Looking for a video card upgrade

Vlad Tepes · Post by **Vlad Tepes** » Wed Nov 08, 2006 9:20 pm

I was thinking about getting a new video card. I currently have a Radion 9800 Pro 128. My mobo doesn't have a PCIE slot, so I'm stuck with AGP. Are there any AGP cards out there that would be a substantial upgrade from what I have? Any advice would be much appreciated...And...getting a new mobo with PCIE isn't an option

Number Six · Post by **Number Six** » Wed Nov 08, 2006 9:57 pm

I can't help with your quest for a new card, but if you plan on selling the 9800, I'd be VERRRRY interested.

Post by **melancholy** » Wed Nov 08, 2006 11:39 pm

Well, it would really depend on two things; your current specs and your budget. If you are running an old Celeron, then a new video card probably won't make games run better.

Vlad Tepes · Post by **Vlad Tepes** » Thu Nov 09, 2006 1:51 am

Well, I'm currently running a 3Ghz P4 with 1.25GB RAM...so...the system doesn't suck that bad. And I really don't know about a budget. I just haven't looked at cards since I got my 9800pro, two years ago, and after seeing how meh Company of Heroes ran on my machine...I figured it was about time to upgrade. So, really, I just want to know what AGP cards are significantly better than a 9800pro.

DaMadFiddler · Post by **DaMadFiddler** » Thu Nov 09, 2006 2:07 am

Dude, you're wasting your time. A 9800 Pro is good enough for your system. Either wait until the DX10 models are fully rolled out (nVidia just started this), or wait until you get a new PC entirely.

Vlad Tepes · Post by **Vlad Tepes** » Thu Nov 09, 2006 8:37 am

DaMadFiddler wrote:Dude, you're wasting your time. A 9800 Pro is good enough for your system. Either wait until the DX10 models are fully rolled out (nVidia just started this), or wait until you get a new PC entirely.

Good stuff. I thought that might be the case, but I kinda needed somebody to confirm what I was already thinking. Thanks

Disheveled DrFreeze · Post by **Disheveled DrFreeze** » Fri Nov 10, 2006 9:36 am

hmm, id say try to find a used 6800GT or something, should be a very very decent upgrade from an 9800pro, and your system should keep up easily

id say try for a 6800GT or x800pro or something, those are solid cards which shouldnt cost you more then 100-120 used

Post by **melancholy** » Fri Nov 10, 2006 10:25 am

Yeah, you're system would be alright for an upgrade. I wouldn't expect an amazing difference, but there certainly will be a notable one. You can get a Nvidia 7000 series card for pretty cheap that would make a good upgrade.

Cid Highwind · Post by **Cid Highwind** » Fri Nov 10, 2006 10:52 am

The X1950pro will be released for AGP pretty soon which will be the best AGP card there is. nVidia can offer you the 7800GS for about the same price, which is also the card I have. Pretty good card, but with the 1950 coming up, I would wait a while.

Veggita2099 · Post by **Veggita2099** » Fri Nov 10, 2006 1:03 pm

I have had terrible luck trying to upgrade my card for this PC. For some reaosn it just won't take them. I tried a 7800 and a 6600 and both cards locked it up. So finnally I just kept the geforce 3 in here and put the 6600 in my other PC. My alt PC I swear is better then my big one lol.

Disheveled DrFreeze · Post by **Disheveled DrFreeze** » Fri Nov 10, 2006 3:40 pm

melancholy wrote:Yeah, you're system would be alright for an upgrade. I wouldn't expect an amazing difference, but there certainly will be a notable one. You can get a Nvidia 7000 series card for pretty cheap that would make a good upgrade.

a 7800GS is only marginally better then a 6800GT, same goes for a 7600GT, and both would cost considerably more then a used 6800GT...

still a 7600GT is a cracking card, would be a great upgrade for sure! stay away from any ati card below the x1900s though, the 16 and 13s are appalling for the price you have to pay

Hawq · Post by **Hawq** » Sat Nov 11, 2006 12:55 pm

Most places have a X1650 pegged at about the same cost & performance as the 7600GT that I've seen. I'm in this sort of situation as well, trying to work out wether to get a new card & more ram or just save towards a shiny new system build.

Disheveled DrFreeze · Post by **Disheveled DrFreeze** » Sat Nov 11, 2006 1:58 pm

Hawq wrote:Most places have a X1650 pegged at about the same cost & performance as the 7600GT that I've seen. I'm in this sort of situation as well, trying to work out wether to get a new card & more ram or just save towards a shiny new system build.

the 1650 is a totally different animal from the 1600 iirc, i might be a bit off the mark here, but iirc it uses the rv570 chip, basicly a cut down x1950pro, instead of the rv530, which powers the 1600 and sucks

the 1650 is nice from what ive seen, but im an nvidia fan myself, so i tend to suggest them over ati if the performance gap is insignificant

Hawq · Post by **Hawq** » Sat Nov 11, 2006 2:39 pm

Actually the X1650 like the X1600 is made form the X1300 according to most places, though there is a version now thats a cut down X1900, probably called X160XT or somethin like that

Disheveled DrFreeze · Post by **Disheveled DrFreeze** » Sun Nov 12, 2006 6:01 am

eh? the x1300 is a rv515 chipset, only has 4 shaders, i doubt they would make a x1600 with that chipset, it would be extremely gimped

just did some research, and the x1650pro is made using a rv535, a 80nm dieshrinked rv530 with higher clocks, the XT however is rv560 based (was off the mark with the rv570) with 24 shaders instead of 12 on other x16x0 cards

so the XT is a very different card from the other x1600s, and would be a good buy