I need information! Which card to get???

[jesusgotcaught]

Sorry but im completly computer illiterate, other than what ive read off of google, which i didnt understand very well...

Im a hardcore gamer but i used to play low graphics demanding games like wc3 cs etc.

I want to get into the new age of gaming ex: cs:s ee3 etc.

Im not rich, but i have a bit of money saved up. So im looking for a graphics card that will last forever....or as long as possible

I dont want to have to replace it when the newer games come out in a few years. So i would like it to have all the 'newest technology'...though i dont know what that is...

I was talking to some guy on dod:s, he told me i had a pci-express thing, but my graphics card was a peice of crap. He recemended i get eaither a x1800xt or 7900gt. I was reading through the forums and can i ask what sli is ? and what the 'newest technology' is for graphics cards?

I need a graphics card that will withstand the future of games and tech, but id like to keep it around 300 usd ( i want more bang for my buck, id be willing the go over 300$ if its worth it...but 400$ is pushing it)

 

[Lan_d]

can i just add css sucks its an unworthy sequel to cs 1.6, sli is nvidias solution for multiple graphics cards it doesnt support HDR so dont get it id buy a Radeon X1900XTX and a Radeon X1900 Crossfire and run them in crossfire mode (crossfire is atis multi-gpu solution) as crossfire does support HDR, and ATI cards can render HDR and anti-aliasing at the same time, in your case though id get the X1800XT

 

[engrpiman]

NVIDIA cards support HDR... in some games such as oblivion you can't have AA and HDR on at the same time but HDR works.... As a side note both AA and HDR work in Half life 2 and other games..

Also i just got a 7900 GT and you can't beat the price.. What ever was wrong with the early 7900 seems to be ironed out now because my card stays cool

Also NVIDIA does better at Open GL then ATI and most of the good games use OPEN GL PREY, DOOM 3, Quake 4 and soon to be Quake wars ... not to mention all the games that used the Quake 3 engine. But hey even games like Half life 2, GTA San Andreas and AOE 3 run maxed out with no lag..

 

[jap0nes]

both x1800xt or 7900gt are good cards for css, but as they told you they are pci express cards. You must have that kind of slot in your computer or they simply wont fit. Check your motherboard first, then we can better recommend you.
What's your current card, by the way?

 

[engrpiman]

Or give us the Model # of your computer and we (or you) can look it up

Also when did you get the computer and what processor do you have.. if you have a P4 with number system ( like P4 550) the you most likely have a PCI E 16x slot. if you have a video card in your computer already giving us the model would also help :idea:

Good luck

 

[enforcerfx]

I dont know what your talking about Lan_d, but CS:s and CS:1.6 are adequate games. He doesnt need a x1900Xtx or a x1900 crossfire edition card. I suggest the x1800xt, uses HDR and AA. 7900GT only uses AA. Plus if you plan to play MMOs in the future, then defintely the x1800xt is the best way to go.

 

[MrsD]

Im assuming the guy told you you had pci-e but you had onboard video?

So you need a pci-e card?

Telling us your system specs would help greatly.

For the $150 range, the 7600GT is great.
If money isnt an issue then the 7900GT or GTX is your best bet for Nvidia cards. I cannot recommend any ati cards cause I dont keep up on them.

Sorry but im completly computer illiterate

Im a hardcore gamer

Sorry, Ive never heard these two statements from the same person 8O

I want to get into the new age of gaming ex: cs:s ee3 etc.

Im not rich, but i have a bit of money saved up. So im looking for a graphics card that will last forever....or as long as possible

Well no card is going to last more then 3 years if you play the newest games.

 

[jesusgotcaught]

Yes the guy told me i had a cpi-express slot.
What is a good mmo game btw ??? ive been trying to find one, i played the dod:s free weekend and i didnt like it much, its too simplistic.
( im a hardcore gamer as in i have no friends and play video games all day, not in the way that im good with computers )

( sorry i dont know what i should put and what not to put...some guy over at some other forums told me to just post everything......their forums arnt very responsive/helpful though... )

Model: Gateway 702GE
S/No.: XSL4B 210 04008

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-------------------------------------------------------

 

[jap0nes]

you have a nice system, although you're using on-board video. but it seems you do have a pci express slot, and as MrsD said, you can buy a nvidia geforce 7600GT, which is a good card for around $150. It will allow you to play most games at your current resolution.

