Replacing 9800pro (AGP)

[i_dragonx_i]

The past few days my PC was misbehaving. Finally, when I got home yesterday, it just wouldn't load. Turns out one of the links between the heatsink on the VPU cooler and the graphics card had melted, so the cooler was hanging there, leaving my poor card to burn its self to death (twas a Vantc cooler).
I don't have the cash to buy a whole new PC, so I guess I'll just buy a new AGP card...

So... I read the buyer's guide, which gave me a good idea of what's going around these days. I'm still not sure what'll work best for me, so here's what I will use it for:
Lotsa multimedia (DVDs, Video, TV. TV part is improtant... I have a separate analoge TV tuner, but I'd be open to get an All-in-One, HD maybe?))
Games. I'm not a hardcore gamer, but I like to get the ocassional game and run it into the ground... Up til now my 9800 has been able to handle just about everything. I'd like something that can keep me going for a couple more years at least, giving me good (I'll compromise on GREAT) graphics.

All the prices on the buyer's guide looked pretty similar... so I'm guessing £100 is what I'm going to pay. My specs *should* be in my profile sig. if that makes a diff... also, I believe my PSU only provides 300W. I'd like to keep it since it's an extra-quiet one, but I did read a lot of the AGPs need at least 400W's...
ty!

 

[Darg]

For £100 you're pretty much limited to a 7600GT. Throw £20 more at it and you'll get yourself this sexy card. Well worth the extra bit of cash.

 

[marc2003]

7600gt = win. it'll offer a very noticeable increase in performance over the old 9800pro.

although the x1950pro agp card is tasty, it's overkill for the rest of the OPs specs. also a new psu would be needed.

 

[i_dragonx_i]

7600gt = win. it'll offer a very noticeable increase in performance over the old 9800pro.

although the x1950pro agp card is tasty, it's overkill for the rest of the OPs specs. also a new psu would be needed.

I'm guessing the "overkill for the rest of the OPs specs." refers to the rest of my pc? That would make sense to me... considering I haven't done any upgrades in years. Could you elaborate how? I'm just curious to see where my PC is falling behind... I'd like to understand how my system would hold the x1950 back

 

[Cairnsey]

If I were you, I'd get this:

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=GX-107-LT&groupid=595&catid=597&subcat=637

And that's coming from a 7600GT owner!

Cheap and powerful, I'd say roughly twice as fast as your 9800Pro. I can gauge this because I had a 9700Pro and tried a 7600GS, I wanted the extra beef so I bought a GT. It's a bit faster, but not LOADS faster although I did have the GS at 505/940 (400/700 stock). If you want to go for the GT, the gainward is pretty good for under £90. As for bottlenecking, believe me, the x1950Pro would be overkill. The 7600GT in my rig is choked by my puny system, so I'm adding more RAM, and if that doesn't help......the wallets coming out for a ASROCK4Core/e4300 combo.

P.S not sure if your 300W PSU is up to running a GT or even a GS, give make/model so we can determine how many amps on the +12V rail. failing that, buy a GS and a quality 450W PSU.

 

[marc2003]

I'm guessing the "overkill for the rest of the OPs specs." refers to the rest of my pc? That would make sense to me... considering I haven't done any upgrades in years. Could you elaborate how? I'm just curious to see where my PC is falling behind... I'd like to understand how my system would hold the x1950 back

simply put, your cpu is too slow to take full advantage of the card. even 2 years ago when i owned an xp2500@3200 and a 6800gt, i found the cpu to be the limiting factor. why? because when i upgraded the rest of my system but kept the same card, i found games were a lot more more smooth and minimum framerates were increased. now the x1950pro is far more powerful than that old 6800gt so it would be held back even more. and this is not even taking into account you only have 1gb of ram and would also need a new psu.

given the 7600gt is probably faster than a 6800gt, you could argue even that would be held back slightly but given how cheap they are and the noticeable increase it would show over the only other possible option (7600gs), i'd say it's worth it.

 

[bennyB]

If you're worried about power issues I have my 7600gt running on a 250W PSU! ..and my system is stable

 

[melbourne720]

Yep, 7600 GT (or GS) for the win.

Incidentally Cairnsey, you got your 7600 GT working in the end?

 

[Cairnsey]

Yep, 7600 GT (or GS) for the win.

Incidentally Cairnsey, you got your 7600 GT working in the end?

I bought a gainward 7600GT before I RMA'd the leadteak, expecting a refund from Ocuk but there was no fault found so I had it tested elsewhere and, they were right, it works fine. Must've just been a rare board/gfx card incompatability. I'm in the middle of selling it on the MM. The gainward runs like a charm tho.

 

[4T5]

7600Gt & another gig of ram. That'll max out your budget and get the best from your system.

 

[melbourne720]

The gainward runs like a charm tho.

Good result

 

[Cairnsey]

Good result

still can't break 3000 in 3d06 yet tho

My puny rig is definately getting an overhaul soon. Will prob get a e4300 and a 4core asrock board. Would be daft not to at £120 inc Delivery.

 

[melbourne720]

still can't break 3000 in 3d06 yet tho

My puny rig is definately getting an overhaul soon. Will prob get a e4300 and a 4core asrock board. Would be daft not to at £120 inc Delivery.

Indeed, it is silly money for DDR2 RAM as well. The ram I bought at £160 is now at £103!!

 

[Darg]

You'll notice a much bigger boost in performance with the C2D system then you would with the extra gig of ram.

Just make sure the get a CPU with a high multiplier as the Asrock boards are pants at overclocking. You won't see anything over 300fsb.