July 10, 200718 yr ...recommendations ? please... Price range respectively less than $200 I don't need anything special, but enough to run games like halo 1, fable, Morrowind/Oblivion and half life 2, on PC at a resolution of 1680x1050 with good performance. I plan on buying from New egg, and if someone could help me find a good card I'd be much obliged. (if you can give me multiple options, and pros/cons) List a few below 200$, and a few around 200 that have a substantial performance increase over lesser priced cards.. http://www.newegg.com/
July 10, 200718 yr Well for your price point, a 8600 gts would be the best thing out there. It comes in at $200 even and is the best thing you can get for your money. The next step up from that card would be a 8800 gts, but this comes in substantially over your price range at $280. Both will play those games you mentioned just fine. Note that the brand I have down there, EVGA is a very good one for graphics cards. below those you could try the 8600 gt or 8500 gt, but those don't have a price/performance ratio nearly as good as the other two. The superclocked edition of the 8600 gts is factory overclocked, so you will probably get around 15% - 20% more performance out of it then the stock card.
July 10, 200718 yr Uhh, well, heres the video card I have, works quite well so far :D http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130084
July 10, 200718 yr Well if your not interested in dx10 you can get a x1950XT 256MB graphics card for $180 (before a $30 rebate). I recently purchased this graphics card and it's a beast. It can run all my games on high detail with good fps at 1280x1024. Although with the resolution your looking to play on, the lack of 512MBs of memory could slow things down, but all the other sub $200 cards will have the same amount. The only downside is a dual slot cooler which could be a problem with a small case. Although I consider it a plus because the air is exhausted directly out of the case. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6814102067
July 10, 200718 yr Well, I am about to leave for a while, so I might come back alter to give you exact details, but I know I have an NVIDIA Geforce 7600 GT video card, it came in around mid 100's, and I easily play oblivion. +1, That was bought at a store, and is now a bit older, so I assume it would be around 20 to 30 dollars less from newegg now. The spelling and grammar of that email was that of an 11 year old palestinian goatboy who is speaking english for the first timeQuite simply, Facebook craps on Myspace. Then makes it eat the crap.
July 10, 200718 yr Author I was looking at the 8600gts standard($165) and superclocked($200) look pretty good, 675mhz core, 2000mhz memory, 32 piplines (for the standard. for the superclocked it goes upto 720mhz/2100mhz, 32 piplines i could probably overclock it myself and save the $35ish any opinions?
July 10, 200718 yr Well for your price point, a 8600 gts would be the best thing out there. It comes in at $200 even and is the best thing you can get for your money. The next step up from that card would be a 8800 gts, but this comes in substantially over your price range at $280. Both will play those games you mentioned just fine. Note that the brand I have down there, EVGA is a very good one for graphics cards. below those you could try the 8600 gt or 8500 gt, but those don't have a price/performance ratio nearly as good as the other two. The superclocked edition of the 8600 gts is factory overclocked, so you will probably get around 15% - 20% more performance out of it then the stock card. 7900 GS > 8600.
July 10, 200718 yr I was looking at the 8600gts standard($165) and superclocked($200) look pretty good, 675mhz core, 2000mhz memory, 32 piplines (for the standard. for the superclocked it goes upto 720mhz/2100mhz, 32 piplines i could probably overclock it myself and save the $35ish any opinions? Overclock it yourself. Just a warning it's much harder to overclock the graphics card on Vista. If you have XP your fine. Use Rivatuner for Nvidia and ATI Tray Tools or ATItool for ATI cards. Consider the x1950XT I suggested and the 7900GS Nadril suggested because they are both faster than the 8600gts.
July 10, 200718 yr Author which GS specifically? http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductLi ... &x=16&y=30
July 10, 200718 yr which GS specifically? http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductLi ... &x=16&y=30 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... %2bGS%2bKO I got that with my new PC, it kicks [wagon]. edit: and it gives you another $100 you can always spend on more ram or something else. :) edit: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6814127277 looks nice as well. Don't know anything personally about it though, but it is a 512 mb.
July 10, 200718 yr Author which GS specifically? http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductLi ... &x=16&y=30 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... %2bGS%2bKO I got that with my new PC, it kicks [wagon]. so if i get 2 of those (combined ~$200 after rebate) and use SLI i'd have a pretty sweet setup?
