Author Topic: New Video Cards - suggestions (Read 3202 times)

Enduro · « **Reply #15 on:** June 04, 2006, 12:23:32 PM »

aaaaah, thanks guys.

encouraging input. it sounds like i may still have some options for this old box of mine.

so, let me get this straight...

Silat recommends the ATI X850X at $349.00...

38RUK, you're recommending this Sapphire card as a less-expensive alternative. is Sapphire a manufacturer that builds the generic version of the card, basically?

eagl recommends the GeForce 7800GS at $349.00--comparable to the ATI X850X.
again, newegg appears to be selling a generic version of the card here for $299.00

Roo is recommending the Crucial X1600 at $300. if I purchased this card, should i expect overheating issues considering my Dell (P4, 2.4GHz) has room for only 1 fan?

I apologize for calling the newegg products generics. currently lacking a better word for it.

NOTE: I don't mind spending the $300-$350 if it's a safer bet. Could really use your input re: the reliability of mainstream vs. generics.[/color]

Thank you, gentlemen.

~~The Crucial card sounds cool. But, it requires a 350W power supply. My stock power supply = only 150W.~~

68DevilM · « **Reply #16 on:** June 04, 2006, 01:19:07 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by 38ruk
The 7800GS (280-$300) is the best AGP video card availiable on the market, and will probably be that best AGP card you will ever be able to get . Unfortuantley with a 2.4 ghz cpu you wont be able to push a 7800 series card . This is just my opinion , but i would say that you are cpu limited . 38

~~really 38?, heck people were recomending the 7800 to me and im running a amd 3700 2.4 clawhammer 1 gig cache.~~

68DevilM · « **Reply #17 on:** June 04, 2006, 01:21:46 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Enduro
aaaaah, thanks guys. encouraging input. it sounds like i may still have some options for this old box of mine.

so, let me get this straight...

Silat recommends the ATI X850X at $349.00...

38RUK, you're recommending this Sapphire card as a less-expensive alternative. is Sapphire a manufacturer that builds the generic version of the card, basically?

eagl recommends the GeForce 7800GS at $349.00--comparable to the ATI X850X.
again, newegg appears to be selling a generic version of the card here for $299.00

Roo is recommending the Crucial X1600 at $300. if I purchased this card, should i expect overheating issues considering my Dell (P4, 2.4GHz) has room for only 1 fan?

I apologize for calling the newegg products generics. currently lacking a better word for it.

NOTE: I don't mind spending the $300-$350 if it's a safer bet. Could really use your input re: the reliability of mainstream vs. generics.[/color]

Thank you, gentlemen.

~~The Crucial card sounds cool. But, it requires a 350W power supply. My stock power supply = only 150W.~~

enduro, take alook at the saphire x850 pro just got one from newegg last week, for like $220.00 and it has a 30 dollar mailin rebate right now.

check out my post, we had similar hardware

New video crad

Enduro · « **Reply #18 on:** June 04, 2006, 01:24:33 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by 68DevilM
enduro, take alook at the saphire x850 pro just got one from newegg last week, for like $220.00 and it has a 30 dollar mailin rebate right now.

check out my post, we had similar hardware

New video crad

will do. are you running a system comparable to mine? P4, 2.4GHz, 768MB Rambus, 150W power supply.

wow...you have a 400W power supply. was that absolutely necessary to run that video card?

and, what's your performance in AH2 like so far?

thanks, Devil.

38ruk · « **Reply #19 on:** June 04, 2006, 01:41:29 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by 68DevilM
really 38?, heck people were recomending the 7800 to me and im running a amd 3700 2.4 clawhammer 1 gig cache.

A 2.4 ghz P4 isnt anything like a 2.4ghz 3700+ , apples to oranges .

38ruk · « **Reply #20 on:** June 04, 2006, 01:44:03 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Roscoroo
ati makes a x1600 512mb agp thats the cats meow for agp ... 1200mhz vpu

(hell its faster then some of your guys pc's)

http://www.crucial.com/store/listmodule.asp?family=VIDEO%20CARD&tabid=AGP%20Graphics%20Card

I have 2 crucial cards and ive been very happy with them ...

There are some benches out there that compare the X1600 to the x800 and x850 , the 1600 get stomped pretty bad, some times by 20fps in certain games . althou the 1600 wasnt the model you linked to above roo 38

38ruk · « **Reply #21 on:** June 04, 2006, 01:50:49 PM »

Quote

38RUK, you're recommending this Sapphire card as a less-expensive alternative. is Sapphire a manufacturer that builds the generic version of the card, basically?

