Would a new video card make a difference ?

[Daniel]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.periphs.videocards.nvidia (More info?)

Hello,

I'm currently running a WinXP Home system with the following hardware:

AMD BARTON 2500+
128MB nVidia GeForce Fx5200
GIGABYTE MAINBOARD GA7VT600PL
1024 DDR RAM
80 GIG Western Digital Hard Disc @ 7200 RPM
AOpen DVD recorder
LG CDRW
Traditional (CRT) monitor
Cable modem

Taking into account all components, would I benefit from getting a better
video card ? I play mostly Battlefield 1942 (pure) and find that my system
does very well overall with the graphics but at certain times when the
action is very busy with lots of online players and explosions, especially
in Battle for Britain, that my display gets choppy, only to recover when the
action ceases up a bit. Also, I can't run the Desert Combat mod nor
Battlefield Vietnam 'cause my system (or perhaps the video card?) can't keep
up. Battlefield Vietnam is the worst 'cause it gets very choppy and it even
freezes up.
First of all can I benefit significantly from upgrading my video card ?
Second, which card would you suggest ? Please note that I don't have the
money for top of the line cards and would only be comfortable with something
more budget oriented. Is it realistic then to get a bump in graphic
performace for relatively little money while keeping the rest of my hardware
as is ? Actually my pc is fairly new so I'd prefer not to do a major
upgrade.

Thanks for your time and reply,

Daniel

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.periphs.videocards.nvidia (More info?)

Daniel wrote:
> Hello,
>
> I'm currently running a WinXP Home system with the following hardware:
>
> AMD BARTON 2500+
> 128MB nVidia GeForce Fx5200
> GIGABYTE MAINBOARD GA7VT600PL
> 1024 DDR RAM
> 80 GIG Western Digital Hard Disc @ 7200 RPM
> AOpen DVD recorder
> LG CDRW
> Traditional (CRT) monitor
> Cable modem
>
> Taking into account all components, would I benefit from getting a better
> video card ? I play mostly Battlefield 1942 (pure) and find that my system
> does very well overall with the graphics but at certain times when the
> action is very busy with lots of online players and explosions, especially
> in Battle for Britain, that my display gets choppy, only to recover when the
> action ceases up a bit. Also, I can't run the Desert Combat mod nor
> Battlefield Vietnam 'cause my system (or perhaps the video card?) can't keep
> up. Battlefield Vietnam is the worst 'cause it gets very choppy and it even
> freezes up.
> First of all can I benefit significantly from upgrading my video card ?
> Second, which card would you suggest ? Please note that I don't have the
> money for top of the line cards and would only be comfortable with something
> more budget oriented. Is it realistic then to get a bump in graphic
> performace for relatively little money while keeping the rest of my hardware
> as is ? Actually my pc is fairly new so I'd prefer not to do a major
> upgrade.
>
> Thanks for your time and reply,
>
> Daniel
>
>

Your system is much like mine. Everything you have is fairly good. A
6600GT would do wonders over that poor old 5200.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.periphs.videocards.nvidia (More info?)

"Daniel" <NotReal@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:Zw1_d.698638$Xk.11237@pd7tw3no...
> Hello,
>
> I'm currently running a WinXP Home system with the following hardware:
>
> AMD BARTON 2500+
> 128MB nVidia GeForce Fx5200
> GIGABYTE MAINBOARD GA7VT600PL
> 1024 DDR RAM
> 80 GIG Western Digital Hard Disc @ 7200 RPM
> AOpen DVD recorder
> LG CDRW
> Traditional (CRT) monitor
> Cable modem
>
> Taking into account all components, would I benefit from getting a better
> video card ? I play mostly Battlefield 1942 (pure) and find that my system
> does very well overall with the graphics but at certain times when the
> action is very busy with lots of online players and explosions, especially
> in Battle for Britain, that my display gets choppy, only to recover when
> the
> action ceases up a bit. Also, I can't run the Desert Combat mod nor
> Battlefield Vietnam 'cause my system (or perhaps the video card?) can't
> keep
> up. Battlefield Vietnam is the worst 'cause it gets very choppy and it
> even freezes up.
> First of all can I benefit significantly from upgrading my video card ?
> Second, which card would you suggest ? Please note that I don't have the
> money for top of the line cards and would only be comfortable with
> something
> more budget oriented. Is it realistic then to get a bump in graphic
> performace for relatively little money while keeping the rest of my
> hardware
> as is ? Actually my pc is fairly new so I'd prefer not to do a major
> upgrade.
>
> Thanks for your time and reply,

