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Upgrading To New Video Card

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Original Message
Name: TM
Date: August 1, 2005 at 11:20:46 Pacific
Subject: Upgrading To New Video Card
OS: Windows XP Pro SP2
CPU/Ram: 1.8 GHz/1.0 GHz RAM
Comment:

I currently have a Radeon 9200SE. So, I guess pretty much any other card would be a step up. I want to run GTA:San Andreas at the "high" graphics setting, at least. Right now, I'm stuck running the game at low to eliminate laginess. My budget is under $300 CDN. Something in the Radeon 9000 series other than 9200 would be fine. Or I'm also willing to look at the GeForce cards but I don't know much about the GeForce cards. Which GeForce cards are worth getting and which ones should I avoid? Thanks.


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Response Number 1
Name: p_dogg
Date: August 1, 2005 at 11:52:07 Pacific
Reply: (edit)

ati all in wonder 9800 card 128 mb. its all u need for a cheap price of $100 thats wat i got works great i can run any game.


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Response Number 2
Name: jam
Date: August 1, 2005 at 11:57:24 Pacific
Reply: (edit)

TigerDirect Canada has at least 6 GeForce 6600GT 128MB 8X AGP cards to choose from...they go for about $230. Here's one of them:

http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1121824&CatId=0

ASUS A7N8X-X
Athlon XP 1800+
8.5 x 200MHz
1024MB PC3200 2.5-3-3-7
Asus A9550GE/TD 128MB
WinME/WinXP Pro SP1


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Response Number 3
Name: jam
Date: August 1, 2005 at 12:01:02 Pacific
Reply: (edit)

Forgot to mention that to run a high end video card, you're gonna need a decent power supply because these cards MUST be plugged in. So you "may" have to upgrade your PSU as well, or consider a card that's not quite so power hungry

ASUS A7N8X-X
Athlon XP 1800+
8.5 x 200MHz
1024MB PC3200 2.5-3-3-7
Asus A9550GE/TD 128MB
WinME/WinXP Pro SP1


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Response Number 4
Name: p_dogg
Date: August 1, 2005 at 12:04:15 Pacific
Reply: (edit)

jams right. but u may not need to if u are already running a 9200 u may not need to i upgraded from 64 mb. of card to the 128 al inwonder i never had to change the suply or psu but find out wat ur running.


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Response Number 5
Name: Frosty
Date: August 1, 2005 at 13:58:16 Pacific
Reply: (edit)

Hopefully that's a 1.8 Ghz AMD Athlon you have and not a Pentium 4 / Celeron or else that's going to be a huge bottleneck for a 6600 or 9800 pro

Asus P4P800
P4 2.4c @ 3000 Mhz Zalman CNPS7000A-Cu HSF
ATI Radeon 9800 pro
1 GB OCZ pc 3500 ram
Sound Blaster audigy LS




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Response Number 6
Name: TM
Date: August 1, 2005 at 14:45:55 Pacific
Reply: (edit)

Thanks for all the input everyone. I think I just might have to get a new psu. And it is a 1.8 GHz Pentium 4.


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Response Number 7
Name: TM
Date: August 1, 2005 at 16:36:32 Pacific
Reply: (edit)

Ok, I don't know if it's enough or not but I have a ATX 350W P4 psu. Approximately, what's the best ATI or Nvidia card it can handle with the psu I already have?

The Specs

1.8 GHz Pentium 4
1.0 GHz Ram
ATI Radeon 9200Se
Soundblaster Live
HP CD writer
LG DVD writer


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Response Number 8
Name: houston1981
Date: August 1, 2005 at 16:59:12 Pacific
Reply: (edit)

Im sure everyone is about to recommend a 9600 or similar card, but think of this, you are going to have to eventually upgrade your M/B / CPU so you might as well buy a 9800 pro and then in a couple of months when you upgrade the rest it will slide right in.


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Response Number 9
Name: p_dogg
Date: August 1, 2005 at 19:47:06 Pacific
Reply: (edit)

like i said the best affordable card that will run fine is wat i have: the ati allinwonder 9800 or 9600. watever u prefer. 128 mb. all u need.


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Response Number 10
Name: jam
Date: August 1, 2005 at 21:59:31 Pacific
Reply: (edit)

350W doesn't mean squat. How much amperage is on the +12v rail?

ASUS A7N8X-X
Athlon XP 1800+
8.5 x 200MHz
1024MB PC3200 2.5-3-3-7
Asus A9550GE/TD 128MB
WinME/WinXP Pro SP1


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Response Number 11
Name: TM
Date: August 2, 2005 at 07:08:09 Pacific
Reply: (edit)

Thanks for pointing that out jam. I don't think this is a good power supply at all. If I read it right, the +12v rail just has 10A on it. This is how it's printed on the side:

+5V -5V +12V -12V +3.3V +5VSB
27A 0.5A 10A 0.8A 24A 2A


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