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Looking for some PCI graphics card reviews.

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  • Graphics Cards
  • PCI
  • Graphics
  • Product
Last response: in Graphics & Displays
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February 20, 2006 12:33:28 AM

Curse PCI-e always taking all of my google results.
Anywho, I want to find out which PCI card for around $80 or less is the best buy. Unfortunately, I cannot find any comprehensive reviews with frames per second and stuff like that.
I have a pretty crappy computer, an HP Pavilion 524g to be exact, and it performs just fine for me in everything except for gaming.
Specs are something like:
2.2ghz, 256mb ram(+512/1gb max), 40 gb hard drive(+2nd 80gb for music, movies, whatever), onboard sound, 64mb intel integrated graphics.
Obviously the graphics card is dropping my performance down, and I can't even get 60 fps on games like CS 1.6 or DoD.
The only games I really want to play are CS and DoD - which aren't very demanding, and in about a year or so when the new amd(or intel) chips are mature, I'll get a new gaming rig.
I keep seeing ads for 50-60 dollar PCI cards, but I'm not sure which is the best buy.
Sorry for making this so long, but I figure the more info I give, the better help I receive.

More about : pci graphics card reviews

February 20, 2006 12:59:08 AM

I never would've guessed that :p 
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February 20, 2006 1:58:10 AM

hey go to compus and see if they any radeon 9250's in stock they should be around 100
February 20, 2006 7:50:15 PM

I don't really like CompUSA, the people try to act like they know everything, but are just being fed info from manufacturers (a la Intel). I like Fry's Electronics a lot better because my friend can get me 25% off whatever I want.

They don't hav any 5700LE's, but I have seen Radeon 9250's and 9250SE's and Fx5500's and 5200's.
So out of that batch of choices, which is better? And will stuff like opengl 1.3, 1.4, or 1.5 make a huge impact? And uhh, I don't think the Radeons have 256mb of memory, but the GeForces do. So will the extra 128mb of memory also make an impact?
a b U Graphics card
February 20, 2006 9:06:17 PM

256MB in a card like that will do absolutely nothing for you; they don't have the power to take advantage of it. Again, Try to grab a card that has a 128-bit memory interface (not a 64-bit), whether it's a 128MB or 256MB doesn't matter. So right off the bat, forget the 9250se and check the specs on the others before buying.

Looking at Fry's Outpost, their pricing will not be good on these unless they do one of their incredible in store specials. http://shop2.outpost.com/search?cat=-46674&pType=pDispl... . Even with 25% off, you may do better pricewise at Newegg. Maybe grab the FX5500 128-bit if it comes back in stock. Or this BFG: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E1681...
February 21, 2006 2:10:31 AM

Usually all I see for a sweet deal at Fry's is a GeForce 5200 64-bit interface, so now I know I shouldn't get that. And I always see those 9250se for cheap, but now I know those aren't very good either.

Thanks for that "ultimate pci roundup" thing. Pretty awesome :) 
I'm going to borrow 80 dollars from my parents and hopefully order that geforce 5500 from newegg.

Anyways, thanks for the tips, and maybe somebody else can use this thread their own purposes. (maybe somebody could sticky that link to the pci-card roundup. very nifty)


EDIT: Crap. Either that graphics card wasn't out of stock the other day, or it is now.
EDIT #2: Yeah, last night I added it to my shopping cart, and much to my chagrin, I now cannot purchase it because some other jerk bought it.
!