What video card to get?

[BumpinTalon]

when it comes to new computers I have no idea what is going on with anything. I'm getting a new computer because this one is decent, but unreliable... very unreliable. something has broken in it.

I'm looking at the following system:
AMD AThlon 64 3200+ 939 System
NIKO Antec SLK1650 w/350w power supply
MS Multimedia kbd/optical mouse
Mitsumi 7in1 & LG DVDRW+/Writer
ASUS A8V-Deluxe
AThlon64 3200+ 939 pins retail box
512mb DDR PC3200
WD/Seagate 80GB 8MB Cache SATA
Radeon 9250 128MB TV Out
Integrated Sound/Gigabit LAN
(2) 8cm Fans

$1049

just copied that out of the flyer here. that video card has got to go, it is really old. but what should I get instead? my max budget for the video card is $350. it would be too cool to get something that supports HDTV resolutions, maybe even with HDMI or DVI output (actually, that'd be preferable because I have no component outputs to spare). is there anything like that in the price range?
the Radeon 9800 XT 128mb looks good. is it any good? I want a system that will run Doom 3 at 60fps in 1024x768, full detail.

[koopkoop2]

$1049 for that? Ouch, don't buy that system. Go to MemoryExpress and they can build you a much nicer one for the same price.

Bertter yet, build your own.

[BumpinTalon]

huh? that's a bad computer? its a 3.2! with 512mb ram! 949 pins or something! plus its also a local guy who has been in business for a very long time, and he guarantees all his stuff for 2 years.
I'd rather stick with this guy then a fly-by-night computer vendor like MemoryExpress, this computer I am on is from Techtronics and warranty service was completely unavailable (even though they did say it had a 1 year warranty) and they went out of business ... and re-opened as MemoryExpress I believe. no way am I getting a comp from them.

so back to the video card thing. which one? that is the question.

[BerserkerCatSplat]

Originally posted by BumpinTalon
huh? that's a bad computer? its a 3.2! with 512mb ram! 949 pins or something! plus its also a local guy who has been in business for a very long time, and he guarantees all his stuff for 2 years.
I'd rather stick with this guy then a fly-by-night computer vendor like MemoryExpress, this computer I am on is from Techtronics and warranty service was completely unavailable (even though they did say it had a 1 year warranty) and they went out of business ... and re-opened as MemoryExpress I believe. no way am I getting a comp from them.

so back to the video card thing. which one? that is the question.

The thing with Memory Express is, they're quite cheap. If you build your own stuff, the manufacturer's warranties are very good. The Socket 939 3200+ OEM (which is probably what's going into that system) has NO manufacturer warranty, only the two-year given by the guy. However, that same CPU in a retail box comes with a full 3-year warranty.

BTW, Memex had nothing to do with Techtronics, AFAIK. They were both open at the same time, and were longtime competitors.

[BumpinTalon]

gads

well, still, my original question - what video card to get? :D

[BigBearWest]

XT800

[Xaroxantu Zero]

For a $350 budget, get a Geforce 6600 GT. I just got one and it runs Doom 3 like a charm at 1024x768 at high quality. This is the one I got: http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1118503&CatId=0

This page will help you decide as well: http://graphics.tomshardware.com/graphic/20050524/vga_charts-05.html

[sabad66]

Original Post Removed. (Please read the Forum Rules and Terms of Use (http://forums.beyond.ca/articles.php?action=data&item=1) before posting again, or risk getting banned).

[koopkoop2]

You'll need to upgrade your RAM too, if you're considering a nice video card. Otherwise, you'll have a kick ass card, but it'll be bottlenecked by a lack of RAM.

The new graphic chipsets are coming out soon so if you wait a few months you can snag a 6800 for ALOT cheaper. See the link:

http://www.tomshardware.com/hardnews/20050531_110037.html

[Kamen]

Originally posted by BumpinTalon
huh? that's a bad computer? its a 3.2! with 512mb ram! 949 pins or something!

I have the same processor. It's actually a 64bit 2.0ghz socket 939. It's fast.

