What vid card to get? I've been out of the loop a while..

[djbacklash]

My AIW Radeon just blew out and I'm in need of a new vid card. I honestly don't know what's hot and what's not these days so I'd appreciate some help. I'm thinking of the ATI 8500 128MB, 8500LE 128MB (what's the difference between the LE and non-LE versions?), the 9000 Pro 128MB, and maybe AIW 8500 128MB. I'm leaning towards the 9000 Pro simply because it's newer (yea great reason huh!).

I've been using the SGI 1600SW lcd (dual) for over four years now so DVI and sharp 2D are musts. I also want high quality DVD/MPEG playback and decent 3D speed for occasional gaming (WC3 and AOE2 are the only games I've played the last five years). Since I'm not a heavy gamer, spending $300+ on a vid card just isn't practical. Something in the <$200 range (or maybe $250 for the AIW 8500) is preferable. Thanks!

 

[Maverick]

don't get the 9000...in some cases it actually performs slower than an 8500. 8500 is the best bet right now for a cheaper, good PQ card. Other choice would be a Geforce4 4200 but thats more of a gamers card.

 

[Maggotry]

Originally posted by: djbacklash
My AIW Radeon just blew out and I'm in need of a new vid card. I honestly don't know what's hot and what's not these days so I'd appreciate some help.

The ATI Rage Fury is a top-of-the-line card. Just listen to that name...Rage Fury. Just the name alone is worth an extra 10fps.

Seriously, Shiva pretty much nailed it. I'd go with ATI 8500 since you're looking for DVD quality too.

 

[djbacklash]

Thanks for the help guys. But what's the difference between the 8500 and 8500 LE? Does the 9000 Pro not have hardware DVD playback?

 

[BFG10K]

8500 and 8500 LE?

275/275 and 250/250 clock speeds, respectively.

 

[mcveigh]

get the 8500 (not LE) 128MB AIW