Graphics Card Help

[Alexanderofmacedon]

I have a crappy graphics card...

GEFORCE2 64mb 4x AGP AOPEN

Do you think this is a good buy? I only have $64 so, this would be my quick fix...

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1477497&Sku=TC3H-1023

RTW works like shit, otherwise...

[Spetulhu]

Faster than the 5200, slower than the 5600, good image quality for movies. I'd call it a good buy for that price, but don't expect any wonders. ~;)

[LeftEyeNine]

Well, I have some experience with hardware. Actually I like dealing with them..

I have and AMD 2500 with 512 MB DDR-RAM and a GeForce FX 5600. I got some crappy FPS's as low as 10-13 in a close-up combat in RTW. But I have pushed level of details high a bit above the limits of my machine. But this FPS may go even lower when you are high up, which you'll be experiencing since you'll be commanding your tactics.

If you have that much of spare money, then this would be an adequate choice.

I also recommend you all trying the modified graphics drivers for your video cards. They really boost up performance. I guarantee performance but take no responsibility for any software-level malfunctions, nor the coders of the modified drivers do.

Some good examples of modified video drivers can be found at :

www.omegadrivers.net

www.tweaksrus.com

www.ngohq.com

Remember ATI and Nvidia chipsets have different drivers, so the modified one are..

Have fun. Hope this helps..

[Big_John]

another option:
http://3btech.net/giatira96pro.html

i think it's about the same as a 5500, maybe a little better.

edit: here's a review comparing several cards; the 9600pro is in there with the 5600ultra, which i assume is better than the 5500.

http://www.anandtech.com/printarticle.aspx?i=1904

[Xiahou]

Well, I understand that the 6600GT is supposedly the best bang for the buck right now... But for my part, Im still using a Radeon 9600 and haven't had any trouble running most games still- RTW runs great.

[LeftEyeNine]

Can you get a 6600GT for 65 bucks ?

Xiahou, if you can, order one for me please ! (LEN is excited with shiny eyes)

Radeon 9600 costs more than 65 bucks as well, doesn't it ?

[Big_John]

Radeon 9600 costs more than 65 bucks as well, doesn't it ?
the 9600 pro is listed at $64.99 on that link i posted above.

[LeftEyeNine]

Oh sorry, I should have considered the prices booming up when it comes to Turkey.

An ATI Radeon 9600 Pro chipset graphics card is sold for 124$ + KDV (Turkish VAT). That price you gave is as low as the half much it is sold here.

A simple comparison can be made against my NVidia chipset FX 5600 :

The core clock frequency of (GPU frequency) 9600 Pro is 400 Mhz, while my video card has it by 270 Mhz by default.

The memory frequency of 9600 Pro is 600 Mhz while mine is 500 Mhz by default.

Mathematically, GPU and RAM of 9600 Pro is a lot more "hard-working" than FX 5600's. While you can overclock the card to higher levels (I read a report overclocking 9600 pro to 567/700 Mhz), 9600 Pro simply outclasses Fx5600 and the lower level Nvidias.

Go, get it mate ;)

[Xiahou]

Can you get a 6600GT for 65 bucks ?

Xiahou, if you can, order one for me please ! (LEN is excited with shiny eyes)

Radeon 9600 costs more than 65 bucks as well, doesn't it ?
Nah, the 6600GT is probably about twice that much... just saying, it looks like the sweet spot right now for performance/price. Probably not too helpful for the guy with only $64 though, I admit. ~D

But then, I did mention the Radeon 9600- which Im still happy with.

[Productivity]

Nah, the 6600GT is probably about twice that much... just saying, it looks like the sweet spot right now for performance/price. Probably not too helpful for the guy with only $64 though, I admit. ~D

But then, I did mention the Radeon 9600- which Im still happy with.

I'd take the X800GT over a 6600gt though, although supply of htem is patchy. It also makes me chuckle that the X800GT was the fifth card released by ATI to directly compete with the 6600gt - nVidia really hit a winner with it.

[kiwitt]

I regret getting my 6600GT. MTW no longer runs in campaign mode.

[LeftEyeNine]

That's a system error situation with probabilities of video card driver failure.

I could not play my MTW in a resolution higher than 800*600 just before I realized that my video drivers were buggy. I installed a stable modified driver and the problem was over.

[Phatose]

I dunno. As it stands, I'd be hard pressed to recommend an X800GT or a 6600GT, simply because of the deal ATi is having on 'refurbed' X800Pros. Three year warranty, most people are reporting that they seem to be new and the general feeling is that ATi is simply overstocked and selling them as refurbed so as not to upset the OEMs.

I'm about as anti-ATi as you can get, but a 12 pipe 256 MB card for $179 is kinda hard to argue with.

[Alexander the Pretty Good]

I can recommend the Omega drivers. I got them for my (laptop's) Radeon Mobility 9000 and it helped a bit. Enough, really.

I want to get a new PC...

[LeftEyeNine]

For Nvidia, NGOHq has good driver sets (NGO modified 71.89 version is the one I'm currently using). And as long as TweaksRUs team can clean the bugs, they work out very good drivers as well.

[Alexanderofmacedon]

I'm going to go with a 6600 256mb card that is $189

I'll sell some Ps2 games ~;)

[LeftEyeNine]

Make sure you get a GT version of 6600 then, it creates really differences, most say..