Im proberly going to purchase a new graphics card this week.
Even though its not the best, im going for the Geforce Asus EN6600.
Specs:
500mhz core clock.
256mb memory.
550mhz memory speed.
Slot: PCI express.
128bit.
Im getting a very good price for it, but I just never bought a graphics card before, so I wanna know what do you guys think. Dont say "Its s**t go 7800" or something, just tell me important facts and stuff.
Re: Buying a graphics card...
Posted by Toast King on Mon Apr 3rd at 2:09pm 2006
Posted by Toast King on Mon Apr 3rd at 2:09pm 2006
Re: Buying a graphics card...
Posted by Orpheus on Mon Apr 3rd at 3:05pm 2006
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Posted by Orpheus on Mon Apr 3rd at 3:05pm 2006
I don't know squat about any of the newer cards, specifically the PCI-E versions but, you can do what I did when I bought my last one. research it.
Just type "Video card benchmark" in goggle. You will get some interesting hits there. You can refine it by typing your card in the "Search within these results" link.
You can also seek out sites like Toms Hardware for some results.
You can also search google with "6600 vs 6800" or whatever cards you want to see.
I did this last year and opted to by a slightly outdated 9800 pro 256 meg ATI card.. I was happy with it... till recently.
Cards get old fast. Buy the biggest you can afford.
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Re: Buying a graphics card...
Posted by G4MER on Mon Apr 3rd at 3:14pm 2006
Posted by G4MER on Mon Apr 3rd at 3:14pm 2006
Most people are brand fanatics.. for instance I love nVidia cards. others will tell you to buy only ATi.
I currently have a nVidia 5950 ultra card, it runs everything I have smoothly. Its about 2 generations behind.. nVidia now has the 7800 series, and before that the 6800's. I would buy a card in the 6800 range because its gonna be cheaper, and will do what ever you want right now. Game companies have not really used all the power the current cards can perform.
One thing to note.. make sure your RAM is at least 1gig, and that your CPU and MoBo is upto date. Because a new graphic card wont do you any good if your lacking in those areas.
When it comes to Graphic cards, both companies make great cards for gaming.. you just have to decide what is best for you. As orph said above, get a card just behind the current technology, you'll save money, and get plenty of bang for your buck that way.
Good luck with your new card.
PCI-E Is the newest technology, they have faster connection than a AGP port. they look like a PCI slot but are often a different color to seperate them from your other PCI slots. With PCI-E you can bridge two graphic cards together to give you better graphic perfomance, just like having two CPU's. You would need a Motherboard ( MoBo ) to use this technology. If your current MoBo doesnt have it stick with the AGP graphics card.
LOL, I should learn to read the post more closely.. I did some research and..
REVIEW OF CARD
It seems from what I have read to be a good card. you may need to watch its heat level though.. it seems to over heat easily.
I currently have a nVidia 5950 ultra card, it runs everything I have smoothly. Its about 2 generations behind.. nVidia now has the 7800 series, and before that the 6800's. I would buy a card in the 6800 range because its gonna be cheaper, and will do what ever you want right now. Game companies have not really used all the power the current cards can perform.
One thing to note.. make sure your RAM is at least 1gig, and that your CPU and MoBo is upto date. Because a new graphic card wont do you any good if your lacking in those areas.
When it comes to Graphic cards, both companies make great cards for gaming.. you just have to decide what is best for you. As orph said above, get a card just behind the current technology, you'll save money, and get plenty of bang for your buck that way.
Good luck with your new card.
PCI-E Is the newest technology, they have faster connection than a AGP port. they look like a PCI slot but are often a different color to seperate them from your other PCI slots. With PCI-E you can bridge two graphic cards together to give you better graphic perfomance, just like having two CPU's. You would need a Motherboard ( MoBo ) to use this technology. If your current MoBo doesnt have it stick with the AGP graphics card.
LOL, I should learn to read the post more closely.. I did some research and..
