Recommendation for card under $100

[ramj70]

My mom currently has an AMD 4200 IGP that she uses with her computer. She likes to play adventure games like Machinarium and Syberia II and games that are similar and she also likes puzzle games. I thought the integrated graphics would be fine but she says during some games it slows down. I told her I would get her a dedicated card, I know she doesn't need anything real expensive though.

She has an Athlon II X3 435, 4GB ram and her monitor resolution is 1680x1050. I was thinking something along the lines of a 5670?

 

[Arkaign]

5670 should be a fantastic choice. Chances are it'll be overkill a lot of the time, but it's a great value and it'll probably be the only card she ever has to put in there. As time goes by, you might also snag her a cheap PhII X4 955 or something in a couple of years when they become dirt cheap just to stretch that system along a little longer, and maybe an SSD when they get cheaper. It sounds ridiculous now, but by ~2014-2015, who knows, probably even basic games like that will need more juice.

 

[nanaki333]

newegg has a sapphire 5830 for $109.

 

[radical-ed]

If you can find them the gtx 460 768mb used are around 100 if you need new look at the 5770 and 5830s there right around 100 new and are currently best bang for your buck at the $100 range

 

[nonameo]

newegg has a sapphire 5830 for $109.

except that 58xx stuff everywhere is OOS, probably due to bitcoin.

 

[Awkward]

5770 maybe

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-363-_-Product

89.99 after rebate.

 

[Red Hawk]

5770 maybe

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-363-_-Product

89.99 after rebate.

Hey, I just bought that card last month for $10 more! Sneaky bastards...:hmm:

OT: A 5670 would do just fine. Something like a 5830 or 5770 would be major overkill and probably last your mom a loooooong time.

 

[aphelion02]

Maybe a used 8800GT or something like that? Maybe something like this: http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2168981

 

[RaistlinZ]

8800GT runs hot. 5670 or 460 768MB should fit the bill.

 

[ramj70]

Thanks for the input everyone. I just ordered her an XFX 5670, the 5770 with the rebate was tempting but I never had too much luck with rebates. After I upgrade my CPU I'll give her my Phenom II 965 so her system should last for some time. Unless she gets into more graphic intensive games, she's becoming quite the little gamer at 75 years old.

 

[Red Hawk]

Thanks for the input everyone. I just ordered her an XFX 5670, the 5770 with the rebate was tempting but I never had too much luck with rebates. After I upgrade my CPU I'll give her my Phenom II 965 so her system should last for some time. Unless she gets into more graphic intensive games, she's becoming quite the little gamer at 75 years old.

 

[ramj70]

LOL, yeah she loves her games, keeps her young I guess

Its funny that after I built my mom her computer, my dad wanted me to build him another. I already built him one a couple years ago, dual core, 4GB ram and 22 inch monitor. He doesn't play any games, just surfing the web and his genealogy stuff on MS word.

His computer was working just fine, but he liked the case my mom had and of course hers was newer so he had me build him one to keep up. So he got the exact same case except a different color, a quad core instead of triple core and a bigger hard drive. Then he wanted a new monitor because my mom had a 24 inch and he had a 22, so I got him a 27 inch. Now he will probably want a dedicated video card now, I'm not going to tell him about my GTX470 sitting in the closet otherwise he might want it :biggrin: