my 9800Gt may be on its way out...

[nubreed000]

So i need a recommendation for a new card. Something cheap but that also performs. My PC isnt anywhere near new (CPU: CORE2DUO E8400@3GHZ w/ 4GB of RAM) so I ddfinitely dont want or need a n expensive id card. Pkus most modern games still run fine on my system (from what little games i do play)

Thanks in advance

edit:

Is this card any good? Its dirt cheap, so I'm a little weary that it may actually be worse than my current one, however the passive cooling is somewhat tempting (although I wonder how well it cools the card when its under stress): http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=7195109&CatId=3669

 

[Fallengod]

How dirt cheap do you need it? That GT 210 is garbage and not worth $20 heh.

My suggestion and a card I was just considering purchasing, is this galaxy GT 430 for $25AR. It is about 5X faster than that GT 210 and much closer to the performance of a 9800GT, also is only $5 more than that garbage GT 210.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814162067

That GT 430 is a pretty good deal at $25AR....A lot of bang 4 buck there.

 

[Smoblikat]

How dirt cheap do you need it? That GT 210 is garbage and not worth $20 heh.

My suggestion and a card I was just considering purchasing, is this galaxy GT 430 for $25AR. It is about 5X-8X faster than that GT 210 and much closer to the performance of a 9800GT and only $5 more than that garbage GT 210.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814162067

That GT 430 is a pretty good deal at $25AR....A lot of bang 4 buck there.

I second this, this is about equal to a 9600GSO.

 

[Fallengod]

If you want passive cooling, your options and bang 4 buck goes down considerably but, there are GT 520's and 6450/5450's out there for around $30AR with passive cooling. Those cards are significantly slower than a GT 430 though. Youll have to decide if you want speed or passive cooling, or both(which would be a different video card probably).

GT 520 passive cooled. $32AR http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121475

ATI 5450 passive: $20AR http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127601

ATI 6450 $25AR: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150581

Also note, all of these cards are a fraction of the speed of your previous 9800GT.....

 

[nubreed000]

If you want passive cooling, your options and bang 4 buck goes down considerably but, there are GT 520's and 6450/5450's out there for around $30AR with passive cooling. Those cards are significantly slower than a GT 430 though. Youll have to decide if you want speed or passive cooling, or both(which would be a different video card probably).

GT 520 passive cooled. $32AR http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121475

ATI 5450 passive: $20AR http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127601

ATI 6450 $25AR: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150581

Also note, all of these cards are a fraction of the speed of your previous 9800GT.....

Hmm...so what cards should I be looking at that are as good or better than my 9800GT? I really don't wanna spend more than $100 if I don't have to, but I'm definitely not downgrading.

 

[aloser]

So i need a recommendation for a new card. Something cheap but that also performs. My PC isnt anywhere near new (CPU: CORE2DUO E8400@3GHZ w/ 4GB of RAM) so I ddfinitely dont want or need a n expensive id card. Pkus most modern games still run fine on my system (from what little games i do play)

What games are those? I bought a Radeon 6770 - not exactly "cheap" but I'm happy with it (along the same thought pattern, do you plan to upgrade your computer any time soon and/or play any newer games than you already are; basically, do you want a card you can carry over?)

 

[Termie]

To get something even equivalent to your 9800gt, you'd need to spend at least $80 (for instance, the HD6670 - here's a silent one: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102950).

If you're willing to go slightly slower than a 9800gt, this GT440 would work well: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814500191

I wouldn't go much below that - it would be too big of a downgrade.

Ultimately, I think I'd go with a 6770, as mentioned above. This one would come in just under $100AR: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102940

 

[Fallengod]

Yeah, then you were totally looking in the wrong area of video cards. That GT 440 would work, but its not silent. The GT 210 you mentioned first is like, 1/10th the speed maybe less of a 9800GT heh.

This GT 440 that has DDR3 but a good passive heatsink isnt too shabby. $57AR. I was actually just debating purchasing this for myself(because I want something with decent speed and is silent).

http://www.amazon.com/GeForce-ENGT4...S1V0/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1329512992&sr=8-4

This is probably pretty close to the speed of a 9800GT id guess. I am not positive on that though, id have to look that up.

If you want ATI, a 6670 or so would work too. Find a decent one with passive cooling and youre set.

To actually improve on the performance of a 9800GT, youre gonna have to spend around $100 if you want that. A GTS 450 or 6770 maybe a GTX 550ti if you can find those under $100 would be a decent deal.

 

[nubreed000]

What games are those? I bought a Radeon 6770 - not exactly "cheap" but I'm happy with it (along the same thought pattern, do you plan to upgrade your computer any time soon and/or play any newer games than you already are; basically, do you want a card you can carry over?)

Well the mass effect 3 demo ran fine perfectly. Skyrim played well too, although obviously not at hih settings. Deus Ex Human Rev was acceptable too.

And I dont plan on upgrading any time soon. I barely game as is now so no point in shelling out a grand for a new pc.

Thanks for he replies...looks like ill be checking out that $80 radeon (or skmething in that class)

 

[daveybrat]

Here's my suggestions,

Best bang for the buck card below $100 by far would be:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102940

SAPPHIRE 100328L Radeon HD 6770 1GB GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card

The 6770 would be an 'upgrade' over the 9800GT in both speed and you get DX11 support.


Or......you could actually just buy the exact same card, another 9800GT Akimbo here:

http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=512-P3-N982-B2-CO-NP&cat=VCD

EVGA e-GeForce 9800GT Akimbo 512MB DDR3 PCI Express (PCIe) Dual DVI Video Card w/TV-Out & HDCP Support

This 9800GT is a 'New' pull and for $54.99 and free shipping, there is nothing on newegg for that price that can match that performance.

