Graphics card decision: GeForce or ATI?

[sparow]

Hi all!

I need some advice here... I run a very old machine, a AMD Athlon 2000 in a KV7 Asustek MB. I had 512 Mb of RAM and a NVidia GeForce MX440 64Mb. I'm running in Windows XP SP2.

A friend gave me 1 Gb of RAM, and a ATI Radeon Radeon 9250 with 128 Mb RAM. The RAM immediately improved performance but the GC had issues... I had the "black horizon" bug on the 6.11 drivers and, thanks to AH forums, installed the 4.12 driver. But, to my surprise, I still have graphic aberrations like in towns, propellers, wings... strange pixels growing everywhere, lol!

Running at 256 colors, 1200x800 (aprox.) screen resolution, no detailed terrain and with low detail, still could improve frame rate to the 100's but not much more. I noticed that only 80 Mb of video memory was used.

Having those abnormalities, I decided to go back to my 64 Mb GeForce MX440 with he latest NVidia drivers for this model. Back to normal at tha same settings and all fine, because I manage to have very acceptable frame rates between 30 and 90.

Now, I was thinking about buying a new graphics card - low end, of course - but I don't know wich one... My options are the following:

- Gygabite GeForce 6200 AGP 256Mb for 43,41 euros... safe NVidia solution...
- Powercolor HD3450 512Mb AGP for 52,32 euros... and ATI problem otw...

Wich would you choose?

Thank you in advance for your support!

Cheers!

[Skuzzy]

I would not touch a 62xx or 61xx series video card from NVidia.  Not much better (if any) than the 440MX you have now.

I feel the same way about the 9xxx series from ATI.

[sparow]

I would not touch a 62xx or 61xx series video card from NVidia.  Not much better (if any) than the 440MX you have now.

I feel the same way about the 9xxx series from ATI.

Wow! Thank you Skuzzy! I was heading straight to the wall...

And about the Powercolor HD3450 512Mb? Do you think is trouble coming my way too? I already had a taste of ATI incompatibility...

Thank you for your advice,

Cheers,

[Skuzzy]

NVidia has as much trouble with their drivers as ATI does.  They just have them in different areas.

It is always a big challenge to switch from one to the other. The only way to to it is to be sure to clean out the registry and all related files of the old drivers before trying out a new card, especially if they are from different camps (AT or NVidia).

I have no experience with the ATI 3450, so I cannot make any type of recommendation.

[sparow]

The only way to to it is to be sure to clean out the registry and all related files of the old drivers before trying out a new card, especially if they are from different camps (AT or NVidia). I have no experience with the ATI 3450, so I cannot make any type of recommendation.

Thank you for your help Skuzzy!

Now that you mentioned it, I did not unninstall tha NVidia drivers or cleaned the registry when I installed the ATI drivers... I wonder if that was the reason for the ATI nor working properly with the 4.12 drivers... I foresee a last attempt coming along...

Thank you very much, Skuzzy!

Cheers,

[columbus]

the 3450 is the best choice of the ones you mentioned..
i just traded my 6800GS 512 AGP card for a 8800 GTS PCIe or would have offered that to sell .


heres a good article to read

http://www.buzzle.com/articles/best-agp-video-card.html

also i have a bunch of socket A chips laying around i might have a 3000+ of 3200+ barton laying around, the socket A processors really sucked and ran really hot but its a jump from where you are now.

[Tigger29]

I understand the predicament that you are in, and considering that you are looking at an AGP card upgrade I have to assume that finances (or lack thereof) play a crucial role in this decision, but you also have to understand that you machine in general is at the rock bottom of AH's hardware requirements and really needs to be upgraded/replaced to see any significant improvement in AH performance regardless as to what video card you get in it.

Obviously, if you can get a better video card for free (or dirt cheap.. like less than $10) then why not jump on it, but personally if it were me I would 'make do' for now and save any money you might be considering into improving your current system towards components to build a new one instead.  Simply put, any money you put into your current system might as well be flushed down the toilet.  You could spend $125 or more on one of the best performing AGP cards out there, and your system is still going to struggle to compute the physics calculations required for a fast and smooth AH gameplay experience.

