1. Motherboard -
2. Graphic interface - PCI-e
3. Memory - 1 GB
4. CPU - AMD Athalon 64 4000+
5. CPU Speed - 2.41 GHz
6. Power Supply Make/Model - Delta Electronics Inc./ DPS 330AB 15A (no clue about this one)
7. Watt output/Amperage - +12V/15A
8. Max Power- 300W

I love first person shooters and i just bought STALKER Shadow of Chernobyl and it's not that fun on my current and very crappy integrated nvidia 6100. I'm looking into the e-GeForce 8600 GT 256 MB PCI-E DX10 Graphics which i can get for $120 or a PNY GeForce 7600GS 512 MB for $100.

I guess that's pretty much my financial range. The problem is i dont know what's better for its price. I'd assume the 8600 b/c of my little bit of research it was only ever compared to the 7900 (so maybe the 7600 is a lot worse than the 8600, but for a $20 difference i want to be sure). But i'm not sure and that's why i'm on here asking you guys.

My old geforce4 ti4200 64mb card doesn't seem to be working anymore. I'm using an older one in the computer now, the ti4200 causes the computer to display jumbled colors and then locks up.

So I decided why not just get an upgrade since a used ti4200 costs $20, I could get an upgrade for $30-40. So I'm just looking for the best card I can get at that price.

1. Motherboard - gigabyte, nvidia-nforce2
2. Graphic interface - PCI and also AGP I think?
3. Memory - DDR 1gb, dual channels
4. CPU - AMD athlon XP 1800+
5. CPU Speed - 1530 mhz
6. Power Supply Make/Model - Okia 420ATX
7. Watt output/Amperage - 420W +12 18A

So this thread is dead then?

@RineEater, the 8600GT is superior to the 7600GS. Bear in mind that you'd need a new PSU for either card, since the one you have is insufficient.

@gmk1212, for that price, I'd suggest this card. A large step up from the Ti4200 and affordable as well.

Is the JetWay 96MX-AT-128C Mobility Radeon 9600 128MB much faster then the MSI FX5200-TD128LF GeForce FX 5200 128MB? The FX 5200 also has DVI which the Radeon 9600 doesn't.

I'd rather you spend a bit more and get this. It's the best card available in that price bracket and is far superior to the FX5200. It also has a DVI port.

Oh, that 9600XT isn't bad. It's 256mb with DVI and only $3 more then the 9600. That sounds like a great deal, I think I'll get that one. Thanks for your help.

Glad to be of help.

1. Motherboard - ASUS P4C800-E (Deluxe)
2. Graphic interface - AGP Version 3 (Transfer Rate 8X) (Max Supported 8X)....i think, i never knew i had a AGP Slot :/
3. Memory -2560 Mbs
4. CPU -Intel Pentium 4
5. CPU Speed - 3000 MHZ
6. Power Supply Make/Model - (Need a new one please suggest)
7. Watt output/Amperage - (Need a new one please suggest)


my price range is from $80-$150

thanks for all the help

Will you be gaming a lot on your PC? What will you be using it for mainly? IF you're planning on gaming, you'd need at least 1GB of RAM and a decent video card and PSU, all of which will come up to at least twice your max budget at the moment. Let me know and I'll suggest something.

i have 2.5 gbs of ram...sorry i must have typed the ram in wrong

yes i will be gaming

thanks

Video Card

XFX PVT73AUDF3 GeForce 7600GT 256MB 128-bit GDDR3 AGP 4X/8X Video Card - Retail - $129.99 w/o $20 rebate

PSU

FSP Group (Fortron Source) AX450-PN ATX12V 450W Power Supply 110/240V NEMKO, TUV, CSA, IEC, UL, CE - Retail - $57.99 w/o $5 rebate

The above options will put you slightly over budget. If you can't afford it, get this video card instead. The PSU is of superb quality and highly recommended.

thanks ALOT

btw if there r any other cards or pus's u would like to recommend to me, please feel free

Wow -- you guys are a godsend! I'd really appreciate your takes on my present system (details below). It's three years old and I'm not a cutting-edge-type-guy, so I'd like to hang on to this system as long as possible without it becoming a dinosaur.

I just got a good deal on upgrading my graphics card to a Radeon 1600X Pro which hopefully will max out the longevity of my doomed AGP interface. I'd be grateful for your take on my present system vis-a-vis the PC game world. I'm not interested in shooters but enjoy Dreamfall-quality graphics and complex variables a la Sims 2. (Surprisingly, my old Radeon 9200 ran Dreamfall, Riven, Myst III amd others with hardly a hitch, but I think it would have a coronary if I asked it to run with the latest Sims.)

Also, I'd appreciate any cost-effective recommendations you can offer re future upgrades to help delay the onset of Jurassic-itis.

Here's my present system, including upgrades and updates:
Motherboard -- Biostar U8668-D (latest AGP drivers)
Graphic interface -- AGP 4X/8X
Memory -- 512, 1 Channel
CPU -- Intel Celeron 2.70GHz
Power Supply -- Thermaltake, 430 Watts, 18 Amps (new)
Graphics Card -- ATI Radeon 1600X Pro; 512 mb, AGP (latest drivers) -- May I assume it's okay that the card's memory is DDR2 and my RAM is DDR? (C'mon, what's a little "2" between friends?)
Monitor -- ViewSonic Digital LCD; 1280 x 1024 (new)
CD-DVD -- Combo Drive: 52X CD-RW & 16X DVD-ROM (new)
Sound Card -- Integrated Sound Blaster -- Audigy AC97 -- (basic, but no complaints so far)
HD --80 GB
Platform -- XP Home SP2
Country -- USA

Thanks for any feedback anyone cares to offer, either here or by e-mail to "drshi[at]optonline.net"

The card's onboard RAM has nothing to do with your PC's RAM, as you rightly assumed.
For the PC, I'd recommend a CPU upgrade first. The Celeron is hardly a gaming CPU, let alone a good one. A Pentium 4 processor with at least 1MB of L2 cache would do wonders for performance. After that, upgrade your RAM to at least 1GB. More is better but it depends on how much you can afford and how much your mobo supports. After all that, if you can afford it, get a 7600GT and you've got a decent AGP system.

Thanks for the advice! I'll earmark my piggy bank for these upgrades. Meanwhile, do you think something like Sims 2 would run okay on my present system?

Please open a new thread for any problems .

Actually the thing about a 20a PSU delivering 15A, theres more to it.

Efficiency, a PSU generating 15A but having 20A is 75% efficient, so it jacks up your power bill and may deliver insufficient power.

75% of 20 is 15, 15A

Nothing has 100% efficiency, i think PSU's have only hit 87 or something.
Antecs and high quality PSUs usually have 83-87% efficiency, heres to find out actual power or amperage factoring in efficiency

(Amps or Total Wattage) x Efficiency= Actual Amps or Total Wattage

I just figure ill make my contribution to the post.

Thanks mate

hello guys, i wanna buy a graphics card based on nvidia 8600gt......shud i go with asus 8600gt@7300 bucks or xfx 8600gt@5600bucks ????....