REVIEW OF CARD
It seems from what I have read to be a good card. you may need to watch its heat level though.. it seems to over heat easily.
Re: Buying a graphics card...
Posted by Toast King on Mon Apr 3rd at 3:35pm 2006
Posted by Toast King on Mon Apr 3rd at 3:35pm 2006
I have 1gig of ram and 3.6ghz proccesor (P4).
I proberly wont do much overclocking, so it should overheat to much (Comes with lifetime garrentee + warrenty). And yes, my motherboard has PCI-E and says it supports that exact card. I would go for more expensive, but this is SA where computer stuff is very expensive =/
I proberly wont do much overclocking, so it should overheat to much (Comes with lifetime garrentee + warrenty). And yes, my motherboard has PCI-E and says it supports that exact card. I would go for more expensive, but this is SA where computer stuff is very expensive =/
Hahaha! Im using the INTERNET!
Re: Buying a graphics card...
Posted by ReNo on Mon Apr 3rd at 3:42pm 2006
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Posted by ReNo on Mon Apr 3rd at 3:42pm 2006
You sure that is the same card money? That review is of a GT, but Toast King didn't mention GT in the card name.
If it ISN'T a GT, then I think you should instead try to go for a 6600GT or 6800, but it really depends on your budget.
If it ISN'T a GT, then I think you should instead try to go for a 6600GT or 6800, but it really depends on your budget.
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Re: Buying a graphics card...
Posted by Orpheus on Mon Apr 3rd at 3:57pm 2006
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Posted by Orpheus on Mon Apr 3rd at 3:57pm 2006
I don't have the 9800 XT, but its nice to know that they are still using the 9800 engine to do specs with. " SRC="images/smiles/icon_smile.gif">
*sighs*
Times were, I'd have sold my soul for a 9800, now... Mine is obsolete.
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Re: Buying a graphics card...
Posted by G4MER on Mon Apr 3rd at 5:16pm 2006
Posted by G4MER on Mon Apr 3rd at 5:16pm 2006
Your Soul Orph, or your card.. heh heh..
If your not going with the GT you may want to reconsider.. and try to spend a little extra to get the GT.
If your not going with the GT you may want to reconsider.. and try to spend a little extra to get the GT.
Re: Buying a graphics card...
Posted by Orpheus on Mon Apr 3rd at 5:20pm 2006
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Posted by Orpheus on Mon Apr 3rd at 5:20pm 2006
Soul, Money... Sadly, I don't think my soul is worth even a second rate vid-card.
As far as Toast's question goes... Advice is all well and good, but in the end, its his money and he will have to live with his choice. If he cannot research a good card.. Oh well.
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Re: Buying a graphics card...
Posted by Toast King on Mon Apr 3rd at 6:17pm 2006
Posted by Toast King on Mon Apr 3rd at 6:17pm 2006
Im pretty sure this is part of the GT family, because it is more expensive than the GT cards.
Hahaha! Im using the INTERNET!
Re: Buying a graphics card...
Posted by Spartan on Mon Apr 3rd at 7:06pm 2006
Posted by Spartan on Mon Apr 3rd at 7:06pm 2006
The Geforce 6600 cards are good I'd go with them if I were you. I have a Geforce 6200 and it runs lgames like HL2 and DoDS on full settings.
Re: Buying a graphics card...
Posted by Toast King on Mon Apr 3rd at 7:13pm 2006
Posted by Toast King on Mon Apr 3rd at 7:13pm 2006
Well, im not too worried anyway, cause my friend of mine has this exact card and he says it runs most new games on high settings pretty well (Depending on your CPU and RAM of course)
Hahaha! Im using the INTERNET!
Re: Buying a graphics card...
Posted by Dark_Kilauea on Mon Apr 3rd at 9:18pm 2006
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Posted by Dark_Kilauea on Mon Apr 3rd at 9:18pm 2006
I'd wait till DirectX 10 comes out, then buy a card personally.
But, if your willing to cash out $300 USD, buy a Geforce 7800 GT. For games right now, it runs them all at max settings.