And for the vid card get the 6600GT. I am running that and I can max out pretty much anything without lag. But I am running 1GB of fast ram, which helps a lot.

[hampstor]

Good lord, how can you say Memory Express is fly by night... They've been in business for 8 years! There are VERY few computer companies left in western canada that are reputabe. In fact, there are only 4 that any major vendor/distributor will say and Memory Express is one of them.

Techtronics shut down and has reopened in Saskatchewan under another name. They are not affiliated with Memory Express in any way other then being a former competitor. Memory Express has also been in business for 8 years. I don't even believe Techtronics was around for half of that.

Many companies in the industry do a fly by night for one reason... they do not pay the government the gst, take all the inventory and re-open under another name. It is a perpetual cycle... many computer companies do this including the grey market distributors that supply said retailers.

Trust me, being in the industry, I see the crap some other companies pull. I wouldn't be betting everything i own on a company that is going to do a fly by night.

Also, it's not a 3.2GHz, it's a 3200+ (2GHz)... I respect your advice in a lot of posts, but if you don't know what you're talking about please dont offer advice.

[hampstor]

regarding what video card to put in your system, the best bang for the buck is going to be any GeForce 6600GT based video card.
If you're going to spend more, then go for a Radeon X800XL or if you really got a lot of money, X850 series :D

The 9800xt is getting a bit old...

Startech does make an DVI to HDMI converter cable as well and I know memory express does carry these ;)

[Xtrema]

Originally posted by BumpinTalon
I'm looking at the following system:
AMD AThlon 64 3200+ 939 System
NIKO Antec SLK1650 w/350w power supply
MS Multimedia kbd/optical mouse
Mitsumi 7in1 & LG DVDRW+/Writer
ASUS A8V-Deluxe
AThlon64 3200+ 939 pins retail box
512mb DDR PC3200
WD/Seagate 80GB 8MB Cache SATA
Radeon 9250 128MB TV Out
Integrated Sound/Gigabit LAN
(2) 8cm Fans

$1049


You can probably build it yourself with a 6600GT for this price (or may be a little bit more).

I won't pick cases that use 8cm Fans anymore. Try to go with a case that use 12cm fans. A lot quieter and more air flow.

Since you said it's a NIKO system, I think I know which shop you're talking about. Believe it or not, this shop has been around longer than any computer shop in town including Memory Express.

I don't see it going under anytime soon so the 2yr warranty should be ok.

As for vid card, I agree with everyone else that 6600 is probably best bang for the bucks right now.

[BumpinTalon]

Originally posted by Xtrema


You can probably build it yourself with a 6600GT for this price (or may be a little bit more).

I won't pick cases that use 8cm Fans anymore. Try to go with a case that use 12cm fans. A lot quieter and more air flow.

Since you said it's a NIKO system, I think I know which shop you're talking about. Believe it or not, this shop has been around longer than any computer shop in town including Memory Express.

I don't see it going under anytime soon so the 2yr warranty should be ok.

As for vid card, I agree with everyone else that 6600 is probably best bang for the bucks right now.

alright, so the 6600GT it is, and probably an extra stick of memory :D I'll still check Memory Express, but sabad made a good offer so I'll check that out too.
as far as the techtronics thing, I have a sketchy memory but I do recall somebody saying on here that have reopened somewhere under a different name.. thought it was memoryexpress but I guess not.


Originally posted by hampstor

Also, it's not a 3.2GHz, it's a 3200+ (2GHz)... I respect your advice in a lot of posts, but if you don't know what you're talking about please dont offer advice.

I didn't know there was a difference, actually, I thought the two numbers were interchangable :D and I'm not trying to give anyone advice here, I'm tryin to GET advice :P

[Xtrema]

Originally posted by BumpinTalon


alright, so the 6600GT it is, and probably an extra stick of memory :D I'll still check Memory Express, but sabad made a good offer so I'll check that out too.
as far as the techtronics thing, I have a sketchy memory but I do recall somebody saying on here that have reopened somewhere under a different name.. thought it was memoryexpress but I guess not.

Don't bother with another stick, just buy single stick of 1GB. Just add another 1GB later on.

