Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Best Graphics Card for ~$100?

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

    Best Graphics Card for ~$100?

    This is a response to the question about graphics cards in the COD4 forum. Since it's getting more technical and delving into suggestions as to which is the best buy, I thought it'd be better to continue the discussion down in here
    Originally posted by Premonition
    i need help to. I need to buy my son a new video card and of course he wants games (so cod4 for pc might be in our future). But i cant really spend over $100.00.

    When it comes to video card im about dumb and dont really understand whats good vs what isnt.
    This card is on sale at a really good price. Does anyone think this will run cod4 or ut3
    BFG Tech BFGE85256GTE GeForce 8500GT 256MB GDDR2 PCI Express x16 SLI Supported Video Card - Retail
    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814143104

    $79.99
    ($39.99 after $40.00 Mail-In Rebate)

    Its a great deal... but does the card suck? BFG is suppose to be a really good company arent they?

    or is this card better?
    XFX PVT84JUDD3 GeForce 8600GT XXX 256MB 128-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 SLI Supported Video Card - Retail
    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814150229
    Free Company of Heroes game w/ purchase, limited offer
    Original Price: $129.99
    You Save: $20.00
    $109.99
    ($79.99 after $30.00 Mail-In Rebate)


    Of does anyone know a better site to get a decent video card for around $100.00. that will run todays games. Doesn't have to be settings on max but run good enough to be playable and enjoyable. He loves the xbox 360 but he also loves shooters and mmo`s on pc. Can anyone give me a suggestion?
    I think he needs a pci express card, he is using onboard video card now and it wont run anything. wow was its last arruh.
    First off, there is no magic bullet for price performance. At the end of the day, you still get what you pay for. A $100 card isn't going to enable you to start running the latest and greatest (especially games like Crysis/UT3) on anything but med/low settings. That said, if your budget is severely limited, you can still get respectable performance even at this price point.

    Second, let's cut through the marketing crap a bit. When comparing graphics cards, ignore the first number in the product model. The key number these days is the second number, as that one denotes which market the card is targeted at (3=low end, 6=mid range, 8-9= high end). This goes for Nvidia as well as ATI. For example, a Geforce 8600 GT is NOT faster than a Geforce 7900GT, but it is faster than a 7600GT. While this is not a hard and fast rule, its a decent rule of thumb (note that this only applies when comparing Nvidia to Nvidia or ATI to ATI).

    Also take a look at this chart to see how each card stacks up. There are other places to look as well, but this is a decent enough starting point:
    http://www23.tomshardware.com/graphics_2007.html

    Now on to the cards....
    In the ~$100 price range, these are the cards (IMO) that should afford you a respectable level of performance for the price:

    $99.95 - Radeon HD2600XT
    $109.99 - Geforce 8600GT - eVGA is one of the better card manufacturers out there, making this a decent choice.
    $109.99 - Radeon x1950GT
    $119.99 - Geforce 7900GS
    $134.99 - Radeon x1950 PRO - A little high, but will perform proportionally better.

    I'm using Newegg as an example here, but they are by no means the only place where you can get such deals. I'm also not making any value judgments as to reliability of these cards or the manufacturers...again, sometimes you do get what you pay for. Ultimately this is just trying to help you maximize your gaming potential with as little money as possible.

    Honestly if I were to suggest any card right now to the severely budget-conscious, it would still have to be this one (though its far beyond the $100 mark):

    $179.99 - Radeon HD3850

    This card will literally beat the living daylights out of those other cards, and it gets close to beating the 8800GT for the best price/performance card on the market. Unless you have no interest in running new, more graphics intensive games that are out or coming up, you really should give this card a close, hard look.

    If you just can't swing that higher price, those other cards posted will serve you well enough with the current crop of games (even Crysis, just not that well )

    If you find any other good deals on cards similar to these, please feel free to post them in this thread

    Edit: Added/sorted by price.

    #2
    Excellent write up. i will also second that no matter how you spin it, the 8500 cards and a majority of the 8600 cards were a HUGE disappointment to me. the only thing they really brought to the table was DX10 compatability.

    Comment


      #3
      wow Thanks guys. Nice write up to carbon. I like that tip about the second number. I never knew that.

      Comment


        #4
        Nice article Carbon. Thanks......
        I'm here to kill friends. Do you want to be my friend?

        Comment


          #5
          Originally posted by darth_nevus
          Excellent write up. i will also second that no matter how you spin it, the 8500 cards and a majority of the 8600 cards were a HUGE disappointment to me. the only thing they really brought to the table was DX10 compatability.
          And DX10 on those cards is like putting 18" chrome wheels on a Geo Metro
          DX10, while more efficient than DX9 for all the newer advanced effects, still requires tremendous horsepower. And if theres one thing those cards lack, its horsepower

          If you guys see any other good deals around $100, please feel free to post them here. I'm sure there are others out there looking to upgrade their antiquated hardware who can't afford the latest and greatest either.

