Hi there. I'm considering upgrading to a 256mb ATI Radeon 9600 Pro graphics card. It's £35 which is about $50. What are people's opinions on this card? Does it perform okay on the latest games like Quake 4 and Call of Duty 2? Does it require an internal power supply? Are there any other specific requirements? I have Win XP with Athlon 1.4ghz processor and 512mb RAM. Thanks.

If the 128MB version of the card is available, check the specs...especially the memory speed. The 128MB version is usually faster. This table may be useful: http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/131 This space for rent

Jam is right, the 128 is better. I dont see why you wouldn't be able to play those games on it, just know that you won't be able to play them on high settings. I played HL2 on an ATI 9550 just fine. Also, no, you dont need any extra power for the card, it takes it's power from the AGP slot. ASUS A8N-SLI A64 3000+@220x9 1gig Corsair XMS EVGA 7800GT Enermax 535W Dual 80gig WD.

Okay, I'll have a look for the 128mb version. The other option is to save up more money and go for the 9800 pro. I presume this is a good performing card?

9800 Pro is a good card. It's what I use here at work and I can play HL2 and Guild Wars on it just fine. (Dont tell my boss) Another option that may be cheaper than the 9800pro is to get the 9600XT. They are both about the same really, the 9800 is just slightly better bet I honestly dont think you would notice the differance. ASUS A8N-SLI A64 3000+@220x9 1gig Corsair XMS EVGA 7800GT Enermax 535W Dual 80gig WD.

The 9800Pro does have to connect to the PSU, so keep that in mind. And although the 9600XT is a very good card, the 9800Pro is much better...just go to the site that I posted above & compare the specs This space for rent

6600GT will smoke the 9800pro for same/less