Graphics cards around £100

[ERU]

I have read alot of post concernings the 9500np > 9700 mod.

I am looking to buy a good value for money card and have decided that the 9500np is good value and if i can mod it all the better.
My question is this: If i buy a 'RADEON 9500 64MB DDR 8X' is it certainly going to have a 128-bit DDR memory. Do i have to get a 128mb version to have the 256-bit bus? I understand that i can still have a chance to turn it into a 9500 pro if its 128-bit, is this corrrect?

I know the mod enables the four missing pipelines. That makes a 256-bit 9500 non-pro into a 9700 non-pro, and makes a 128-bit 9500 non-pro into a 9500 Pro.

Official specs:
9700 Pro, 8 pipes, 256-bit
9500 Pro, 8 pipes, 128-bit
9500 Non-Pro, 4 pipes, 128-bit.

So the hack should enable the other four pipes, so the "non-standard" 256-bit card becomes a 9700 while the 128-bit card becomes a 9500 Pro.


So what do we know about the 64mb mods? What do i look out for on the card - the 'L' shape memory again? I would be quite plesed if i could mod it to a pro as i understand they outperform the 9600. I have a short list of the cards i want to buy which are, but price is a concern here. What do you think about the price/performance/longativity:

*Ge-force fx5600 (normal) £100.00
*Ge-force ti4200 £67.36
*Radeon 9600np £86.50
*Radeon 64mb 9500np £91.50

[acidrainy]

I've heard that It's hard to get a 9500np to softmod to 9700np these days. Most of the 9500np's have the other pipelines disabled for a reason i.e. one is simply broken.

Although I have heard of many people having luck with it....
Suppose you just have to find a good, known supplier for these things...

[fondie]

any 9500np you buy is almost gauranteed NOT to be moddable, if you want a card that is then they are available on e-bay, but cost £130 + £11 postage!

[Axion]

another bit of a problem... how can 2 memory modules be in an L-shape?

ie how can you get 256bit bus on a 64mb card... it wont use 4x16mb...

id say get the Ti

[TiG]

the soft mod's now are virtually impossible to get either through lack of hardware or through these myths that all L shaped memory being moddable etc.

You are best ignoring all of this now as its quite frankly not relevant, i'd suggest you either get the ti4200 like axion said or save a bit more money and go for something like a rev2 fx5600ultra or even a bit more and go for a 9700np or pro.

TiG

[ERU]

I went for the ti4200!

[chrisf6969]

good choice.... its fast enough for almost all current games at normal resolutions around 1024x768 +-, and older games like Q3 at 1600x1200, etc...

I've been using my ti4600 for the past 18 months, it plays everything great, and I'm not upgrading until I can get something as fast as a ati9800 or nv5900 for $100.

[ERU]

Yeah it seems that i have a leadtek version also, so i will now be looking into how it clocks. I've read that it can go to ti4400 speeds but i'll beleive that when i see it.

If anyone has a overclocked a 'Leadtek GeForce4 Ti 4200 8x Tv-out 64mb DDR Retail Box' i'd like to know what you did, i.e. cooling etc

[Flibb]

A friend is after a card the same as yours, where did you find was the best place to get it?
Cheers
Flibb

[Austin]

The 4200 are the best buys for around £100 (Dabs do 128MB for £75!). They are faster than the Rad9600 or FX5600 but obviously lack DX9 and top notch AA+AF. Almost all 4200 can exceed 4400 speeds but 128MB gfx RAM is going to hurt your perf though. If you want DX9 and top AA+AF the Rad9600PRO is the best buy as the FX5600ultra isn't as fast and costs more and the FX5600ultra V2 (flipchip) is way over-priced and only offers comparable perf to 9600PRO. The 9500nonPRO as said are not really moddable anymore (esp with 64MB) and stock perf is awful anyway. The 9500PRO are certainly better than 9600PRO but most likely more pricey IF you can find one. Rad9700nonPRO can be had for £150 (search Grandmars) and those are WAY better than all the cards mentioned above ... plus they tend to o/c past Rad9700PRO speeds!

www.dabs.com

QUICKLINX GFXCARD RAM PRICE
2C5W 4200-8X 128MB £75
2Q8SWS 9600 128MB £86.50
2N8GWS 9600PRO 256MB £120 (no need for 256MB)
2HZKWS FX5600 128MB £100
2HZLWS FX5600ultra 128MB £139 (out of stock, difficult to know what is V2 flipchip anyway)