Buying a new graphics card - (read first post)

The Radeon HD 4770 and anything stronger will definitely need a dedicated power connector.

With the 4670... a lot of them require a power connector, so you really have to check the specific model. One of the cheapest options without an extra plug—and it uses DDR3 memory—is the one from MSI.
http://www.nabava.net/trazilica.php?...=Pretra%C5%BEi

If you go with the 4650, that's a safe bet. Don't settle for anything weaker than that.
Anything 4550 or lower... just isn't going to cut it for gaming.

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You mentioned earlier that you're looking for Nvidia.

The Nvidia 9600 series pulls more power and requires an additional connector.
Take the 9600 GT, for example.
http://www.overclockersclub.com/site...t/16_thumb.jpg

Even the weakest 9600 GSO with 384mb still needs its own power supply (and that card is actually weaker than the 4650).
http://www.gigabyte.com.tw/FileList/...6g384h_big.jpg
http://www.gigabyte.com.tw/FileList/...gmc-5h_big.jpg

If you absolutely insist on an Nvidia card without needing a connector, then you're looking at the 9500, but honestly, that's hardly a gaming card.

Kyle Sanchez4 said:An HD4670 would probably do the trick..

@rustyraven292/">@@rustyraven292

I’d personally lean toward Nvidia..

Thanks🙂

So, I’m hoping you guys can point me in the right direction... I'm running an Intel Celeron at 2.5 GHz on an Asus P4GE-MX motherboard—512 MB of RAM and a 40 GB hard drive. A few months back, my graphics card bit the dust, so I've just been getting by with integrated graphics. Honestly? I'm pretty bored with it now and really want to pop in a dedicated card. My board only supports AGP cards, though. At first, I was eyeing the GeForce 7600 GT, but that's just way too pricey for me right now. Now I'm looking at the GeForce 6200—it doesn't seem half bad, does it? Just to be clear, I'm not a power user at all. Aside from playing Diablo 2, I don't really care for gaming—I'm not much of a gamer. Most of my time is spent just browsing the web. I just want a solid little card that gets the job done. Any decent suggestions would be great! After I sort out the graphics, I'm planning to add another 1 or 2 GB of RAM... hopefully, you guys can help a person out. Thanks in advance!

Thomas Hernandez21 said:How much are you planning to drop on this? That’s really the only thing that matters—right? A used 7600GT goes for about $117.
In what way do you feel like your integrated graphics are getting boring? Is it because it can't run Diablo 2?

I'm not from around here, so I don't really get all the local slang and references😁
So, I'd probably offer somewhere in the $30-$40 range...
I saw on a tech site that a GeForce 6200 costs around $25-$30.
Plus, I've seen on other forums that the 7600GT isn't highly recommended—especially since even a used one is pretty pricey, let alone a brand-new card.
It's definitely not like it won't run Diablo 2, but I just want to have a dedicated card—like I said before—just to get the job done.

Here are some local benchmarks:

Sapphire HD4670 gDDR4 vs XFX 9600 gt Sapphire HD4650
http://sobitza.com/portal/content/view/766/32/

Sapphire HD4650 vs Gigabyte 9500 gt vs Gigabyte HD4550 vs XFX 9400 gt
http://sobitza.com/portal/content/view/787/32/

Which one of these two should I grab? The ATI is $600 and the Nvidia is $567. Which one actually gives you more bang for your buck, or is there something even better out there for the same price?

Just wait for the next generation; it should be hitting the market soon enough.

Check out PriceGrabber for the best deals... honestly, I’m leaning towards Nvidia for this one, it just feels like the smarter move...

If the 4890 is $600 and the 275 goes for $567, then it’s definitely the 275. It outperforms the 4890, so if it’s actually cheaper, there isn't much to think about.
http://www.legitreviews.com/article/944/1/
http://www.techspot.com/review/164-r...eforce-gtx275/

Just one thing... did you know you can grab an 4890 for $500? If that's the case, the 4890 becomes the smarter buy.
http://www.nabava.net/trazilica.php?...=Pretra%C5%BEi

Plus, you might even snag a 275 for $533 if you look around a bit harder.