Techtronics hasn't reappear in Alberta yet. Memory Express is a pretty good shop although they don't always have the best prices (they make a killing on accessories like fans and stuff). Another shop that you may want to check out is BCOM and Oemdepot. BCOM's price is ok but I don't know about their service. Oemdepot has cheap stuff but service sux.

Good thing about Memory Express is that if you deal with them long enough and have an appearance that you know your shit, return/RMA is a breeze.

[BumpinTalon]

Originally posted by Xtrema


Don't bother with another stick, just buy single stick of 1GB. Just add another 1GB later on.

Good thing about Memory Express is that if you deal with them long enough and have an appearance that you know your shit, return/RMA is a breeze.

alright, the 1GB thing is a good plan, I will run that by the builder

and as far as knowing my shit, I don't, and I would only come back once every two and a half years :D

next question: what is better - AGP or PCI Express? I have never even heard of PCI Express before.. and the 6600 is available in three different types (AGP, OC?, and PCI Express)

[hampstor]

Originally posted by BumpinTalon


alright, the 1GB thing is a good plan, I will run that by the builder

and as far as knowing my shit, I don't, and I would only come back once every two and a half years :D

next question: what is better - AGP or PCI Express? I have never even heard of PCI Express before.. and the 6600 is available in three different types (AGP, OC?, and PCI Express)

If you take the exact same card and move it from AGP to PCI-E (such as the 6600gt), the performance difference isn't even worth mentioning. The advantage of it is that it's designed to scale as video cards get faster and faster.

I will never say buy from ME directly because I work there.. so please understand that i'm looking out for every computer parts shopper. Being in the industry, I know the advantages and disadvantages from buying at certain places.

Price SHOULD not be the primary factor for buying things. It is a very important factor but the value of a product is far more then just the price. A lot of people got hosed by techtronics for warranty because they wanted to save 2-5 dollars on a part.

When you're buying, ask for
1) the length of the warranty
2) what the warranty covers
3) how the warranty works
4) if the price is higher, ask for a price match and show a quote

having a 1 year warranty on a part that only covers parts but not labour is not going to help... neither is a warranty that requires them to ship everything off for you to the manufacturer if you have a problem.

Trust me, i've seen people wait 2-3 months for a repair on a video card because it had to be shipped to Taiwan and back! If you get a 1 year warranty but 2-3 months of that is spent waiting for the part to be repaired - think about how much your time is worth and if it's worth saving the 5 bucks :D

Looking at your specs on that system, opt for the Seagate hard drive over the WD. It's a bit slower, but has a lower fail rate. Also, ask for branded memory (ie: Micron). The reason is if you get generic no name memory and the store does go under, you're not going to know where it came from to get warranty! Aside from that, it looks like a good system - just add the 6600gt :D

[BumpinTalon]

alright, thanks for the input :)
I really like the look of the 6600GT, mostly the TV support, since burning movies eats up a lot of CDs and takes forever. plus, playing Doom on the 54" TV in HD would be just too cool!!
and yeah, buying from Techtronics was a bad idea. I'm just choked that the comp (1600+, 512mb RAM, Radeon 8500, 40GB hard drive) cost $2,100 from them, and they were the cheapest, three years ago :D

[Xtrema]

Originally posted by BumpinTalon
playing Doom on the 54" TV in HD would be just too cool!!


Not all resolution works on HDTV, the best is make sure you have support for 720P (not up or down covert support, native support), otherwise you game wont' work that good.

Nvidia now has HDTV profiles built in to their driver so it's should be a pretty easy set up. But games mostly still insist on VESA resoltions with most HDTV won't support over 640X480. So don't expect all games to work.

[BumpinTalon]

my TV supports 720p without conversion :) I think it supports 1080i too, but I'm not completely sure. 720p is its native resolution or something like that though, not sure on the specifics.

[old&slow]

Have a look at the X800XL card from ATI.
It's $50 more than u want to spend but it'll be worth it down the road.

Try here for details:

http://dangeo.com/proddetail.php?sku=51415

Also future shop will have them on sale from time to time for $399