Video Card

[Zxanphorian]

Which video card would you recommend me to get with my spare money? I want UT2003 to run smoothly on my computer. I have 512megs ram and a GeForce 2.

[jevus]

mine is geforce 4 ti4200 64 mb, msi

ut2k3 runs great

[Hunter]

how much do u have?

[Renegade Retard]

how much do u have?

Exactly. It all depends on what you are able to spend.


For a great card at a very good price, I got the Gainward Ti4200 128mb 8X for about $140. That was 2 months ago, so you can probably get it at a better price. Check out....

www.newegg.com

or

www.pricewatch.com

(note on pricewatch, check out the companies first, as one tried scamming me)

[Nickelass]

ive got a Winfast GeForce 4 Ti4200 128 mb for like $165 from newegg and it runs UT2k3 great. im sure the price has dropped now though, because i got mine in november of 2002.

[Zxanphorian]

k, a GeForce 4? Does it depend on how fast your computer is to? mine is a 933 megahertz, if that is how you spell it

[ApostleX3000]

Last december i got the Albatron Ti4200 128 mb for about $139. UT2k3 runs great as long you don't turn anisotropic filtering on, but will purr with just full detail and 4x antialiasing.

[Cap'n Beeb]

With a 933Mhz proc (What type? AMD, Pentium, Celeron, etc), I'd upgrade that first, since if you did upgrade your video card, the processor would act as a bottle neck, slowing your rig down.

[Zxanphorian]

Albatron?

[Zxanphorian]

beer, i have a Pentium

[Clayeth]

You can get a GF4 Ti4200 128mb for like $120 from newegg, but if it was me I'd probably go ahead and get the FX 5200 128mb. Now, before everyone jumps on my ass, hear me out.

Tests right now show the 4200 beating it in most tests, matching it in others, and every once in a while you see it win (usually those using FSAA and other fancy additions). But as new games using more and more of the new instructions come out, the 5200 is going to end up performing at least as good as the 4200, and I would bet that it would actually be better at that point. Also, the 5200 is going to be under $80. Even if it's only even performance, I'd love to have that $40 to spend on something else, like a new processor.

Check them out (http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduct.asp?catalog=48&DEPA=1&submit=property&mfrcode=0&propertycode=&propertycodevalue=4635,3668
)
If it was me I'd get that gainward for $78

[ApostleX3000]

Albatron?

Albatron (http://www.albatron.com.tw/)

they made my 4200 with the nvidia chipset.

[PainAmplifier]

If just dropped in the local Best Buy earlier today, and they had Radeon 9600's on the shelf for $199...if your gonna throw $150 at the vid card, you may as well toss in the extra $50 and grab one of these. Otherwise the GF4 Ti4800 or Radeon 9500's are running about the same price right now. (~$150) Go any lower and I'd have to say take a GF4 Ti 4200.

(Sorry Clayeth, but I think the FX 5200's performance isn't gonna go anywhere, I feel this one is limited more by hardware than the insturction set.)

[X]

You can get a GF4 Ti4200 128mb for like $120 from newegg, but if it was me I'd probably go ahead and get the FX 5200 128mb. Now, before everyone jumps on my ass, hear me out.

Tests right now show the 4200 beating it in most tests, matching it in others, and every once in a while you see it win (usually those using FSAA and other fancy additions). But as new games using more and more of the new instructions come out, the 5200 is going to end up performing at least as good as the 4200, and I would bet that it would actually be better at that point. Also, the 5200 is going to be under $80. Even if it's only even performance, I'd love to have that $40 to spend on something else, like a new processor.

Check them out (http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduct.asp?catalog=48&DEPA=1&submit=property&mfrcode=0&propertycode=&propertycodevalue=4635,3668
)
If it was me I'd get that gainward for $78

Problem is that you won't be seeing anything using the extras in the gfx series for another year or two, let alone direct x 9 tech, so even if it does gain anything out of the extras, it will just be burried in time.

Personaly, i wouldn't touch any of the fx series of cards with the exception of the 5900, i'd go for a 9500,9600, or non mx gf4 series card.

