Need AGP Video Card Recommendation

[ac0403]

So heres the deal...The ATI Radeon 9800 Pro video card in one of my machines has died. I need to find an AGP replacement card for the machine. This machine is used for moderate gaming so I would like to replace it with something decent. My budget is at or below $200. So what are your recommendations?

BTW...this machine is about 4 years old and will not be replaced/upgraded anytime soon. So PCI-e is out of the question.

 

[postmortemIA]

X1950Pro is fastest AGP can offer, but slightly over $200.
next options are X1650XT and 7600GT. I would choose in that order, based on price to performance ratio.

 

[Summitdrinker]

other cards are the ATI x800/x850 pro/XT,
but these need a good power supply
maybe get a used one

other options are the 7600gs, but it's over priced for the performance

the 7800GSOC can be had for about 190 to 220 dollars, not bad


but the best bang for the buck depending on the deal you find just maybe the 7600GT

7600gt vs 9800 pro


plus it just depends on how much Cpu power you have, spending big dollars for a old slow cpu may not be worth it. plus it depends on the games you play and at what settings

7600GS vs 7600 GT

agp performance upgrades

 

[ac0403]

So the specs on the machine is...

- 3.0Ghz Intel P4
- 1 Gig PC3200 RAM
- Abit IC7-G Motherboard
- 400w Antec PSU

I was looking at the x1950 Pro...but the price is a little over $200. Another concern of mine is that if I switch from an ATI card to a Nvidia...I do not have the time or desire to reformat the machine. So what I'm trying to say is, if I get an Nvidia card...do I have to format the machine and do a clean install?

 

[ivar1234]

I'm in the same boat, except I have an ASUS 9600XT with 128 MB DDR. The engine clock runs at 500 MHz, Memory Clock at 600 MHz (300 MHz DDR), and RAMDAC at 400 MHZ.

I can get an ATI Radeon X1650 Pro with 512 MB DDR for $175, including tax. Its engine clock runs at 590 MHz, Memory Clock at 1380 MHz, and RAMDAC at 400 MHz.

This is $10 more than the NVIDIA 7600 GS 512 MB, and about $40 cheaper than the NVIDIA 7600 GS OC. I haven't found an AGP 7600 GT, which would undoubtably be better than the X1650 Pro.

In my area, the ATI X1950 Pro 256 MB is running at over $300 with tax. By the way, I think it was a newer version of the X1950 Pro and will run on the 400w power supply.

(I would be interested in any comments as to whether the X1650 512 MB board is that big an improvement over the 9600XT. My option is to wait until the X1950 drops below $200.

 

[happy medium]

I have the same machine as you, and I have a 7800gs (they overclock well) and it's a perfect match for my cpu. You can find them under 200.00$. Even cheaper with rebates.

 

[BladeVenom]

An X1950Pro can be had for under $200 after rebate. Link.

An X1650Pro can be had for a little under $100 after rebate. Link.

 

[Summitdrinker]

well rumor has it NV MAYBE coming out with a new AGP card in a few months that is DX10 for about 180 to 200 dollars............fact or fiction???????????????


checkout this massive thread on the 1950pro agp

the x1950pro agp seems to have it's share of problems.............

a p4 3.0 is worth upgrading to a higher end card

agp upgrade part 2

reformat from the ati to a Nv switch??????????? unsure about that one, others here have more experince than me on this, I would try not reformating first, it often is not a problem

 

[happy medium]

Don't forget that a 1950pro will usually need a new power supply also. So add another 79.00$ What power supply do you have?