I'd say yes - my system is quite similar and with an FX5900XT I have no
problems with any of those games. The FX5200 is a very poor gaming card.

Look for a 6600 and you'll be happy. If you are looking for something
cheaper, then maybe a FX5700 Ultra - but I wouldn't touch anything less than
that.

Dan

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.periphs.videocards.nvidia (More info?)

"Daniel" <NotReal@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:Zw1_d.698638$Xk.11237@pd7tw3no...
> Hello,
>
> I'm currently running a WinXP Home system with the following hardware:
>
> AMD BARTON 2500+
> 128MB nVidia GeForce Fx5200
> GIGABYTE MAINBOARD GA7VT600PL
> 1024 DDR RAM
> 80 GIG Western Digital Hard Disc @ 7200 RPM
> AOpen DVD recorder
> LG CDRW
> Traditional (CRT) monitor
> Cable modem
>
> Taking into account all components, would I benefit from getting a better
> video card ?

Absolutely. With the exception of your graphics card, your system should be
capable of running any modern game smoothly, and only by upgrading your card
will this be possible. A 6600GT or 6800 will improve things dramatically.

 

[Daniel]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.periphs.videocards.nvidia (More info?)

Are there some makers of video cards (as in MSI, Leadtek etc ..) that I
should stay away from ?

Thanks for the good replies!

~Daniel

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.periphs.videocards.nvidia (More info?)

In message <d1aar8$17q$1@newsg3.svr.pol.co.uk>, Martin Francis
<mcsalty@hotmail.com> writes
>
>"Daniel" <NotReal@yahoo.com> wrote in message
>news:Zw1_d.698638$Xk.11237@pd7tw3no...
>> Hello,
>>
>> I'm currently running a WinXP Home system with the following hardware:
>>
>> AMD BARTON 2500+
>> 128MB nVidia GeForce Fx5200
>> GIGABYTE MAINBOARD GA7VT600PL
>> 1024 DDR RAM
>> 80 GIG Western Digital Hard Disc @ 7200 RPM
>> AOpen DVD recorder
>> LG CDRW
>> Traditional (CRT) monitor
>> Cable modem
>>
>> Taking into account all components, would I benefit from getting a better
>> video card ?
>
>Absolutely. With the exception of your graphics card, your system should be
>capable of running any modern game smoothly, and only by upgrading your card
>will this be possible. A 6600GT or 6800 will improve things dramatically.
>

I will concur. FX5200 gets hammered by many modern games, an AGP 6600GT
can be had for reasonable money (suggest getting the Galaxy in the UK
for best hit per pound - see www.guru3d.com for a review) and it should
last you a while.

I'm running an AMD Barton 3200+ in an Abit AN7-Guru, 1024MB Corsair
matched DDR RAM dual channel, Galaxy 6600GT AGP, AG-Neovo F419 TFT
monitor, 200GB SATA and 120GB PATA drives, 2 NEC DVD+-RWs 2500A and
3520. Aside from the NEC 3520 DVD the 6600GT is my newest bit of kit
(Jan 05) and the system flies with 3d games now.

Hope this helps,

Neil.

--
Neil J Bundy

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.periphs.videocards.nvidia (More info?)