But, if your willing to cash out $300 USD, buy a Geforce 7800 GT. For games right now, it runs them all at max settings.
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Re: Buying a graphics card...
Posted by Crono on Tue Apr 4th at 5:49am 2006
Posted by Crono on Tue Apr 4th at 5:49am 2006
Yeah, the 7 series GeForce has radiosity too, and that's coming up into play. I think some of the 6 series support it, but I'm not sure. And the price difference between series 6 and 8 is very small. A friend of mine got ahold of a 7800GT for $299 when it was on sale a couple months back (NewEgg.com) So, it's not insanely expensive (Nor relativly cheap). It'd also "last" longer for what you want.
Something you want to pay attention to is power consumption, especially now. I'm sure an Asus isn't as much of a power hog (I think, not sure), I know the MSI PCI-E 7800GT uses ~430W in SLi. Which in comparison is a God send, considering the BFG, PNY, and XFX cards use something like 550W in single operation.
But, price matters more! so. If it's under like ... $220 USD, I'd say go for it. Some links for you though:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814121192 (Asus 6800 GT)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814143049 (BFG 7600 GT)
Not that I'd really suggest a BFG, but, that's freakin' cheap.
What's your price range anyway? And do you have a huge preference over ATi or Nvidia? (They both get the same job done, arguing numbers is just asinine, however, you get into problems depending on your motherboards chipsets. Such as, if you have an nvidia chipset, it probably isn't the best idea to get an ATi card, I've heard of many problems when interfacing the two. That goes the other way around too: Ati chipset and nvidia card)
Something you want to pay attention to is power consumption, especially now. I'm sure an Asus isn't as much of a power hog (I think, not sure), I know the MSI PCI-E 7800GT uses ~430W in SLi. Which in comparison is a God send, considering the BFG, PNY, and XFX cards use something like 550W in single operation.
But, price matters more! so. If it's under like ... $220 USD, I'd say go for it. Some links for you though:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814121192 (Asus 6800 GT)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814143049 (BFG 7600 GT)
Not that I'd really suggest a BFG, but, that's freakin' cheap.
What's your price range anyway? And do you have a huge preference over ATi or Nvidia? (They both get the same job done, arguing numbers is just asinine, however, you get into problems depending on your motherboards chipsets. Such as, if you have an nvidia chipset, it probably isn't the best idea to get an ATi card, I've heard of many problems when interfacing the two. That goes the other way around too: Ati chipset and nvidia card)
Blame it on Microsoft, God does.
Re: Buying a graphics card...
Posted by Toast King on Tue Apr 4th at 6:19am 2006
Posted by Toast King on Tue Apr 4th at 6:19am 2006
The card is costing $233, and in south african standards that is very cheap.
But anyway, my manual for my motherboard has this exact card under the cards that are supported, so I shouldnt have those types of problems ( I hope)
I wish I could buy a 7800 for that cheap, I can certainly afford it, but here it is about $580, which is becoming a bitty expensive. Keep in mind Im buying this off my pitiful pocket money![<img src=]()
" SRC="images/smiles/icon_wink.gif">
But anyway, my manual for my motherboard has this exact card under the cards that are supported, so I shouldnt have those types of problems ( I hope)
I wish I could buy a 7800 for that cheap, I can certainly afford it, but here it is about $580, which is becoming a bitty expensive. Keep in mind Im buying this off my pitiful pocket money
Hahaha! Im using the INTERNET!
Re: Buying a graphics card...
Posted by Crono on Tue Apr 4th at 6:43am 2006
Posted by Crono on Tue Apr 4th at 6:43am 2006
MSI Geforce 7600GT Check this out. This is $184.99 USD on NewEgg. MSI tends to have really nice circuitry and cooling designs (they use copper a lot as the heat-sync) ... I think they're German too.
