Need quick answer please! worth updating my video card to a cheap newer one?

[LurkingInNC]

Please bear with a novice for what is probably an ignorant question.

I've got an older system I built several years ago. It's got an NVIDIA GeForce 2 GTS 32 MB DDR 4x AGP Video card w/S-Video Out. My system has an Athlon 1600+ cpu overclocked to just under 1600 actual. 1G DDR 400 memory stick, and an MSI KT3 Ultra 2 motherboard.

I need to order something pretty quickly at buy.com and noticed that they have an XFX GeForce 6200 128MB DDR 8x AGP Video Card ( DVI TV-Out VGA ) I can get for $27 + tax after a $5 rebate and 10% off coupon.

Is it even worth spending $27 on this card given I don't game and probably won' t upgrade my cpu soon (pretty broke)? I did buy a Benq burner I haven't put in yet, so maybe I'll be watching video in the near future (if my Athlon will handle it, lol).

Thanks for putting up with a real noob question!

Thanks for tolerating

 

[schneiderguy]

if you dont play any games, no it isnt worth it. 2d performance should be the same between the GTS & 6200

 

[LurkingInNC]

thanks for the quick response. thinking about it, I might try some gaming (up to whatever my cpu would handle) for when my teenage nephews come to visit...

also should have noted that I've just got a very old 19" monitor (.26 I think?)...

 

[unfalliblekrutch]

If you want to game, the 6200 won't be very good, but it'll do for some light gaming. A friend of mine plays CoD2 on pretty low settings on his 6200 and he's happy with it.

 

[Griswold]

Stick with the geforce2. Or try to find a ATI radeon 9800pro/xt.

 

[LurkingInNC]

Found a review of the card (5/2005). Pretty positive; highlights that it was the only budget card that supports the technologies DirectX 9.0, Shader Model 3.0 and PureVideo.

Text

BUT my mb supports only 4x AGP, so suspect most advantages would be wasted. Guess I'll stick with what I've got until I upgrade entire system.

Thanks for the feedback!

 

[schneiderguy]

only having AGP4x wont make a difference in performance with the 6200. most AGP cards cant even saturate the 4x bus

 

[Nextman916]

Yep, 4x from 8x will have almost no performance impact, if you have a 2x agp slot then their might be some. But with a 6200 i dont think it really matters. And yes all 8x cards will work with 4x.

 

[LurkingInNC]

Since this seems so inexpensive (actually $26.50) with my one time use 10% coupon code, thought I'd ask a couple more questions before I pull the trigger on my order without this.

Any feedback on the quality of XFX (a division of Pine) products in general?

Following are some features they list for the GeForce 6200 card. I know this is advertising, trying to entice one to buy, but want to double check whether any of the features listed would be of much benefit w.r.t. even watching video on my setup as compared to my GeForce 2 card. Mostly dvd's (no high speed internet service where I live). And it would be nice if I could run a cable from my Satellite receiver to my computer to record shows, but not thinking of using this as a full-on DVR.

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CineFX 3.0 Engine:
Powers the next generation of cinematic realism. Full support for Microsoft DirectX 9.0 Shader Model 3.0 enables stunning and complex special effects. Next-generation shader architecture delivers faster and smoother gameplay. Intellisample 3.0 Technology:
The industry's fastest antialiasing delivers ultra-realistic visuals, with no jagged edges, at lightning-fast speeds. Visual quality is taken to new heights through a new rotated grid sampling pattern.

NVIDIA PureVideo Technology:
The combination of high-definition video processors and NVIDIA DVD decoder software delivers unprecedented picture clarity, smooth video, accurate color, and precise image scaling for all video content to turn your PC into a high-end home theater.

WMV-HD Hardware Acceleration:
Playback videos in Microsoft's Windows Media Video High Definition (WMV-HD) format without skipping frames or losing video detail. Accepted by the HD-DVD consortium as a new HD format, WMV-HD is now part of Windows XP to make it easy for users to edit and save their favorite videos.

nView Multi-Display Technology:
The nView hardware and software technology combination delivers maximum flexibility for multi-display options, and provides unprecedented end-user control of the desktop experience.

