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Should i buy this graphics card?

2

Comments

  • diegofrgcdiegofrgc Member Posts: 451

    Im in a HUGE problem , see my PC spec

    Windows ME

    256 SD RAM

    Pentium 3, 1 Ghz

    40 GB

    .................What processor, RAM, OS and GB do i need?

    Im in HUUUUUUUUUUGE problem as you can see

  • DerfelCadarnDerfelCadarn Member Posts: 875
    With P3s, your memory bus is either 100 or 133mhz. P3's are SDRAM only. If you were to upgrade, you would really need to redo your whole computer to run EQ2. Although you might make very very minimal settings, it would lag like hell. Windows Me is supported by EQ2, your hard drive should work minimally too. If you want to rebuild your pc, give me a price range and I can tell you what parts you need.

  • diegofrgcdiegofrgc Member Posts: 451

    I don´t really have price range, i dont want to play EQ2 with lag.

    Just tell me what do i need to change (i know its gonna hurt my wallet)

     

  • DerfelCadarnDerfelCadarn Member Posts: 875

    Alright- I'll give you some good pcs(consider: you have to but this pc together)

    Medium PC(will run Eq2 good on minimal/medium settings)

    AMD Athlon XP 2500+ "Barton"-http://www.newegg.com/app/viewproductdesc.asp?description=19-103-379&DEPA=1

    Kingston 184 Pin 512MB DDR PC-2700-http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=20-144-202&depa=1

    MSI KT400A-http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=13-130-438&depa=1

    ATI RADEON 9600PRO Video Card-http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=14-240-014&depa=1

    SAMSUNG 160GB-http://www.newegg.com/app/viewproductdesc.asp?description=22-152-011&DEPA=1

    With Monitor/keyboard+mouse/sound card/case(as long as it a atx) doesn't make a performance difference. You can use your old ones or buy cheapy ones(not monitor thought).

    Better PC-

    AMD 64 2800+- http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=19-103-452&depa=1

    K8N Neo Platinum- http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=13-130-457&depa=1

    2X Geil pc3200 for 1GB- http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=20-144-305&depa=1

    Hitachi 160GB 7200RPM SATA Hard Drive- http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=22-145-051&depa=1

    ATI radeon 9800 pro- http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=14-102-286&depa=1

     

    If you need a better pc, tell me.

     

     

  • diegofrgcdiegofrgc Member Posts: 451

    ThAnKs Derfel Cadarn image

    im going to buy the first hardware you listed

    TOTAL $432

    But................... I live in Mexico, do you know if they can send me the hardware? or, does NewEgg have a retail store?

    ThX agin!! imageimage

     

  • DerfelCadarnDerfelCadarn Member Posts: 875

    I know newegg is not a retail store, I dont know if they will ship to mexico. You can send them a email. However, if they do not ship to mexico, either look up the parts up on www.pricegrabber.com or look them up in mexico retail stores. If they dont have the motherboard or memory in mexico(they can be rare), just look up DDR333(cas 2.5 or below) and a Socket A mobo(msi, soyo, asus are good). The CPU and graphics card are pretty common.

  • ColdmeatColdmeat Member UncommonPosts: 3,409

    For vid cards, at least as far as EQ2 is concerned, an Nividia card might well be the better way to go, as the game is optimized to use Nividia cards, hence the Nvidia logo on the char creater. You can still use an ATI card, but are more likely to run into problems, outside of the regular problems you will most likely have with one of their cards.

    -------
    I was never what you wanted, I could never never please.
    I swallowed all our sorrow in the midst of my disease.
    All my fortunes, all my gains, all the battles I have won...
    Now collapsing like the rain, I stand alone, your only son...

    Take some solace in these words, take notice of this place.
    Hollow whispers that they are, like the wind upon my face.
    Sing softly in my ear and look at me with wonder.
    I will try to ease your fear as the darkness pulls you under.

