Video card around $150-$200

[bradyapba]

Mr. Bob,


All the advice you have seen is pretty correct. The 5X00 cards from Nvidia had some serious flaws and speed issues in the day. It is unfortunate you are stuck with a PCI video card.

But, the reccomendations are sound. The clear Winner in the PCI card market would be the 9100. Now its hard to find 9100's anymore. But, there are plenty of 9200's and 9250's out there. The only difference is they come with the DVI and TV/Video out ports, the 9100's didn't.

So i would no doubt go with a 9200 with 256mb of ram, and 128 bit processor. It will run all of the games you listed smooth as silk. Unfortunately, no one is or will make PCI video cards anymore. Everything will be PCI-e, or AGP. So adventually when she wants to play current games today a year or 2 from now, you will need a new MOBO.

But anyways, if i were you, I wouldn't look around, waste any more time, your choices are limited anyways, either a 5700 or a 9200. The 9200 is a hand's down winner. My friends played NWN nights on a 9200 for a year, and it ran great, the 9200 will run all older games very very well.

If you have any questions, let me know. I have been studying and reviewing VC's for years.

Here is what I would get if i were you.

http://www.newegg.com/app/View...=14-131-237&depa=0

Enjoy!


Chris

 

[Mr Bob]

Thanks Chris,

One question though, the card you linked to shows DirectX 8.1, but the game requirements require DirectX 9.0b. Will this card on the 8.x DX still work?

 

[Matthias99]

Originally posted by: bradyapba
But, the reccomendations are sound. The clear Winner in the PCI card market would be the 9100. Now its hard to find 9100's anymore. But, there are plenty of 9200's and 9250's out there. The only difference is they come with the DVI and TV/Video out ports, the 9100's didn't.

If you have any questions, let me know. I have been studying and reviewing VC's for years.

Here is what I would get if i were you.

http://www.newegg.com/app/View...=14-131-237&depa=0

Enjoy!


Chris

benches of these cards

The 9200 and 9000 are both significantly slower than the 9100 (which is a PCI version of the RADEON 8500LE). The R9000 "Pro" is closer, but still slower than the 9100. The card you recommended will beat the pants off of integrated graphics, but is way slower than a 9100 PCI would be. Please don't spout "facts" and give recommendations about things that you don't know all the details about.

Also, putting 256MB of memory on anything slower than a 6800GT or X800Pro is a complete waste. You can see a tiny bit of difference on a 9800XT or 5900Ultra, but below that it's absolutely worthless. A 128MB card would be cheaper and the same speed. Even worse, some 256MB cards actually use slower RAM than the 128MB variants, and so run *slower*.

 

[Matthias99]

Originally posted by: Mr Bob
Thanks Chris,

One question though, the card you linked to shows DirectX 8.1, but the game requirements require DirectX 9.0b. Will this card on the 8.x DX still work?

You can still *install* DirectX9 with a DX8 video card. The game just won't be able to use any DX9 features. Every DX9 game so far has been backwards compatible with DX8 (and usually even DX7) video cards, and will likely to continue to do so for the forseeable future.

 

[bradyapba]

Mr. Bob and Matt,

Matt is correct, the DX8 cards will run Middle Earth just fine, it just wont be able to use the 9.0 effects in that game so it wont be as "pretty" as if you had a better VC, but it will run just fine.

Matt reread my post. I said the 9100 was THE CLEAR WINNER. But my recommendations were based on the fact on the sites i normally buy my parts from (new egg, zipzoomfly, etc) i cant find a 9100 ANYWHERE. I am aware that the 9100 beats the pants off the 9200. But no since in recommending a card that cant be bought easily is it?

I may have slightly mis spoke on the stats, but to me, they were close enough to reccomend a 9200 vs anything else AVAILABLE, as opposed to a 9100 that hes not going to find anywhere.

