Budget Graphics upgrade - spec me please

Pinkeyes · 15 Mar 2006 at 15:04

Currently have an ATi 9600 XT.

Looking to get a PCI-E mid range card for around the £130-£150 mark to go in an SN25P Shuttle.

Do want to play the latest games with it, but (obvisouly) not at the highest resolutions. 1024x768 with medium details usually satisfies.

Thanks in advance.

easyrider · 15 Mar 2006 at 15:07

7600 GT uses hardly any power is fast super overclockable and runs cool and single slot
All you need for SFF

oweneades · 15 Mar 2006 at 15:24

couldn't agree more. Although have a look around for a second hand 7800gt as that would be slightly better.

Pinkeyes · 15 Mar 2006 at 15:38

Thank You both, I will keep my eye on the MM and OCUK Special offers etc.

So the general opinion is NVidia, and not ATi (or is that just an argument waiting to happen ?)

oweneades · 15 Mar 2006 at 15:45

well for that price ATI has the raw speed (X850XT) but not the features (sm3.0).

The 7600 gt seems to be a fantastic bang for buck at the moment.

Wakinglimb · 15 Mar 2006 at 19:57

oweneades said:
couldn't agree more. Although have a look around for a second hand 7800gt as that would be slightly better.

Totally, my Leadtek arrived at work today, will plug it in and OC it tonight. Will suit my Antec Aria perfectly.

At £140, you can't go wrong.

Wakinglimb · 15 Mar 2006 at 22:57

Everything in my sig at stock settings, not a clean XP Pro install...

3dMark 05 score - 6400

LoadsaMoney · 15 Mar 2006 at 23:03

easyrider said:
7600 GT uses hardly any power is fast super overclockable and runs cool and single slot
All you need for SFF

Agreed, i think ATi's equivalent card to the 7600 GT would be a 2x slot cooler, produce more heat, need more power etc...

DannyW · 15 Mar 2006 at 23:03

6400 is alright for £140

Bookime Wood · 15 Mar 2006 at 23:07

GTO2 unlocked and clocked to xt speeds were hitting around that mark, that is a great stock score, what is stock on these, wonder what it would get with a little oc, bare in mind a 78gt at stock will hit 7k

easyrider · 15 Mar 2006 at 23:09

can you over clock it please

my 7900 Gt clocks well would be nice to see how these things clock

DannyW · 15 Mar 2006 at 23:10

my 7800GT almost gets 7500 on 05, its the extreme version tho

Wakinglimb · 15 Mar 2006 at 23:10

In the same rig I was getting 7100 at stock on my 7800GT.

Can't be bothered to OC tonight, am going to play the bundled Serious Sam 2 first

easyrider · 15 Mar 2006 at 23:14

whats starship troopers like? that came with my 7900 GT.

is it pap?

Zephyrus · 15 Mar 2006 at 23:16

7272 on my x850xt. Worthwhile cards.

Street · 15 Mar 2006 at 23:37

easyrider said:
whats starship troopers like? that came with my 7900 GT.

is it pap?

Absolutely SHOCKING!!!! :eek:

It has to be one of the worst games I have ever played EVER. Its got rubbish graphics... which would be fine if the gameplay was even mildly fun. But its not.

I suggest using destroying your CD and burying it so that you will never be tempted to play it and suffer the agony I went through for all of 10mins until I uninstalled it...

smids · 15 Mar 2006 at 23:38

7600GT seems the card of choice in that price bracket. No-one is really sure where the X1800GTO fits in really but early reviews show it losing to the GT. If, however it unlocks.... but that is irrelevant and speculation, 7600GT seems the card of choice at the moment

.

Wakinglimb · 15 Mar 2006 at 23:50

I can't get Rivatuner working with the 7600GT for overlocking purposes. Any one know how I can do this? Or is there another app I should be using?

smids · 16 Mar 2006 at 00:05

Wait for a new release to support it or use the nV overclocker (coolbits IIRC).

Wakinglimb · 16 Mar 2006 at 00:51

Zephyrus said:
7272 on my x850xt. Worthwhile cards.

That's on a much higher performance rig though, on my old desktop (Opty 146@3Ghz, same mobo as you, 2gb GeIL memory and Sata2 array) I could get around 8k from my x850xt pe... but that was very noisy and not coole nough for a media centre machine. The 7600GT is reasonably quiet (might zalman it) and very cool and getting 6700 in 05 after a defrag and minor registry clean up