*Dead* VisionTek ATI Radeon 9550 128MB AGP $9.99AR @ Fry's B&M

[SleepyB]

*Deal Dead*

Thanks to all those who participated! Hope you enjoy the card.

VisionTek ATI Radeon 9550 128MB AGP $9.99AR @ Fry's B&M and online

Ad link
LA Times Monday Ad (link works only on 10/15)

Online deal dead OOS @ Fry's.com:
$59.99 - $40 rebate = $19.99 (no free ship)
Product link
Rebate link

B&M probably out of stock most locations too...

*Update*
The white color box version (no-game) with the ATI lady with two swords on the front is also going for $49.99 - same $40 rebate, at least here in SoCal. So if your B&M is out of the Gamer Price of Persia version, you can get the white box one. Same card, just no game.


Not a geat card, but good for desktop/HTPC use. It has VGA + DVI + S-video, so it should be able to do Hydravision (dual monitor). It's also passive (fanless, just a heatsink), and I think it's semi-low profile too. Downside, is it has a 64-bit memory bus, instead of 128-bit, so this is actually a 9550SE?

The box has no descriptions what-so-ever, so had to ask a customer service guy to open it up to see what connectors it has.

Think this is good at all Fry's B&M, got mine in SoCal.

*Previous Spec Update*

Alright... Just opened mine up. I coulda sworn that the board was red color. But this one is green.

It is a low profile card all the way, except for the bracket which has (from top to bottom) VGA, S-video, and DVI. It is fanless, and looks like it uses the reference design headsink.

Basically looks like this except it has the flower like ( .\|/. ) headsink which covers the the middle and the chips in the back:

looks like this picture

Also included is a DVI-I to VGA adapter, so it means you can dual screen if you have two VGA monitors.

Humm... looks like this can output component using the a DVI adapter.
HDTV COMPONENT VIDEO ADAPTER FAQ

Special DVI-I to YPrPb Adapter (Purple, P/N 151-V01093) is for use with the following graphics boards:

* Radeon® 9800 series
* Radeon® 9700 series
* Radeon® 9600 series
* Radeon® 9500 series
* All-in-Wonder® Radeon® 8500DV (64MB)
* All-in-Wonder® Radeon® 8500 (128MB)

Monoprice seems to have it for a more reasonable price.
Monoprice DVI-I Male to 3 RCA component Adapter

The game included is... ... ... Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones. I think that's the newest one?

 

[BlackPear1]

Nice deal on a quiet DX9 card, useful in the applications you listed. Thanks for the info on connections and passive cooling - you couldn't tell from the ad.

 

[Karaktu]

Currently $59.99 at Outpost.com, but keep an eye out.

 

[T3C]

not bad, thanks

 

[DamianS]

Originally posted by: Karaktu
Currently $59.99 at Outpost.com, but keep an eye out.

Up to 69.99 now.

 

[SleepyB]

Bump!

Looks like it's online now... $49.99 - $40 rebate, no free ship though.
Links at top.

 

[Engineer]

Free shipping now!

 

[mundane]

Stupid question - is this a margin better than an FX 5200? For $10 AR, it seems to be a great deal.

 

[tcG]

Dang, too bad it's not PCI.

 

[SleepyB]

Semi-bad news... This is has a 64-bit memory bus. So this should be labeled as a 9550SE. Did anyone get one with a 128-bit memory bus, and I just got a cheapo one?

Heard the 128-bit bus one can be flashed and overclocked to 9600 level.

This is a DirectX 9 level card right? So it should run Windows Vista Areo 3D Desktop fine?

I was bored and did some benchmarking. Got like 953 on 3DMark05. Also tried that Final Fantasy XI bench 3, think got around 1505 @ 1024x768 high setting. It was pretty choppy.

 

[Engineer]

I was going to ask if this is a SE model or not. The saphire model photo you linked (from Newegg) indicated SE model but I wasn't sure of the VisionTek model.

I hate it when vendors do not give full specs in the description.

I don't want the SE model so I'm going to cancel!

 

[SleepyB]

Sorry about that, the box has no descriptions at all. I finally got down to testing it and had some horrible results. Finally found ATItool and saw that it was 64-bit, which explains it. Even the back of the card says 9550.

I think VisionTek is just being deceptive. Even on their 9550 retail product page, it just says 9550 and not 9550SE. But does list "64-bit memory path".

VisionTek XTASY RADEON 9550 AGP product page

 

[Athena]

Originally posted by: SleepyB
Semi-bad news... This is has a 64-bit memory bus.