So, unless your going to post a link to the guy on where to get one, dont fault my recommendation. i CLEARLY said, 9100 was the winner, but i cant find one from a reputable dealer to buy one from. So i made my next best reccomendation based on what I could find to BUY.


When i make a reccomendation, i make it based on what the person is looking for, needs, and what is AVAILABLE. I dont make a suggestion without being able to send a link on where and how to buy one.

 

[Matthias99]

Originally posted by: bradyapba
When i make a reccomendation, i make it based on what the person is looking for, needs, and what is AVAILABLE. I dont make a suggestion without being able to send a link on where and how to buy one.

I was specifically referring to this statement:

But, there are plenty of 9200's and 9250's out there. The only difference is they come with the DVI and TV/Video out ports, the 9100's didn't.

There's also a fairly large performance difference. And then you recommended a 9200 with 256MB of RAM, which is completely useless on that card. This clashed a bit with the claim that you'd been researching video cards for "years". You've also only got 40 posts here, all in the last three weeks. Circumstantial evidence, I know, but it wasn't reassuring.

Yes, the 9100s are very hard to find new (shentech used to stock them, but they're all OOS now). If you have to have a new card, purchased from a retailer like newegg -- yes, the only ATI option is the 9200 (although at that point you might want to start looking at the PCI 5700LEs, which are probably a bit faster than the 9200s, and actually have DX9, FWIW).

 

[mindless1]

FInd a Radeon 9100 PCI on ebay for less than $70, else buy a new motherboard if the case and power will accept one... friend needs to roll up sleeves and see just how proprietary the system is.

 

[bradyapba]

Just becuase someone hasn't been posting on a site you have, doesn't mean someone doesn't know what they are talking about.

Ive been building computers since my vic-20. But, i dont need to prove my qualifications to you. I have played and tested 40-50 different video cards over the years.

I offered up the 256 meg card, to get him the biggest and baddest card he could. The choices aren't great. Is the performance from a 128 to a 256 much? No, you are correct. But when your spending under a $100 for a card, price isn't much of a factor.

I couldn't find a 5700LE for sale either except for and Appollo one, who according to their web site, do not SUPPORT it any more. There were issues with the 5700, im sure if you search these forums you will find what they were, I personally do not reminder, but again, I couldn't support reccommending a card I couldn't find regularly.

Finally, i always reccomend buying from somewhere I have had experience with, whats the point of buying from a place you have never heard of, had no experience with?

Mr. Bob seems fairly new to buying parts. He didn't know the difference from 8.1 to 9.0, or if the board had AGP, PCI, or PCIe.

So i figured hes not scouring obscure web sites, or auctions sites, or is comfortable buying used parts.

SO putting that ALL together I offered what I thought was the best solution for this person. And showed him how to buy it.

Did you? Have you shown him one link on how to get a 9100? Or a 5700le?

I personally couldn't recomend the 5700LE, but I could the 9200 based on my play with it.


But back to Mr. Bob -

I still am reccomending the 9200. Good luck on finding a new 9100.

But to Matt's points, the 5700LE is a viable option. Heres a link to one I found available. It is 9.0 compatible. Its not one I would personally reccomend... but heres a link to one, to show your options, and it will do what you want it to do!

http://www.newegg.com/app/View...=14-140-041&depa=0

EDIT: Ah... heres why I liked the 9200 over the 5700LE, the 5700le is 64 bit, the 9200 is 128 bit.

 

[Matthias99]

Originally posted by: bradyapba
Just becuase someone hasn't been posting on a site you have, doesn't mean someone doesn't know what they are talking about.

I'm well aware. Everyone has to start somewhere, and post count is not always a good indication of intelligence and/or experience (especially around here, with the folks who do nothing but hang out in OT and drive up their post count. But I digress.)

But when someone starts giving what looks like whacked-out advice, and they *also* are a new poster on a site, it doesn't look good. Chill out. If you're not an idiot, it will become clear pretty rapidly.

