Right now... what video card for $75-$125 firm?

GHoosdumGHoosdum Icrontian
edited September 2003 in Hardware
I want a decent performing card for my Secondary Rig.

I have between $75 and $125 to spend. NO flexibility above that.

Don't say anything that starts with GeForce... that's what I'm selling out of the PC... I want to go Radeon so that all the rigs I deal with on a regular basis are AMD and ATi based.

I also want something that performs better than the Gainward GF4 Ti4200-8X Golden Sample that I'm taking out, or equal.

PS: I'm selling the current card for $100 shipped if anyone is interested.

Thanks in advance for recommendations!

Comments

  • Mt_GoatMt_Goat Head Cheezy Knob Pflugerville (north of Austin) Icrontian
    edited September 2003
    YGPM
  • GHoosdumGHoosdum Icrontian
    edited September 2003
    Thanks mtgoat!

    Now that I've just totally blown my budget out the window I'll have a 9800 Pro in my primary rig and a 9500 Pro in the secondary...

    ;D

    I can only laugh to avoid crying at how much I just spent! So much for my zero budget headroom!
  • Mt_GoatMt_Goat Head Cheezy Knob Pflugerville (north of Austin) Icrontian
    edited September 2003
    Like someone here keeps saying: just eat more Ramen Noodles! ;)
  • GHoosdumGHoosdum Icrontian
    edited September 2003
    More Ramen noodles would cost even more! I'll just have to starve now... ;D
  • Mt_GoatMt_Goat Head Cheezy Knob Pflugerville (north of Austin) Icrontian
    edited September 2003
    Just look at it this way. We are ensuring that we will have no choice but to wait on 64 bit till it matures. :scratch:
  • GHoosdumGHoosdum Icrontian
    edited September 2003
    Good point!
  • Geeky1Geeky1 University of the Pacific (Stockton, CA, USA)
    edited September 2003
    http://oc3dmark.octeams.com/radeonguide.html

    In this order (from best to worst)

    Radeon 9500 Pro (check newegg refurb)
    Radeon 9600 Pro (check newegg refurb)
    Radeon 9500 (check newegg refurb)
    Radeon 9600 (check newegg refurb)
    Radeon 8500 (if you get a 128MB card, try for one with BGA ram)
    Radeon 8500LE/9100
    //EDIT The best 9100 to get is the Visiontek card, which is clocked @ 250/250; all others are clocked lower
    Radeon 9000 Pro
    Radeon 9200
    Radeon 9000

    8500/9100 cards to avoid:

    Crucial 8500LE clocked at 250/166 (all)
    Saphire 128mb 9100 clocked at 250/200 (all oem, not sure about retail box)
    Saphire 128mb 8500LE clocked at 250/200 (all oem, not sure about retail box)
    Saphire 64mb 8500LE clocked at 250/185 (all oem, not sure about retail box)
    Powercolor 9100 clocked at 250/185 (all oem, not sure about retail box)
    Powercolor 8500LE clocked at 250/185 (some)
    Any card where brand is not guaranteed.
  • ClutchClutch North Carolina New
    edited September 2003
    GHoosdum said

    I can only laugh to avoid crying at how much I just spent! So much for my zero budget headroom!


    It's amazing how much money we actually spend on our systems until we start to add it all up, but in the end we can smile and say "my computer is still better than your dell" hahah
  • Al_CapownAl_Capown Indiana
    edited September 2003
    Just think if we didn't build our own computers how much money we would waste on buying a stick of 512 mb pc3200 cas2 memory. Jesus... dell charges like $500 to get a gb of ram in a laptop it's insane. Mmm thank god for newegg, abit, and amd. Must suck to be a die hard mac user.
  • Mt_GoatMt_Goat Head Cheezy Knob Pflugerville (north of Austin) Icrontian
    edited September 2003
    GHoosdum was laughing/crying because if you look at the title of this thread it says;
    Right now... what video card for $75-$125 firm?
    I had PM'd him to let him know I saw a Radeon 9600 Pro 128mb for $129.75 in Newegg's refubed section while I was there buying my Radeon 9800 Pro 128mb for $273.00. We discussed it a little and guess what he ended up getting and how much over his original $125.00 max budget it was??? I don't think he is really regreting it. Just in shock that he really did it!
    :eek2:
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