Which Graphics Card?

[Master_Thief]

Thanks. Annoying thing is I wont be able to get it for another few days. But drinks all round anyway

[Master_Thief]

Hey all. I still haven't got the card but I will once I know one more thing. The x850 pro requires a minimum of a 300w psu but recommends a higher version. I have a 300w psu. Will the computer still run properly even thogh I only just pass the minimum requirement or will it have bad side effects, because if so then its game over for me and my new card: I need the computer to work perfectly as its for work as well as play.

[orangat]

With the advent of the 7600gt for agp, the 7600gs is obsolete and redundant. You should spend 10GBP on top of what you were going to pay for the x850pro and get the agp 7600gt from overclockers uk for GBP123 after vat.

[Master_Thief]

You sure do like the 7600 gt! But i'm going to stick with the x850 pro. It has a better fan, processes more textures per clock, and has a bigger memory bandwidth (34.56 gb/s as opposed to 22.4 for the 7600), plus it isn't bundled with Serious Sam 2 which has got to be a good thing! Anyway, if anyone can answer my previous question then i'll be eternally greatful.

[orangat]

You sure do like the 7600 gt! But i'm going to stick with the x850 pro. It has a better fan, processes more textures per clock, and has a bigger memory bandwidth (34.56 gb/s as opposed to 22.4 for the 7600), plus it isn't bundled with Serious Sam 2 which has got to be a good thing! Anyway, if anyone can answer my previous question then i'll be eternally greatful.

One of the quads is disabled. Its definitely has a lower texture fillrate compared to the 7600gt. The bottom line is that the 7600gt is faster and runs cooler. The only reason to get the x850pro is to unlock it.

[Master_Thief]

I'm pretty sure the connect3d x850 pro is unlockable, as there are plenty of contented customers out there who have said so. However, you are beginning to swing me towards the 7600 gt Orangat. The only thing which really puts me off is the fact that the Leadtek is so butt ugly. Just look at these picks of the x850 pro - http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...Tab=1&NoMapp=0

Thats a stupid reason I know, but also the increased price is abit off-putting. £10 isn't much, but its still more, and with that amount I culd buy a 12cm fan instead. It isn't me who will be paying, so the price is more of a concern than it would have been if it were my money. Anyway, when I get the card (whichever one it is) I will follow your advice, Geezer47, on what to do about the PSU. Once again (and hopefully for the last time ), thanks everyone.

[orangat]

I don't 'like' the 7600gt. Unlike many others in this forum, I don't recommend components just because I own one or 'like' one.

I recommended the 7600gt because its faster than the 7800gs (albeit by a hair) and the x850pro. And more importantly it consumes relatively little power. Whereas the x8xx series were the biggest power hogs in their day. Whats the point of saving 10BGP when you have an old borderline psu?

[frogbeastegg]

The card should be here tomorrow, at long last. :grumble: Just in time for me to work day after day, all day, so I barely have time to do anything with the computer. Delays are evil

So it's finally time to ask about drivers; I'm years out of date with nVidea drivers, and don't know which is generally the best set to aim for. Official, or one of the unofficials? If someone could give me the general view, and then aim me at the best current set, that would be nice.

[Geezer57]

I'm quite fond of the Omega Drivers (http://www.omegadrivers.net/), which alteady contain many tweaks and optimizations. Just install and go!

[Beirut]

The card should be here tomorrow, at long last.

Whajaget? Whajaget?

So it's finally time to ask about drivers; I'm years out of date with nVidea drivers, and don't know which is generally the best set to aim for. Official, or one of the unofficials? If someone could give me the general view, and then aim me at the best current set, that would be nice.

Drivers are sometimes game dependent (or is that the other way around?).

For instance, I'm using drivers for my Nvidia card that best suit the Il2 flightsim series. But these drivers are neither the newest nor the best available for most games, just for IL2.

[frogbeastegg]

I got the wrong thread. I meant to post in my own topic. Oops. That's me and my several tabs doing several things at once again :sigh: Would be nice if there was a way to move this accidental hijack over …

I got the AGP 7600gt. Drivers are games dependent, but usually there's one set which stands out as being particularly good for most games, just as there are occasional sets which are notorious for having problems. Usually. I just want a decent set to install at the start, so I don't have to go and fetch another set and update them after the installation. No idea what drivers will come with the card, but from my experience with my last three cards the bundled drivers are likely to be a bit outdated and not so hot. If it were an ATI card I’d know what I want; I haven’t looked at nvidea drivers since I replaced my old geforce 3.

[Beirut]

I got the AGP 7600gt.

Oh... you got the 7600 card Orangat was talking about. Not the 7800 I was recommending.

That's ok, that's ok. I know he's smarter than me... I'm sure it's a very good card and you'll enjoy it a great deal.


I'll, uh... be in the Backroom drunk thread if you're looking for me... Sniff.

[Master_Thief]

Don't worry about the hijacking. You've simply revived my thread which isn't such a bad thing, especially as i'm finally on the verge of ordering the new card i've been pondering over for weeks. Its the same one as yours, so let me know what its like if you could. Cheers.

[DukeofSerbia]

I got the AGP 7600gt.

How you found it? Only model in market is from Leadtek and it's impossible to buy it! On newegg.com is always out of stock.

I'm really eager to see the kind of difference you described when you made the swap from your own 7800 pro.

Such card doesn't exist. Only 7800GS for AGP. nVidia never had Pro in names of cards, only ATI.

[Geezer57]

Hey all. I still haven't got the card but I will once I know one more thing. The x850 pro requires a minimum of a 300w psu but recommends a higher version. I have a 300w psu. Will the computer still run properly even thogh I only just pass the minimum requirement or will it have bad side effects, because if so then its game over for me and my new card: I need the computer to work perfectly as its for work as well as play.

If your current 300w power supply is a good one, you should be fine. However, there's a lot of cheap stuff out there masquerading as quality, so be sure to monitor your machine closely after installing the new card for the first time. One nice thing about staying with the ATI brand is that the drivers for your new card will be compatible with your old one - if you have any suspicious behavior, you can always yank out the new card and put the old one back in. Then you can go shopping for a good new power supply, should that prove necessary, and still keep using your computer.

[Master_Thief]

Cheers. That sounds like pretty good advice. I think my power supply is pretty good though, since the rest of the computer is excellent. Another thing: the fan on my psu is covered in dust. I don't suppose you know how to clean this (and also how to clean the inside of a computer in general)?

[Master_Thief]

This is my power supply - http://www.fsp-group.com.tw/english/...d=52&proid=212

Its not cheap and crappy is it?

[Geezer57]

Hard to tell much from the published specifications - they're all proprietary to each manufacturer anyway, so can vary a lot from one manufacturer to another. Seems to be sound enough - I've seen some with a little more amperage on the 12v rail. But much of what determines the "quality" of a power supply is largely subjective - is it heavy, does it use good brand capacitors, etc.
I'd just try the new video card with the current P/S, if it acts up, go shopping.