"Starter" PCI-e video?

Toggle sidebar Toggle sidebar
K

Kaifu

Member
Nov 10, 2003
147
0
0
The last computer I "purchased" was back in 1999. I managed to upgrade it part by part except for the motherboard and cpu until it has essentially now become a "legacy" game machine (if you consider Half-Life a legacy game).

I'm already set on getting the ePoX 9NPA+ Ultra motherboard based on the wonderful article on this site. It's a budget-priced board with good performance.

The question is... what's a decent "starter" PCI-e video card that'll let me play the games I want to play (e.g. BF2, Guild Wars, Half-Life 2, F.E.A.R) decently so that I can worry about upgrading when the PCI-e cards come down in price. I've tried looking at some articles on video cards, but frankly, things like this (despite being very informative) just confound the issue.

I'm looking to spend about $200-250 tops. I don't need top-end performance here, just something that will run the games I want to play and won't have serious slow-downs and framerate drops under normal operating conditions.

Am I crazy? Am I deluded? Am I in luck?

EDITED to add:

I already have 2GB of PC3200 Corsair ValueSelect DDR patiently waiting to be placed into the motherboard. I'll be going with SATA/150 drives. Not sure if this helps with providing advice, but I figured I'd throw that in there.
 
blckgrffn

blckgrffn

Diamond Member
May 1, 2003
9,676
4,309
136
www.teamjuchems.com
In your price range, shoot higher than a 6600GT or X700 Pro, you should be able to get at least an X800Pro or so...

Or the one Munky linked, the X800 has 12 pipes vs the others 8, plus a 256bit memory architecture and I would guess the ability to hit about 435 mhz on the core.

Nat
 
LTC8K6

LTC8K6

Lifer
Mar 10, 2004
28,520
1,575
126
A 6600GT would be okay, and it will do SLI if you want to get an SLI board and another 6600GT in the future. Why did you specify non-sli anyway? Sli cards work fine by themselves in regular PCI-E mobos.

Forget about 256MB of memory on low end cards.

Personally, I wouldn't get less than a 6800GT or X800XL these days.
 
K

Kaifu

Member
Nov 10, 2003
147
0
0
OK, so in the X800 Pro section, we've got the Sapphire 100600. It's $265 retail before a $30 MIR (which then drops it below the OEM price). Good card?

I tried looking at nVidia and the GeForce 6800 was the highest I could go. The MSI NX6800-TD128E Geforce 6800 is $204 after a $20 MIR, but it's "only" 128MB. The 256MB card is $255 after a $30 MIR.

That first Sapphire card (the X800) is still pretty tempting. While I said $200-250, I'd still rather pay less than $200 ;). With a Venice 3000+ CPU usually going for $145 Retail, I've still got a ways to go.
 
K

Kaifu

Member
Nov 10, 2003
147
0
0
Originally posted by: LTC8K6
Why did you specify non-sli anyway? Sli cards work fine by themselves in regular PCI-E mobos.
Click to expand...
I don't know why I specified that. I don't plan on buying an SLI motherboard any time soon, so I guess whether it's SLI-capable is neither a bonus nor a deterrant.

EDIT: I've gone and changed the subject. Thanks for bringing that fact to light, LTC8K6.

Also an X800XL or a 6800GT is too much right now... at least for me. I'm looking for a card that will perform well, with the intention of upgrading when prices come down.

EDITED AGAIN: And I'm sorry if I seem argumentative. I really do appreciate the comments and suggestions. I just need to keep the wallet in mind. If I spent whatever I needed to spend in order to get a kick-ass rig, you'd likely see a headline in the newspaper soon something along the lines of "Wife kills husband over pricey computer." ;)
 
blckgrffn

blckgrffn

Diamond Member
May 1, 2003
9,676
4,309
136
www.teamjuchems.com
Tiger Direct has a connect3d X800XL for $250 last I knew... I'll go hunt for a link now, but I think that will be your best bet... also consider (at least briefly) a PCIe 6800...

Nat
 
blckgrffn

blckgrffn

Diamond Member
May 1, 2003
9,676
4,309
136
www.teamjuchems.com
Ah, well, last week or so it was $250. And actually, that XT is a pro according to the TD marketing department. They messed up...

That X800 will still be more than likely your best bang for the buck bet :)

Nat
 
M

Munky

Diamond Member
Feb 5, 2005
9,372
0
76
SLI is not a good upgrade path, IMO. Dual 6600gt is no better than a single 6800gt, and dual 6800gt is not as good as a single 7800gtx. Basically, SLI makes sence if you want the best performance, and buy dual 7800's. While it's nice to have the option of adding a second card to boost performance, usually you're better off selling it when it gets too slow, and getting a single newer card, with newer features, and most likely less power consumption/heat/noise.

