need help with choosing best graphic card.

[LoneRangerUSA]

Hi all,

I am looking for a graphic card in the $175-$100 range.
I have poweredge 400sc and a Planar PX171M 17" LCD flatpanel monitor.

I would like to get an ATI AIW, but not sure how well it handles DVI.
Or would it be better if I get a regular graphic card and get a TV card separately?
Thanks in advance for any suggestions!

 

[PCHPlayer]

You need to give a little more info on what you plan to use it for (Games, video editing, photo editing, video capture, watch TV, etc). Also, what type of upgrader are you? If you like to change video cards every 6 months, go with a separate tuner card. If you stick with a single card for a couple years then I think the convinience of the ATi AIW package is worth the extra bucks you pay on your next upgrade.

 

[videoclone]

DONT GET THE AIW card .... if you ever upgrade your videocard you will hafta buy a new TV card .. because you only have 1 AGP slot and the card is going to hafta be removed to make room for a new vid card!.

In the end it costs the same to get a Video card and a TV card .. separately ... as it does too get the cards as 1 incarnation

If i was you i would get either an Radeon 9600 Pro .. find a cheap one and a TV card

if you wanna save some money get a Radeon 8500 or Radeon 9200 and a TV card

or you could always get a Geforce Ti42008x and a TV card it all depends on what price's you can find these things for!
good bargens are always a good buy. go for price!!!

All 3 cards are good in games and everyday use but if your going to get the 9200 just make sure its a 128bit memory bus card and not a 64bit one
and stay away from cards with SE at the end of them .. there bad.

As for DVI not working well ... on the AIW card .. i dont think you should have any problems with any DVI plug on any videocard .. if theres going to be an image problem its going to be the videocard and drivers used .... not the ports ! unless there physically broken.

 

[LoneRangerUSA]

Thanks you all for the feed back. I have a TV card so I am good. Okay I see a good deal from Buy.com XFX GEFORCE FX 5900 128 MB DDR DVI & TV comes with rebate and stuff brings it down to $158. I think this will do.

 

[PCHPlayer]

Originally posted by: videoclone
DONT GET THE AIW card .... if you every upgrade your videocard you will hafta buy a new TV card .. because you only have 1 AGP slot and the card is going to hafta be removed to make room for a new vid card!.

I completely disagree. The AIW cards are a very nice integrated package that elimates the hassle of trying to get the TV tuner card working with the video card. What happens if the new video card I bought doesn't play nice with my old TV tuner card? I have to buy a new TV tuner card. If you don't think this ever happens go over to rage3d and check out some of the forums over there for people who try to get ATi TV wonder cards to work with nVidia video cards.
As I stated above, if you upgrade often then the AIW cards are a bad deal, but if you are like me and only upgrade every two years or so then I think the reduced hassle is worth the extra $50 per upgrade.

 

[videoclone]

Upgrading 2 a new videocard makes the AIW useless.
I'm sure the ATI TV cards dont work with Nvidia video cards because of something that ATI implemented in there drivers just so you you hafta buy ATI !!! ..

Screw ATI just get a Philips based Card from the 100 other manufacturers who make TV cards ... ive got a Philips TV card and its worked with 5 other video cards ive upgraded over the few years ATI and Nvidia .. not 1 single problem !! the reason people have problems getting some TV cards too work is cause they don?t know what there doing !! TV cards are not as easy to get going as people think.

PS: if the card you get doesn?t have descent software with it grab Dscaler its the best alternative.

 

[Keysplayr]

Originally posted by: PCHPlayer

Originally posted by: videoclone
DONT GET THE AIW card .... if you every upgrade your videocard you will hafta buy a new TV card .. because you only have 1 AGP slot and the card is going to hafta be removed to make room for a new vid card!.

I completely disagree. The AIW cards are a very nice integrated package that elimates the hassle of trying to get the TV tuner card working with the video card. What happens if the new video card I bought doesn't play nice with my old TV tuner card? I have to buy a new TV tuner card. If you don't think this ever happens go over to rage3d and check out some of the forums over there for people who try to get ATi TV wonder cards to work with nVidia video cards.
As I stated above, if you upgrade often then the AIW cards are a bad deal, but if you are like me and only upgrade every two years or so then I think the reduced hassle is worth the extra $50 per upgrade.

Does he have an ATI TVWonder card?
What kind of TV card do you have Ranger?

Keys

 

[LoneRangerUSA]

I have a winfast TV 2000 XP card.

 

[Corporate Thug]

Originally posted by: PCHPlayer

Originally posted by: videoclone
DONT GET THE AIW card .... if you every upgrade your videocard you will hafta buy a new TV card .. because you only have 1 AGP slot and the card is going to hafta be removed to make room for a new vid card!.

I completely disagree. The AIW cards are a very nice integrated package that elimates the hassle of trying to get the TV tuner card working with the video card. What happens if the new video card I bought doesn't play nice with my old TV tuner card? I have to buy a new TV tuner card. If you don't think this ever happens go over to rage3d and check out some of the forums over there for people who try to get ATi TV wonder cards to work with nVidia video cards.
As I stated above, if you upgrade often then the AIW cards are a bad deal, but if you are like me and only upgrade every two years or so then I think the reduced hassle is worth the extra $50 per upgrade.

i have tested the leadtek tv tuner with a 9500 pro/9600 pro /9700 pro/9800 pro/ geforce 2 mx 400 / geforce 4 ti4200

not a single problem with any of them

and i know that when my video card gets upgraded, the tv tuner will still be there

 

[Keysplayr]

Originally posted by: LoneRangerUSA
I have a winfast TV 2000 XP card.

Then you should be fine with any of the cards Shady mentioned. ATI or NVIDIA.

Unlike the ATI TV Wonder card, your card seems to play nice with most cards out there. So its a matter of how much you want to spend
at this point.

50-100 range Ti4200 128
100-150 range GFFX 5600Ultra or Radeon 9600pro ( will have better gaming performance with the Radeon)
150-200 range GFFX 5700Ultra or 5900nu or Radeon 9600XT or 9800np (will have better gaming performance with 5900)
200-infinity GFFX 5950U or Radeon 9800pro or 9800XT (toss up for gaming performance in todays games)

Hope this helps.

Keys