          Oh, and no problem guys, like I said, glad to help

          Comment


            #6
            Go with what you can afford mate

            Comment


              #7
              This is such a good thread why stop here

              Tech terms and system specs can be confusing and useless marketing ploys.
              As Carbon said
              let's cut through the marketing crap a bit. When comparing graphics cards,
              and maybe someone could break down whats hot whats not and whats needed and whats just thrown out to sound good. In english or in my case simple to understand.

              I know i cant be the only person who wonders about this stuff and might be scared to ask. So while people might be considering a new card for x-mas lets get some real down to earth comments about what is important to video cards. I will just throw out some of the specs that i see and maybe someone could break it down to what they real mean to us the consumer and if its needs to be considered when buying a new card. Lets try to keep todays game as the base of discussion since thats the standard now. Games to think about cod4, ut3, crysis, bioshock, hl2


              lets use this card as a example
              http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814102034
              SAPPHIRE 100199L Radeon X1950GT 256MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - Retail

              Interface PCI Express x16


              Chipset Manufacturer ATI
              GPU Radeon X1950GT
              Core clock 500MHz
              PixelPipelines 12(36 Pixel shader processor)

              Memory
              Memory Clock 1200MHz
              Memory Size 256MB
              Memory Interface 256-bit
              Memory Type GDDR3
              3D API
              DirectX DirectX 9
              OpenGL OpenGL 2.0


              General
              RAMDAC 400 MHz
              Max Resolution 2560 x 1600
              RoHS Compliant Yes
              CrossFire Supported Yes
              Cooler With Fan
              Dual-Link DVI Supported Yes
              HDCP Ready Yes


              Features Anti-Aliasing and Anisotropic Filtering
              3Dc+
              Avivo Video and Display Engine
              CrossFire
              What features are important and why? Dont have to break down all of them but point out whats important when looking for a new card and should be considered. Like ram, speed etc. basically if someone you knew asked you to help find a new card to play todays games what would you tell them to look for in specs?

              Comment


                #8
                OK walking target they now show the price online as a close out.
                VisionTek Radeon X1950PRO XGE 256MB HD Video Card
                http://www.circuitcity.com/ccd/produ...=178227#forums

                POWERCOLOR X1950PRO512MBAC Radeon X1950PRO 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 CrossFire Supported Video Card - Retail
                or is the 512 with a big fan better?
                http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814131055
                Original Price: $189.99
                You Save: $20.00
                $169.99
                ($139.99 after $30.00 Mail-In Rebate)

                I compared it to neweggs list
                http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...950PRO&x=0&y=0

                But i couldnt find this video card listed on the page that shows fps for this card. So my question becomes how does this card stack up to other 100 dollar cards? Is it a great card, kinda crappy card, or must have or avoid?

                Any thoughts. is the 1950 a good card?

                Comment


                  #9
                  The 1950 Pro is an excellent card. I used one to build a friends rig in late summer, and he is far from a hardcore gamer, but this was the $700 budget rig build, and damned if I didn't do it for that price !!

                  The 3dMark scores are somewhat slim, as I wasn't able to crack 6,000 in 3dMark06, but given the lower budget and the idea that this was a $125 video card when I had paid over $400 for mine, it was a freakin' no-brainer !

                  I myself would buy a 1950 if I wasn't sitting on a second copy of Vista for a future PC build. I want to futureproof my purchase by buying an DX10 card, so thats why a 1950 wouldn't fit the bill for my needs. But anyone else that wants to stick with XP should seriously consider a 1950 Pro card, as they can be found after rebate for under $100.
                  Oh if a man tried to take his time on Earth and prove before he died what one man's life could be worth, well I wonder what would happen to this world ? - Harry Chapin

                  Comment


                    #10
                    sweet. Im strongly considering it because the price is nice

                    But there is a 40 dollar difference in the 512 and 256 versions. Any comments on which is better? How does the 256 CC card stack upto the 512 newegg card?

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Originally posted by Premonition
                      sweet. Im strongly considering it because the price is nice

                      But there is a 40 dollar difference in the 512 and 256 versions. Any comments on which is better? How does the 256 CC card stack upto the 512 newegg card?
                      the amount of memory will impact the resolution & settings you play at. more memory at higher resolutions & higher settings is beneficial. less need for the memory to have to swap from the disk.

