What Videocard Should I Buy?

[Ivanhoe123]

Recommend Me An AGP Graphics Card Please...

I'm currently using a Gigabyte 6800gt 256mb DDR3 graphics card. I need to source a new card as the Gigabyte is getting long in the tooth. What are your recommendations?
I've only ever used Nvidia Cards so if your suggestion is for ATI, please leave comments why i should go for an ATI card.
As always TIA.

 

[Nils Wijk]

This also depends on the rest of the system. But the fastest and most up2date AGP card is probably an Radeon HD3850.

 

[Ivanhoe123]

This also depends on the rest of the system. But the fastest and most up2date AGP card is probably an Radeon HD3850.

System Specs...
Asus p4c800e-Deluxe Motherboard.
3gig Ram
2.53 ghz cpu
Benq 1620
Benq 1640
1/2 Tb storage.

 

[Dietmar]

I am not familiar with the price in the UK, but thought about not investing everything in GPU but a little bit more in the CPU? I would stick to dual core not quad, but more power and maybe go for the GPU one step down e.g. 4850 (am myself an ATI person). That one by far has enough power for the two games (have myself an 3870 which is slightly slower than the 4850 and it works well, at all details with 1680x1050). I am running a 2.4 Ghz dual core, which is also enough, but I guess as well as teh GPU it should not be much less.

EDIT: The CPU is already in your current system? In that case ignore my reply
EDIT2: Have an eye on your PSU with the new GPU, you might reach its limits!

 

[Nils Wijk]

I would grab the GTX260 216 core version.

It's actually faster then the 48701GB and more future proof and is in your price range.

Here's a review: (just make sure you get the 216 core version not the original GTX260)

http://www.guru3d.com/article/top-10-games-with-radeon-4870-1-gb--geforce-gtx-260-core-216-test/8

a 4870 1GB is still a great chose too, but it's up to you

Damian why is it more future proof?

 

[Nils Wijk]

I am sorry but I gues this is a P4? It really depends a lot on what type of cpu is doing the 2.53Ghz.

 

[Ivanhoe123]

I am sorry but I gues this is a P4? It really depends a lot on what type of cpu is doing the 2.53Ghz.

Sorry...It,s a Pentium 4 Motherboard ....I've got the 2.53Ghz overclocked to 3Ghz.
You stated that ATI is currently doing the best AGP graphic card...Have you got personal experience of the said card HD3850?

 

[Damian Henderson]

The best AGP card you can get is a ATI HD3850 AGP. ( http://www.eclipsecomputers.com/product.aspx?code=GC-AR3850512&af=50 )

The other faster AGP cards which are a bit slower then the 3850 are:

ATI X1950 Pro AGP
Geforce 7950GT AGP
Geforce 7900GS AGP

But the HD3850 AGP is quite a bit faster then all of those and is the one you want if you want the best AGP card you can get for maximum performance. Otherwise I would go with a 7950GT or X1950 Pro but the HD3850 would be the best bet.

 

[Damian Henderson]

Damian why is it more future proof?

Because it's faster thus will run newer games that come out in the future better

 

[Ivanhoe123]

The best AGP card you can get is a ATI HD3850 AGP. ( http://www.eclipsecomputers.com/product.aspx?code=GC-AR3850512&af=50 )

The other faster AGP cards which are a bit slower then the 3850 are:

ATI X1950 Pro AGP
Geforce 7950GT AGP
Geforce 7900GS AGP

But the HD3850 AGP is quite a bit faster then all of those and is the one you want if you want the best AGP card you can get for maximum performance. Otherwise I would go with a 7950GT or X1950 Pro but the HD3850 would be the best bet.

Thanks Damian...Think i'll go for the Sapphire 3850.:clap:

 

[Matt Alpeter]

yep HD3850 is the best AGP you can get..neither company makes AGP anymore, so this will probably be your last upgrade until a new board.

