Sub $100 Video Card Buying Suggestions/Advice...

Xelarator

Member
Dec 11, 2003
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Sup all,
I am currently in the market to buy a Sub $100 card. I really cannot spend more than $100...even $100 is pushing it. My system specs are:
FIC AM37
AMD Athlon XP 2400+
768 MB PC2100 DDR RAM
Sapphire Atlantis 7500 SDR 64MB

As you can see, i am trying to replace the aging 7500. I have looked at many prices, and saw that these cards are the ones that are in my price range:

AGPTek Nvidia FX 5200 128 DDR
AGPTek Nvidia FX 5200 256 DDR
AGPTek Nvidia FX 5600XT 128 DDR

AGPTek ATI Radeon 9200SE 128 DDR
AGPTek ATI Radeon 9600SE 128 DDR

Also, as you notice..all of these cards are manufactured by AGPTek, a little known company in the market. But i am willing to take the chance. So, i wanted to know, which card would actually have the best performance to price ratio. I plan to play most new games and yes..HL 2 as well.
 

modedepe

Diamond Member
May 11, 2003
3,474
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Welcome to the forums!

None of those cards would be that great, especially the se's with the 64 bit busses. Get a ti4200 instead, it's the best for under $100, imo.
 

Xelarator

Member
Dec 11, 2003
25
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Originally posted by: modedepe
Welcome to the forums!

None of those cards would be that great, especially the se's with the 64 bit busses. Get a ti4200 instead, it's the best for under $100, imo.

Thank You.

But I thought the 9600SE had a 256BIT Core? Hmm..welll thats what it says in the site of the seller.
http://www.imagestore.us/product.asp?pf_id=ATI9600SE-128&dept_id=06-001

But what is my best option out of all of these card..in your opinion?
 

modedepe

Diamond Member
May 11, 2003
3,474
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It does have a 256 bit core, but that means virtually nothing. What I'm talking about is the memory bus on the card. The 9600se and 9200se have a 64 bit bus. Most cards have a 128 bit bus, high end cards usually have a 256 bit bus. By having a 64 bit bus instead of a 128 bit you are halving your memory bandwidth.

Out of the cards you listed the fx5600xt would probably be the best. But like I said, none of them will be that good for gaming.
 

TheAudit

Diamond Member
May 2, 2003
4,194
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From your list I would take the 5600 before the rest.
But I might just go with a 4200 TI, you can find those for considerably less than $100.
 

rbV5

Lifer
Dec 10, 2000
12,632
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Newegg has retail ti4200's shipped under $99, and retail 8500le shipped under $80. Refurbs even cheaper, I think I'd go that route on a budget myself:)
 

Xelarator

Member
Dec 11, 2003
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Hmmm...Yea i am actually looking into them right now..

Btw. Does anyone know the Memory Bandwidth of the FX 5200s? Does it differ from Manufacturer to Manufacturer? Because i cant seem to find the bandwidth for them. All the others like the FX 5600, i know has 128 Bit Bandwidth.
 

Xelarator

Member
Dec 11, 2003
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Ok guys..thanks alot for all of your inputs..

Luckily, I ordered a POWER COLOR Ti-4200 128MB ULTRA W/ TVOUT RTL for $73 total. It should be here in a week or so.
 

bluemax

Diamond Member
Apr 28, 2000
7,182
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Originally posted by: Xelarator
Ok guys..thanks alot for all of your inputs..

Luckily, I ordered a POWER COLOR Ti-4200 128MB ULTRA W/ TVOUT RTL for $73 total. It should be here in a week or so.

Good card, great price! You'll be very happy! Let us know how it goes...
 

Chesebert

Golden Member
Oct 16, 2001
1,012
13
81
I would suggest 9600NP

Ti4200 may be better at DX8, but 9600NP paired with a good processor is VERY POWRFUL.

I have a 9600NP paired with 3200+ ofcourse I overclock the 9600 (440/220) and I get 11,000+ in 3dmark2k1
3100 in 3dmark2k3. You can't tell me those are not good scores for a sub $100 card!

Ti4200 may be marginally better at 3dmark2k1 but no way it can do PS2.0 :) ...

I run Max payne2 with everything maxed 1024x760 4X/4X and the game flys! I get over 100fps mostly...

