Buying a new graphics card - (read first post)

First build option - featuring the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 295

For the second setup... I really think aiming for an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 275 or maybe a 260 would be the sweet spot, because honestly, trying to run dual X2 cards via NVIDIA SLI just doesn't make much sense when you consider the jump to four GPUs is practically negligible... though if you were looking to push things further with a CPU overclock, you could potentially squeeze in two ATI Radeon HD 4890 cards, provided you upgrade the power supply first!

As for the ATI Radeon HD 3870 X2, I'd say around $700-$250 if it still carries a warranty, but maybe closer to $600-$217 if it's out of luck on the coverage...

wiredmarlin5 said:First build - go with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 295.

Second build - you're better off with a GTX 275 or a 260. Using NVIDIA SLI with two X2 cards just isn't worth it; jumping up to 4 GPUs gives you almost zero real-world gain. If you overclock the CPU in that second rig, you could even squeeze in two ATI Radeon HD 4890s, but you’ll definitely need to swap out the power supply first.

The ATI Radeon HD 3870 X2 is about $700$250 if it still has a warranty, or maybe $600$217 if it doesn't.

So basically, running two ATI Radeon HD 4850 X2s is a waste of money, and dual 4890s would actually be more powerful, right? That's how I'm reading this...

CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E8400
Motherboard: Gigabyte P35-DS3
RAM: 4GB DDR2 800MHz
GPU: Gigabyte GeForce 8800 GT
PSU: Corsair 450VX
Monitor: 20" @ 1600x1050 resolution

So, here’s the deal—is it actually worth my money to pick up a new NVIDIA GeForce GTX 275? And more importantly, can my power supply even handle the hit? I noticed the card calls for two 6-pin connectors, but my current unit only has one
Thanks

John Chavez222 said:So, if I've got this right, picking up an ATI Radeon HD 4850 X2 isn't really the smartest move since those ATI Radeon HD 4850 X2 cards are definitely going to pack more punch... right? That's how I'm reading it...

You nailed it! 😉That’s exactly the case.

redhawk50 said:CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E8400
Motherboard: Gigabyte P35-DS3
RAM: 4GB DDR2 800MHz
GPU: Gigabyte GeForce 8800 GT
PSU: Corsair 450VX
Monitor: 20" at 1600x1050 res

Would it be worth my while to grab a new NVIDIA GeForce GTX 275, and can my power supply actually handle it? The card needs two 6-pin connectors, but my PSU only has one available...
Thanks!

It's totally worth it, and honestly, don't even sweat the PSU... it should hold up just fine.

Anonymous said:

• PCI

• AMD Sempron 2600+, Socket 754, clock speed 1600

• Gigabyte Technology Motherboard, GA-K8NE

• 2GB RAM

I want to push this thing to its absolute limit. $233. 🤷

Is anyone around? 😢

PCI graphics aren't exactly standard...

AGP and PCIe are, though.
For $233, you're better off just grabbing a new CPU, motherboard, and RAM, then selling this old rig.
The motherboard will have integrated graphics, which is fine enough for basic 2D games, but honestly, there's just no point in sinking more money into that machine.

Can anyone tell me which modern card actually sits in the same league as the old X1xxx X1950? Keep in mind back when that series was king... if we look at today's 4xxx series, what would be the equivalent? If the X1xxx X1950 was the absolute beast back then, is the ATI Radeon HD 4890 the modern successor for that level of power?

yeah

Here's my first unofficial benchmark of the new ATI Radeon HD 4890 cards featuring that 1GHz GPU:

http://sobitza.com/portal/content/view/762/32/

Can anyone tell me which modern card actually matches the old X1950?

The HD4650 is right there with the X1950—probably even faster, honestly.

It’s certainly not the first time.

http://pcekspert.com/articles/672-1.html

So, stop talking nonsense.

Is Links paying them to host that page?

