Buying a new graphics card - (read first post)

I’m looking to pick up a new graphics card for my kid
I've got a PCI-E slot available
The power supply is a 300W P4 unit
Running an Intel Core 2 duo E6400 2,13 GHz
Got 2 Gb Ram
Honestly, $333 I'm pretty much ready to drop some cash on this... I don't really get all the technical jargon, but I think I read somewhere that certain games need Shader Model 3 or something like that, so I definitely want a card that handles that...
What kind of options am I actually looking at here, or what would be the best bang for my buck? Thanks in advance,😉 Also, what even is OpenGL 2 and is it something you actually need for modern games?

Kyle Sanchez4 said:an hd4830 paired with a decent power supply

Same deal.

If you're running this in a VM, just make sure you have a reliable Gigabyte 460 w

driftinggull13 said:I'm not entirely sure what that means, but if I remember correctly, some games require Shader Model 3, so I'd want a graphics card that supports that.
What are my options here, or what would be considered a good value purchase? Thanks in advance.😉 What exactly is OpenGL 2, and is it necessary for modern games?

Almost all recent graphics cards come with Shader Model 4, so you probably don't need to worry about shaders. I can't explain OpenGL very well, but since 99.9% of games rely on Direct3D, it isn't really something you need to stress over. OpenGL is mostly used by professionals, and there are specific cards out there designed for sky-high performance in OGL. The cards that us mere mortals typically buy are geared more toward D3D.
Just listen to mr. Tamba 🙂

Kyle Sanchez4 said:same thing

If you're running it in a VM, you've got a decent enough power supply with that Gigabyte 460 w

Just asking for myself... not trying to be a smartass...🙂
Would a 400W Fortron power supply with active PFC and dual 12V rails be enough for that Sapphire 4830 card?

I already went ahead and bought it... man, I really hope I didn't screw this up.
🙂🙂

Yeah... I've got one. It’s been sucking the life out of my PC's power supply for over a year now.

Kyle Sanchez4 said:Yeah... I've got one, and honestly, it's been eating up more power than my entire PC setup for over a year now.

Man, you have no idea how much weight you just lifted off my shoulders...👍👍
I'm actually heading out to pick up a new rig tomorrow, and since I don't know the first thing about this stuff, some of these threads were giving me a total headache.😁

Is this graphics card actually any good? I'm looking at the ATI radeon hd 3400 series.

According to System Requirements Lab, this thing should handle all the latest games without breaking a sweat...

But honestly, I trust you guys way more than some random website's algorithm...

You’re probably thinking of the hd3450

You can technically run anything... but expect to play on low settings at 800x600. It's an HTPC card, not a gaming rig.

But wait, I'm looking at the CCC and it’s claiming this thing is an HD 3400...
It shows: Video RAM: 1.0 GB
it's got some kind of pixel shader 3.0
vertex shader: 3.0

So here's the deal... I only got my hands on this card for a quick test run, so I'm wondering—what would it actually be worth?

Douglas Patel98 said:but I think the specs listed in the driver software say it's an HD 3400...
it has: Video RAM: 1.0 GB
some kind of pixel shader 3.0
vertex shader: 3.0

well... since I only got this card on a trial basis, I'm wondering what its actual value might be?

What kind of monitor are you running? It’s hardly anything to play games on—as Kyle Sanchez4 would say—and if you're looking for gaming performance, anything under a 4670 or 9600gso isn't even worth considering.

You could go with the HD 3450 or the HD 3470.

Mainly... it’s hardly an option if you actually want to game.

New ones are sitting at $200 and $113

Guys, I need some help here. I finally picked up Total War after waiting months for it to drop, but man, this thing is a resource hog. It’s running like garbage—the graphics are stuttering constantly, and I can't even get through the campaign without everything falling apart. Here’s what I'm running:

CPU: Intel Pentium 4
Socket 478mPGA package.
Clocked in at 3000 MHz, I guess.
It's made by ASUSTeK Computer INC.
model : p4p8000-x siz : 256 MBytes
model : p4p8000-x siz : 256 MBytes
Graphics interface: AGP version 3.0. I guess.

It's just a GeForce FX 5200.

