Is this a good buy?

[SizzlinSean]

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=14-145-076&depa=1

I've been shopping around for a new video card, since the one that came with my computer is horrible. I've been looking through NewEgg and TigerDirect for something decent, and thats what I found. Is it good for the price? And you do think I'd be able to hook up multiple monitors and possibly use it to make my computer play cable TV? If you don't think that its a good card, what would you recommend?

 

[DJ-CHRIS]

I would try to get a 9550 for around the same price, check some benchmarks and reviews about the card as well

 

[Nubius]

the ATI equivelants of that generation beat out the FX series, so you'd be better off getting an ATI of around the same price and specs. I'm not an ATI advocate though, so wait until someone who knows which ATI cards during that generation and for the price would be better.

No you can't play cable TV, that requires a TV tuner card.

Yes you will be able to hook up multiple monitors though regardless of what card is suggested because they all pretty much start coming standard with a VGA, Digital, and S-Video outputs.

The S-video on the ATI's rock because they have a little RCA adapter so it's real easy to plug into any TV and go.

 

[SizzlinSean]

Thanks for all of your help. I was talking to a friend of mine, and he suggested THIS. He said it was the second best chipset. He knows alot more than I do. I'm still learning. But what do ya'll think of it? He's an avid ATI hater, so anything said about ATI, he'll poopoo. I'm quite open-minded though.

 

[DJ-CHRIS]

If your going to go with a 6600, get a 6600GT. The normal 6600 is terribly nerfed down.

 

[Nubius]

lol, well just so you know that's a PCI-Express card which is different from PCI which of course is different from AGP. PCI is your last resort in graphics, AGP is standard, which is now being replaced by newer PCI-Express.

The 6600GT is the 2nd best chipset, not so much the 6600 although it's based off the same architecture obviously, but the 6600GT has a faster core and memory speed.

Anywho, I don't know how the 6600 performs, but the 6600GT is the peoples champion as far as midrange cards go but we're talking $220 for that thing.

No doubt someone here should have a good ATI card for you around the price you're lookin, especially if you decide to go with say a $120 budget opposed to $80

 

[SizzlinSean]

Yeah. I didn't really want to go above $100, but I guess I could stretch my mom's purse a bit for birthday.

 

[Soloman02]

I highly reccomend waiting, and saving up. I somehow "convinced" myself that I needed to upgrade my 9200 over the summer. so I bought a fx5900xt. yes the gfx are better and I get better fps, but HL2 lags in certain areas (sometimes) and doom 3 could get better fps. trust me, save up for something high end. what you could do, is wait for nvidia to release their new series and buy a 6800gt much cheaper, or you could save up for a 6600 gt