$65 video card shootout!

[ohGrFreak]

My AGPTek FX5200 is dying and the comp is restarting, the card overheats because the fan is broke.

I have less than 70 bucks to spend on this new card and have found two, it has to be from tigerdirect.com due to it having the "bill me later" which I am already a member of.

Which on of these is better:

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1086158&CatId=694

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1068270&CatId=694

Requirements: to be better than a 5200 and to play newer games on low settings.

Thnx in advance guy and gals!!

 

[gaara]

Why not just replace the fan?

 

[ohGrFreak]

heh, for the trouble and how cheap the cards are , i'd rather just get a new card. plus, the 5200 is utter crap.

 

[gaara]

Well both of the cards seem all right, but in my opinion it would make much more sense to invest more money in a card that will last you longer and will perform better, rather than having to replace those cards in probably less than a years time.

 

[ohGrFreak]

meh, that comp is not going to even be in use in a year or two, LOL. it's used for nothing but internet and webcam, and maybe, just maybe the odd older game or two, and that's only when i'm not on my P4 machine with the 6800, and that's a rare occasion.

 

[gaara]

Ah, that changes everything, in your original post you specified newer games, but those cards will be just fine for running older games, although your definition of older games may be different than mine.

 

[ohGrFreak]

need for speed hot pursuit 2, my 5200 plays that on medium, and that's the game i will most lieky be playing, aside from the odd newer game if i really wanted to. i have doom 3 and some graphic intense games for the P4 machine, and from time to time, i like to play on the old AMD for kicks for if my fiancee were to be online on the P4 machine.

anyway, now to totally do a 180 and say that the first nVidia was actually 100 bucks witha rebate, i am now looking at 100 dollar cards and have found this, and i'm getting it right now.

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1060537&CatId=933

 

[GrayT]

need for speed hot pursuit 2, my 5200 plays that on medium, and that's the game i will most lieky be playing, aside from the odd newer game if i really wanted to. i have doom 3 and some graphic intense games for the P4 machine, and from time to time, i like to play on the old AMD for kicks for if my fiancee were to be online on the P4 machine.

anyway, now to totally do a 180 and say that the first nVidia was actually 100 bucks witha rebate, i am now looking at 100 dollar cards and have found this, and i'm getting it right now.

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1060537&CatId=933

Honestly I think your money would be better spent on the 128MB version. Pocket the cash and save up for something else.

 

[ohGrFreak]

well, this thread should be closed because i am an idiot. i went to purchase a few things at tigerdirect, a wicked glass and steel desk, logitech wireless kb and mouse and the video card, but it seems i overspent my bill me later credit limit. i got a few things the other day and it added up to like 900 bucks, so i could only afford the desk today. so it's no video card for me right now! LOL.

anyways, back on track, i am not ready to buy now, but i will be buying on the 15th of January. you think a 128mb card will suit my needs better? my cash will still be around 100 bucks for the card when i do get it.

sorry guys and thanks for the replies so far

 

[GrayT]

well, this thread should be closed because i am an idiot. i went to purchase a few things at tigerdirect, a wicked glass and steel desk, logitech wireless kb and mouse and the video card, but it seems i overspent my bill me later credit limit. i got a few things the other day and it added up to like 900 bucks, so i could only afford the desk today. so it's no video card for me right now! LOL.

anyways, back on track, i am not ready to buy now, but i will be buying on the 15th of January. you think a 128mb card will suit my needs better? my cash will still be around 100 bucks for the card when i do get it.

sorry guys and thanks for the replies so far

Any benchmarks that I've personally seen when comparing 2 identical video cards except for the fact that they have either 128MB or 256MB is that the 256 is usually a little faster. The only problem is that they're usually much more expensive just for a very small boost that most would never notice while playing a game rather than gathering benchmark numbers.

For a real life example: My brother has the 256MB 9800 Pro, and I have the 128MB 9800 Pro. He spent about $100 more just for the extra memory while I bought 1GB of Corsair RAM with the extra $100. Before the RAM there was no noticable difference except that he had 2 FPS more than I did in a Doom3 benchmark. So after I got the RAM delivered, guess who could brag about less memory.

Sorry for the long explaination, ultimately unless you just have a need to have the better of the 2 cards I would go with the 128mb version. Either way for the games you have in mind they'll have no problem handling them.