High-Definition MPEG-2 Hardware Acceleration:
Smoothly playback all MPEG-2 video with minimal CPU usage so the PC is free to do other work. Battery life is extended when watching DVDs while running on battery. MPEG-2 is the standard format for DVDs, is accepted as a format for HD-DVD, and is also used for HD broadcast.

High-Quality Real-Time Video Recording:
Get full digital video recording functionality without losing data. With NVIDIA PureVideo technology, high-quality recording preserves picture detail while also using minimal space to store videos on the hard drive.

Integrated TV Encoder:
Provides best-of-class TV-out functionality for resolutions up to 1024x768.

Vibrant Color Temperature Correction:
Color temperature correction makes actors faces appear natural, rather than washed out and pale, when playing videos on LCD and CRT displays.
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It probably sounds like I'm trying to talk myself into this, but really I'm triple checking so that I don't miss out on some features that might be beneficial (at least $26.50 worth) given that I've only got one shot at the coupon/ rebate combo.

Thanks again, I promise these are my last questions!

 

[F1shF4t]

6200 cards are not too bad, well for low end that is, by bro is using a 6200 for oblivion at 1024 * 768 with low settings, and supposedly it runs fine, i havent seen it though.

 

[unfalliblekrutch]

xfx has a lifetime warranty and makes pretty good products currently. It -might- help accelerate your dvd's more than your GTS, I'm not sure. If you want TV IN, you'll have to get a TV tuner....not a standard graphics card.

 

[GreenMonkey]

If you aren't gaming, there's no point to a new video card. They all produce video pretty much equally. Only way you should be considering a new video card is if you plan on playing HD video and getting one of the Nvidia cards with HD acceleration.

 

[Maxspeed996]

Originally posted by: Nextman916
Yep, 4x from 8x will have almost no performance impact, if you have a 2x agp slot then their might be some. But with a 6200 i dont think it really matters. And yes all 8x cards will work with 4x.

I don't think ALL 8x video cards are backwards compatible to work in a 4x slot...there are voltage differences on some of them that you have to look for. You will need to check the voltage of the AGP slot on your board at least , and make sure that your video card , should you decide to upgrade , will be able to run at that voltage.

 

[akshayt]

8x is backward compatible

 

[LurkingInNC]

Thanks for all your feedback. I went ahead and ordered the 6200 card. Since it was only $26.50, I hope I can get my money back on eBay if I decide not to use it. No way do I want to invest more $ than that in a higher end card right now.

I would like to do a bit more gaming, but nothing cutting edge. I've got some older 2D games like NASCAR Racing, X-Wing, and Star Fighter that I haven't even got installed but would like to 'optimize' (as much as one can 'optimize' with little money. an oxymoron, I know, lol). Mainly to keep my nephews occupied when they visit...

I'll double check the voltage issue. I cut & pasted the exchange below from an nVNews forum thread discussing a review of a 6200 card:

nV News thread discussing a review of the 6200 card
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AlphaWolf_HK
What I mean by mixing AGP speeds is that this is an AGP 8x card, and my motherboard is 4x AGP.

From what I understand, AGP 4x (and less) is 1.5v, whereas AGP 8x is 0.8v. What I have read is that some video cards are dual compatible with 8x and 4x, but others will fry both the card and the motherboard if they aren't. I can't find any information on whether or not this specific card is dual compatible.
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Response:
Zoomy942

haha, i didnt even think i that, 4x vs 8x. yeah, it will work perfect. most mobos have, in the firmware, auto voltages on the AGP slot. my pc at work is a pro slot, but i just decides what voltage is best for my card. So, you'll be safe in that regard. you card will run at 4X instead of 8x, and your motherboard will automatically do that. It wont affect performance though. 4x and 8x run just the same. (which is my pci express is overrated at the moment.)
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[schneiderguy]

Originally posted by: LurkingInNC

I would like to do a bit more gaming, but nothing cutting edge. I've got some older 2D games like NASCAR Racing, X-Wing, and Star Fighter that I haven't even got installed but would like to 'optimize' (as much as one can 'optimize' with little money. an oxymoron, I know, lol). Mainly to keep my nephews occupied when they visit...

your computer should run HL1 based games pretty well, if your newhpews are interested in shooters. (CS 1.6, Day of Defeat, all the other HL1 mods)

 

[beggerking]

its actually well worth it.. 6200 is actually a pretty good card.