Oh Great Nerd Oracle: Is an ATI 32MB Radeon 7000 DDR AGP card a decent el cheapo graphics card?

[Swazzle]

I just upgraded one of my computers and I'm going to use everything I pulled out of it to build another computer on the cheap and I need to get a graphics card for it.

I was looking around and I found a store that sells white boxed ATI 32MB Radeon 7000 DDR AGP cards for $25 and I'm wondering if anyone can tell me if the cards are decent and if that price is good? (The computer isn't going to be used for high-end games so that's not really an issue.)

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[R3solve]

Yes. Honestly, yes. I have one and I LOVE IT. It works waaaay better than my friend's geforce4 mx440 which is 64megs of DDR!!! This card is 32 sdr and it rocks! Sadly, I will be replacing it with a ti4600 soon, but I will honor it by placing it in my backup system. If you're going for budget, this IS THE BEST you can get. Don't let anyone tell you this card sucks; I have proof. Did I mention I play UT2k3 at 800X600 with max details and still get around 40-50 fps? This card isn't even overclocked!

 

[Moeken]

I think R3solve is blowing sunshine up your hoop
I have an ATI 7200 64 MB DDR and its ok, but nothing spectacular.
I think my 3dMark2001 is somewhere around 6000 or something like that.

 

[R3solve]

LOL I was actually being serious, for once.

 

[The_Lurker]

The 7000 is a decent card, and for $25, u can't really go wrong (heck, takes me $35 to get a TNT2 here in Canada! (that is USD)). Snag it if you can get it for $25! Can't go wrong, great 2d, good driver support, and decent 3d (for todays terms), what more can u ask for?

 

[Rand]

For $25 you definitely can't complain.
Good 2D, fantastic DVD playback, and solid multimedia fuinctionality. Respectable 3D feature set.... the 3D performance is a bit weal by current standards, but for basic uses it should do adequately... and your definitely not going to find anything better that cheap.

 

[spanky]

i dont know it is better then the gf4mx, but for $25... it is a good deal. i would not expect to much from it in modern fps games... but 2d is crisp.

 

[macssuck]

I currently have a Geforoce 2MX 32MB. My buddy was going to give me a Radeon VE 32MB would this be better than my geforce?

 

[Rand]

Originally posted by: macssuck
I currently have a Geforoce 2MX 32MB. My buddy was going to give me a Radeon VE 32MB would this be better than my geforce?

In every respect besides 3D gaming performance it's a superior board. The classic GF2 MX is slightly faster then the Radeon VE in gaming though.

 

[tcsenter]

The Radeon 7000 (aka Radeon VE) with or without DDR is a big dud. I realize it has good 2D and of course ATI's great DVD decode, but its performance is mediocre at best, at least according to Tom's VGA Charts, which has the Radeon 7000 showing poorly near the bottom of the heap in every test. Yes, I realize that for $30 it is arguably the best card available in that price range.

For just a little more, I found this Gigabyte Maya AR64DG Radeon 7500 "Pro" (not LE or VE versions) with 64MB DDR Retail Box for $58.00 delivered ($51.00 + $7.00 shipping) at FTI Computer.

Also, Nexthardwareshop.com has a Built By ATI OEM Radeon 7500 64MB DDR (not LE or VE versions) for $42.00 + $11.00 shipping.

 

[Killrose]

There are usually Retail Radeon 32mb DDR boards in the For Sale/Trade section for $35 shipped and Hacked LE's for $30.
$25 is a good deal for new white boxed, but if you are into gamming, i'd pass and get a good used Retail DDR.

 

[nardvark]

that's the exact card I run now. It's solid. Great 2d, DVD playback, etc...gaming is mediocre, but I can play everything but the very newest games at reasonable resolutions.
I'm actually planning on upgrading to a 9500pro soon, but that card has served me quite well, and I recommend it.

 

[hans007]

the 7000 is a radeon VE. rv100 core. 64bit DDR mem bus, 183mhz ram, no T&L engine.


it is not a good gaming card, and is comparable to a tnt2 ultra.

i'd personally spend a bit more cash and get a 7200 at least , thats got the full r100 core, with t&l and 128bit ddr. both cards are pretty old anywyas so the cost difference should be pretty clost to nothing. the 7000 does support dual monitors though so i guess that an advantage.

 

[BFG10K]

The Radeon 7000 sucks for 3D gaming but is great for 2D and DVD playback. For the price it is a nice budget card.