Is that $233 USD or ZAR? If that's USD, I'd recommend looking at this card. It's cheap, has everything you want with more speed. You shouldn't have any problems with either card, I was just mentioning that people have had trouble's mixing the two, chances are you don't even have either of those manufacture chipsets. Maybe a Intel or VIA chipset? I wouldn't know since you didn't give any other specs on your computer. You're looking for a PCI-E card though, right?
Is that $233 USD or ZAR? If that's USD, I'd recommend looking at this card. It's cheap, has everything you want with more speed. You shouldn't have any problems with either card, I was just mentioning that people have had trouble's mixing the two, chances are you don't even have either of those manufacture chipsets. Maybe a Intel or VIA chipset? I wouldn't know since you didn't give any other specs on your computer. You're looking for a PCI-E card though, right?
Blame it on Microsoft, God does.
Re: Buying a graphics card...
Posted by Toast King on Tue Apr 4th at 7:17am 2006
Posted by Toast King on Tue Apr 4th at 7:17am 2006
@ Crono: It is 233 USD.
And I have a ASrock motherboard. (Or maybe it is Intel?)
And yes, its for PCI-E, and yes, I have a PCI-E slot.
And I have a ASrock motherboard. (Or maybe it is Intel?)
And yes, its for PCI-E, and yes, I have a PCI-E slot.
Hahaha! Im using the INTERNET!
Re: Buying a graphics card...
Posted by Crono on Tue Apr 4th at 7:20am 2006
Posted by Crono on Tue Apr 4th at 7:20am 2006
Ah, so look, I found you a better deal.
Blame it on Microsoft, God does.
Re: Buying a graphics card...
Posted by Toast King on Tue Apr 4th at 7:28am 2006
Posted by Toast King on Tue Apr 4th at 7:28am 2006
OK, my motherboard is by ASRock but its chipset is Intel.
http://www.asrock.com/support/PCIE/775Dual-915GL.html
Here is the PCI-E gfx card support list (For my model)
@ Crono: Do I have to have it shipped over? I would buy it, but its out of stock and I have to spend loads of money on shipping, and stuff. I do agree that most gamers here buy their stuff from the USA.
Update: The price for my card has gone down to $166. Nice![<img src=]()
" SRC="images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif">
Update: The price for my card has gone down to $166. Nice![<img src=]()
" SRC="images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif">
http://www.asrock.com/support/PCIE/775Dual-915GL.html
Here is the PCI-E gfx card support list (For my model)
@ Crono: Do I have to have it shipped over? I would buy it, but its out of stock and I have to spend loads of money on shipping, and stuff. I do agree that most gamers here buy their stuff from the USA.
Message submitted 5 minutes after original post:
Update: The price for my card has gone down to $166. Nice
Message submitted 5 minutes after original post:
Update: The price for my card has gone down to $166. Nice
Hahaha! Im using the INTERNET!
Re: Buying a graphics card...
Posted by Forceflow on Tue Apr 4th at 7:42am 2006
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Posted by Forceflow on Tue Apr 4th at 7:42am 2006
Wait until the dx10 cards arrive, that's what I would do.
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Re: Buying a graphics card...
Posted by reaper47 on Tue Apr 4th at 10:25am 2006
Posted by reaper47 on Tue Apr 4th at 10:25am 2006
I don't know much about hardware (especially the latest cards) but price is very imporatnt for me, too so I at least know your problem.
What irritates me is that I've never heared of an "EN6600" it sounds like a "special" version of another card and those are often problematic. They cut out key features and sell an "XTC ABCSD-ect." version that is slightly less expensive but not much faster than an older model that costs half as much. I'd get a more popular name (radeon X800, geforce 6800 come to my mind) that has proven to work well with many people because otherwise you might be disappointed.
What irritates me is that I've never heared of an "EN6600" it sounds like a "special" version of another card and those are often problematic. They cut out key features and sell an "XTC ABCSD-ect." version that is slightly less expensive but not much faster than an older model that costs half as much. I'd get a more popular name (radeon X800, geforce 6800 come to my mind) that has proven to work well with many people because otherwise you might be disappointed.
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