help to chose a new graphics card please

[IanJones]

Hi all, I started looking for a new card over the last few days. i have been into/phoned up some shops, but like all shops they only want to sell you what they have instock and everything else is rubbish.

a quick search and i found this forum.

this is my pc spec

xp home
intel core duo2 E8400 @ 3.00GHz

3.00GHz, 1.98 GB of RAM

radion x1900 card 512, ddr3 PCI

i think i have a 500w power supply

I have just brought call of duty modeen warfare 2 and i am having real problems playing it. i have up tated all drivers etc, and even on a v low setting it is very poor.


so what is the best card i can buy for a max £100, new or second hand

many thanks
ian


I have seen 8800 gtx cards for around £50 to £80 second hand, from the looks of things this is a good ish card?

 

[R088ieS86]

If you wanted to Max out your wallet Ati 4870 or NV 9800.

what Motherboard do you have?

Altho i haven't read any reports on the 9800 Vs the new GT's (210, 220, 240)

 

[IanJones]

how can i find info about the motherboard?

 

[IanJones]

Property Value
Manufacturer Intel Corporation
Model DG33BU
Version AAD79951-407
Serial Number AZBU750004ET

North Bridge Intel P35/G33/G31 Revision A2
South Bridge Intel 82801IH (ICH9DH) Revision A2

CPU Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo CPU E8400 @ 3.00GHz
Cpu Socket Socket 775 LGA

System Slots 4 PCI

Memory Summary
Maximum Capacity 8192 MBytes
Memory Slots 4

 

[IanJones]

bttt, is that the right motherbourd info?

 

[R088ieS86]

Sorry about the wait, P35 mobo, so you have PCIe x16 lane on it.
Most PCIe 2.0 Graphics cards are backwards compatible.

So go for either of the two mentioned earlier. I've got a 9800 GT running on my old system and it is still running games fine.

 

[Nuwidol]

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=GX-143-XF

great card for the money plus a new game free! It's the same make as tour old card so the drivers you have installed are compatible. Plug & play literally

 

[arctine]

Don't get a 512mb HD 4870.

 

[IanJones]

how would the card above compair to a 8800 gtx?

 

[arctine]

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=GX-120-XF&groupid=701&catid=56&subcat=939

Get this one, not the 512mb. Trust me there's a huge difference in performance. I used to own the 512 and it was ok but for like a tenna more you can have 1gb which is the difference between ok and fantastic.

 

[R088ieS86]

http://www.nvnews.net/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=115791

This guy has gone to town on the both of them

 

[IanJones]

it looks like a better card. and that would work with my set up?

many thanks
ian

 

[R088ieS86]

Should work a treat

 

[IanJones]

thanks for all the info, but i just own a 8800 gtx for £55, i know the one linked above is a better card, but hopefully ill notice the difference between the card i have now and the 8800 gtx

this is the one i just won

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=170404140314

any good?

 

[R088ieS86]

you should notice some good increases in performance.
The card is noticabley slower than the other 2 suggested but as long as the card is in good order you should be good for a while as long as you don't try any high res / game settings