Video Card Search, Please Help

[wiu937]

I am in need of a good Video Card.
Currently I have a PNY GeForce FX 5200 Ultra / 128MB / AGP 8X / VGA / DVI / TV Out / Video Card, which will be placed in my other computer.

I am in need of something similar, yet better.

Here are the features that I would like to have:

An outlet that supplies power directly to the board.
Must be AGP, 8X, and at least 128mb
Perfer a heatsink and fan to keep it cool.
New, not used nor refurbished
Ideally my price range is up to $400

I would like to use it for a little bit of gaming, but more for video editting eventually. In the future I may also want to be able to link it to a television perhaps. I do not nessicarilly need the top of the line video card, but something that will not have to be updated in the next couple years would be great.

I have done some searching on my own and have come up quite confused, so I have turned to this site in hopes to gain knowledge of the best card for my machine.

I currently have an AMD Athalon XP, I believe 1.2. 512 RAM x2, on an ASUS mother board, running Windows XP Pro, 520 Watt 3 fan power supply, Audigy 2 video card with the 5 1/4 slot panel, I have currently a Lite-on Dual layer CD/DVD R/RW-+, and a DVD reader by Lite-on as well, plus many other minor thing my computer is running.

Any help in this area would be greatly appriciated,
Thanks,
wiu937

 

[PreservedSwine]

If you're not so much into gaming, and wish to use it for video editing, you might also want to consider VIVO as an option (Video In Vidio Out) and perhaps a bit more RAM, maybe 256. Are you talking US dollars? If so, Pretty sure both nVida and ATI offer cards that outperform that little FX5200. I'm not up to date on the latest and greatest prices, still quite happy with my purchase from a couple of years ago (R9500 turned R9700)..For $400, you're probably going to get a DX9 card as well, whether you want it or not:grinthumb

 

[Bug]

If you are really into video editing, I would look into the FireGL or the nVidia Quattro cards. They are very powerful for that sort of thing. If you are a hobbyist and just want to play with stuff, I agree with PreservedSwine. Look into VIVO, the ATI All In Wonder, or the Personal Cinema cards from nVidia. They will provide you with plenty of I/O ports for you to go to and from TV, VCR, etc... $400 is a lot of money, and will get you a very good card. Select a card and then research the heck out of it at any forum you can before buying it.

Good luck
Bug