  • diegofrgcdiegofrgc Member Posts: 451

    Really?

    I thought ATI Radeon were better than Nvidia

    but well..........

    ill ask PC Gamer image

  • DerfelCadarnDerfelCadarn Member Posts: 875



    Originally posted by Coldmeat

    For vid cards, at least as far as EQ2 is concerned, an Nividia card might well be the better way to go, as the game is optimized to use Nividia cards, hence the Nvidia logo on the char creater. You can still use an ATI card, but are more likely to run into problems, outside of the regular problems you will most likely have with one of their cards.
    -------
    I was never what you wanted, I could never never please.
    I swallowed all our sorrow in the midst of my disease.
    All my fortunes, all my gains, all the battles I have won...
    Now collapsing like the rain, I stand alone, your only son...
    Take some solace in these words, take notice of this place.
    Hollow whispers that they are, like the wind upon my face.
    Sing softly in my ear and look at me with wonder.
    I will try to ease your fear as the darkness pulls you under.



    I'm sorry but your competely wrong had have no computer knowledge. EQ2 uses direct 9.0, a type of graphic that ati are traditionally very good(besides the Nvida 6800-600 dollar card). Nvida cards are normally good at OpenGL(not EQ2 DirectX). The logo is the front is normally not true of what card works better, it is there to make noobs think that they need a nvidia card. Look at other games with the nvidia logo(UT2004), they run better that ati card. Do you see games with a ATI logo when the game starts up? No, hmmmm, i guess that means no games work for ati cards!!!!image  Alot of folks have ATI cards, if what you said was true, EQ2 would sell very poorly. By the way, PC gamer recommeds ATI cards for there entry, middle and dream machines.

  • JBO1JBO1 Member Posts: 277

    How much do you have to spend on a card?? Whats your budget?? I myself try to go with the high end cards if I can so I don't have to buy a new one for a very long time...

  • JBO1JBO1 Member Posts: 277


    Originally posted by DerfelCadarn
    I'm sorry but your competely wrong had have no computer knowledge. EQ2 uses direct 9.0, a type of graphic that ati are traditionally very good(besides the Nvida 6800-600 dollar card). Nvida cards are normally good at OpenGL(not EQ2 DirectX). The logo is the front is normally not true of what card works better, it is there to make noobs think that they need a nvidia card. Look at other games with the nvidia logo(UT2004), they run better that ati card. Do you see games with a ATI logo when the game starts up? No, hmmmm, i guess that means no games work for ati cards!!!!image  Alot of folks have ATI cards, if what you said was true, EQ2 would sell very poorly. By the way, PC gamer recommeds ATI cards for there entry, middle and dream machines.

    Kind of harsh don't you think?? Just because he has an opinon on a card doesn't make him a noob... Actually I have seen some articles in PC magazines and on the internet that the EQ2 devs have tried to work with Nivida to make the game optimized with their cards. Especially their new $500 card...of course. Though I do agree that it's probably more or less hype and not necessarily true, you don't need to treat him like a little kid.

  • DerfelCadarnDerfelCadarn Member Posts: 875



    Originally posted by JBO1




    Originally posted by DerfelCadarn


    I'm sorry but your competely wrong had have no computer knowledge. EQ2 uses direct 9.0, a type of graphic that ati are traditionally very good(besides the Nvida 6800-600 dollar card). Nvida cards are normally good at OpenGL(not EQ2 DirectX). The logo is the front is normally not true of what card works better, it is there to make noobs think that they need a nvidia card. Look at other games with the nvidia logo(UT2004), they run better that ati card. Do you see games with a ATI logo when the game starts up? No, hmmmm, i guess that means no games work for ati cards!!!!image  Alot of folks have ATI cards, if what you said was true, EQ2 would sell very poorly. By the way, PC gamer recommeds ATI cards for there entry, middle and dream machines.