 

[Nils Wijk]

Maybe or maybe not. Watch how it performs in the soon the be released (real) dx10.1 titles. If we are talking future proof

 

[Christopher Aponte]

in pc business there is no such thing as future proof
take a look at my 8800GT that i bought last year....it is still a good graphics card...but my body and mind is begging for a new graphics card (maybe it is me with a bad pc hobby )
either way...right now i don't think you can go wrong with the 4870 or the GTX 260 216 Cores

(but i do tend to still go faster with the Nvidia, as it has better power saving during pc idling.... and for me personally i leave my pc on 24/7)

 

[Nils Wijk]

Well ofcourse nothing is future proof but some cards just last longer then others (R9700Pro anyone)

Or look at the 7900GTX and 1950XTX they were about the same speed when released look at how they perform these days:

http://www.hartware.de/review_869_9.html

 

[Nigel Atkins]

(but i do tend to still go faster with the Nvidia, as it has better power saving during pc idling.... and for me personally i leave my pc on 24/7)

my pc is usualy on 24/7 as well, 1 thing that bothers me about the 4870 is the higher temps it runs at even on idle.

 

[Damian Henderson]

Maybe or maybe not. Watch how it performs in the soon the be released (real) dx10.1 titles. If we are talking future proof

There is allready some dx10.1 titles and you do know that with tweaked drivers Nvidia can use DX10.1 effects in certain games.

http://en.expreview.com/2008/10/21/nvidia-can-use-the-dx101-in-far-cry-2.html

It's more about waiting for DX11 really which will most likely come for Windows 7 or possibly later then that and still it will take some of the bigger developers to take full advantage of it's potential. ID and Epic two of the biggest out there when it comes to next-gen engines have already said they are focusing on the consoles first.

And then there is Physx which is only supported for nVidia cards.

PhysX is designed specifically for hardware acceleration by powerful processors with hundreds of cores. Combined with the tremendous parallel processing capability of the GPU, PhysX will provide an exponential increase in physics processing power and will take gaming to a new level delivering rich, immersive physical gaming environments.

http://www.nvidia.com/object/nvidia_physx.html

PhysX games:
http://www.nzone.com/object/nzone_physxgames_home.html

Peace

 

[vmagics]

My system is down at the moment so I am currently using my old Pentium4, 1.5gb ram with an agp nVidia 7600gt. It's okay for lone hotlapping but as soon as other AI cars are on track it stutters and struggles with fps. This might be down to the complexity of the AI programing, making it a cpu/ram etc. issue. Or it could be down to graphics, which suggests it's a graphics card/bus issue. I don't really know what my point is here but it's something which you might want to consider.
P.S. I could try racing online to test the AI vs. graphics theory but I don't want to screw up anybody elses game. Knowing my luck, all will be well until a last-lap/last-corner fight to the finish.
P.P.S. Does anybody else have any theories regarding this 'AI vs. graphics' issue?

 

[Tim Ling]

It's possible it's a CPU issue. A P4 will struggle now, but I'd say it's more likely to be a combination of the 2, lots of cars to draw all using lots of cpu cycles to control.
The only thing you can do is try it in multiplayer. Make sure all your settings are low, keep to the rear of the field and see what happens. I think you'll have a pretty good idea how it'll be after the practice session.

 

[Sander Hogendoorn]

my pc is usualy on 24/7 as well, 1 thing that bothers me about the 4870 is the higher temps it runs at even on idle.

In the latest Ati drivers you can set the fan speed yourself. So this issue can be resolved very easy, set it at 30% and it makes a bit more noise but temperature goes from 80 to 45

 

[vmagics]

Cheers Tim, I've just tried online and it's just as bad. Ivanhoe123, it may be the case that your system is just not up to it regardless of the graphics card. Nonetheless, I wish you the best of luck. Anyway I'll see you all as soon as my 8800gtx is fixed/replaced. Oh God this is so depressing.