New Video Card

Support, Discussion, Reviews
Post Reply
User avatar
Ashur
Way too much time!
Way too much time!
Posts: 2604
Joined: May 14, 2003, 11:09 am
Location: Columbus OH
Contact:

New Video Card

Post by Ashur »

What's a good low/mid-level video card (cheap). I'm upgrading from an PCI-E ATI Radeon HD 2400XT. I just replaced the power supply in my old Gateway GT5662 Phenom and while I've got it open I may as well replace the video card while I have a little money. Not looking for the high end several hundred dollar cards, but what's decent and cheap? I just upgraded to a 400 watt power supply, so I should be able to power it.

EDIT: If I'm looking to get another year or two out of the PC, can I just get a DX10 card or is DX11 that important?
- Ash
User avatar
Kluden
Way too much time!
Way too much time!
Posts: 1827
Joined: November 13, 2002, 7:12 pm
Location: D.C.

Re: New Video Card

Post by Kluden »

Well, you can get amazing prices on things, but it really depends on your hard budget. I think that for the most part, you won't find a better bang for buck than nvidia's GTX460 1GB (NOT the SE) model. Its under $200 now a days (and with rebates even more so). But, on top of that, you can find ATI's 5850 for around the same price...so just keep your eyes open. Both of those cards are great cards for the casual gamer and can extend you at least 2 years and give you DX11.

But if you have lived with a 2400xt for this long....perhaps you don't need anything special at all. Go with the ati 5770 for like $100. I'm not sure what NVidia has at $100...and I doubt it can keep up with a 5770. Maybe the GTS 450...but that looks like a die shrink of the GTX 260 to me...and that's the card(s) I have.

Or split the difference and get the GTX460 768mb card, or the SE version for $130 to $150.

That's my only suggestion. I shop all the time, but haven't found enough reason in games to replace my old GTX 260's yet....but a 2400xt is super old and awful.

So, for quick reference, and this is my opinion of things, but doubt you'll get much objection:
gts 450<5770<GTX460 (768mb)<GTX460(1GB)<5850

The gap between the 5770 and GTX 460 is pretty big IMO.
User avatar
Boogahz
Super Poster!
Super Poster!
Posts: 9438
Joined: July 6, 2002, 2:00 pm
Gender: Male
XBL Gamertag: corin12
PSN ID: boog144
Location: Austin, TX
Contact:

Re: New Video Card

Post by Boogahz »

careful though, the 400w power supply will limit what will work in the system. I just replaced my ATI HD3870 which was actually working very well when I was able to upgrade the PS as well.
User avatar
miir
Super Poster!
Super Poster!
Posts: 11501
Joined: July 3, 2002, 3:06 pm
XBL Gamertag: miir1
Location: Toronto
Contact:

Re: New Video Card

Post by miir »

Any current or last gen (gaming) video card is gonna need at least a 500w power supply.
I've got 99 problems and I'm not dealing with any of them - Lay-Z
User avatar
Kluden
Way too much time!
Way too much time!
Posts: 1827
Joined: November 13, 2002, 7:12 pm
Location: D.C.

Re: New Video Card

Post by Kluden »

I missed the 400W, thought it said more. how many hard drives and dvd drives do you have running?

I guess to be safe, stick with a card that only has one pciexpress power plug need. I think the 5770 shows a recommended of 500W, but that's crazy on a low power draw system, which you clearly have since 400W is what you're throwing in there. Maybe tell us all you have in that computer, cpu and ram too, and I'll look at. Or, enter your system info here: power supply calculator
User avatar
Ashur
Way too much time!
Way too much time!
Posts: 2604
Joined: May 14, 2003, 11:09 am
Location: Columbus OH
Contact:

Re: New Video Card

Post by Ashur »

1 SATA HDD
1 DVD/R

Yeah, I know the card is super old. It was an entry level DX10 card when I bought the machine several years ago. You're also right that I should have been more specific about the budget - I was looking to spend about $100.

Hah! Shows what I know! I just upgraded it from a 300 watt PS to a 400 watt PS. I didn't realize I was still gimped. I'll stick to the single PCIE slot recommendation to be safe (hell, that's probably all my MB has!).

Kluden - thanks for the specific recommendations!
- Ash
User avatar
Ashur
Way too much time!
Way too much time!
Posts: 2604
Joined: May 14, 2003, 11:09 am
Location: Columbus OH
Contact:

Re: New Video Card

Post by Ashur »

Thanks for the calculator! I used it and yeah, it wouldn't have been able to take even the 5850 on 300 watts, but it should be fine on a 400. It looks like it could even run the first card you recommended, but not sure I want to spend that much.
- Ash
User avatar
Kluden
Way too much time!
Way too much time!
Posts: 1827
Joined: November 13, 2002, 7:12 pm
Location: D.C.

Re: New Video Card

Post by Kluden »

I don't mean double slot, I mean the power plugs. the 5850 has two 6 pin PCIe power plugs....the 5770 has 1. I would stick to the 5770 or less.
User avatar
Zaelath
Way too much time!
Way too much time!
Posts: 4621
Joined: April 11, 2003, 5:53 am
Location: Canberra

Re: New Video Card

Post by Zaelath »

I have a 5870 and it's generated a pretty high level of hatred for ATI drivers for me...

a) it's unstable, thousands of posts around about how shitty the driver is

b) As soon as you go past version 10.4 or 10.5 half your games collection stops working, I think they put in OpenGL2 support and broke/removed OpenGL, or some such nonsense.

Seems to have gotten a little more stable over time, but I was this > < close to binning it and spending another $500 on a GeForce replacement, even if it was slower the current generation are so fast you'd still get good FPS in anything.
May 2003 - "Mission Accomplished"
June 2005 - "The mission isn't easy, and it will not be accomplished overnight"
-- G W Bush, freelance writer for The Daily Show.
User avatar
Aslanna
Super Poster!
Super Poster!
Posts: 12373
Joined: July 3, 2002, 12:57 pm

Re: New Video Card

Post by Aslanna »

Nvidia ftw! I had an ATI. Not even sure the model now I think it was a 9800. I always had weird video glitches like playing EQ in window mode if I had it in the background things would bleed into whatever window was running in the foreground. I switched to Nvidia when the 8800 came out and haven't really had any issues since. I know there are millions of people that use and love their ATI card (yay for them!) but I don't see myself ever purchasing one again even if they are faster. Not a big deal to me as I don't really need a top of the line card anymore I'm more in the mid-range now where a 460 or 560 would fit the bill just fine when I actually do decide I need to upgrade. I am still using a 260 at the moment.
Have You Hugged An Iksar Today?

--
User avatar
Winnow
Super Poster!
Super Poster!
Posts: 27525
Joined: July 5, 2002, 1:56 pm
Location: A Special Place in Hell

Re: New Video Card

Post by Winnow »

Another nod for nVidia.

ATi is Canadian crap. They haven't had anything good since the 9700 which was a great card for power/value but I also always had driver issues.

Been with nVidia since the 8800 (and also some older cards).

Currently not even sure what I have in my PC (which is a very good sign meaning I don't have to screw around with drivers) but it's nVidia.

Who wants driver issues? Go with nVidia.
Post Reply