[Zxanphorian]

so most of you have an nVidia GeForce 4 Ti4200. But, will there be another geforce come out soon, like a geforce 5? (I don't want to buy a gf4 and then find out a better gf5 comes out at the same price)

[Renegade Retard]

The GF4 128mb cards should last you a while. There's always new cards coming out, but video card technology seems to release a few years ahead of the software that would require such a card.

Consider this - UT2k3 is one of, if not THE most demanding game on the market right now, and all the GF4 Ti cards run it with no problems.

But I would get the 128mb as opossed to the 64mb. A 64 would work, but as software becomes more and more demanding, the 128 will give you the power to run games for a longer period of time.

Just my $.02.

[Clayeth]

(Sorry Clayeth, but I think the FX 5200's performance isn't gonna go anywhere, I feel this one is limited more by hardware than the insturction set.)
That said, for the price I still think it gives the 4200 some strong competition for pure value, as the price drop is definately more than the performance drop.

[Renegade Retard]

Oh, one final note Zxan, do NOT get any card that's indicated to be OEM. My understanding is that these are cards are often altered by the dealer, and may not be exactly as they would be if you were to by retail "in the box."

A friend of mine bought a card and didn't pay attention to the fact that it was an OEM, and it came without many of the necessary parts (including a heat sink).

Bottom line - steer clear of OEM's and get retail.

[PainAmplifier]

That said, for the price I still think it gives the 4200 some strong competition for pure value, as the price drop is definately more than the performance drop.

I'm not so sure of that Clayeth. I just went back over the Tom's Hardware review, and the only place it comes close to the Ti 4200 is when heavy FSAA & Ansio are in use, and then it's unplayable on either card. Otherwise the 4200 maintains a healthy lead. And for someone looking for a cheap card I don't think pristine image quality for a slideshow is what they'd be looking for in either card. So I'd have say the price drop about equals the performance drop.

Toss a coin over which is more important I guess...

[Clayeth]

RR: OEM isn't always bad, but it's not that good of an idea in this case. ATI took a lot of **** in the past for making their OEM cards inferior. nvidia's are usually the same card. However, you won't get all the software/game/hardware bundles that you normally would with an OEM card.

OEM is good for a lot of things, but videocards aren't one of them.

[Renegade Retard]

Agreed. Thanks for clarifying.

[The Twiggman]

I like my radeon 9500, which is a 128mb. It runs ut2k3 no problem with everything cranked. And usually around 30 bots. Lol dont ask I like to add extras for more carnage. I could never picture myself playing with a cruddy card again. Lol, such a nice gap between low detail and high detail.

[ApostleX3000]

My next card will probably be a Radeon, all I've been hearing is good things about them (except for the price).

[X]

If you get a 9500 or 9600, you'll get a good price aswell.

[Hunter]

k, a GeForce 4? Does it depend on how fast your computer is to? mine is a 933 megahertz, if that is how you spell it

it's Mhz ;)

it shouldn't be too bad :)

[elminsterchu]

Ti4200?That's old.same as UT2003,Hehehe
I know i shouldn't bump the old thread though...just can't help to point that out today:D

[GotBeer?]

Ti4200?That's old.same as UT2003,Hehehe
I know i shouldn't bump the old thread though...just can't help to point that out today:DI'm insulted! I'm still using a BFG 128mb Ti4200AGP!

[[UM]theswarm]

I didn't notice the date on this thread and was like WTF. STOP BUMPING OLD CRAP FOR STUPID REASONS.

[Rocket_Magnet]

what the hell happened on june 23rd 2k3, and why are you performing heinous thread necromancy of epic proportions?

[edhe]

Thread necromancy :lol:

[Zxanphorian]

WTF dont bump threads :(

[Rocket_Magnet]

just becuase it shows you in your yonger "UBARNOOB" incarnation :)

[tool]

Zxan is real insecure about himself. He won't even let his best friends at BuF get him a girl friend. Our little Zxan is so shy. :D