Time for a new video card

[Brighter Hell]

Well I just went out and bought Splinter Cell, installed it on my computer, and realized that my old GeForce 2 can't handle the game. Turns out when I bought the game that I completely missed the chipsets supported by the game, and my card isn't MX400.

So like any good PC owner, I'm using this as an excuse to upgrade my video card. I've been looking at the FX5600XT-TD128. My system is an Athlon 1600+ with 256 MB DDR RAM. I'm not a serious gamer but I do like getting decent performance from the games I've got. Any recommendations on a card to buy? The FX5600 is about $150-160 (Canadian) on dealsdirect.ca. The FX5700 is $220 or so. I've been looking at MSI and Chaintech cards - does the manufacturer really matter? Anyone know of other websites I can shop at? I'd consider American web sites as well if the price matches up with the exchange rate and delivery factored in. How do ATI cards in that price range stack up to GeForce?

 

[Steg]

As long as you stick with a decent (nvidia recommended) manufactor you will be fine
(From Anandtech)

• Aopen America, Inc
• ASUS Computer International
• BFG Technologies, Inc.
• Chaintech Computer Co. Ltd.
• eVGA.com Corporation
• Gainward Co. Ltd.
• Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd
• Leadtek Research Inc.
• MSI Computer Corporation
• Palit Microsystems, Inc. <- I have never heard of these people
• PNY Technologies, Inc.
• XFX

the difference only really comes in the bundle (useless utilities and old games) and the cooling system - but if your not seriously into gaming/overclocking the cooling doesn't really matter as long as it works.
At the price range you are looking at (sub $150 ish) then there is not really alot of choice, there is not a great deal of difference between them. Have a look around, there is guarnetted to be some benchmarks of low end cards somewhere (try www.anandtech.com)

Hope that helps

Steg

 

[SubKamran]

Unless you want to buy the GeForce 6800 Ultra, you'll want to by either an ATI Radeon 9800XT (reccomended) or a Radeon 9800 Pro or even a Radeon 9600XT (for $150).

If I were you, I'd hold on a bit until the new cards emerge plunging the current prices through the floor.

 

[Brighter Hell]

I might just wait until the new cards come out. That's what, 1-2 months?

 

[Steg]

The 6800 Ultra is *supposed* to be in retail by the end of the month......how long it will take for the stock to come through is a mystary....ad the X800Pro comes out on the 4th of May - just in time to get creamed by nvidia

Steg

 

[Brighter Hell]

Well I've taken another look at the mid-range cards and I'm liking the Sapphire 9600 XT. I can get it for about the same price as the FX5600XT and a fair amount less than the FX5600 Ultra.

edit - oops, i meant the 9600 is the same price as the 5700XT and less than the 5700 Ultra.

 

[Greeno]

and its a fair amount better!