                      Comment


                        #12
                        If you are running at less than 1600x1200, the 256 card will suffice.
                        This is where it pays to think ahead, as I was running my 8800GTS 640mb card on a dinky 19" LCD at 1280x1024 up until a month ago. It was SCREAMING fast.


                        Now by going to the 24" LCD, my native resolution is 1920x1200 and that 8800 is crying for mercy running Crysis.


                        So keep your upgrading process in mind when you buy this card and do some fast math. The 512mb card isn't so much a better purchase as it is extra RAM for nothing gained. If you aren't going to display at high res, the extra RAM is just wasted RAM. But, if you ARE planning on a 20-22" LCD purchase within 6 months around, then go 512.
                        Oh if a man tried to take his time on Earth and prove before he died what one man's life could be worth, well I wonder what would happen to this world ? - Harry Chapin

                        Comment


                          #13
                          Premonition, the Radeon 1950 Pro is a great card , especially for ~$100. That Circuit City deal does require a rebate, but if you are ok with waiting 3 months for your extra $50, I guess that isn't too bad. You ARE getting dangerously close to the price of the 3850, which is by far a better card for the money.

                          Like this one:
                          http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814127313

                          Sure its a little more expensive. But if you are already willing to part with your cash for several months, you aren't very far at all from getting a much better card that will serve you better in the long run.

                          ----------------------------

                          As for Video Card Memory, you have to account for several factors when deciding what is "good enough".

                          Screen Size
                          AA/AF Settings
                          Texture Quality

                          As a general rule, the larger the screen size/resolution, the more memory your card will require to maintain performance. Antialiasing and Anisotropic Filtering also rely heavily on the amount of memory available. Now, if you are getting a lower-end card, AA is pretty much right out. AF (which smooths out the textures on a map to give them a more realistic look) is still useful, and its generally a lot less expensive to run than AA.

                          Texture quality of course will depend heavily on how much memory your card has. The higher the quality of the textures in-game, the more memory they'll take up. Your card does have the ability to cache texture memory from main memory, but the performance hit is generally not worth the addition image fidelity.

                          As always, buy what you can afford, just don't expect miracles from low/middle-range cards. Your textures won't look as good, the effects won't be quite as flashy.....but you'll still be able to play everything, and in the end, that's the only thing that matters

                          Comment


                            #14
                            100 is about all i can squeeze out my wife, more if it has a rebate she likes rebates. Id like to jump on that 3850 hd card but the 9850 is looking more like a safe bet for me. My wife hates computers. But i only have 1.5 gigs ram and my pc max`s out at 2 gigs (2 slots). So at 1.5 i dont wanna get to much power and cripple the video card because the system cant run it. I dont know the tech phrase but i think its called bottlenecking or something like that

                            I had a x1650 pro card so 1950 sounds like it wouldnt over kill my system. But that 3850 hd card sounds hella cool. But if i could get that id probably just bought the 8800 dc was selling (like a week ago).

                            Oh the choices... my brain is starting to hurt.

                            Comment


                              #15
                              i did find a cheaper 3850 though

                              HIS H385F256 Radeon HD 3850 256MB GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 Video Card Retail
                              http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/Produc...tCode=10007260

                              Final Price: $169.99 ( $10.00 mir) $159.99
                              after MIR)

                              anyone else know a site that has them cheaper?

                              Comment

                              Cain's Lair Forums Statistics

                              Collapse

                              Topics: 26,182   Posts: 269,814   Members: 6,176   Active Members: 2
                              Welcome to our newest member, 28Farrell8.

                              Today's Birthdays

                              Collapse

                              There are no members with birthdays today.

                              Top Active Users

                              Collapse

                              There are no top active users.

                              More Posts

                              Collapse

                              • Reply to 6 years
                                by Apache Warrior
                                6 Mar 2024, 08:29 AM
                              • Reply to 6 years
                                by Sirex
                                I think there is like a magical time span when bikes become worth a fortune.

                                Yeah thought its now or never haha
                                Just hit 2.5K miles...
                                5 Mar 2024, 04:37 PM
                              • Reply to Hey Guys...It's BrundleFly
                                by Sirex
                                Hey Brundle nice to see your post I remember you very well hows thing with you.

                                Not a busy place here these days but its still up and occasionally...
                                5 Mar 2024, 04:34 PM
                              • Reply to Hell Let Loose
                                by Sirex
                                Hey nice to see you

                                Its not a busy place, least not as busy as it once was but you still get the odd message posted every few weeks...
                                5 Mar 2024, 04:31 PM
                              • Reply to I had Open Heart Surgery!!
                                by Sirex
                                Wow its amazing how well the body can cope with things it deams normal.

                                Hope your recovering well and back to full steam.

                                OH...
                                5 Mar 2024, 04:28 PM
                              Working...
                              X