I need a new video card (ATI OR NVIDIA)

[timtheenchantor]

Alright, I want to play Half-Life 2 at playable conditions. The current rig will be able to play it, but I am not to sure on the video end. I dont want to have choppy gameplay. But I dont want utterly high-res gameplay either(I need to save money).

So here's what my system is:

P3 Pentium Processor 1.2 ghz
384 Megs of RAM
64 Meg Geforce 2 MX

Now that geforce 2 mx, is the bottleneck in this situation. But I do not have a AGP BUS Slot due to the fact that I got this system with integrated graphics(well I didnt get it, my dad did). So what I need is a PCI bus slot card which will run half-life 2 at moderate settings and good playability. I cannot find anything over the Radeon 9500 for PCI and I cannot find anything over the FX5200 by nvidia for PCI. So here's my conundrum:

What card should I get: The Radeon 9200 or the 5200 FX.
And what make is best? I'd like to get the 9200 PRO but I am not sure as if they have a PCI slot.


Also My budget is <240$.

One more thing, is there any retail stores which house these video cards or do I have to resort to online buying(which I dont like to do). So links would be great!

Thanks all,
Tim

[Omardeth]

best thing to do is wait till the game comes out . try it on your pc and see how it works . anybody that tells you how it will play on your pc is only guessing at this point because the games isn't out yet . matter of fact i think it was delayed . plus by waiting till it comes out the video card market prices will drop by the time the game hits the shelves .

so my advice is wait .

[J-Excel]

For $240 you can do a lot better than a 9200 or 5200FX. I'd go with ATI. They have the edge right now. Maybe a 9600 Pro.

[timtheenchantor]

But I have yet to see a 9600 pro in pci form. Otherwise, I'd get it.

I have no desire to get the video card just for half-life 2 mind you, I also have a desire to play many other games without stutter(which I am starting to see on games such as halo).

So I know I need a card within the next month. Plus, I regain the 130$ I spend on this card in 2 weeks anyway, I just was payed 210$ from the past 2 weeks yesterday.(I work at Burger King rofl)

So I mean, price isnt a big deal for me, especially since I know I want to get a video card for other games, not just half-life 2.

[Bill in SD, CA]

Quote:

So what I need is a PCI bus slot card

Highest ATI PCI card I can find is this:

http://www.internetishop.com/product...VG-AT-P64R9000

I know this isn't what you want to hear, but you may want to look into a new MB with an AGP slot. The graphics will be a hell of a lot better.

Bill

[Buzioid]

Bill is right. You have to move to AGP motherboards. Your CPU wouldn't even be able to process fast enough for your video card at the speed it is at. I had a 1200mhz cpu and gf4 ti4200, once i upgraded to athlon xp 1600mhz the difference was very noticable.

[Omardeth]

ya ya what bill said . i think spending the money on a new pci video card is throwing good money at a bad problem . pci is a bottle neck so it isn't really the way you want to go .

if you get a new motherboard then you will also want to get a different cpu being that the pIII 1.2 gig is old tec . now if you go with a new motherboard and cpu you will have to get that take the old sdram u have in you board now or get new ddr ram ... if you get the new motherboard you will want a agp card . but you just got a pci card ... see my point?


if your budget is 240 u might want to get a new board and cpu and ram with it and in time , when that game comes out get a new video card then .

[timtheenchantor]

Problem: parents.

Nothing need be said. I cannot alter this due to its a business computer(But I can alter the video and ram for games, thats it)
Many of you may say "Back up your info" well, it isnt that easy lol.


They will actually let me buy a new computer in the next year. But, I can until that time, get a video card.

He will buy me a new computer probably next year or give me this one, which in turn, I will sell, and use the money to build a new mobo. But I can only get a video card until that time comes around.

My situation is not good, I know. But I do make enough money to buy a computer in about the next 6 months(christmas is in between there, so I cant really do much, along with about 5-6 family birthdays).

Either 1) I ask for money for a new computer on my b-day which is in january or 2) wait till the summer of next year to get a new mobo.

[Omardeth]

to be honost i don't think getting a new card is really going to solve the problem . like i said pci is the bottleneck . all the pci cards will proform about the same in the pci flavor . so spending money to replace it won't really give you any better results i am sorry to say . the ati 9000 in pci form will proform no better than the gf4 mx in pci form

[Bill in SD, CA]

Work the parents.

DFI - CS62-TC - Socket 370 ATX Motherboard with Audio, Video, AGP4X/2X, IrDA, USB, CNR, WOR, and WOL Support

Bill