good choice? need help

[duffguy]

I finally got my pc in shape, I did evrything norton system works, ad aware u name it it really improved my comps performance so now i finally install a new v card without any hassles. I picked one out from pcclub.com and i found this
eVGA nVIDIA GeForce FX5500 256MB N313-LX and it looked pretty good and a price i really like but i still dont know if it is good enough to play games. i dont want the best grapghics or anything just somthing better than wat i have right now( a 16mb sis interigated) just want to play my games without any warnngs or anything like that. here is the v card specs

 

[Vigilante]

Sorry but that card is not quite up to today's standards. Not that it won't play your games, because it it WORLDS better then your shared 16mb SiS. But I would have liked to see you get at least a 5700Ultra or a 5800, as a LOW end card. The 6000 series being near double the performance. The 5500 isn't even on the performance charts any more.

Again, you already bought the thing and installed it sounds like. So I don't want to dissapoint. Cause these other cards would have cost you double at least. And it will play your games, just not anywhere near highest quality.

Check out this chart for a good reference. The 5500 is just below the bottom. http://graphics.tomshardware.com/graphic/20050705/vga-charts-pcie-02.html#3d_mark_2005
That card would have been the bomb about 2 years ago.

So it's up to you. On that list, I've got the card on top, a thank you, and it kicks. But costs over $400. The sky's the limit for video quality.

cheers

 

[duffguy]

budget check

i only have 75 bucks here so i cant get that one but wat about this one ?

 

[mailpup]

That's a lower card than your first one. If you want decent graphics performance, you'll have to spend more money. If you don't have it now, you should wait.

 

[Vigilante]

I agree, I would say wait. Save a few more bucks, avoid fast food and eating out for a couple weeks. You'll have double that in no time
Then try to get into the 6000 series FX cards instead. You'll be happier. Reference the chart I sent. Shop at www.newegg.com and www.zipzoomfly.com. Wait for one of them to put out a special sale, which they do all the time, and there you go.

 

[Sharkfood]

I'm going to have to totally agree with the previous posters- if it's not too late, I'd highly recommend getting a 6000-series NVidia or X-series ATI videocard for that system.

One of the nice perks of upgrading to these newer cards is the fact you can lop on anisotropic filtering and antialiasing with little performance cost. Even if you have a very low-end system, you can enjoy better image quality and wider game compatibility.

 

[Stormfalcon70]

I was also looking at that particular card. Would this be an acceptable alternative?

http://shop2.outpost.com/product/4494516?site=sr:SEARCH:MAIN_RSLT_PG

In case that link didn't work, I'm asking about the BFG GeForce 6200 OC AGP Video Card with 128MB DDR Memory that Outpost.com is selling for $129.95.

 

[Vigilante]

I assume "OC" means it's overclocked. I also see that your budget went up a little. lol

If you buy an OC card, at least make sure it has a standard warranty. Have you also priced the 6600? I wouldn't think it's to much more.

 

[Stormfalcon70]

I'm on a very tight budget. I just want a decent card that'll play Halflife 2. My MX 420 was kinda overwhelmed by that game....it played ok most of the time, but when the poop really got flying it started screaming "can't....do....plaid!" (sorry....inside joke)

Is there a problem with the OC cards? I ask because they also have a 5500 OC for around $100.

 

[Vigilante]

I don't think there is a problem with the OC cards. Just that they usually need (or should come with) better cooling then the standard cards. And I may be wrong but the OC cards may not get any support from Nvidia. Cause it's a custom thing by BFG. I would just make sure it has a regular length warranty is all.

In retrospec, if you are playing HL2, just so you know, I had an Nvidia GeForce 5700 Ultra. I couldn't play on highest settings, but I beat the game with it, so it works! Please take another peek at this chart (specifically for HL2): http://graphics.tomshardware.com/graphic/20050705/vga-charts-pcie-05.html

At least price out some cards on that chart, even if towards the bottom. And you can see my 5700 Ultra a few up from bottom. It played, but not the best settings. So price a few cards higher up then the 5700 and you should be fine.

 

[Stormfalcon70]

Mmmmm....sweet! http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1212072&CatId=0
You were right! Thanks!

 

[Vigilante]

Cool, glad you narrowed it down some. My only last thought is that this one you picked has dual DVI output. So I'm guessing dual monitor. And I'm not sure if that is a "special" function that is costing more, or if you can find the same card without it, for cheaper.
Though most cards have a DVI and a VGA, they probably just did both DVI. So I'm not sure on that point.

Anyhow, as long as your card is on that list, it'll play!

Happy gaming!