New Graphics Card... Which one?

Hello all,

I've got a Shuttle SB51G in black and at present I have a GeForce4 Ti4800SE. I think it's by Leadtek and is a golden sample jobby.

Now, I am pretty clueless when it comes to GFX cards. Especially when it comes to picking a new one which would compliment my PC best.

So, I need some help, what graphics card can I get which is:

A) Better than my current one,
B) Futureproof (I only really play CS and PES4 so I dont need a top end one),
C) Value for money.

I dont mind going 2nd hand as you can pick up some bargains, so what can I get for my money?

Cheers,
Nick

This sounds like a good deal, its actually a Leadtek A400 TDH apparently

http://www.lowestonweb.com/Products/...3-8A8D0253C1B2

Anything cheaper? :D

The worst I would go for right now would be a 6600GT - they're around £140. ATi have competition in the form of the 9800 Pro, but the 6600GT is generally faster, and only struggles at higher resolutions and AA.

For example: http://www.tekheads.co.uk/s/product?product=603810

I'm sure there are few cards that are cheaper, but that's just an example.

If its £140 new, how much would it be 2nd hand?

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Originally Posted by Lead_Head

If its £140 new, how much would it be 2nd hand?

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About £90 i reckon, thats what i sold mine for. I've also seen the 6600gt for £114 recently.

That 6800nu@ lowestontheweb is very good value, I have one & it softmodded no problem, best £170 I ever spent.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Lead_Head

...what can I get for my money...

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Just a thought...

...instead of approaching it from the 'Which card can I get for my money' angle - what about 'What level of performance do I want to experience in my favourite games ?'

Before posting this link - I did check everywhere on Hexus for a similar chart - but could not find one... http://graphics.tomshardware.com/gra...s/image025.gif
Note: More modern AGP cards will generate better performance scores than the products shown here - but may also cost more !

Call of Duty was pretty demanding when this test was completed and they ran it at 1024x768 with 4x/8x - which is a decent test for cards from that generation

Have a think about the resolution and quality settings that you want to use - then see if you can get a card that will deliver the required level of performance inside your budget

As I have suggested before - once you decide which card you think you should get - see if you can get a friend to lend you one

You can then 'test drive' your proposed purchase for a couple of hours and see if it is all you hoped it would be

Also, there may be a benefit to buying a new card - for example if you want to massively increase your software collection then you will find that some vendors include a massive games bundle in the retail box

One in particular, carries around 17 games in the box and their pricing is still pretty reasonable

Whatever you decide - good luck !

what resolution will you want to play at as this will have a big impact on reccomendations... for 1024by 768 i would get a 6600gt but for anything larger i would advise a 6800nu. Sadly ati are only good on pci-e at the moment

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Andrzej

Before posting this link - I did check everywhere on Hexus for a similar chart - but could not find one... http://graphics.tomshardware.com/gra...s/image025.gif

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Your link just goes to a logo for Toms Hardware.

This link is for their latest AGP Graphics card comparison.

http://graphics.tomshardware.com/gra...004/index.html

At the moment I have approx 100 fps in CS, however it drops to approx 60-70 on certain maps and in smoke it is even worse.

I play it in 1024*768. £100 would be absolute tops of my budget.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Lead_Head

...drops to approx 60-70...

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Are you certain that this is impacting your experience ?

Some of the top titles like Doom 3 are capped at 60fps and you can't normally play at a higher frame rate...

...or are you saying that the problem is the 'minimum frame rate' experienced ?

What FPS rate do you want to have and in which games ?

The 2 games which I play are Pro Evolution Soccer 4 and CS. Obviously PES4 is more demanding that the 6 year old game of CS.

Do you think I am better off just sticking with what I've got?