Video card upgrade advise

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I recently upgraded by Dell Dimension 8100 system from a 1.4 to 2.6 Pentium 4 processor (400 FSB). I noticed a nice jump in frame rate on my online games.

My question is that my current video card is a Radeon 9000pro 128 MB, and I'm thinking of upgrading to a 9600 pro, or 9700 pro.

Will I notice a significant improvement in frame rates, by upgrading to one of these cards?

Im a little concerned that my system wont be able to take advantage of these new cards benefits.

Would I be wasting my money with such an upgrade?


Thanks in advance for your assistance.
 
Oh by all means!! Get a new videocard! Dell and such always have pretty good deals with a 2.6 P4 or whatever, but they always cheat you out on the videocard. a 9000 is OLD. You will see signifigant framerate differences, as a plus (much larger then going from a 1.4 to a 2.6P4 I'd expect). If you can afford it, get the 9700PRO. The 9600XT is good, but it's numbers dont come close to the 9700Pro's.

Im not sure why your system wouldnt be able to take advantage of a new card. The only thing I could think of is your motherboard not having an AGP slot, but im pretty sure the Dimentions have an AGP slot :)

Your computer will be a new rig, going from a 9000 to a 9600 or 9700. I hope you know how to crank your resolution up to 1280x1024 for your games ;)
 
Just about any graphics card you put in there will give you a nice speed boost.
Don't bother with the 9600 Pro, get a 9700 pro if you can afford it. If not then a 9600XT is a good choise - or a 5700 Ultra - the only area where nvidia are actually some competiton for ATi.

Steg
 
go with a 9700 pro there are some good deals on them at places like newegg. and the 256 bit memory interface on it makes a big difference in performance. the 9600's are 128 bit.
 
How much are you willing to spend on an upgrade? Also are u willing to buy online?

I say as long as its and AGP8x slot (and I'm pretty sure they are) go for it.
 
I'm using a 9700pro, and (to quote McDonalds) "I'm loving it!"...

It handles anything I throw at it, gives me excellent IQ, and what's more, even enhances my DivX's!

It is last years offering, but still holding it's own...
Alternatively, try to see if you can't find a 9500pro...
They are a bit better than the 9600pro, and could be soft modded into a 9700pro... But you might have to search quite a bit to find one...

Also, if you come across a 9700TX, it's more or less the same a 9700pro, only that they were made especially for Dell...

Anyways, no matter which of the Radeon's you choose, I can allmost guarranty that you'll be satisfied....
Just make sure to follow the installations instructions to the letter when it comes to installing new drivers!
 
Thanks for all the input. I have an AGP slot, not sure if it is 8X.
In any event it sounds like the 9700 pro may be the way to go right now. Especially since prices seem to be falling on it.

I believe I will upgrade soon!

Thanks again

Al
 
their is virtually no performance difference between agp 8x and agp 4x. so by all means upgrade, you'll notice a huge jump from your radeon9000pro. i still stand by my radeon 9600xt recommendation, excellent performance/price and half life 2
 
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