"Daniel" <NotReal@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:U93_d.702115$8l.506279@pd7tw1no
> Are there some makers of video cards (as in MSI, Leadtek etc ..) that
> I should stay away from ?
>
> Thanks for the good replies!
>
> ~Daniel

I can't really say much about that angle really. Of the brands of
cards I have, Asus was traditionally top of the line, for both quality
and features. I've had a few PNY cards, and other than the first two
Ti4600's I bought which both had flakey Samsung ram which was going
around at the time (and were readily accepted when I returned them to
the store), all have been reliable, if plain vanilla. eVGA is a brand
that's now easily available in this area, and they seem to be very good
quality product, pretty standard fare in features, and reliable, so far.
Creative Labs also produces a good quality board, though the feature set
can be a tad odd at times. The brands you mentioned, I've not had the
honor of owning. Hercules, until they folded and were bought up, was a
close rival of Asus, years ago. Their boards were top notch quality
wise.

I think I'd listen to the folks in this group that have been speaking
out against certain makers of current boards, as production quality
seems down, to put it nicely. Transistors and capacitors rolling around
free inside the box when opened is not a good sign at all. I am sorry
I don't recall the brand(s) the complaints were about. Reading back a
week or two would tell you quickly though. It's stated clearly in the
subject lines.
McG.

 

[Daniel]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.periphs.videocards.nvidia (More info?)

"Spack" <news@worldofspack.co.uk> wrote in message
news:39rnbmF664jnrU1@individual.net...
> "Daniel" <NotReal@yahoo.com> wrote in message
> news:Zw1_d.698638$Xk.11237@pd7tw3no...
>> Hello,
>>
>> I'm currently running a WinXP Home system with the following hardware:
>>
>> AMD BARTON 2500+
>> 128MB nVidia GeForce Fx5200
>> GIGABYTE MAINBOARD GA7VT600PL
>> 1024 DDR RAM
>> 80 GIG Western Digital Hard Disc @ 7200 RPM
>> AOpen DVD recorder
>> LG CDRW
>> Traditional (CRT) monitor
>> Cable modem
>>
>> Taking into account all components, would I benefit from getting a better
>> video card ? I play mostly Battlefield 1942 (pure) and find that my
>> system
>> does very well overall with the graphics but at certain times when the
>> action is very busy with lots of online players and explosions,
>> especially
>> in Battle for Britain, that my display gets choppy, only to recover when
>> the
>> action ceases up a bit. Also, I can't run the Desert Combat mod nor
>> Battlefield Vietnam 'cause my system (or perhaps the video card?) can't
>> keep
>> up. Battlefield Vietnam is the worst 'cause it gets very choppy and it
>> even freezes up.
>> First of all can I benefit significantly from upgrading my video card ?
>> Second, which card would you suggest ? Please note that I don't have the
>> money for top of the line cards and would only be comfortable with
>> something
>> more budget oriented. Is it realistic then to get a bump in graphic
>> performace for relatively little money while keeping the rest of my
>> hardware
>> as is ? Actually my pc is fairly new so I'd prefer not to do a major
>> upgrade.
>>
>> Thanks for your time and reply,
>
> I'd say yes - my system is quite similar and with an FX5900XT I have no
> problems with any of those games. The FX5200 is a very poor gaming card.
>
> Look for a 6600 and you'll be happy. If you are looking for something
> cheaper, then maybe a FX5700 Ultra - but I wouldn't touch anything less
> than that.

I've read that 5900 XT is the same as 5900 SE ... Is this true ?

Thanks!

~Daniel

>
> Dan
>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.periphs.videocards.nvidia (More info?)

"Daniel" <NotReal@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:WC5_d.701964$Xk.110655@pd7tw3no...

> I've read that 5900 XT is the same as 5900 SE ... Is this true ?

