Which Graphics Card? [Finally]

[hdmk]

You may remember that I've already had a post like this, at the end of last year, to choose a 64mb Ti4200.

Well, I had to get rid of that card, and am now back on my old TNT2. The time has now come for me to upgrade (again)

I have £120 [absolute MAX £130 - inc delivery + VAT]

I want the most future-proof card possible:
[I know the Ti4200's don't have dx9 ]

Contenders:

From nVidia:

128Mb ABIT *x8* Siluro GeForce 4 AGP Ti4200-OTES TV Out/DVI/Dual - £121.03 + about £7 for delivery - Scan.co.uk

DabsValue GeForce 4 Ti4200-8x 128MB DDR AGP RP DVI VIVO - £124 + £4 delivery - dabs.com

Gainward GeForce4 Ti4200-8X 128M 3,5ns AGP, "Ultra/650-8X TV/DVI", Retail - £115 + £5 delivery - Komplett.co.uk

128Mb XFX Geforce 4 TI4200 8X VIVO - £123.12 - £5-£7 delivery - cclcomputers.co.uk



From ATI:

Connect3D RADEON™ 9500 128 + VGA DVI-I & Tv-out - AGP 8x - £129 - free delivery - theoverclockingstore.co.uk

Connect3D ATI Radeon 9500 128MB DDR DVI-I/TV-OUT - OEM - £117 + £8 delivery - overclockers.co.uk

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Which would you choose?
[check my sig for system specs]

Cheers.

 

[Vehementi]

9500 most definitely! Just because of the DirectX 9 support. Plus they're a bit faster. Get the top one, is it Retail or OEM as well? I would presume Retail, so get that one!!! It's only £4 more and well worth it. You would be satisfied a heck of alot more with the 9500, trust me.

 

[hdmk]

the 9500 is actually slower than the Ti4200, but not by that much. I'm hoping to get a 9500 Pro, but its £140...

So I'm going to wait until the RV350 comes out - Radeon 9600 (a week or so), which should lower prices...
The R350 (9800Pro) shouldn't be too far behind...the 9500 Pro should be in reach soon :grinthumb

 

[negroplasty]

I think you should go with the 9500 as Vehementi said, the DX9 support is well worth it. If you can manage to get the PRO, that would be a large step in the right direction. As you can see here, the 9500 series is at the top of the list for 3D Mark 03 Scores (if you care about that kind of stuff). So good luck, and go for the 9500 or 9500 PRO if you can!:grinthumb

 

[hdmk]

Yes, but if you notice, its the 9500/9700 family - not the 9500.
I believe the 9500 to be slower than a Ti4200, except when it comes to AA.

A 9500 Pro is faster, and that is what I want to go for. However, I can't get it for below £140. I need it about £10 cheaper, which hopefully should happen when the RV350 comes out soon.........

 

[negroplasty]

Ahh yes, I see now, my mistake. If you can't get the 9500 PRO, I would still say to go for the 9500 because of the DX9 support. But if you get the 4200 you will be able to overclock to a much faster speed, even without additional heating:grinthumb . But it's all up to you in the end, so good luck and I hope you make the right choice for your situation.

 

[Nic]

I agree with others that a ATI Radeon 9500 card is your best choice.

Furthermore it is apparantly possible to 'UNLOCK' your Radeon 9500 card and turn it into a 9700.

Here's how you do it ...

Turn Your RADEON 9500 into RADEON 9700 in No Time!

Modifications of ATI RADEON 9500, 9500 Pro, 9700 and 9700 Pro: Updated!

Apparently what you get is something faster than a 9700, but slower than a 9700 Pro.
Have Fun!!!:grinthumb

 

[Arris]

You have to get an early release 9500 non pro as they were on the same PCB as the 9700Pro. The softmod is impossible to do on the newer 9500 non pros as ATI give them their own PCB design. Newer ones have the memory back to back all in a row. Older PCBs have 2 chips above the core and 2 beside it.