Video Card decisions...

[eweruk]

I am finally going to upgrade my video card to somewhat latest technology, I currently have a Riva TNT2 32MB card

Anyway, I refuse to game until I get a new card because this one is really killing the gaming fun. Here are my limited choices:

MSI GEFORCE4 TI4200 128MB DDR AGP8X VIVO DUAL VGA $185
So is it worth getting the Ti4200 and overclocking it or will it be good enough without OC for the latest games?

ATI RADEON 9600 PRO 128MB AGP VGA DVI W/ TV OUT $250
It can be overclocked but the performance is better than the Ti4200 as is, though it is ATI...

MSI (MS-8929) FX5900 VTD128 128MB DDR DVI, VIVO $550
Blazing graphics, but is the performance gained worth it??

Price makes a choice difference here and though the obvious choice is the FX5900, it is more than double the money. BTW, those prices are in Canadian funds without our glorious 14.5% tax!

I would have got a ATI 9500 Pro if available but they are not in Canada anymore that I can find.

[corvidus]

Gopher a Radeon.. as much bang for your buck as you can get .. IMO I'll not buy another Nvidia PoS for a long time after seeing older Radeons kick ass over new top of range Nvidia chips.

my 2cp

[VHockey86]

Id suggest either a Ti4200 or a Radeon 9500 if you're looking on a realistic budget.

You should be able to find a Ti4200 for more like 130, i dunno where u came up with 185. 9500 Pro would be more along the lines of 175-185, but it preforms a little better.

Personally I use a 4x Ti4200 that I've had for a year, still works great even tho its not the fatest thingin the world, it works for me

[shawshank62]

hockey, those prices are in canadain, and he cant get the 9500.

I have the ti4200 128mb and it is a sweet card, but i would suggest the 9600 pro. It is dx9, so its gonna be good with all the new games, and i have heard some sweet ocing with it. go for the 9600 pro.

[eweruk]

Hmmm, thanks for the suggestions! I am going to do some more research on the OCing and comparisons.

Either way, I will have a card lightyears ahead of mine current one.

[Optimus Prime]

Originally posted by eweruk
It is more than double the money. BTW, those prices are in Canadian funds without our glorious 14.5% tax!

Wow, i bet you feel really ripped off with the Canadian govt.

Well, here in freezing cold (oh i love the cold, seriously) Britain, our tax is 17.5%!

[eagle1]

Hi ewe!

Definitely get an ATi Radeon 9600 Pro if you can.
The GeForce FX5900 is very good also but you said it best ... PRICE SUCKS.! It is too high.

Also the Radeon 9600 Pro provides great performance even with FSAA and Ansiotropic Filtering enabled. It has great 2D and 3D image quality also.

If you want to look at some reviews, benchmarks, etc.. be sure to go to:

http://www.tomshardware.com
http://www.anandtech.com
http://www.hardocp.com

[agathodaimon]

Yes, If I didn't already have a Ti4200 card, I would definitely get a 9600 pro.

[Dsword]

I also have a ti4200 128, it works great so i can personally recommend(just make sure you have the latest drivers) but it sounds like the 9600 is better quality.

[slinky]

i always recommended the 9600 but after hearing about the problems with rendering and such.. im trying to avoid that now.

the Ti 4200 you listed is perfect. FX 5900 is only for thy hardcore gamer (although i would never spend more than 150USD on a video card)

edit: quote from owner "I got this product in the mail along with the $500 of my computer parts for my new computer. Included were an AMD XP 2400+, a WD 40gb hd, and this Sapphire Tech Radeon 9600. I should have read Sapphire's forums before this purchase. The 9600 is a most troublesome card. Mine artifacts in UT2K3 and BF1942, and in CS it looks like someone pissed on the walls."