Video Card Woes

[Phaint]

Hey guys, I was wondering if you could help me with something...


With Quake 4 and Elder Scrolls: Oblivion coming out soon I decided I need a new video card. I can't stand playing games with such awesome graphics in low/medium mode so I am basically gonna go all out for a video card.

I was looking at video cards and I found the best one I guess to be the Nvidia 7800 GTX problem is I see it says PCI-E next to it? I've been outta the hardware game for a bit so I was baffled. I thought AGP was the king of video card slots not a PCI slot. How does this work?

I ordered my PC in Nov 2003, so if that PCI-E thing is a new addition I definitely won't have it. If that is the case, what do you guys reccomend as the best AGP video card to get at this time?

Also if it isn't too much trouble, I'd like to know how much it'd cost me to upgrade my motherboard to one with the newest technology with that PCI-E thing?

 

[beedubaya]

The best AGP card available is the GeForce 6800GT, which will still play games on max settings. I'm sorry, but you will have to basically build a new system if you want to get a PCI-E card. Don't worry, this has screwed all of us AGP gamers over.

 

[Elbatrop1]

Well, the best AGP video cards would be the 6800 Ultra or the X850XT Platinum.

But, both of those are really more expensive than they are actually worth.

If you are looking for a vid card that is a good buy that will perform really well, have a look at some of the following: 6800GT, 6800, or a X800XL.

 

[Elbatrop1]

I'm sorry, but you will have to basically build a new system if you want to get a PCI-E card

Actually you dont. If you have a socket 754 cpu/mobo, you can just swap out your mobo, and you are ready for PCI-E. There are motherboards that are socket 754, and support PCI-E.

 

[beedubaya]

DO NOT even consider an ATI X800 series card of ANY kind.... They are crap, inferior performance in OpenGL, and lack Shader Model 3.0 support which is essential for these newer games such as Call of Duty 2. Save your self a major regret and get an Nvidia card.

 

[Elbatrop1]

DO NOT even consider an ATI X800 series card of ANY kind.... They are crap, inferior performance in OpenGL, and lack Shader Model 3.0 support which is essential for these newer games such as Call of Duty 2. Save your self a major regret and get an Nvidia card.

Ok, that's your opinion.

It kinda depends on what kind of money you want to spend. Its just like anything else, the more money you spend, the more performance you get. The 6800GT performs similarily to the X800XL, but is more expensive, and yes, does support SM3, whereas the X800XL doesnt.

 

[Phaint]

hmm I see, what is the main difference between the 6800 Ultra and the GT though besides price? I read somewhere about an Ultra Extreme? I was looking at some of the stats of the cards just now and the memory clock,core clock and pipelines are higher on the Ultra/Extreme than the GT so doesn't that mean that ones better?

As for the mother board question, I took out my PC spec's paper that came with the PC and I got a...


Enermax 450 Watt PS
Asus P4C800 DDR/400 875P
Intel P4 3.00ghz / 800 FSB
Corsair TwinX 512 MB 3200LL-PT Ram

I don't know if that'll help in determining which video card my PC/PS can handle.

 

[BColes]

DO NOT even consider an ATI X800 series card of ANY kind.... They are crap, inferior performance in OpenGL, and lack Shader Model 3.0 support which is essential for these newer games such as Call of Duty 2. Save your self a major regret and get an Nvidia card.

Wow. I've had a 9800XT for a long time now and it's still treating very well. I'm definately going to upgrade soon though. My roommate has a X850 XT PE and that card sure doesn't fit the labels you just threw out, althought it does lack SM3. Any card you look at there are issues that will have someone saying, "They are crap." In the end i just want the best card so ATI or Nvidia i don't care. I'm sure this thread started will be more than happy with the X850 XT PE or 6800(whatevers) AGP versions.

 

[PZEROFGH]

6800ultra or GT?

 

[BColes]

6800ultra or GT?

who me??? I suppose the Ultra if you can find one, then GT if you don't want to go with ATI