For under $500 you can build a system that runs AH quite well, and for $700-800 you can build a system that can be maxed out in AH and still be future-proof to an extent.

[jamdive]

Bought an nvidia geforce gts 450.($150 after my buddies Best Buy discount) OUTSTANDING to say the least. I can crank up all the settings and it has little effect on my frame rate. I was getting an average of 20 fps with my old vid card and I stay at 60fps no matter what happens in game. (IE field acks, number of players and so forth.) Its as smooth as a babies ass. Even the stick stirrin dweebs find lead up the shoot.

This game wont even make the cooling fan on this card come on, lol.

Granted im on dsl but hey, I get better fr than some guys on fiber, and I used to have fiber.

[Tigger29]

Bought an nvidia geforce gts 450.($150 after my buddies Best Buy discount) OUTSTANDING to say the least. I can crank up all the settings and it has little effect on my frame rate. I was getting an average of 20 fps with my old vid card and I stay at 60fps no matter what happens in game. (IE field acks, number of players and so forth.) Its as smooth as a babies ass. Even the stick stirrin dweebs find lead up the shoot.

This game wont even make the cooling fan on this card come on, lol.

Granted im on dsl but hey, I get better fr than some guys on fiber, and I used to have fiber.

That is a good card and all, but unfortunately the OP's system doesn't even have a PCI-e slot in order to install anything modern as far as video cards go.  He's stuck with AGP options of which the few that are out there are much more expensive than their PCI-e counterparts.

Also I should add that your connection speed has absolutely nothing to do with your frame rate.  Someone on Dial-up could see 60+fps while someone on fiber could have only 15-20... it's all about what your computer can do, not the internet connection.

[Ack-Ack]

If the only option you have is AGP than I would suggest looking at the ATI 3850 512meg AGP or the HIS 4670 1gig DDR3 AGP card.

ack-ack

[Coronado]

Is there a big difference between the GTS  and the GTX  besides warranty??

[jocrp6]

Sparow, Bro,  I understand bout the money,  I've been in the no makeing  money business for 2.5 years now!  sometimes you just have to let go!
do not buy that, just put in it what ever will work! I have a AGP card, does it really matter what it is?  I'll give it to you!  just pay for shp/hand!

[Coronado]

Bought an nvidia geforce gts 450.($150 after my buddies Best Buy discount) OUTSTANDING to say the least. I can crank up all the settings and it has little effect on my frame rate. I was getting an average of 20 fps with my old vid card and I stay at 60fps no matter what happens in game. (IE field acks, number of players and so forth.) Its as smooth as a babies ass. Even the stick stirrin dweebs find lead up the shoot.

This game wont even make the cooling fan on this card come on, lol.

Granted im on dsl but hey, I get better fr than some guys on fiber, and I used to have fiber.

Ummm..Newegg  $129.99, may wanna rethink that friendship.

[Coronado]

Ummm..Newegg  $129.99, may wanna rethink that friendship.

cough...$99.99 after rebate.

[SectorNine50]

Bought an nvidia geforce gts 450.($150 after my buddies Best Buy discount) OUTSTANDING to say the least. I can crank up all the settings and it has little effect on my frame rate. I was getting an average of 20 fps with my old vid card and I stay at 60fps no matter what happens in game. (IE field acks, number of players and so forth.) Its as smooth as a babies ass. Even the stick stirrin dweebs find lead up the shoot.

This game wont even make the cooling fan on this card come on, lol.

Granted im on dsl but hey, I get better fr than some guys on fiber, and I used to have fiber.

Err... Your internet connection doesn't effect your framerate...

As for the Nvidia vs ATi (now called AMD), it REALLY depends on the game.

ATi has more stream processors, nVidia has less, but they run at much higher frequencies.  I personally like my ATi card because of the built-in Eyefinity feature (ability to run 3 monitors as one).