    Kind of harsh don't you think?? Just because he has an opinon on a card doesn't make him a noob... Actually I have seen some articles in PC magazines and on the internet that the EQ2 devs have tried to work with Nivida to make the game optimized with their cards. Especially their new $500 card...of course. Though I do agree that it's probably more or less hype and not necessarily true, you don't need to treat him like a little kid.



    There's a difference in opinon and uneducated opinon. He came with an nvidia fanboy tude that he could not back up. For every logoed game nvidia says that they are going to be the card to use but 95 percent of the time(in the case of directx 9), ATI still kicks there ass. Only noobs think "hey, look it has a nvidia logo-I need a nvidia to play the game" or "Look it has ATI support, Looks like i need a ati card". He was also using the old theory that ATI cards have bad drivers and work on few games-that ended with 9600,9700,9800 series. Beside the Nvidia 6800(600 dollars), the older FX5200-5900 will not perform as well as the 9600-9800pro. Do you think that if EQ2 had little ati card support, it would sell well?

  • JBO1JBO1 Member Posts: 277


    Originally posted by DerfelCadarn

    There's a difference in opinon and uneducated opinon. He came with an nvidia fanboy tude that he could not back up. For every logoed game nvidia says that they are going to be the card to use but 95 percent of the time(in the case of directx 9), ATI still kicks there ass. Only noobs think "hey, look it has a nvidia logo-I need a nvidia to play the game" or "Look it has ATI support, Looks like i need a ati card". He was also using the old theory that ATI cards have bad drivers and work on few games-that ended with 9600,9700,9800 series. Beside the Nvidia 6800(600 dollars), the older FX5200-5900 will not perform as well as the 9600-9800pro. Do you think that if EQ2 had little ati card support, it would sell well?

    Ordinarilly I would see your point there...yes. But he said that it was optimized for Nvidia, I would have more problems with what he said if it was only worked on Nividia. Yes it is a gimick put out by Nividia in agreement with EQ2 no doubt to sell mor video cards and ATI has the best reviewed cards right now. But isn't it possible that EQ2 has been optimized to run smoother on Nividia cards? I don't see anwhere in his article where he says it won't run on ATI...just not as well is sme cases...that's all.

  • JBO1JBO1 Member Posts: 277

    Quote from PC Gamers July 2004 magazine (Pg. 33)

    "At launch, what will it take to play the game with every graphics option set at maximum? "No machine is available right now," says producer Andy Sites. SOE is working closely with NVIDIA to implement optimizations for the upcoming NV04 chipset "that are looking really sweet," accordin to Sites. Right out of the gate, however, you'll get impressive-looking performance on a P4 2GHz machine with 512 RAM and DirectX 9 compatable 3D card"

    This does give the impression a NVIDIA card is perfered by EQ2, but not required.

  • DerfelCadarnDerfelCadarn Member Posts: 875

     You can still use an ATI card, but are more likely to run into problems, outside of the regular problems you will most likely have with one of their cards.

    He claims that you will run into problems and then the smart ass statement " besides the regular problems you will most likely have with one of their cards". That is total being a closed-minded fanboy.  He hasn't done any research, he just talks. If ATI cards have so many problems, then why do PC Gamer and Computer Gaming World recommend ATI cards over Nvidia Cards. I'm trying to be fair, but this guy come and tells me i'm wrong and nvidia will only work well for this game. Look earlier in the article, I recommed ATI cards for Ati fans and Nvidia cards for Nvidia fans. All I'm saying is that Nvidia likes to hype up the games its supporting and doesn't follow through. To folks like diegofrgc, just because nvidia says there card is "optimized" for EQ2, doesn't mean it is true. Even if it turns out to be true, it doen't mean ATI cards will work badly. I doubt very much that the FX5200-5900("optimized for EQ2") will able to kill Ati 9600-9800 in ATI playing field DirectX 9.