IIRC it depends on the make. Some SEs were XT chips with slower settings,
some where 5900s (plain ones) that wouldn't run at normal speeds and were
dumped on cheaper cards before nVidia released the XT, and some are the same
as XTs but have slightly different features on the card. If you find one to
buy it's probably worth checking on Google to find how it compares to an XT.
Oh, and just to make it more complicated, not all XT cards are the same
Some have faster RAM that others, some have slightly different timings than
others. Overall the performance should be similar, but it's worth checking
Google again to see what you're buying.

Dan

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.periphs.videocards.nvidia (More info?)

McGrandpa wrote:
> "Daniel" <NotReal@yahoo.com> wrote in message
> news:U93_d.702115$8l.506279@pd7tw1no
>
>>Are there some makers of video cards (as in MSI, Leadtek etc ..) that
>>I should stay away from ?
>>
>>Thanks for the good replies!
>>
>>~Daniel
>
>
> I can't really say much about that angle really. Of the brands of
> cards I have, Asus was traditionally top of the line, for both quality
> and features. I've had a few PNY cards, and other than the first two
> Ti4600's I bought which both had flakey Samsung ram which was going
> around at the time (and were readily accepted when I returned them to
> the store), all have been reliable, if plain vanilla. eVGA is a brand
> that's now easily available in this area, and they seem to be very good
> quality product, pretty standard fare in features, and reliable, so far.
> Creative Labs also produces a good quality board, though the feature set
> can be a tad odd at times. The brands you mentioned, I've not had the
> honor of owning. Hercules, until they folded and were bought up, was a
> close rival of Asus, years ago. Their boards were top notch quality
> wise.
>
> I think I'd listen to the folks in this group that have been speaking
> out against certain makers of current boards, as production quality
> seems down, to put it nicely. Transistors and capacitors rolling around
> free inside the box when opened is not a good sign at all. I am sorry
> I don't recall the brand(s) the complaints were about. Reading back a
> week or two would tell you quickly though. It's stated clearly in the
> subject lines.
> McG.
>
>

Overall I'd say try to stay away from no-name generic Taiwanese
manufacturers. Good brands include Leadtek, BFG, Asus, eVGA, etc.

 

[Daniel]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.periphs.videocards.nvidia (More info?)

"deimos" <deimos@localhost.net> wrote in message
news:39trklF635sprU1@individual.net...
> McGrandpa wrote:
>> "Daniel" <NotReal@yahoo.com> wrote in message
>> news:U93_d.702115$8l.506279@pd7tw1no
>>
>>>Are there some makers of video cards (as in MSI, Leadtek etc ..) that
>>>I should stay away from ?
>>>
>>>Thanks for the good replies!
>>>
>>>~Daniel
>>
>>
>> I can't really say much about that angle really. Of the brands of
>> cards I have, Asus was traditionally top of the line, for both quality
>> and features. I've had a few PNY cards, and other than the first two
>> Ti4600's I bought which both had flakey Samsung ram which was going
>> around at the time (and were readily accepted when I returned them to the
>> store), all have been reliable, if plain vanilla. eVGA is a brand that's
>> now easily available in this area, and they seem to be very good quality
>> product, pretty standard fare in features, and reliable, so far. Creative
>> Labs also produces a good quality board, though the feature set can be a
>> tad odd at times. The brands you mentioned, I've not had the honor of
>> owning. Hercules, until they folded and were bought up, was a close
>> rival of Asus, years ago. Their boards were top notch quality wise.
>>
>> I think I'd listen to the folks in this group that have been speaking out
>> against certain makers of current boards, as production quality seems
>> down, to put it nicely. Transistors and capacitors rolling around free
>> inside the box when opened is not a good sign at all. I am sorry I
>> don't recall the brand(s) the complaints were about. Reading back a week
>> or two would tell you quickly though. It's stated clearly in the subject
>> lines.
>> McG.
>
> Overall I'd say try to stay away from no-name generic Taiwanese
> manufacturers. Good brands include Leadtek, BFG, Asus, eVGA, etc.

Alright, thanks a lot!

~Daniel