The reason im recommending the x800gto is that it's cheap, your current cpu isnt going to push a 7800 or x850 , even the x800gto isnt going to be maxed by your cpu . I cant see spending 300 bucks on a card that your arent going to carry over to a new machine, or fully utilize with the current setup you have.

EDIT: A 150W power supply ?? Even the 9500pro requires a 300W power supply . That could be holding you back with the card you have .

Enduro · « **Reply #22 on:** June 04, 2006, 01:56:45 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by 38ruk
The reason im recommending the x800gto is that it's cheap, your current cpu isnt going to push a 7800 or x850 , even the x800gto isnt going to be maxed by your cpu . I cant see spending 300 bucks on a card that your arent going to carry over to a new machine, or fully utilize with the current setup you have.

Okay. Let me ask a question re: power supplies as I've never replaced one. I'm currently using the OEM 150W power supply. Is it safe to assume that a 350W power supply probably won't fit where the 150W unit currently is?

I looked inside the case...there aren't any "expansion" slots for different-sized units.

Much appreciated!

38ruk · « **Reply #23 on:** June 04, 2006, 02:01:28 PM »

Can you take a picture of your current power supply and hows it arranged in the case? Or maybe measure how much room you have from the back of the case to to back od the CD rom's ? . What dell do you have Model and name . maybe i can look it up .

~~that 9500pro might be alot better once it has the correct power supply . it really needs something over 300 watts~~

Enduro · « **Reply #24 on:** June 04, 2006, 02:19:16 PM »

38ruk, thanks for taking the time to look at this!

the PC is a Dell Dimension 8250 -- purchased almost 4 years ago now (wow---old in tech years).

there's about 3 inches between the end of the current power supply and the CD & DVD units. There's very little room between the power supply and the green thing that you see there, which channels the air from the fan directly onto the CPU.

sorry...only have a cell phone camera:

Roscoroo · « **Reply #25 on:** June 04, 2006, 02:22:48 PM »

which 1600 was tested Ruk ???

I saw a test done at anatech <--(i think ) and the 1600 512mb was a nice step above the x800 (now i dont remember if it was the 800gto or not)

but i think there bolth great cards for agp (ive got the x800 in my 64bit pc at work and it does the job nicely )

(the 1600 is 199.00 the 800gto is 179.00 at crucial ) not to bad , i paid 250 for my 800

A quick note about saffire cards ... saffire makes alot of cards they make cards for the other manufuturing card retailers also .. they also "had a bad habbit of handing out substandard cards at one point" (thats why i still wont buy from them) i dont know if there below standard anymore of if they fixed there quality control ...

now about the powersupply ... i think your just reading one rail worth of wattage its most likely a 250-350 watt and hopefully seperate rails .

my rule in powersupplys is like old stereo's If its "Heavy as hell" its gonna be good .

is this your case Tbolt ???

http://www.flightsim.com/cgi/kds?$=main/review/dell8250.htm

its big enough to put any atx p4 type powersupply if you need to .

Roscoroo · « **Reply #26 on:** June 04, 2006, 02:24:14 PM »

lol you beat me while i was posting ...

id agree with Ruk either the 800gto or the 1600 512 is the way to go .. anything more and the only way to get improvement is to build a 64bit pc.

your 2.4 with 533 rambus should run nicely for a couple more years.

Enduro · « **Reply #27 on:** June 04, 2006, 02:29:07 PM »

wow...good find, Rosco! that is EXACTLY my box.

as you can see, i know nothing about power supplies. i yanked it earlier this morning and saw 150W printed on the power supply itself. will pull it out again and see what else it says.

Brooke · « **Reply #28 on:** June 04, 2006, 06:43:03 PM »

I have that box as one of my machines. The problem is that many third-party power supplies won't fit in it because the back of the case has metal over portions where many third-party power supplies have an on/off switch (like right under where the power cord socket is). Other than that, it would work -- there is room, and the screws are all in standard places.

You'd either need to find a power supply without external switches, or you'd need to cut the sheet metal on the back of the Dell case.

38ruk · « **Reply #29 on:** June 04, 2006, 11:36:25 PM »

Here is the review i read on the 1600 vs gto ,vs 850 . What i didnt notice was there is some overclocked results mixed in so the 20fps difference is between a clocked gto vs stock 1600 . It looks to me that the 1600 is still bettered by the gto in most cases , but its a 256 model . IF it is a 150w power supply , enduro might be good with what he has once that 9500 is running with a good psu . If i remember right wasnt there some 9500's that you could run at 9700 specs? hehe 38

http://www.digital-daily.com/video/x1600_x800_6600gt/index05.htm