now, but is particularly bent on Oblivion when it comes out and wants it to run as best it can with his system, anyone know anything about what oblivion uses that would help make the decision?

 

[Budarow]

DO NOT GET A REFURB FROM NEWEGG. I'd seriously say your odds of getting a DOA video card from them is pushing 70-80%. And YOU pay to ship the POS back. The X800Pro (at $185 shipped...it's a decent price on a pretty good card) from ATI's web-site is the ONLY refurb I'd buy because it comes with an ATI 3-year warranty and many peeps who got refurbs from ATI received NEW cards over the last 3 months. YMMV.

Bud