Suggestions for video card under 200 dollars

[Aznguy1872]

My friend is looking for a videocard and doesn't want to pay too much. So the budget is about 200 dollars or less. I was thinking the geforce 6800 GS, but I'm not sure, what do you guys think?

 

[mwmorph]

agp? pci-e?

 

[Aznguy1872]

pci-e

 

[mwmorph]

x800gto 2 will be faster.
6800gs will be almost as fast but it has sm3.

sort of flip of a coin here since in most games, sm3 will rape the 6800gs.

 

[Bull Dog]

Sapphire X800GTO^2 or if you like nVidia, a 6800GS

 

[prozac26]

6800GS and X800GTO2 are both nice cards, I would go for the 6800GS.

 

[mwmorph]

well at higher resolutions the 6800gs cant keep up since it has 12 pipes, 5vs, 12rops. the x800gto2 unlocked has 16pipes 6vs 16rops and thus does better with aa and af.

 

[v8envy]

What's in the rest of the box? Monitor and resolution and games played? Beefy enough power supply to feed a power hungry card? Any requirement for using the thing under Linux?

My vote is for 6800GS. If your buddy wants to save a few bucks and Linux is not an issue, an X800GTO 128 meg can be had for $114 shipped at the 'egg, and will do a good job on new games.

 

[Piuc2020]

You'll want HDR and Shader Model 3.0 and the 6800GS overclocks like a beauty, okay, maybe you won't need HDR and SM3.0 but its very nice enabling those effects even if you get low framerate, admit it, pretty graphics are lots of fun too, if they weren't, we would all be gaming on 9600s right now.

 

[RussianSensation]

I'd get the HIS X850XT on Newegg with $50 MIR or an X850XT if you can find one for $200. X850XT has a serious advantage in FEAR, COD2 and Far Cry -- all 3 of those games are indicative of the future. Unless of course he is an avid Doom3 or AOE3 player.

 

[otispunkmeyer]

Originally posted by: mwmorph
well at higher resolutions the 6800gs cant keep up since it has 12 pipes, 5vs, 12rops. the x800gto2 unlocked has 16pipes 6vs 16rops and thus does better with aa and af.

6800GS overclocks like stink though, and SM3 itself doesnt kill the card. things like HDR and stuff kill the card ok ok ok they are kinda SM3 lol. but SM3 doesnt always kill it is what im tryin to say

Farcry with the SM3 patch is actually a tad faster.

 

[mwmorph]

Originally posted by: otispunkmeyer

Originally posted by: mwmorph
well at higher resolutions the 6800gs cant keep up since it has 12 pipes, 5vs, 12rops. the x800gto2 unlocked has 16pipes 6vs 16rops and thus does better with aa and af.

6800GS overclocks like stink though, and SM3 itself doesnt kill the card. things like HDR and stuff kill the card ok ok ok they are kinda SM3 lol. but SM3 doesnt always kill it is what im tryin to say

Farcry with the SM3 patch is actually a tad faster.

treu until you turn on all the hdr settings like previously said hdr/tone mapping.
the thing is so does the x800gto2(x850xtpe) overclock crazily. Most go fromat least 400/980(1000?) to around 540/560(1120) or more.

 

[Aznguy1872]

Hrm, i'll look into the x800 gto2. Thx for the replies!