    By the way, the NV04 is going to be a 600 dollar card, we are talking about cards in the 100 dollar price range. Im talking about FX5200-5900 vs. 9600-9800, most folks dont have 600 dollars for computer crap. If i got the X800 XT and compared with the 68000, the graphics are so good I doubt there is a noticable difference.

  • JBO1JBO1 Member Posts: 277


    Originally posted by DerfelCadarn
     You can still use an ATI card, but are more likely to run into problems, outside of the regular problems you will most likely have with one of their cards.
    He claims that you will run into problems and then the smart ass statement " besides the regular problems you will most likely have with one of their cards". That is total being a closed-minded fanboy.  He hasn't done any research, he just talks. If ATI cards have so many problems, then why do PC Gamer and Computer Gaming World recommend ATI cards over Nvidia Cards. I'm trying to be fair, but this guy come and tells me i'm wrong and nvidia will only work well for this game. Look earlier in the article, I recommed ATI cards for Ati fans and Nvidia cards for Nvidia fans. All I'm saying is that Nvidia likes to hype up the games its supporting and doesn't follow through. To folks like diegofrgc, just because nvidia says there card is "optimized" for EQ2, doesn't mean it is true. Even if it turns out to be true, it doen't mean ATI cards will work badly. I doubt very much that the FX5200-5900("optimized for EQ2") will able to kill Ati 9600-9800 in ATI playing field DirectX 9.
    By the way, the NV04 is going to be a 600 dollar card, we are talking about cards in the 100 dollar price range. Im talking about FX5200-5900 vs. 9600-9800, most folks dont have 600 dollars for computer crap. If i got the X800 XT and compared with the 68000, the graphics are so good I doubt there is a noticable difference.

    Okay it's a matter of interpetation...I didn't read it that way, I'll bow out of that argument...makes sense that way. And yes I agree $600 bucks is more than I'm willing to spend to, Ati's X800 is looking sweet, lowest price so far online I found for that one is $386. Still not bad for what you get and how new it is. I have read several great reviews on that Just wish I could find some screen shots of stuff running on the card.

  • JdokiJdoki Member Posts: 68

    Ok, I'm liking this thread, so maybe you guys can help me out too.

    I have an aging AMD Athlon 1900+ based machine with a Geforce 4 4200Ti 64Mb... time to upgrade to play EQ2 (and Doom 3 and Half Life 2) I'm thinking.

    I have the option of buying:
    AMD 64 3200+
    Geforce 6800 Ultra (or ATI X800XT)
    1 Gb RAM
    (plus other goodies).

    I like the idea of a 6800Ultra as it has support for Direct X 9c features (the nice shader 3 stuff etc), which the new ATI X800's can't do.

    So first question... Which card? I have no preference over ATI or Nvidia, but the 6800 seems a better long term bet, as I WON'T be upgrading for a loooong time after this! ::::02::


    The AMD 64 chip uses the old style socket, which will be replaced soon. So the highest I could ever upgrade my CPU to is a AMD 64 3700+. Also, PCIe is just starting to filter through.

    Second question... Is the 3200 CPU too slow for the Graphics cards? (a lot of tests I've seen look like FPS top out as the CPU can't feed the GPU quick enough).

    Final question... Is there any point waiting for a PCIe system? It may have huuuge bandwidth compared to AGP, but there doesn't seem to be any performance difference between AGP and PCIe 6800/X800 cards. Perhaps the next gen PCIe specific cards might see an improvement, but again, what about the CPU/GPU bottlenecks?

  • DerfelCadarnDerfelCadarn Member Posts: 875

    I have a simliar system- amd 64 3400(754), 1gb ram, ati radeon 9700. To question 1, Its hard to tell at this point whether 9.0c is going to be mainstream. I like both cards but the 6800 is a little more pricy then the x800xt. You look like your not upgrading for awhile so the 6800 might be a good bet-just get the big power supply.