The game needs the following:

OS: Windows XP (Service Pack 2) or Vista... I guess.
You're gonna need at least a 2.4 GHz Intel Pentium or maybe an AMD Athlon to get this thing running. I guess.
RAM: 1 GB, plus about 15 GB of free space. I guess.
Graphics card: 256 MB, needs to support DirectX 9.0 (shader model 2.0), I guess.

Alright, here's everything I've got. I'm leaning towards thinking the graphics card is the culprit, but some people are telling me it might be the processor instead. Honestly, I don't know. Any advice on what I should actually do?

The issue might stem from your processor if it's running slower than 2.4 GHz, but more likely, it’s the graphics card. You're currently supporting DX 8.1, but you really need DX 9.0. I doubt it makes sense to sink too much money into a high-end card right now, so if you're determined to play this game, maybe just grab whatever the cheapest option is that offers 2.0 shaders (to ensure DX 9.0 support) and fits an AGP interface.
Newegg (you can probably skip the first two on the list, since they only support DX 8.1)

Thanks for the tip!

ASUS EAH 3450 series
Is this one actually any good?

Not great... barely worth it for multimedia alone.

I would really appreciate some assistance in choosing an AGP graphics card.
(I am not particularly well-versed in compatibility issues, so any guidance in that area would be most helpful.)

To start, here are my current specifications:
- CPU: Intel Pentium 4
- Package: Socket 478mPGA
- Core speed: 3000 MHz
- Manufacturer: ASUSTeK Computer Inc.
- Model : P4P800-F
- Size : 2048 MBytes
- Graphic Interface: AGP version 3.0, 8X
- Graphics Card: ASUS A9550 Series
- Power Supply: 400 W (MS industrial KY-400 ATX P4)
- Operating System: Windows XP Professional, Service Pack 3
- RAM: 2 GB
- Gaming Resolution: 1024x768 or higher

I am not looking to invest in an entirely new PC just yet, especially since we are approaching a major turning point with the arrival of things like Windows 7 and SSD technology. For now, I simply want to upgrade my graphics card.

My goal is to be able to run Mass Effect and similar modern titles.

I am willing to spend roughly $600$233 on a new card.
Regarding where to buy, I need to stick to physical retail stores because I don't have a credit card for online shopping. I am looking at places like Vemil, HG Spot (if absolutely necessary), Autronic, Links, or somewhere relatively close to downtown or my neighborhood near the suburbs.

Here are three cards that have caught my eye:

Sapphire Radeon HD 3650 AGP, 512MB DDR2, TVout, DVI (At Vemil, this is $213, and at Links it is $206)

VGA ASUS AH3650 SILENT/HTDI/512 (I have only seen this listed on various online shops like discount24.com or Ventex.com. Does anyone know of a brick-and-mortar store where this might be available?)

VGA AGP SAPPHIRE ATI RADEON HD 3850, 512MB DDR3, DVI, HDTV (At Links, it costs $280, which feels a bit steep, but if you all highly recommend it...)

Link: - for Links:

- for Vemil:

- for discount24.com:
http://www.diskont24.com/home.php?cat=392
- for Ventex discount:

Please feel free to suggest alternatives if you believe these aren't compatible or if they won't perform well enough with my current setup.

Thank you all in advance.

Just grab the Radeon HD 3650

There isn't really any other sensible way to play this..

Kyle Sanchez4 said:just grab the Radeon HD 3650

there really isn't any other sensible way to go about it...

Honestly, that is some pretty questionable advice to give anyone... I mean, suggesting a card running on DDR2 memory just isn't a move I'd ever recommend to a friend.

Now, if we were talking about a 3580 with 512MB, that would actually be a fantastic find, even if it might be a bit much for his current setup, and one does have to wonder how his power supply is going to handle that extra ~ 80W draw...

Here is another link you all can use to help me pick out a new graphics card:
http://www.amazon.com/graphics-cards/b?node=163100220

I also have a couple of follow-up questions I really should have asked earlier:

First off, is it actually worth investing in a high-end GPU given the processor I’m currently running with?
And secondly, when you guys are swapping out graphics cards or other PC components, do you actually bother using an anti-static wrist strap? I read somewhere that you could accidentally fry your hardware with static electricity. I've heard conflicting advice—some people swear by them, while others tell me it's totally unnecessary because they've swapped parts dozens of times without ever causing any damage.