I was also looking for an inexpensive pcie card because I plan to upgrade to a g70/r520 based card in a few months, so I bought the x800 (256mb version for $20 more). The 6800 is also an option, but it's more expensive on pcie and not any faster (maybe even slower a bit). The x800pro will be faster, but it costs about 230, and for a little more more you can get an even faster x800xl. You gotta draw the line somewhere, though.
 
K

Kaifu

Member
Nov 10, 2003
147
0
0
In other words: "Kaifu, munky showed you a good video card. 'nuff said." ;)

Looks like I'll be having a rig with the following specs:

Venice 3000+
ePoX 9NPA+ Ultra Motherboard
2 GB (2x1GB) PC3200 Corsair ValueSelect DDR
SAPPHIRE 100109L-BL Radeon X800 128MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express
Raidmax KY-550ATX 450W PSU

I've got a 60GB SATA/150 drive and plan to add another 160-250 GB later.

All-in-all, I'm very pleased with the amount of help I've received from Anandtech - both from the articles and the forum users. Thanks a ton!
 
ElFenix

ElFenix

Elite Member
Super Moderator
Mar 20, 2000
102,393
8,552
126
:thumbsup: looks like a good rig. that is a ton of ram!
 
nitromullet

nitromullet

Diamond Member
Jan 7, 2004
9,031
36
91
If you haven't run out and bought your rig yet, take a look at this X800XL for $259. I know it is a tad over your budget, but it would be a great card for the money. For the games you listed (BF2, Guild Wars, Half-Life 2, F.E.A.R), you will want to pair that 3000+ up with the highest performing video card you can afford.


Take a look for yourself, the X800XL buries the vanilla X800..
http://www.anandtech.com/video/showdoc.aspx?i=2290&p=9

IMO, spending money on the X800 is simply setting yourself for an upgrade very soon if you want to play those games at decent framerates. Sure, it isn't a bad card for the money, but it has virtually no life expectancy as a gaming card. It's a sad fact, but $150 won't get you a decent card for gaming these days.
 
Gamingphreek

Gamingphreek

Lifer
Mar 31, 2003
11,679
0
81
I would wait for the midrange next gen parts to appear. Nvidias cant be that far away.

If not, then look for a 6800GT special or something or X800(XL)(XT).... they have specials all the time so sometime the XT ends up cheaper.

-Kevin
 
2Xtreme21

2Xtreme21

Diamond Member
Jun 13, 2004
7,044
0
0
Another vote for the X800XL. It's more than a "starter card" for a "starter price." Hah, sales pitch..
 
C

coomar

Banned
Apr 4, 2005
2,431
0
0
at the price the x800 is a good card but the x800xl is more in line with the games you mentioned (for example fear)
 
K

Kaifu

Member
Nov 10, 2003
147
0
0
HAHAHA. OK, so now you're saying "well.... if you really wanna be happy, Kaifu, you need to fork over another $100."

At this point, I'm still going to grab the video card last of all the components. Maybe the X800XL will drop down a few bucks in the next month or so.
 
A

afoygel

Member
Jul 26, 2005
108
0
0
You can get that x800 xl at monarch for 249 free shipping, even though that stretches your budget. According to all the benchmarks I've seen, it's the best bang for buck card at that price point. The 6600gt and x800 are also good values, but they are significantly slower than the xl. In fact, I am having the same dillemna as you are.
 
A

Acanthus

Lifer
Aug 28, 2001
19,915
2
76
ostif.org
Originally posted by: Kaifu
In other words: "Kaifu, munky showed you a good video card. 'nuff said." ;)

Looks like I'll be having a rig with the following specs:

Venice 3000+
ePoX 9NPA+ Ultra Motherboard
2 GB (2x1GB) PC3200 Corsair ValueSelect DDR
SAPPHIRE 100109L-BL Radeon X800 128MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express
Raidmax KY-550ATX 450W PSU

I've got a 60GB SATA/150 drive and plan to add another 160-250 GB later.

All-in-all, I'm very pleased with the amount of help I've received from Anandtech - both from the articles and the forum users. Thanks a ton!
Click to expand...

*WARNING* that memory has problems in some motherboards. I see you are planning on the Epox, check around for issues.

I had a huge pile of problems on my DFI Ultra-D with this memory, so much that im getting rid of it as soon as i can afford to (in about 2 weeks).
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

COMPANY
RESOURCES
FOLLOW
Top Bottom