Buying a new graphics card - (read first post)

Since everyone seems to be talking about graphics cards all at once lately, I figured I'd set up this dedicated thread just to keep things organized and make sure all the helpful info stays in one easy-to-find spot...

We have a few house rules that we really need you to follow:

• Are you looking for an AGP or a PCI-E card?
• What does your current or upcoming setup look like, and what kind of power supply are you running?
• What resolution are you planning to play at?
• How much of a budget are we working with here?
• Which retailers are you considering?
• If you have any other specific requirements, please go ahead and list them out...

Just a heads-up, any separate threads created outside of this main discussion regarding graphics cards will be closed and removed...

Here are the easiest ways to dig up this info. You'll probably need CPU-Z, which you can grab HERE
.

• Are you looking for an AGP or a PCI-E card?

How do you check?

Just download CPU-Z, unzip it, and run cpuz.exe. Check out the Tab Motherboard:



It should tell you right there if it's an Inferace PCI-Express or AGP. If it doesn't show up, I guess you could just Google the motherboard model and check the manufacturer's site.

• What's your current or upcoming setup, and what kind of power supply are you running?

How to find out?

Grab CPU-Z, unzip it, and fire up cpuz.exe.

Start with the CPU tab. We need the processor name, and it might be helpful if you include the Package and Core speed too.

Then hit the Tab Motherboard; we'll need the Manufacturer and the model from there.

Lastly, we need to know how much RAM you have. Just open the Tab Memory and let us know the siz.

With Christmas right around the corner, I've been thinking about doing a little hardware modernization. I'm currently running a Sapphire x1550, but frankly, it just isn't cutting it for my needs as a gamer anymore. I find myself torn between a few different options here:

Powercolor Radeon X1650Pro AGP

Powercolor Radeon X1550 AGP

Powercolor Radeon HD 2400Pro

What I really want to know is what kind of actual leap in performance we're talking about. How much would the gaming experience actually improve if I picked up one of these? I'm planning on building an entirely new rig this summer, so I'm looking for something to tide me over and keep things playable until then.

The rest of my current setup consists of 1280 MB of RAM and a Pentium 4 2.4.

EDIT: The Motherboard is Micro-Star, model MS 6728.

I don't follow the AGP graphics card scene very closely myself, but since nobody else seems to be chiming in here...

None of those three options really hit the mark. You didn't mention what kind of budget we're working with, did you?

Or maybe this one...

http://www.diskont24.com/product.php?productid=36606

And you haven't even told us what kind of power supply you're running! Honestly... -.-

Anyway, that second option is a bit of an overkill for what you need, though I'd say anything weaker than a Gigabyte Radeon HD3650 with GDDR3 memory just isn't worth the money at this point. If you're willing to look at the used market, you might have better luck hunting down an x1950pro or perhaps a 7800GS/7900GS...

I’ve taken a look at those, but honestly, it feels like a waste of cash to drop more than $117 on this right now, especially since I'm planning to just buy a whole new rig this summer anyway. So, fine, none of them then. Thanks for the help.

Do $117 I'm pretty sure there isn't anything new out there at all... if you're looking for something, you'd really have to hunt down some used gear, maybe a 7800GS or even a 7600GT... those usually hover right around the 300-$117 mark... 😉

I mean, does anyone actually think this makes sense paired with a Pentium 4 2.4?

I'm having a hard time deciding which GPU to grab. What's the consensus on the Gigabyte Radeon HD3650, 512MB DDR2, TVout, DVI for $120 at Vemil? I've got a bad feeling about those memory chips, and there's no fan control...

Just looking to play some light stuff. It'll need to run GTA4. Probably sticking to 800x600 or 1024x768 resolution, and medium settings should be fine for me. Is this a decent pick, or should I look for something else used? Ideally, I want to stay under $133...

I was also eyeing the 2600 with DDR3 memory—would that be a better bet than this 3650?

Oh, and the specs will be:
Some kind of dual-core at 2.5GHz
4GB RAM
M55plus-S2G
M55plus-S2G Coolermaster 430 w extreme Power
etc.

Just a quick heads-up; the Leadtek 8800 GTS 512 mb from Hgspot is actually sold out, even though their website still shows it as being in stock. Just a warning so you don't recommend it to anyone else right now.

Alright, here's the breakdown:

-PCI-E card
-AMD Athlon 64x2 6000+ 3.0, 2x1 gb kingmax 800Mhz, motherboard: AliveNf6g-DVI, power supply: LC Power 14cmFan SilentGant 420 w
-All I really need is for the GPU to be able to run GTA4 at 1280*1024 on medium settings. Honestly, I play everything at 1280*1024 anyway since I'm stuck using a 17" monitor
-I'm ready to drop up to $233
-The shops I'm looking at are HGspot, Vemil, or Best Buy

So yeah, that's the deal! Please help a guy out and recommend a solid card that fits these specs...

Radeon HD4670

Does she have any actual competition? Because honestly, it’s driving me crazy (it literally hurts my eyes) when I try to read her specs and all I see is just a big pile of junk: 128 bit...

You could go with the HD3870, but then that power supply starts looking pretty sketchy to me...

I mean, if it's a 420w unit, what's the actual problem here?

Don't let it get to you; a 128-bit bus is actually more than enough compared to something like an old Radeon X1950
. Honestly, when you're just running a 17-inch monitor, you really don't need anything more powerful than that anyway.👍

It’s failing because it’s in the same league as Codegen or MS Industrial—basically just overpriced scrap metal. It puts out decent juice on the 3.3V and 5V rails, which modern rigs don't even touch, but the 12V rail is pathetic.
For instance, an EVGA 400 W only delivers about 340W on the 12V line... just some food for thought.

Could I actually run an HD2600 or an HD3650 on this rig?
Processor: Intel Pentium 4, 2200 MHz (11 x 200) 3200+. Core architecture: Intel Prescott (runs at 55°C under full load with a 78w draw)
RAM: 1.768 GB
Motherboard:😈pox EP-8RDA3(I)/8RDAE(I), Intel I865 (Crush18)
Power Supply: EVGA 400 W. It’s an old unit, so I have no idea what its actual headroom looks like right now...
Resolution: 1024x768, decent settings

The GPU needs to handle FIFA 09, Halo 2, and maybe some Call of Duty titles if possible.

Thanks so much, everyone! I'm finally pulling the trigger on an HD4670...

I think it could work, but that power supply is a total red flag. It’s an old 400 W unit, what's the deal with 🤷
? btw FIFA 09 should run fine, and Halo 2 and 4 should be good too, but 5? No way. That's all from me 🙂

@Kevin Kim7/">@@Kevin Kim7: Yeah, both are solid choices and the wattage fits perfectly. It's actually pretty sweet that they don't pull much power, so you probably won't even need to upgrade your PSU. Just make sure you grab the AGP versions, not PCI-E.

Kyle Sanchez4, if I had to guess, I'd put LC and Silicon Valley about half a class above MS and maybe half a class below Fortran or Cooler Master...