Please recommend sub $100 video AGP/PCI card

[lokitech]

Just got together a P4-3.4 system (single core 775 chip) with 2 gigs. Installed my old AGP FX5500 w/256 meg. Notice that its rating for most current games are at the bottom of the scales. This MB only has AGP and PCI, no PCI-E
What half way decent card would you recommend for under $100 (sales price of couse, not MSRP)??

Thanks

Last week I found an AGP fx7800 (or 7600) with 512 meg at a compusa closing sale for $90.00, but did not bite because it was an open box that they retaped shut and would not let me check the contents before purchasing (all sales final).

 

[Shawn]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814241040

 

[mercanucaribe]

Kind of late to be putting together a P4 system.

 

[CurseTheSky]

If you already have an FX5500, I'd keep it for now and just do a complete system upgrade when you can afford it. $100 on AGP now is $100 down the drain next time you build a system.

With that being said, the card you saw at CompUSA was either an FX 5600, FX 5800, 7600GS, 7600GT, 7800GS, or 7800GT. The 7xxx series are great cards, but I would definately stay away from the FX 5xxx series - they're horrible. I think the only FX series card that could do anything decent was the FX 5950 Ultra, and it had a high price tag for the time.

 

[imported_Kiwi]

Originally posted by: CurseTheSky
If you already have an FX5500, I'd keep it for now and just do a complete system upgrade when you can afford it. $100 on AGP now is $100 down the drain next time you build a system.

With that being said, the card you saw at CompUSA was either an FX 5600, FX 5800, 7600GS, 7600GT, 7800GS, or 7800GT. The 7xxx series are great cards, but I would definately stay away from the FX 5xxx series - they're horrible. I think the only FX series card that could do anything decent was the FX 5950 Ultra, and it had a high price tag for the time.

All of the nVidia FXes suffered from nVidia's huge ego problem at its upper management level. Instead of the proper Pixel Shaders for Dx9, they created a "next step upward" of their own, like "SM-3" only still more complex (32-bit complex). They had no proper emulation for SM-2, so they ran that slowly. I had two of the supposedly "better" second try fifth generation cards, and they were still slow (5700, 5900).

It is entirely possible to move into SM-2 for $50, with a Radeon 9600 card, although that is almost as slow in Dx8 (and/or in OpenGL) as the FX 5500 is. A 9600 Pro is much better than the vanilla card, but hard to find for less than $70.

 

[CurseTheSky]

I owned a FX 5900SE (I think it was a "special" labeled XT). It was slow, but it did alright. Unfortunately I upgraded from integrated graphics -> MX420 -> FX5200 -> FX 5900SE, instead of just buying a 9800Pro on the second or third step.

With that being said, if you can find a used 9800Pro, 6600GT (AGP), or X800 (XT? AGP) for a decent price, they may be worth a look.

 

[Summitdrinker]

try getting a good deal on a used or new 6800GT, x850xt, x800pro etc

but really you could just spend a little more money and get 7600Gt, 7800GS, 7900GS, or x1950 pro
it just depends on your needs, what games are you going to play and at what settings

what is your power supply, and how big is your case?

some links:
http://www.gpureview.com/show_cards.php

x1950 pro testing

 

[imported_Kiwi]

Originally posted by: CurseTheSky
I owned a FX 5900SE (I think it was a "special" labeled XT). It was slow, but it did alright. Unfortunately I upgraded from integrated graphics -> MX420 -> FX5200 -> FX 5900SE, instead of just buying a 9800Pro on the second or third step.

With that being said, if you can find a used 9800Pro, 6600GT (AGP), or X800 (XT? AGP) for a decent price, they may be worth a look.

I also started from a really low level (for 3D) basis, with a TNT2 at least. The Ti-200 seemed tremendous after that, so for another system, I found a good deal on a Ti-4200, which was really great, I thought, without having seen a Radeon 9700 to compare it with. My 5700 was the Ultra, and my 5900 was the Vanilla. But Dx9 raised its head higher, and the FXes failed me, to my great disappointment.

I went from that 5900 on one system, to a 6600 GT, and from the 5700, to a 9800 XT. And the 9800 was better, although it wanted to run way too hot in Oblivion (and I did get it for less than $100, same as I got the X800 XT and 6800 GT for, that were the next step up). The 6800 GT needs help with its 2D, though (using it right now, and wanting to do my web surfing with something that handles graphics with a slightly sharper image, like another X800).

There's a third machine here, running that FX 5700 now, as a stand-in for the now-dead oldest PC I'd been running, that had a BFG 6600 OC in it that had "decent" 2D image quality, for which I'm keeping a watch going for a Radeon card at eBay. I'm having to return an X800 Pro I got for less than $80 that was advertised as AGP, but turned out to be PCI-e, and I have no need for that.

In other words, if you shop the overstocks and used marketplaces, you can get deals.

 

[Rockhound1]

You can get a 7600GS 256MB card (Link) for less than $100.

After mail-in rebate.

 

[lokitech]

Thanks for all the feedback.

been looking at the 7600GS AGP w/ 512mb.
CompUSlessA has the PNY for 129.99, and I have seen it at both bestbuy and circuit city at 180. May get them to price match + 10%, if the its worth the price for a midline card. Still reading reviews.
Link
Any experience with this card? I can get it with 256mb for 99 as posted in one of the links here...

Thanks

 

[Rockhound1]

Save your money. You will not see any benefit to the 512MB as compared to the 256MB.

 

[imported_Kiwi]

Originally posted by: Rockhound1
Save your money. You will not see any benefit to the 512MB as compared to the 256MB.

For most PC owners, the reason to have a video card with a 600, 800, or 900 level of performance is game play. Only the faster 800s and 900s have both the memory system (256 bit) and core speed to offer value from more than 256 MBs in games. For photo and video editing, you don't need speed, and can use extra VRAM, so a dead slow card useless for games, but with a lot of (slow) VRAM on it, can be put to some use at least.

In this case, that's a hefty extra cost to pay for something you cannot use!

 

[lokitech]

Originally posted by: Rockhound1
Save your money. You will not see any benefit to the 512MB as compared to the 256MB.

Thanks again guys, I picked up an 7600GS AGP w/256mb for $70 at one of my wholesellers. Had to call 9 different company to find one of them who still have AGP cards in stock. Could not find the GT version anywhere.

Installed it and tried a few benchmark and found it a lot faster then the old fx card (I had a fx5200 w/256, its just a tat slower then the fx5500). Run 3Dmark06 and it runs about 8 - 10 times faster then the fx5200. I am able to turn up the graphics to next to the best setting in CC3. Amazing details difference.

 

[jjv687]

FPS and benchmakrs aren't everything A 7 series card should LOOK a lot better than a 5 series card