Unfortunately, Best Buy is the only place nearby, so I've just been checking their prices.

http://www.gpureview.com/show_cards....=608&card2=609

It looks like the 4890 beats out the 275 in certain scenarios, but then the 275 takes the lead in others. Honestly, I’m totally lost when it comes to digging through all these specs—it's like trying to read a different language. I figured I'd just ask you guys experts what the deal is. 😁

http://www.overclockersclub.com/revi..._hd_4890/7.htm

http://www.overclockersclub.com/revi..._hd_4890/8.htm

http://www.overclockersclub.com/revi..._hd_4890/9.htm

http://www.overclockersclub.com/revi...hd_4890/10.htm

http://www.overclockersclub.com/revi...hd_4890/11.htm

There’s more, but I honestly can't be bothered to post it all—just go look for yourself...

Look, I'm not exactly a fan of Nvidia, but they are winning convincingly here. Just look at Dead Space; the performance gaps are MASSIVE. Don't get me wrong, the 4890 is a solid card, but the GTX 275 is simply the better GPU.

Honestly, though, whichever one you pick, you really can't go wrong.😉

EDIT: If your current setup is what I think it is based on your signature, you'd be much better off putting that money toward a new CPU rather than a new graphics card.

The 4890 wins in certain specific areas, though the GTX 275 comes out on top in most benchmarks.

It's not like there's a massive gap where one totally crushes the other, but the differences definitely exist.

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My personal take:

The 4870 is actually a powerhouse. You can still pick one up for relatively little cash compared to these two. Since you can grab one for less than $333 now, you're basically getting 80% of the performance for only about 60% of what the 4890 or GTX 275 would cost you.

I’m rocking an HD4850 right now, and honestly, it’s holding its own—it handles most games on max settings without breaking a sweat. But man, I’m already itching for something beefier. I guess I’m just a total gearhead at heart, haha.

Come on, explain to me how you're actually running everything on max settings with that processor from the Stone Age...

Look, I didn't say *everything*, I said most of them... For instance, right now my rig is running Bonic Comando, Dead Space, Dark Sector, Burnout Paradise, and Call of Duty 5, and they're all cranking at max settings without breaking a sweat.

Here’s what I’m running right now:

Intel Pentium D 805 2.6
ASUS P5VDC-MX
512 Mb RAM(Transcend Innovations 800Mhz)
MS Platinum 400ATX 400W
Monitor 15"
I don't have a GPU yet 😢 (this rig is basically brand new)

Just tell me the best bang-for-your-buck option that fits an AGP x8 slot—preferably something used so I don't get ripped off.

Stick to Nvidia or ATI. Don't even bother suggesting those cheap, off-brand knockoffs. 👍

Hey everyone, I could really use some advice on picking up a new GPU for under $333—definitely looking to boost my gaming performance.

I'm running a PCI
setup with an Intel Core 2 Duo
on an ASUS motherboard
with 4GB of DDR2 RAM
and right now, I've just got this PowerColor NVIDIA GeForce
running on a 400W power supply
playing at 1440x900 resolution.

Thanks!

hmm... an HD 4850 paired with a fresh power supply... maybe something like a Corsair CX400

velvettrucker14 said:So here's my setup:

Intel Pentium D 805 2.6 Ghz(Dual Core)
ASUS
512 Mb RAM
MS Platinum 400ATX 400W
Monitor 15"
No GPU right now 😢 (PC is basically brand new)

Just let me know the best and cheapest option with an AGP x8 slot (preferably used)

NVIDIA or ATI (no cheap knockoff brands please!) 👍

Calling this thing "brand new" while using an AGP motherboard though... lol🤣

hmm... an HD 3450 would be a solid choice, costs about 300-$150. Plus it has AGP