Video Card Recommendations Please - $250 to spend

XyphusXyphus South Bend, Indiana
edited June 2004 in Hardware
I will be getting my "Anniversary" pay from work in the next couple weeks, and I've earmarked $250 of it that I will be able to spend on a new video card. I currently have a Visiontek Ti4600 128MB card which while works well with current games, I *need* something that will at least let me play the new games with some fluidity.

I've been looking into getting an ATI Radeon 9800 Pro (the XT's are still over $300, so they are out of my price range)

I noticed that in the latest Maximum PC Magazine, Newegg has an ad for a "Connect 3D ATI Radeon 9800 Pro 128MB (256-bit, DVI/TV Out, 8x AGP)" for $195. Now this looks like a great deal, but I am not familiar with the Connect 3D brand name.

Would you consider this a good choice, or are there other "better" choices for $250 or less?

Any recommendations you could give would be GREATLY appreciated.

Comments

  • GHoosdumGHoosdum Icrontian
    edited June 2004
    If you can get a Built-By-ATI 9800 Pro or a Sapphire 9800 Pro for the same price, that might be better. Otherwise, go with the card you listed.

    Make sure you get a 256-bit card. Some of them say 9800 Pro and 128 bit, and those are crap.
  • Mt_GoatMt_Goat Head Cheezy Knob Pflugerville (north of Austin) Icrontian
    edited June 2004
    GHoosdum wrote:
    If you can get a Built-By-ATI 9800 Pro or a Sapphire 9800 Pro for the same price, that might be better. Otherwise, go with the card you listed.

    Make sure you get a 256-bit card. Some of them say 9800 Pro and 128 bit, and those are crap.

    I agree!

    Powercolor and Transcend also stick rigidly to the ATI guidelines. As a matter of fact ATI is quite rigid on the specs of their producers cards period!. this means none should be total crap (except for those 128 bit models) but some as mentioned are a little better than the rest. I personally stick to the ones GHoosdum mentioned myself. There is no reason to spend extra on a "Reail" box either unless you want the games, etc. and it is generally money wasted. When your new vid card arrives make sure to uninstall your current card and completely remove all the old drivers and apps associated with it. Then install DX 9b prior to your ATI drivers. I would just get the latest ones from the downloads section here or ATI's site right away. I did it just prior to swapping cards when I did it and had the drivers ready to install.
  • Omega65Omega65 Philadelphia, Pa
    edited June 2004
    Yeah What he Said :D
  • GnomeWizarddGnomeWizardd Member 4 Life Akron, PA Icrontian
    edited June 2004
    ill sell you a voodoo 5 5500~!
  • XyphusXyphus South Bend, Indiana
    edited June 2004
    I'll have to check out NewEgg's site and see what they are charging for the Sapphire and ATI cards. I was thinking of looking for an OEM card, but I've heard that some OEM cards have been clocked back and run slower than normal retail cards. Is this true, or just FUD that is floating around the net?

    If anyone happens to see any of the 256MB 9800 Pro cards floating around for $250 or less, point me to the link. :)

    My target however is the 128MB 9800 Pro. Good bang for the buck it seems, and who knows, I may be able to tweak up the speed a bit to come closer to the XT settings...
  • Mt_GoatMt_Goat Head Cheezy Knob Pflugerville (north of Austin) Icrontian
    edited June 2004
    Xyphus wrote:
    I'll have to check out NewEgg's site and see what they are charging for the Sapphire and ATI cards. I was thinking of looking for an OEM card, but I've heard that some OEM cards have been clocked back and run slower than normal retail cards. Is this true, or just FUD that is floating around the net?

    If anyone happens to see any of the 256MB 9800 Pro cards floating around for $250 or less, point me to the link. :)

    My target however is the 128MB 9800 Pro. Good bang for the buck it seems, and who knows, I may be able to tweak up the speed a bit to come closer to the XT settings...

    If you really want a 256Mb card I would recomend
    this built by ATI Retail boxed card as it is a very good deal and only $18.00 over your budget and has free shipping.
  • XyphusXyphus South Bend, Indiana
    edited June 2004
    Got the Saphire 128M, 256bit 9800 Pro for $209, and I must say I'm quite pleased with it.

    (Just ordered another 512MB PC3200 stick of ram to replace the one I had to pull out to put in my spare boxen as well... it'll be nice to get back into dual channel memory mode on my NF7-S 2.0 after a month without...)

    Anyway.. Thanks all for their input!
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