     To question 2, I would stick with 3200+ and the 754 socket. The 939 socket isn't a difference in performance and costs alot. 500 dollars for a cpu is kinda ugly. Coming out this year by SiS is a mobo that supports both the 754 and 939 on one board(with pcie). Either way with 939(500 dollars), and you wanted to upgrade you would have to buy a new cpu(compared to a 100 dollar mobo is cheap).

    Question 3+4, The 3200 should be plenty fast for the 6800 and x800xt, they even said in PC gamer that a 3200+ should work well with those graphics cards. The PCIe cards at this stage make 0 difference in performance or even in the case of nvidia lowers in some benchmarks. PCIe is a non needed tech at this point. If the future(mabye late 2005) it will make a difference-the SiS board will be out by then.

  • JdokiJdoki Member Posts: 68

    Thanks Derf, that's helped make up my mind... ::::28::

    6800 it is!

  • NoisyMonkeyNoisyMonkey Member Posts: 220
    Jd, your current comp is actually good enoguh to run all 3 games.. people are jsut stupid.... I played a hacked doom 3 and half life 2 last year when my compw as even worse.... but if you have the moeny to upgrade then do it :O... Dont really need a 64 mb cpu thingy till like 2006... nothing uses it..

  • DerfelCadarnDerfelCadarn Member Posts: 875



    Originally posted by NoisyMonkey
    Jd, your current comp is actually good enoguh to run all 3 games.. people are jsut stupid.... I played a hacked doom 3 and half life 2 last year when my compw as even worse.... but if you have the moeny to upgrade then do it :O... Dont really need a 64 mb cpu thingy till like 2006... nothing uses it..



    Great! Another uneducated guy who thinks he knows something. Jd wants to play Doom 3 and half-life 2 at the best quality and be ready for the next few years of gaming. The AMD64 is currently the leader in performance in 32bit applications. AMD64 uses 86-64 meaning it can run the 32-bit apps now, and the 64 bit apps a year from now. 

  • JdokiJdoki Member Posts: 68

    Yeah, I'm actually pretty happy with my old PC, and would like to keep it for another 6 to 12 months... But it has a lot of problems, my favorite of which is a screwed I/O controller; which means that occasionally my mouse starts lagging, and my keyboard adds in random characters! And it doesn't matter if it's PS/2 or USB... It also sometimes shuts down at random times, or goes in to sleep mode.

    So it's a good excuse to upgrade! ::::01::

    Plus I'm fed up having frame rates of 19 to 25fps in games that I would not really call high end (CoH, FFXI) and having low detail AND low frame rates in stuff like SWG and Dues Ex 2. (Dues Ex 2 only just runs in 640x480 with all detail turned down, no shadows etc!!!)

  • DarkmastershDarkmastersh Member Posts: 205

    What about DDR SDRAM?

    can i use that?

    have 256 SDRAM

  • diegofrgcdiegofrgc Member Posts: 451

    Same with me image

    can i use DDR SDRAM while having SDRAM?

  • Xa3r0Xa3r0 Member Posts: 5


    Humm, the 64bit processors atm are sorta usless, sure they can run 32bit apps faster then any other processor (for home use) and calculatre floating point variables faster then any others. But until a fully working 64bit OS is released then you cant run it all full spec. Also if im not mistaken, they are repacing silicon with a type of crystal (i cant remember the name) apparently its cheaper, smaller and atm 500% more powerful then standard cpus

    So i would wait a while before thinking in buying a 64bit cpu (unless your craving :P )

    As for ATi and NVidia, my experience over them is that ATi looks good, NVidia proforms good. Meaning NVidia has higher frame rate (effectivly) but looks poor compared to ATi's stunning visuals but poor frame rate. But thats just me, maby my pc just sux ^_^

    It all depends on what you want and what you can afford, also look into what alot of reveiwers have said and look into different benchmark results before you make your choice. But please remember there are alot of biast people out there

    ____________________________

    As long as I can remember,
    I have always had amnesia

    ____________________________

    As long as I can remember,
    I have always had amnesia

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