Old PC - what GPU should I get?

Seeking some advice. I have an ancient PC dating back to 2001, featuring an Intel Pentium 4, 512MB of RAM, an ATI Radeon 9000 with 64MB, and an 80GB hard drive; I'm not entirely sure about the motherboard, though I could check. I used to play a few games from 2002 and 2003, but gaming isn't really my main thing. Lately, I've thought about revisiting titles like Desperados 2, Total War 2, or similar games from the 2004–2005 era just to pass the time. I am wondering which graphics card would be the best fit for this build—ideally the most powerful option that won't create a massive bottleneck—since these older cards seem to be available quite cheaply on eBay. My current setup uses a Gigabyte ATI Radeon May 9000 with 64MB via an AGP slot, but I am far from being a hardware expert. If anyone could recommend the strongest card compatible with this CPU and motherboard, I would appreciate it...

To be honest, I wouldn't drop a single cent on a system that old—unless, of course, someone was just handing me an AGP card for free.

$17 isn't much, though I'm hoping to run titles like Desperados 2, Total War 2, or Fallout 3, USA. Whether that's actually feasible remains to be seen...

Are you suggesting any AGP card will suffice? I'm not entirely sure which motherboard I have; I'll have to check...

Unfortunately, it’s probably not going to work... Fallout 3 and Rom Total War 2 really need about 1.5 to 2GB of RAM and at least a GPU that supports DirectX 9.0. Upgrading that would cost you at least $200-$100, which I guess isn't worth it given what the whole PC is worth right now.

If I were you, I'd just sell what you've got and pick up a used setup for maybe $700-$267 with a decent dual-core processor, 2GB of RAM, and some kind of low-end graphics card.
For example, this looks like a good deal:

http://www.craigslist.org/pc-computers/p...listing-14269308

If you add another 1x1GB DDR2 800MHz stick of RAM, you should be able to run those older games without any issues. I imagine Call of Duty 4 should run fine on max settings at 1680x1050 resolution.

for $17 you get better graphics and some extra RAM if it fits

http://www.ebay.com/itm/graphics-card-listing

that’s the strongest card on the list. after that, maybe go for a 9600GT or a 9550

you should probably be able to run

http://www.systemrequirements.net/game-requirements.html

this one looks more realistic... maybe too demanding

http://www.systemrequirementslab.com/sysreq/can-i-run-it

http://www.craigslist.com/graphics-card-listing

http://www.craigslist.com/graphics-card-listing-2

http://www.craigslist.com/graphics-card-listing-3

basically, with a bit more RAM and a better GPU, everything will run smoother... even the internet...

It’s kind of a waste to even $17 for that 9600, especially since it's only slightly better than what's already out there—it won't really let you play anything you couldn't handle before. I guess I'll just sign off on what crimsonstag84 said; maybe he should just grab a used setup that can at least fit a PCI-E card and just enjoy himself

fadedorca66 said:
It’s a bummer they aren't offering $17 for that 9600 since it's actually a bit stronger than what he has now. He'd still be able to play everything he could before. I'm signing off on crimsonstag84's post—he should just grab a used rig that can at least fit a PCI-E card and enjoy himself

I agree, if he has the cash from rowdypilot53...

If he doesn't have this, it's still a solid deal for $17. He gets the GPU and 760MB of RAM

http://www.systemrequirementslab.com...ut-3/10793?p=r

And I didn't really find any better cards on eBay for that kind of money... maybe I missed something. I'm guessing most are just old x600 series PCI cards?

Thanks for the advice, everyone. I’m not really feeling the 9600pro; even with the extra VRAM, it feels like a marginal step up from what I currently have. If anyone could just point me toward the absolute strongest AGP card on the market...

Though, I'll probably just end up building a whole new rig eventually...

The fastest AGP cards you could grab were either the Radeon HD3850 or the Radeon HD4670. Finding a 3850 is a real challenge these days, but you can still track down a 4670 if you're willing to pay a premium:

can an hd 3450 agp work for $50

Honestly, the best bang for your buck on an AGP slot is probably the HD3650. But then again, you'll drop 150-$67 on it only to realize your power supply is dying... or maybe it's the motherboard capacitors... or your hard drive has bad sectors. Plus, you're looking at another $33-$67 for RAM. It might be more headache than it's worth.

If you actually have the cash, for $833 you can grab a CPU with integrated graphics that handles all those games you want just fine. You'd get an upgradeable motherboard, a 500GB/1TB drive, 4GB of RAM, and a solid case and PSU. If you're smart about it, you could probably shave the price down to around $667
.
For that kind of money, you'll see speeds you've never experienced on this rig, and you'll be set for a good while. If you decide to game later, you can just slap in a beefier GPU and more RAM and stay ahead of the curve for a few more years.

If you're short on funds, buying a used dual-core PC for maybe 600-$233 isn't a terrible move, I guess. But then you're still buying parts that have been used for years, and the whole point was to get rid of as much old junk as possible.