I run almost all my game with 4x/4x setting

So I would think twice before getting that Ti
 

sugarkang

Senior member
Nov 16, 2003
248
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this is probably the worst time to buy a video card.
that ti4200 is already two years old, and there's no way it's going to play any new games.

if you scraped by this long on a crap card, there's no reason you couldn't wait till april.
i know how you feel though. every single day i look at prices on the 9800 pro, just waiting for that sucker to drop below $200.

i have an 8500LE, and it's just barely making it thru gta3, and max payne2 was a little slow even with everything turned off at 800x600. well, i'm sure you'll be happy with the ti4200 for a while, as i've heard nothing but good things about it. happy at least till april, where a 9600pro will probably be hovering at $100.

 

RobsTV

Platinum Member
Feb 11, 2000
2,520
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Originally posted by: Chesebert
I would suggest 9600NP

Ti4200 may be better at DX8, but 9600NP paired with a good processor is VERY POWRFUL.

I have a 9600NP paired with 3200+ ofcourse I overclock the 9600 (440/220) and I get 11,000+ in 3dmark2k1
3100 in 3dmark2k3. You can't tell me those are not good scores for a sub $100 card!
(snip)
So I would think twice before getting that Ti

Geez, this is not what I wanted to see. That is NOT a good score for a sub $100 card!
Was going to rotate cards with wifes 8500 going into HTPC, my Ti500 going to wife, and a 9600 for me.

Have a 2GHz AMD with a 64meg GF3 Ti500, and wanted to upgrade to the 9600, but 11,000 3dmarks is horrible.
My lowly system has topped 11,000 several times, but only one I saved was at 10,959.
http://service.futuremark.com/compare?2k1=5955257
I heard the 9600 was bad, but didn't think it was that bad.
Looks like this really is a bad time for video cards, and waiting seems like best choice.
 

Xelarator

Member
Dec 11, 2003
25
0
0
Originally posted by: Chesebert
I would suggest 9600NP

Ti4200 may be better at DX8, but 9600NP paired with a good processor is VERY POWRFUL.

I have a 9600NP paired with 3200+ ofcourse I overclock the 9600 (440/220) and I get 11,000+ in 3dmark2k1
3100 in 3dmark2k3. You can't tell me those are not good scores for a sub $100 card!

Ti4200 may be marginally better at 3dmark2k1 but no way it can do PS2.0 :) ...

I run Max payne2 with everything maxed 1024x760 4X/4X and the game flys! I get over 100fps mostly...

I run almost all my game with 4x/4x setting

So I would think twice before getting that Ti


Well..the thing is...on Pricewatch...The plain Radeon 9600s are SE....and SE as some one stated above has 64 bit Memory Interface...I havent seen any NON SEs under $100.

 

Chesebert

Golden Member
Oct 16, 2001
1,012
13
81
Sure 11,000 in 3dmark2k1 may seem like a bad score but did I also tell you the card benched over 7k with 4x/4x?

Max Payne with 4X/4X and run over 80fps at 1024x768 Max detail? I don't see how a Ti500 can do that?

Unreal 2 with 4X4X and run over 30fps

Geforce 3 and Ti are old now, they run old games with no eye candy at super fast framerate but can't do anything when it comes to image quality

my 2c



 

CraigRT

Lifer
Jun 16, 2000
31,440
5
0
Originally posted by: RobsTV
Originally posted by: Chesebert
I would suggest 9600NP

Ti4200 may be better at DX8, but 9600NP paired with a good processor is VERY POWRFUL.

I have a 9600NP paired with 3200+ ofcourse I overclock the 9600 (440/220) and I get 11,000+ in 3dmark2k1
3100 in 3dmark2k3. You can't tell me those are not good scores for a sub $100 card!
(snip)
So I would think twice before getting that Ti

Geez, this is not what I wanted to see. That is NOT a good score for a sub $100 card!
Was going to rotate cards with wifes 8500 going into HTPC, my Ti500 going to wife, and a 9600 for me.

Have a 2GHz AMD with a 64meg GF3 Ti500, and wanted to upgrade to the 9600, but 11,000 3dmarks is horrible.
My lowly system has topped 11,000 several times, but only one I saved was at 10,959.
http://service.futuremark.com/compare?2k1=5955257
I heard the 9600 was bad, but didn't think it was that bad.
Looks like this really is a bad time for video cards, and waiting seems like best choice.

my 9700 pro got 15,200 at default speeds on my 1.8 GHz AMD.. i didn't think the 9600 was that slow, either :p