That's a deal breaker for me. I'm looking for some inexpensive AGP cards to put into older machines to get them "Vista Ready". 128MB is the minimum for Vista and I can't see Aero working with a slow bus. I'd rather spend $50-$60 on better cards from Newegg.

 

[Engineer]

Originally posted by: SleepyB
Sorry about that, the box has no descriptions at all.

No problem. You have absolutely no reason to be sorry. The vendors and manufacturers do this stuff all the time trying to lure people into buying crippled items when they think they are getting a full product.

 

[mikeford]

I picked this card up today at Fullerton Ca Fry's, they had a stack of them on a end aisle display.

We bought it specifically because the 9550 is listed as the minimum requirement for Hitman Blood Money, is this 64 bit version going to work?

 

[mikeford]

http://www.visiontek.com/products/cards/retail/9550.html

http://freestone-group.com/video-card-stability-test/benchmark-results.html A page of 3d benchmarks, a few below to compare.
Radeon 7000 / Radeon VE 42
RADEON 9000 SERIES 167-396
RADEON 9200 273-327
ATI RADEON 9550 260
VisionTek XTASY 9550 217
RADEON 9800 PRO (Omega 3.8.205) 646-705

Not a great performer, but maybe it runs fairly cool and low power. Doesn't get much cheaper either. Wow I hate how confusing these numbers are, not too happy to see this card lower rated than the 9200 I have, but I think my son is clunking along with the 7000 or 7500 so its a step up for him as long as Hitman runs ok.

 

[KF]

Originally posted by: SleepyB
Sorry about that, the box has no descriptions at all. I finally got down to testing it and had some horrible results. Finally found ATItool and saw that it was 64-bit, which explains it. Even the back of the card says 9550.

I think VisionTek is just being deceptive. Even on their 9550 retail product page, it just says 9550 and not 9550SE. But does list "64-bit memory path".

VisionTek XTASY RADEON 9550 AGP product page

I guess for $50 it would be overpriced. But no one seriously thought they were going to give away a decent performing 3D card for $10. Did they? Oh well, expect miracles.

For $10, if the screen lights up, you are ahead of expectations. Hopefully a 9550SE will be better than an on board Savage 3D. I jumped right on it because this beats the heck out of any basic VGA card below $25 - or maybe I'm optimistic?

 

[bertythebean]

Checkout online brings up $6.93 shipping even with the little free shipping truck...? Is it because of "w/ Prince of Persia: 2"? If it is, will they offer the game for free along with the GPU if I buy B&M?

 

[mikeford]

Comes with Prince of Persia, something about Thrones, which so far seems worth $10, and even a 9550se is a step up from his old card a Ati 7200 I paid $15 for at a swapmeet in 2003 (still had the dealers 30 day sticker on the back). The real test is when Hitman arrives next week in the mail.

Newegg has the Jetway Ati Mobility 9600 for about $35 shipped amir of $20. My guess is the floodgates on old cards is opening soon, but I think I have bought the last AGP I intend to.

 

[ww4397]

Originally posted by: bertythebean
Checkout online brings up $6.93 shipping even with the little free shipping truck...? Is it because of "w/ Prince of Persia: 2"? If it is, will they offer the game for free along with the GPU if I buy B&M?

I'm getting the shipping charge, too. Deal breaker for me.

 

[mikeford]

Are you selecting ground shipping, default is paid shipping. Its a link you click below the shipping cost to change the type. Game is just a CD in a sleeve inside the box. Box has at best a total of 20 words on it, closest thing to a white box I have scene except its black with Ati in big letters and Visiontek in small ones.

So far the one in my sons PC is working well, making him happy, lots faster than old card etc., but Prince is getting stuck and freezing from time to time, but nothing horrible, and it does seem to be just the game with ctrl-alt-del bringing up xp task manager and mousie working fine outside of the game. Game also seems more stuck, than frozen, with a looping graphic during save dialog, but torch (mousie) doesn't move.

 

[bertythebean]

Yes, I selected ground shipping. It still came up as $6.93 shipping. No matter now, as the price jumped to $60 online. I'll see if I can still get it for $50 in-store.

 

[marvdmartian]

Seems like the original deal's dead now anyways. Price now showing as $59.99 before rebate, with no free shipping, and (online) it's "call for availability". That means it's now $19.99 + shipping + tax (if you have a Fry's in state), after rebate. Lukewarm, at best.

 

[Athena]

I really think the card in this week's CompUSA flyer is a better deal. 256MB card with 128bit memory interface for $69.99 +tax out the door -$20 rebate.

 

[BlackPear1]

I would be reluctant to pay 5 times as much as this thread's subject deal for any 9550 - I just don't think it could be that much better for any computer in which I would consider using an older card.