 

[RavenSEAL]

An HD6850 for $120~ will give you a 250% performance increase over that 9800GT

 

[DominionSeraph]

GTS 250 for $40 after rebate:
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1367481&CatId=3670

The GTS 250 is a rebadged 9800 GTX+, so it's faster than your 9800GT.

Here's someone on FS/FT selling a new in box GTS 250 for $55 shipped, if you don't want to mess around with that large $30 MIR from Tigerdirect.
http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2219479

Here's a 5770 (same thing as a 6770) for $75 on FS/FT
http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2226658

Here's a 768MB GTX 460 for $85
http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2224067

I'd say that GTX 460 is the best deal. It's 2-2.5x faster than your 9800GT, and a good 20-30% faster than the 5770 for only $10 more.


Some benchmarks:

http://www.anandtech.com/show/2856/5
I believe the 9800GT is just a rebadged 8800GT, so the review of the 5770 shows that speed, that of the GTS 250, and that of the 5770.
The 768MB GTX 460 is right around the same speed as the GTX 285 so you can just use that as a stand-in for the GTX 460.

 

[RaistlinZ]

I'd go with 6850.

 

[DominionSeraph]

I'd go with 6850.

Can you find one for under $100 to compete with a $85 GTX 460?

 

[RaistlinZ]

Can you find one for under $100 to compete with a $85 GTX 460?

Probably. I didn't know used cards were in play. I was going off the price of buying new since there's no guarantee he'll get that card before someone else.

 

[ocre]

Here's a 768MB GTX 460 for $85
http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2224067

I'd say that GTX 460 is the best deal. It's 2-2.5x faster than your 9800GT, and a good 20-30% faster than the 5770 for only $10 more.


Some benchmarks:

http://www.anandtech.com/show/2856/5
I believe the 9800GT is just a rebadged 8800GT, so the review of the 5770 shows that speed, that of the GTS 250, and that of the 5770.
The 768MB GTX 460 is right around the same speed as the GTX 285 so you can just use that as a stand-in for the GTX 460.

wow thats a great deal!


OP,
the 460 is the best listed so far. This is the one to get for sure. its under 100$ and you will notice a big performance jump without a doubt!

 

[Termie]

wow thats a great deal!


OP,
the 460 is the best listed so far. This is the one to get for sure. its under 100$ and you will notice a big performance jump without a doubt!

It's a good deal, but it's totally overpowered for his purposes and it's used - does he really need to be taking changes on used cards when he's busy trying to figure out how to replace an existing busted card? I wouldn't bother. He's better off buying a new 5770 for around the same amount.

 

[DominionSeraph]

I was going off the price of buying new

The problem is the "new" price is 20% more than the max he'd like to pay.
For many titles he'd be running 60FPS at the 6770 level so the additional power of the 6850 over it won't really be used. For many other titles he'll be CPU limited by his E8400 so the extra power of the 6850 won't really be used. So why are we pushing someone who "barely games" and who was fine with a 9800GT into spending $30 more than a 6770 to get the 6850?
It's a fine card at a fine price, but I don't see that it fits here. If he wants new and wants a substantial upgrade, the 6770 can be had for $90 AR from Amazon inc. shipping. It just pairs better with that C2D, IMO.

 

[DominionSeraph]

It's a good deal, but it's totally overpowered for his purposes and it's used - does he really need to be taking changes on used cards when he's busy trying to figure out how to replace an existing busted card? I wouldn't bother. He's better off buying a new 5770 for around the same amount.

For things like video cards he's probably safer used. Having something that was actually tested as working seems to beat the level of QA of most manufacturers. That GTX 460 is being sold by someone with 56 positives/no negs, with most of his sales to Anandtechers. And it's $15 cheaper than a new 6770 before rebate (and still cheaper after) while being substantially faster.
Yes, the performance is self-indulgent, but at that price, why not indulge? I mean, yes, it'd be a total waste to go up to $130 ($120 AR) for a 6850 just to indulge in stupid amounts of anti-aliasing, but to get nearly the same power at only $85?

 

[Termie]

For things like video cards he's probably safer used. Having something that was actually tested as working seems to beat the level of QA of most manufacturers. That GTX 460 is being sold by someone with 56 positives/no negs, with most of his sales to Anandtechers. And it's $15 cheaper than a new 6770 before rebate (and still cheaper after) while being substantially faster.
Yes, the performance is self-indulgent, but at that price, why not indulge? I mean, yes, it'd be a total waste to go up to $130 ($120 AR) for a 6850 just to indulge in stupid amounts of anti-aliasing, but to get nearly the same power at only $85?

Well, the other issue he could run into is not having sufficient PCIe power cables coming off his PSU for the GTX460. Unless he has two, he'd need molex adapters, and the used model may not have them. Just another thing to keep in mind in terms of cost. Well, that and whether his PSU can even handle it. He needs at least a good quality 350-400w PSU (e.g., Seasonic, Corsair, or Antec).

 

[DominionSeraph]

Well, the other issue he could run into is not having sufficient PCIe power cables coming off his PSU for the GTX460. Unless he has two, he'd need molex adapters, and the used model may not have them. Just another thing to keep in mind in terms of cost. Well, that and whether his PSU can even handle it. He needs at least a good quality 350-400w PSU (e.g., Seasonic, Corsair, or Antec).

768MB GTX 460 uses only 30W more than a 8800GT, so PSU is unlikely to be an issue. Molex to 6-pins aren't hard to come by -- they're shipped free with most graphics cards and never used so they tend to accumulate. (I think my BiL has at least four.) There's probably 50 people on the forums who'd throw one in an envelope and mail it off for him if he needed one.

 

[Denithor]

Another vote here for the GTX 460, it's a great match for an e8400 (see my second rig).