July 10, 200718 yr which GS specifically? http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductLi ... &x=16&y=30 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... %2bGS%2bKO I got that with my new PC, it kicks [wagon]. so if i get 2 of those (combined ~$200 after rebate) and use SLI i'd have a pretty sweet setup? Hell yes. Make sure your motherboard supports SLI though.
July 10, 200718 yr Author its a pretty new computer, its not custom though. is there a way i can check my motherboard without opening my PC up? all i know is that its intel. (pretty sure, there is intel integrated graphics right now :\)
July 10, 200718 yr Whats the PC/model number you bought? It probably had something advertised such as "SLI ready". I don't think it would be SLI ready though with integrated.
July 10, 200718 yr Author Gateway Model: GT5238E Processor (2)Intel #6f6, 1860 MHz 266MHz external bus BIOS Intel Corp. MQ96510J.15A.0307.2006.1214.1911 12/14/2006 Memory Upgrade 1024MB physical 90% free resources 4 memory slots, 2 free (512+0+512+0) Video Upgrade Graphics Adapter: Intel® G965 Express Chipset Family Screen Area/Colors: 1680x1050 pixels, 16 million colors Monitor: Gateway 6443 Monitor: Gateway 6443 Monitor: Gateway 6443 Drives Upgrade C:\ (NTFS) 232966MB total, 76911MB free D:\ (FAT32) 5495MB total, 3477MB free E:\ CD-ROM/CD-RW or DVD Drive G:\ Removable H:\ Removable I:\ Removable J:\ CD-ROM/CD-RW or DVD Drive K:\ Removable Network and Modem Upgrade (modem) CXT PCI Soft Data Fax Modem with SmartCP (net) Intel Intel 82562V 10/100 Network Connection (net) Microsoft Direct Parallel Operating System Upgrade Windows XP SP2 (Windows XP 5.1.2600 Service Pack 2) Original setup date: 1/24/2007 DirectX Version: 5.03.2600.2180 (xpsp_sp2_rtm.040803-2158) SWAP FILE DISABLED File cache managed by Windows 1394 Texas Instruments OHCI Compliant IEEE 1394 Host Controller (7/1/2001) Arpc_class Microsoft MS ArPolicy Driver (8/2/2005) CD and DVD Drives HL-DT-ST DVD-RW GSA-H11N (7/1/2001) TDK CDRW5201B (7/1/2001) Hard Drive Controllers Standard Dual Channel PCI IDE Controller (7/1/2001) Primary IDE Channel (7/1/2001) Secondary IDE Channel (7/1/2001) Hard Drives Upgrade Hitachi HDT725025VLA380 (7/1/2001) Hidclass HID-compliant device (7/1/2001) Input Devices Upgrade Microsoft HID-compliant mouse (7/1/2001) Standard 101/102-Key or Microsoft Natural PS/2 Keyboard (7/1/2001) Media SigmaTel High Definition Audio CODEC (6/15/2006) Modem Upgrade CXT PCI Soft Data Fax Modem with SmartCP (7/18/2006) Pdiports Portrait Displays PDI Kernel Ports Device Driver Ports Printer Port (LPT1) (7/1/2001) Communications Port (COM1) (7/1/2001) Scsiadapter Intel ICH8R/DO/DH SATA RAID Controller (7/6/2006) System Intel Quick Resume Technology Drivers (7/13/2006) Intel 82801 PCI Bridge - 244E (7/1/2001) Intel ICH8DH LPC Interface Controller - 2812 (5/16/2006) Intel ICH8 Family SMBus Controller - 283E (4/10/2006) Intel ICH8 Family PCI Express Root Port 1 - 283F (5/16/2006) Intel ICH8 Family PCI Express Root Port 2 - 2841 (5/16/2006) Intel ICH8 Family PCI Express Root Port 3 - 2843 (5/16/2006) Intel ICH8 Family PCI Express Root Port 4 - 2845 (5/16/2006) Intel ICH8 Family PCI Express Root Port 5 - 2847 (5/16/2006) Intel P965/G965 Processor to I/O Controller - 29A0 (5/16/2006) Intel Management Engine Interface (6/19/2006) Microsoft ACPI-Compliant System (7/1/2001) Microsoft UAA Bus Driver for High Definition Audio (3/5/2004) Microsoft Composite Battery (7/1/2001) Extended IO Bus (7/1/2001) ACPI Sleep Button (7/1/2001) Microsoft System Management BIOS Driver (7/1/2001) ACPI Multiprocessor PC (7/1/2001) Universal Serial Bus (USB) Upgrade Intel ICH8 Family USB Universal Host Controller - 2830 (4/10/2006) Intel ICH8 Family USB Universal Host Controller - 2831 (4/10/2006) Intel ICH8 Family USB Universal Host Controller - 2832 (4/10/2006) Intel ICH8 Family USB Universal Host Controller - 2834 (4/10/2006) Intel ICH8 Family USB Universal Host Controller - 2835 (4/10/2006) Intel ICH8 Family USB2 Enhanced Host Controller - 2836 (4/10/2006) Intel ICH8 Family USB2 Enhanced Host Controller - 283A (4/10/2006) USB Root Hub (7/1/2001) USB Root Hub (7/1/2001) USB Root Hub (7/1/2001) USB Root Hub (7/1/2001) USB Root Hub (7/1/2001) USB Root Hub (7/1/2001) USB Root Hub (7/1/2001) USB Composite Device (7/1/2001) Video Upgrade Intel G965 Express Chipset Family (6/23/2006) Intel G965 Express Chipset Family (6/23/2006) Plug and Play Monitor (6/6/2001) Plug and Play Monitor (6/6/2001) Plug and Play Monitor (6/6/2001)
July 10, 200718 yr Don't think you can SLI with that. Maybe you can get the card and a gig of ram though? :)
July 10, 200718 yr Author i did some more search http://support.gateway.com/s/MOTHERBD/I ... Rsp2.shtml i think thats my board, i have a sticker on the front that says Viiv
July 10, 200718 yr Yep you won't be SLI'ing with that. I fully recomend the gig of ram and card though.
July 10, 200718 yr Yep you won't be SLI'ing with that. I fully recomend the gig of ram and card though. That would be my suggestion too. Ram is the second best way to increase game performance, graphics card being the first.
July 10, 200718 yr Author Yep you won't be SLI'ing with that. I fully recomend the gig of ram and card though. Aye, i need to get a new power supply too.. lol only 300 watts :| ahwell power supplies are fairly cheap i guess ill get 2x512 to add on to my other 2x512 i found this for RAM http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6820145539 how will that suffice? *edit: picked the wrong type of memory... should be http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6820145526 *check* 1.) video card you, nadril, recommended, http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... %2bGS%2bKO 2.) another gig of ram http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6820145526 3.) power supply.
July 10, 200718 yr Yep you won't be SLI'ing with that. I fully recomend the gig of ram and card though. Aye, i need to get a new power supply too.. lol only 300 watts :| ahwell power supplies are fairly cheap i guess ill get 2x512 to add on to my other 2x512 i found this for RAM http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6820145539 how will that suffice? *check* 1.) video card you, nadril, recommended, 2.) another gig of ram 3.) power supply. That rams good. Get http://www.newegg.com/product/product.a ... 6817153028 for a PSU. You'll end up with around $230 total probably but the PSU is well worth it, its an amazing power supply. Also helps cool your system by sucking all the hot air in and spitting it out.
July 10, 200718 yr Author aye, i had to correct my RAM, right now i have 2x512 MB PC4200 533 MHz the first ones i showed were not pc4200... these ones: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6820145539 (pc5400) i found some that are: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6820145526 (pc 4200) or will the pc5400's work?
July 10, 200718 yr aye, i had to correct my RAM, right now i have 2x512 MB PC4200 533 MHz the first ones i showed were not pc4200... these ones: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6820145539 (pc5400) i found some that are: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6820145526 (pc 4200) or will the pc5400's work? Yes :). They are 240 pin.
July 10, 200718 yr Author sounds good, it will come to $210.81 after rebates. not bad i guess considering the substantial boost. Thanks for the help, i suck when it comes to hardware.
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