Video card upgrade...need some advice

[jwells777]

Ok...So I think it may be time to finally upgrade my video card ( 8mb ATI Rage 3D ) as it can't even display the graphics in WM9 when playing an mp3. So the question is, what is the best bang for the buck in budget cards these days?

I'm not really looking for stellar gaming or anything..just something that can display webpages, WM9 and some engineering applications. If it has dual monitor capabilities that might be useful. Particularly if it can be set up to maximize an application into just one of the two monitors. I am finding that there are a million different variants of vid cards these days and it is not obvious at all how they stack up to each other.

I used to remember seeing nice complete benchmards comparing different cards performance and what not but wasn't able to find anything easily in the last couple of minutes, so if you have a link to a good round up, that would be appreciated as well.

Thanks

 

[boran]

hmmh, if you can find a dual DVI geforce MX (you'd want a 44, they're slightly more than a 420 but performance diff is stellar, any game today would run ona 440, not great, but it would)
I know the multimonitor, multidesktop integration in nVidia drivers is great, but has it's quirks.

Dual display on an ati card has it's differences, but also quirks. so you'll have to be prepared for em.

but with a cheap dual display card (doubt you'll find dual DVI tho, but try to get one DVD with a DVI-> analog adapter, having a DVI port is very handy if you're not a gamer and only casualy upgrade vidcard) you cant go wrong these days, but stay above the MX440 or radeon 9200 level, they would be able to handle anything basic 3D you throw at em. (3D tetris etc )

 

[capodeloscapos]

A GF FX 5200 with DVI Out should solve your problems. Its a very cheap card to get.

 

[Markfw]

If you are more focused on 2d and dual dvi, then a Matrox P650 or P750. If you want some 3d and dual monitors (one vga, one dvi) then a Radeon 9100, or 9000 pro. (have to look to see which has dual, the 9100 is faster though)

 

[oSReApEr]

Jwells u have the 3D Rage LT PRO card also i play counter strike on that card, and it cant display smoke without lag even in poor quality. Im thinkin about putting the old girl down once and for all and get a 9700 pro.