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So i need a new video card.

ZephosZephos Climbin in yo ski lifts, snatchin your people up.MichiganRegistered User regular
edited January 2009 in Moe's Stupid Technology Tavern
unfortunatly i'm quite limited...

so heres the short story.

I run a pretty old rig that runs games that i play just fine (tf2 and other steam games, and wow, thats basically it)

my Geforce 6800gt i think died on me (odd glitches on the screen and an inability to type anything or see any prompt when i get to my windows login)

so i need an AGP graphics card solution that is pretty cheap... i don't need a powerhouse, but maybe something with comparable numbers.

i saw a card at best buy for 100 bucks i think it was a geforce 9400 but i have not the slightest clue as to the quality of this card... so any suggestions?

Xbox One/360: Penguin McCool
Zephos on

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    1ddqd1ddqd Registered User regular
    edited January 2009
    I wouldn't get the 9400 - it's actually going to perform a little worse than your 6800GT. The best AGP card has been the X1950 Pro for a while, I think (or the XT). I have one and a 6800 GS (not GT) and the 1950 spanks the crap out of it.

    Now, however, I think the Radeon 3850 is the best card for AGP. Here are the specs
    Codename: RV670
    Process: 55 nm
    Universal Shaders: 320
    Texture Units: 16
    ROPs: 16
    Memory Bus: 256 bit
    Core Speed MHz: 670
    Memory Speed MHz: 833 (1666 effective)
    DirectX / Shader Model DX 10.1 / SM 4.0

    You can get one at Newegg for around $100-130, which sounds reasonable. They support DX 10.1 and seem to be quite a beast. I think it's the fastest AGP card that will ever be made.

    1ddqd on
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    zanetheinsanezanetheinsane Registered User regular
    edited January 2009
    Keep in mind if you get an ATi card, you're going to have to play with drivers, because the normal Catalyst drivers do not support AGP, you will need to download the separate "AGP fix" drivers. If you use the "manufacturer" drivers for the agp cards, they are always laughably behind the official catalyst drivers (about 6+ months for most, and that's the better ones).

    Oh and just to save you the headache, here is the link for AGP Hotfix drivers should you decide to go that route: http://support.ati.com/ics/support/default.asp?deptID=894&task=knowledge&questionID=31625

    zanetheinsane on
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    1ddqd1ddqd Registered User regular
    edited January 2009
    The flipside to the coin is finding a Nvidia card. The most comparable would be the 7900. The only 7 series card on Newegg is the 7300 (which is laughable).

    There are some 7900s going for around $140 at auctions. The 7800 would be an alternative, as well, but are a little rarer.

    The 3850 is still the most powerful AGP card that was (and will be) ever made. It's up to you, considering the system is on it's last legs, why not go out with a bang?

    1ddqd on
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    ZephosZephos Climbin in yo ski lifts, snatchin your people up. MichiganRegistered User regular
    edited January 2009
    thanks, i think that that radeon card sounds like it could provide the most bang for my buck.

    Zephos on
    Xbox One/360: Penguin McCool
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    logic7logic7 Registered User regular
    edited January 2009
    funny, I'm in the same boat.

    I'd like to stick with Nvidia, (I have a 6200 based card now) 'cause that way I don't have to screw with my Linux install. Was the 7900 the last Nvidia offered for AGP?

    logic7 on
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    1ddqd1ddqd Registered User regular
    edited January 2009
    logic7 wrote: »
    funny, I'm in the same boat.

    I'd like to stick with Nvidia, (I have a 6200 based card now) 'cause that way I don't have to screw with my Linux install. Was the 7900 the last Nvidia offered for AGP?

    I believe so - I don't think the 7950 ever hit AGP. Soon after, we saw the 8800 release.

    1ddqd on
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