I offered up the 256 meg card, to get him the biggest and baddest card he could. The choices aren't great. Is the performance from a 128 to a 256 much? No, you are correct. But when your spending under a $100 for a card, price isn't much of a factor.

Actually, I would think someone shopping for a low-budget card would care more about price than someone willing to spend $500. But that's not really what's under discussion here.

I couldn't find a 5700LE for sale either except for and Appollo one, who according to their web site, do not SUPPORT it any more. There were issues with the 5700, im sure if you search these forums you will find what they were, I personally do not reminder, but again, I couldn't support reccommending a card I couldn't find regularly.

...

Did you? Have you shown him one link on how to get a 9100? Or a 5700le?

I didn't think I really had to. A quick search on Newegg turns up two 5700LE PCI cards:

1
2

The 9100s used to be pretty easy to find new. Apparently they're all but gone now, so you'd have to look for something used. I didn't ASSUME that he wouldn't want to look at a used card. :disgust:

I personally couldn't recomend the 5700LE, but I could the 9200 based on my play with it.

OK. I'm recommending the 5700LE based on the benchmarks.

EDIT: Ah... heres why I liked the 9200 over the 5700LE, the 5700le is 64 bit, the 9200 is 128 bit.

The ones on Newegg both appear to be 128-bit cards. The 5700LE *is* available in 64-bit versions, though, so do be careful if you end up buying one.

 

[bradyapba]

I am quite "chill". Your the one that attacked my advice. Yet, your reccomendation of a 9100 cant be bought anywhere, even a used one is hard to find. So how much help is that? Its funny you want to give critique about my advice, but in return your advice was unusable. Yes the 9100 is better, but impossible to get.

in actuality, $100 is the TOP of the line for the card he can get. Its like a $500(pick a price, its probably $700) card for AGP, there isn't anything higher, there are no choices. This is the TOP of the LINE for that system with only PCI video choice.

"you didn't think you had too" Isn't part of giving our advice, helping someone make a choice is to give them advice on a card they could actually buy?


Most people dont want to buy a used electronic part. Euthasists take more of a risk when it comes to that, but most newbies (and it apprears as he is, based on some of his questions) its logical to think Mr. Bob is looking to buy something new and out of the box.


I cant find any reference for the apollo card being 128 bit, nor can I on their web site. The Jaton is 128 bit, but you are paying a bit more for the low profile model.


So mr. bob, after reading some more on the 5700le, i think that would suit your purpose too. i personally would go with the 9200, but the 5700le is a mighty fine choice as well! Let us know what you pick and why!!

 

[Matthias99]

Originally posted by: bradyapba
I am quite "chill". Your the one that attacked my advice. Yet, your reccomendation of a 9100 cant be bought anywhere, even a used one is hard to find. So how much help is that? Its funny you want to give critique about my advice, but in return your advice was unusable. Yes the 9100 is better, but impossible to get.

...

"you didn't think you had too" Isn't part of giving our advice, helping someone make a choice is to give them advice on a card they could actually buy?

I meant "I didn't think I had to -- because the last time I checked, they were still easy to find", not "I didn't think I had to -- because I like giving people advice they can't follow." :disgust: The 9100 was not "impossible to get" (at least new) until recently.

And yes, I thought your advice was, at best, incomplete (since you made it sound like a 9200 was identical in performance to a 9100). I didn't mean to personally offend you, if you took it that way. :beer:

 

[Mr Bob]

Just one other question, I saw this card on sale today, the 9250. http://www.tigerdirect.com/app...1081946&CatId=1603

Should I get this over the FX5700LE at newegg that is $106? http://www.newegg.com/app/View...=14-139-166&depa=0 Are they about the same?

 

[Matthias99]

64-bit memory on that 9250 will absolutely cripple it. Between those two, the 5700LE is much better.

 

[bradyapba]

i agree, the 5700LE is better in that comparision.

 

[Mr Bob]

Thanks fellas, I think we will go with the 5700LE !

You two were very helpful!