Video Cards

[impresso]

I am looking to purchase a new video card for my PC. I bought Tabula Rasa today and my computer met and exceeded most of the recommended specs it didn't meed the specs for the RAM and Video card. I went to NCIX.com and looked at what they have there but was completely overwhelmed. I don't want to spend a huge amount of money and am looking for something that will allow me to play most PC games.

These are the current specs on my PC:
Athlon(tm) 64 X2 Dual Core Processor 3800+
1.4GB DDR RAM
NVIDIA GeForce 6150 LE (GeForce 6150 LE)

Any help from those of you out there are tech savvy would be greatly appreciated.

I am also on a student budget so something in a reasonable price range would also be a massive help.

Thanks in advance!

[photon]

If you can afford it: http://www.ncix.com/products/index.p...y%20Technology


An 8800GT will play pretty much anything out there on a reasonable sized screen at full quality at a good frame rate (except Crysis, nothing plays that at a reasonable framerate ).

[Hack&Lube]

The best value for the money, shown to provide most frames per second per dollar spent videocard is the ATI 3850. Judging by what you are playing and your computer specs, I'm sure this is all you need.

You can get it for $179 at Memory Express, $10 cheaper than NCIX.
http://www.memoryexpress.com/Product...19168(ME).aspx

If you truely want to future-proof yourself though, you could go all out and get an 8800GT but they range from $259-$330 when not on sale.

[photon]

Good call! I agree that matches his computer specs a bit better.

[impresso]

Is it worth it to get anything in the 100 dollar range?

[Hack&Lube]

Originally Posted by impresso

Is it worth it to get anything in the 100 dollar range?

If you can find an ATi x1950 PRO (I sold mine for $98 on ebay but you are not going to find it at that price in retail), it is also a very good card, under the 3850 in speed (but I was playing Crysis and COD4 on it) or perhaps the Nvidia 8600 GT. But honestly, these cards are last generation and are only slightly cheaper if at all brand new in retail so you might as well spend the little extra for the 256MB ATI 3850 Pro.

The $100 range is basically what you have already in terms of speed, with only a few updated features. I'm also not sure how you have 1.4GB of ram, that's a very odd number...your system might be sharing memory with your integrated video, already.

[BlackArcher101]

I've had my 256mb 8600GT for a while now and it runs new releases just fine, even Call of Duty 4 at high res running two monitors. They can be picked up for cheap these days.

[Hack&Lube]

Originally Posted by BlackArcher101

I've had my 256mb 8600GT for a while now and it runs new releases just fine, even Call of Duty 4 at high res running two monitors. They can be picked up for cheap these days.

That's what I'm saying though, cards like the 8600GT and x1950 still cost about $130 at retail these days. For the jump in performance to a 3850 Pro, it's really not worth it to save the extra $50 because it's basically a 50% jump in performance and even next year, the 8600 will be too slow for many new retail games.
http://www23.tomshardware.com/graphi...=855&chart=318

If he can find an x1950 or 8600GT used for about $100 or under then, that would be alright.

[impresso]

I just realized I am running agp as well

[Hack&Lube]

Originally Posted by impresso

I just realized I am running agp as well

oh oh, well then I suppose I would say that your best option would be an x1950 Pro AGP or a GeForce 7900 AGP. There's nothing else in AGP that is worth it if you want to play recent PC games. Unfortunately, those cards are still selling for well over $200 at retail because they are AGP.

Almost everything else won't be any real improvement over what you already have. In a pinch, you could look for a used ATI x850 Pro, it's actually faster than the x1650 AGP but won't do you much good. Sadly since you are stuck in AGP, you will end up having to pay astronomically more than what they are worth/performance provided as is the cost of outdated technology unless you can find them used because of supply/demand. I just looked on ebay and the prices for used decent AGP cards are sometimes more than what they originally cost at retail. My advice is ask friends, check forums, the bargain table at Futureshop, etc. and see what old AGP videocards they have. Older AGP cards like the ATI x850 and Nvidia 6800 would work with Tabula Rasa.

http://www.ncix.com/products/index.p...acture=Diamond
Would be okay for you, but that card is only 1/3rd as fast the 3850 Pro and costs about just as much.

The site does claim that minimum specs for Tabula Rasa are:
ATI™ Radeon® 9600 or NVIDIA® GeForce FX 5700 series video card with 128MB of VRAM
But trust me, the game would look horrible with those cards...and what you already have is pretty much equivalent to those for all intents and purposes. Are you sure that your current videocard won't run the game at lowest settings?

[impresso]

Damn, I may have to hold out until I can afford a new system.

[Hack&Lube]

Originally Posted by impresso

Damn, I may have to hold out until I can afford a new system.

I was in your position once with the exact same CPU and 1GB of memory. I just upgraded my motherboard to a PCI-E one and transplanted everything else while increasing ram. It was the cheapest option and gave me PCI-E expandability for the future. That one move probably will make this computer (also a 3800+) last another two years if I only upgrade the videocard.

[Vulcan]

Originally Posted by photon

If you can afford it: http://www.ncix.com/products/index.p...y%20Technology


An 8800GT will play pretty much anything out there on a reasonable sized screen at full quality at a good frame rate (except Crysis, nothing plays that at a reasonable framerate ).

Just for others info on this card. I bought it at the Boxing Day sale and it's a great card if you get the Coolermaster heatsink but it comes in two cooler versions.
The other type comes with an enclosed two slot version that has been likened to a leaf blower for it's noise and it's fan runs at 100% with no adjustment. NCIX or Galaxy say they re going to replace these but in the meantime you'll be rolling the dice.
Oh yeah, I lucked out and got the good version that overclocks easily and is quiet.

[impresso]

Unfortunately I am on Socket 939 so I have to replace the processor as well. My roomate and I price it out last night and I can get a 4400 a motherboard a powersource and 2 gigs of ram for 280. He has an older video card he can lend me geforce 6800 or 6900 area and a case that I can have. Now I just have to decide if it will be worth it for me to get it

[ricosuave]

just passing on the info - 100obo
http://forums.beyond.ca/st/197297/fs...-gs-512mb-agp/

[impresso]

I found this one online. Anybody know anything about it.

eGeForce 7600 GT AGP

[impresso]

Unfortunately I am living in Victoria at the moment so the one you suggested is a little more difficult for me. Thanks though rico.

[Hack&Lube]

You can get PCI-E motherboards that are socket 939. It'll only cost you $100 to get a S939 motherboard with PCI-E.

As far as the 7600 GT AGP, you'd be better off getting the free 6800 from your friend. That card should run Tabula Rasa.

[impresso]

Any mother boards you would suggest at that run socket 939? They only have one on NCIX and it is $329.

[Hack&Lube]

Originally Posted by impresso

Any mother boards you would suggest at that run socket 939? They only have one on NCIX and it is $329.

Again, it's older technology so you will never be getting a good price from NCIX or any retail store unless it's a clearance old part. Old computer parts always will cost more because there is low supply of them so it's hard to find a retail store that stocks such things (but they are out there if you look). But on ebay...

Here you go, from Burnaby BC.
http://cgi.ebay.ca/ASRock-Socket-939...QQcmdZViewItem
$75, ULi chipset so it has both PCI-E and AGP. You can supposedly also upgrade to AM2 socket CPUs but I don't know if the expansion card was ever released.

Or a little more expensive but definetely the bigger brand name, reliable and supported.
http://cgi.ebay.ca/Asus-A8R32-MVP-De...QQcmdZViewItem
$125 from Montreal