The term ITX is just a specific format, and on PCMag, they list the standard version of the ATI Radeon HD 4890, not the 1GHz model, so let's stick to the facts. 😉
Over at Sobit, you can find a review for the standard Sapphire ATI Radeon HD 4890 that was actually posted on April 1st—a day before the official series launch. That puts it ahead of both PCMag and ITX.

As for your other question, you’ll have to take that up with Omegle or Linus, but from what I can tell, all this hardware was sent over for testing directly from Best Buy.

I've got a Radeon 9600 Pro Family graphics card. I was wondering if that's actually powerful enough to handle newer games, maybe something like Virtua Tennis 2009 and stuff like that?

not quite..

Does anyone have any advice on which graphics card I should pick up? I just want something powerful enough to handle newer games without breaking the bank.

Since you're stuck on AGP, upgrading the card is a waste of money... You'd be better off just replacing the whole rig.

Besides memory clock speeds, what's actually the difference between these two cards? 🤔

http://www.diskont24.com/product.php...cat=391&page=4

http://www.diskont24.com/product.php...cat=391&page=4

Honestly, there isn't any real difference at all—not even when you look closely at the memory speed 😉—since Palit actually manufactures both of these cards... I’d say just grab the Gainward one because it's quite a bit cheaper...

I've been wondering lately, which one would actually be the better pick: the PALIT GF9500GT SILENT SUPER+/1GB HDMI or the ATI Radeon 4550 HD? Thanks! 👍

Come on now, just give me a bit more detail so I can actually help you out! Tell me exactly how much cash you're looking to drop, which stores you're planning to shop at—maybe Best Buy or Micro Center?—what kind of power supply and overall build you have in mind, and what resolution you usually play at...

wiredmarlin5 said:Come on, give me some actual details. What kind of budget are we looking at? Which retailers are you checking out, what’s the power supply situation, the specific build specs, or even just the resolution you plan on gaming at?

The thing is, I'm looking to pick up a setup for roughly $1000. I've been torn between these two options:

MBO iG31 / iICH7, DDR2, audio, VGA, S-ATA, G-LAN, PCI-E, mATX, socket 775
CPU Intel Pentium Dual-Core E5200 BOX, socket 775, 2.5GHz, 2MB cache, FSB 800MHz, 64-bit, DualCore
RAM PC-6400, 2 GB, DDR2 800 MHz
VGA PCI-E ATI Radeon 4550 HD, 512MB DDR3, DVI, HDTV
HDD 1000.0 GB SATA, 32MB cache, 7200 RPM, desktop grade
DVD±RW 22x, black, SATA, Dual layer, DVD-RAM, bulk
Case LC POWER 652B, MIDI, black, 420W ATX
Keyboard Logitech Deluxe 250, black, OEM, PS/2
Mouse Logitech S96, optical, black, OEM, PS/2
Speakers Logitech 2.0 black, OEM
Cooler Arctic Cooling Alpine 7 GT, socket 775
Fan Arctic Cooling Fan Pro TC, 80mm, 10-23dB
Fan Arctic Cooling Fan Pro TC, 80mm, 10-23dB

# 1x Motherboard socket 775, MSI, G31M3-L V2 VGA, FSB1333, DDR2 800, PCIe, A.7.1
# 1x CPU Intel Pentium Dual-Core E5200, 2.5 GHz, 775 64-bit, L2 Cache 2MB, 800MHz, BOX
# 1x RAM PC DDR2-800, 2GB, CL5 (128Mx16), 240pin, takeMS
# 1x CASE Cooler Master, Elita 334 Middle Tower, 420W PSU, black
# 1x DVD RW PHILIPS SPD2514BM, DVDR 18x, DVDR DL 8x, DVD RW 8x, SATA, black, bulk
# 1x VGA PCIe2.0 Nvidia GeForce 9500 GT, Palit, 1GB, DDR2-128bit, VGA, DVI, HDMI
# 1x HDD Hitachi 500 GB Deskstar, 7,200 RPM 16MB, SATA II/300