Question for the other computer geeks...

[StealthSpeed3]

what's a good graphics card within a budget of say $100? Looking to upgrade so i can expand my gaming selection.

this is what i have now: http://www.amazon.com/ATI-RADEON-9600-PRO-Graphics/dp/B00009ETL1

 

[rewedmiata]

No such thing... build a new pc (your still running AGP?!?)

 

[dmention7]

Post some more system specs. A new graphics card will only do so much good on an older system, and there may be some limitations to what your mobo can handle. They're still making graphics cards and mobos that run AGP, so it's not as cut and dried as Erik says. I don't know about the AGP market, but there are plenty of decent PCI-e cards for $100 that (coupled with an appropriate system of course) can keep up with newer games no prob.

 

[mndsm]

5870.

 

[Picklz]

Nice card Tom but not anywhere near $100, try and be constructive eh?

 

[DrWebster]

Post some more system specs. A new graphics card will only do so much good on an older system, and there may be some limitations to what your mobo can handle. They're still making graphics cards and mobos that run AGP, so it's not as cut and dried as Erik says. I don't know about the AGP market, but there are plenty of decent PCI-e cards for $100 that (coupled with an appropriate system of course) can keep up with newer games no prob.

They still make (some) AGP video cards, but there aren't any modern motherboards on the market that use it...the industry is all PCI-E now.

 

[Picklz]

Depends on exactly what you are hoping to run, and at what resolution, to be honest you may be better saving that money till you have enough to buy a more modern rig, I've seen complete systems that will likely be faster than what you have for $300-500 at places like woot, dell, and sometimes locally. Then later on down the road toss in a $150-250 graphics card when you feel the need to upgrade it.

If you must stick with your current system a 4650 or 4670 would likely be the quickest options, but your cpu/mobo and the AGP Bus is going to be the bottle neck.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150433

 

[StealthSpeed3]

quick specs:
MB: Intel Socket 478A
CPU: P4 3.0 GB
RAM - 1 GB

I'd like to be able to run something like Farcry 2, BioShock, F.E.A.R, possibly SC2. Mostly into FPS & RTS

 

[mndsm]

I don't know that you'd be able to support FC2 on that setup even with an uprated GPU..... might be time to take the beast out back and shoot it.

 

[Workdawg]

My PC is 5+ years old and I can handle SC2 fairly well. I lag up slightly when the action gets going sometimes, but 98% of the time it's fine.
FEAR is OLD, that and Bioshock both also run fine on my PC.

Farcry2, not sure about, it's newer than the rest (cept sc2), and from what I've heard, is pretty GPU intensive.

TBH, I think upgrading to a totally new PC would be a better use of your money. Save up and get a decent computer.

 

[mndsm]

My PC is 5+ years old and I can handle SC2 fairly well. I lag up slightly when the action gets going sometimes, but 98% of the time it's fine.
FEAR is OLD, that and Bioshock both also run fine on my PC.

Farcry2, not sure about, it's newer than the rest (cept sc2), and from what I've heard, is pretty GPU intensive.

TBH, I think upgrading to a totally new PC would be a better use of your money. Save up and get a decent computer.

+1. You should theoretically be able to build a barebones that'll run all that for 500$.... and then you can worry about upgrading your GPU/RAM as time permits.

 

[StealthSpeed3]

ok, so i should look for a new job then or pray for some more weekends like this last one where i pulled in roughly $220 in tips so i can afford to build this piece by piece?

 

[dmention7]

I'd vote for plan C) Save up and buy everything when you have the cash for the whole shebang. Otherwise, you run the risk of sitting on hundreds of dollars of hardware that's unusable and going obsolete instead of getting all the best stuff money can buy at the time. That's my $0.02 anyway.

 

[Picklz]

What Jay said, PC's are one area where buying parts 1 or 2 at a time is a fairly bad idea, prices are always falling and new items are always coming out. Your best bet is to just save till you can buy a whole system, or look at places that will do financing if you are willing to go that route, newegg does 0% interest for 12 months for $500+ purchases.

 

[derrian]

We did the new egg no interest thing for Erik last computer Cost us about 1500 for everything, but we had a case. And of course we bought everything at crazy top of line (He has like 12 gb of Ram) So I'm sure you can go quite a bit cheaper and still play what you want