Video Card - Best bang for the buck

[thatguyant]

So I'm still running on a GeForce 2 Pro GTS (hey.. it was hot shiznits when it first came out ) hehe but I'm slowly upgrading my computer. I'm not into the top of the line scene anymore. I think that paying 500 bucks for a vid card thht will be worth 100 in 6 months is silly (although I was that silly kid in college).

So I've been out of the scene for awhile. I need a new vid card that will play directx 9 games and will also last another year or two b4 I upgrade again. I was looking to spend about 150 but maybe a little more. Also I'm still stuck with an AGP board.

Here are the options I was considering

Nvidia 6200
Nvidia 6600
Nvidia 6600GT
Radeon 9700 pro
Radeon AIW 9600XT

I put the AIW in there because I was considering using my PC as an HTPC as well. Is there much of a drop off in game performance when you get an AIW.

Any tips or advice would be greatly appreciated. Here my current system.

Enlight mid atx w/ Enlight 300W PSU
Abit NF7-S v2
AMD Barton 2500+ @ 3200+
Gainward GeForce 2 Pro
2X256 PC2100 ram (soon to be upgraded to 1 gig 2X562 pc3200)

 

[airfoil]

6600GT is the one you want.

Reasons:

*Nvidia's TV out is far better than ATI for HTPC use. HTPC fanatics swear by Nvidia.
*The AIW solution sucks - get a Hauppauge PVR 150 for the TV tuning. The good thing about it is it doubles as an MPEG2 decoder, reducing CPU load.

The next choice would be the 6600 followed by the 9600XT without the AIW. The 6200 will just about get the job done.

 

[imported_fatal]

The 6600GT

 

[Farmer]

Also because 6600GT is actually current gen.

 

[Cook1]

6600GT

 

[Bonesdad]

another vote for 6600GT

 

[thatguyant]

Originally posted by: airfoil
6600GT is the one you want.

Reasons:

*Nvidia's TV out is far better than ATI for HTPC use. HTPC fanatics swear by Nvidia.
*The AIW solution sucks - get a Hauppauge PVR 150 for the TV tuning. The good thing about it is it doubles as an MPEG2 decoder, reducing CPU load.

The next choice would be the 6600 followed by the 9600XT without the AIW. The 6200 will just about get the job done.

Thanks for the response.

Do the 6600gt's come with HDTV out now? That's the tv I'm going to be using. I'm not quite sure how that setup would be. So the TV out with with the 6600GT and the satellite in would have to go through the PVR 150?

Do you know how much a setup like that would likely cost?

 

[Hardtarget]

the 6600GT is the way to go.

but just so you know the AIW 9600XT/Pro are both actaully clocked higher than theri non AIW counterparts, so the AIW are actaully better for gaming, so there is no "trade off" as you thought there might be.

but ya get teh 6600GT.

 

[SLCentral]

Another vote for 6600GT.

 

[imported_Hi]

he says he has 150 to spend while an AGP 6600gt is about 180 at lowest

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Make sure you get an AGP version if you're going to get a 6600gt, the cheaper ones are PCI-e.

If a 6600gt is going to be out of your budget, a used 9700pro or 9800pro would be my next choice. You can get one for ~125 or so in FS/FT forums or off ebay.

If you can spend $150, I think it would be worth it to make it ~$185 to bump up to the 6600gt like everyone has been mentioning.

This one for example is AGP by a quality company and had HDTV-out.

 

[nick1985]

Originally posted by: Hi
he says he has 150 to spend while an AGP 6600gt is about 180 at lowest

well, then he needs to save up a few more bucks, because anything less than the 6800GT isnt worth it

 

[imverygifted]

of the cards your considering the 660gt is the best

 

[quakefiend420]

Originally posted by: SLCentral
Another vote for 6600GT.

 

[Ike0069]

Originally posted by: SLCentral
Another vote for 6600GT.

 

[thatguyant]

Thanks for all the replies. The 6600gt looks like it's the overwhelming favorite, but it's just a little out of my budget. I may wait a bit then and save a bit more and get that then.

 

[Pr0d1gy]

Check Ebay or the trading forums. I got a PCI-e 6600gt full retail shipped to me.

 

[bigboxes]

Radeon 9800 Pro

This card can be softmodded to a 9800XT. $158 shipped.

 

[ribbon13]

The 9800 Pro at $158 is a great deal.

 

[Jotho]

Originally posted by: bigboxes
This card can be softmodded to a 9800XT

I'd recommend changing the stock cooling though. I added a Zalman VF700 AlCu before flashing the BIOS.

 

[thatguyant]

Originally posted by: Pr0d1gy
Check Ebay or the trading forums. I got a PCI-e 6600gt full retail shipped to me.

Unfortunately I still have agp so it looks like it's a little out of my budget. It would be about 195 shipped for the cheapest one on newegg.

I'm looking into that radeon 9800 pro. Does anyone have any opinions on it? Hopefully it will last me for a couple of years right? This might sound like a dumb question, but is softmodding oc'ing with software and not flasing it right?

 

[bigboxes]

Sorry. I meant that the bios could be flashed to the 128 mb 9800XT bios.

Link on how to do this.

 

[Pr0d1gy]

Wow I didn't even finish my sentence...lol
I meant to say i got it for $160 and you should be able to get AGP cheaper since nVidia prices are lower for AGP due to SLI driving up PCI-e prices.

 

[kusanagiz]

I'm looking for the best bang for the buck card as well. Based on that, I will choose either to go w/ an Nforce 4 or Nforce 3 Ultra. (PCI-Express vs. AGP) I just started doing the research today as I have been very far behind on all this.

I've been looking at the performance reviews for the ATI x800 Pro which runs for $200 I've heard but I haven't actually seen it around. This seems to be a better than the 6600GT's I've heard?

If I go AGP, then I'm looking for the MSI Neo-2 NForce 3 Ultra along w/ possibly getting that A64 3000+ Winchester. I plan to just get the following:

- New Mobo
- New Video Card

I hope I can use my old set of ram, 2x256mb Corsair XMS 256 w/ 2.5 3 3 6 timing.

I'm looking to do some over clocking w/ that. I haven't done so since the old Celeron 300A's and hopefully it won't be too tough to do so again

If anybody can offer some advice to all this I would greatly appreciate it.