As the mmo game, i like playing final fantasy xi.

going from a dedicated video card will allow you to play a lot more games, then your problem will be which ones to play first

 

[Lan_d]

yes i know they support HDR... as i have had a 7900GT since it debuted, but they cant render HDR and AA at the same time you say you can do it if HL2 if you were correct id be able to play css (crap) wiv HDR and AA which i cant i have to choose between the two which really isnt the way its ment to be played, i was saying that SLI tech does not support HDR, and yes both work in HL2 but you cant have them on at the same time even if you turn them on one of them will be cancelled out because the card cannot render them at the same time, and in reply to EnforcerFX if you looked closer you would notice that i was saying what id do i know he doesnt need a X1900XTX, for his price range a X1800XT would be perfect and a better choice over the 7900GT (no im not being biased i own a 7900GT)

 

[jesusgotcaught]

you have a nice system, although you're using on-board video. but it seems you do have a pci express slot, and as MrsD said, you can buy a nvidia geforce 7600GT, which is a good card for around $150. It will allow you to play most games at your current resolution.

As the mmo game, i like playing final fantasy xi.

going from a dedicated video card will allow you to play a lot more games, then your problem will be which ones to play first

what is 'on board video' ?

And i shouldent buy a X1800XT instead of a 7600GT ???

 

[jap0nes]

you have a nice system, although you're using on-board video. but it seems you do have a pci express slot, and as MrsD said, you can buy a nvidia geforce 7600GT, which is a good card for around $150. It will allow you to play most games at your current resolution.

As the mmo game, i like playing final fantasy xi.

going from a dedicated video card will allow you to play a lot more games, then your problem will be which ones to play first

what is 'on board video' ?

And i shouldent buy a X1800XT instead of a 7600GT ???

on board video = video controller integrated to your motherboard. usually a cheap solution, therefore, it's not very powerful and ou cant play most games on it (you can play solitaire, freecell).

And i shouldent buy a X1800XT instead of a 7600GT ???

it depends. You said you'd like to play css, then a X1800Xt would be overkill. A 7600GT is a good card, cheaper, which allows you to play css as good as on a x1800xt

 

[jesusgotcaught]

on board video = video controller integrated to your motherboard. usually a cheap solution, therefore, it's not very powerful and ou cant play most games on it (you can play solitaire, freecell).

And i shouldent buy a X1800XT instead of a 7600GT ???

it depends. You said you'd like to play css, then a X1800Xt would be overkill. A 7600GT is a good card, cheaper, which allows you to play css as good as on a x1800xt

Will it be hard to get it out if its integrated to my mother board?

And i dont really know what games i want to play, im trying to find some good mmo games to play, but every time i post a question like 'what is the best mmo to buy' it always turns into a frenzy about whos the best :roll:

Im defiantly going to get empire earth 3, i think...
Do u have any suggestions for a good mmo or rts?

is a x1800xt really over kill? i mean come to think of it, i dont really need a 'great' video card, just one that works smoothly.
Is it over kill just for cs:s ? or would it be over the top for ee3 too ?

 

[ali123]

if you want it to last a long time i'd recommend you to wait until the dx 10 cards come and buy one of those

 

[jesusgotcaught]

if you want it to last a long time i'd recommend you to wait until the dx 10 cards come and buy one of those

...how long will that be? i was hoping to buy one really soon...

 

[jesusgotcaught]

You can disable integrated video. As others have said, the 7600GT is an excellent card for the money. Do you happen to know how big your power supply is?

No idea. u cant tell from all that stuff i posted up top?
How do i find out how much my power supply is???

I dont want to spend all that money on something thats not going to give me smooth gaming......so will it be able to give me a good fps in high-detail games ??

 

[jap0nes]

I'm guessing that you're not going to want to pay much if you have to upgrade your PSU, so I found something on Newegg (It was actually on the first page of the PSU section ):
Thermaltake 430W for $30 shipped

tha psu with a 7600GT or a x1800gto would be interesting choices. I put the x1800gto because i've read the toms article about performance in oblivion and i found interesting the x1800gto performance.

 

[angry_ducky]

I'm guessing that you're not going to want to pay much if you have to upgrade your PSU, so I found something on Newegg (It was actually on the first page of the PSU section ):
Thermaltake 430W for $30 shipped

tha psu with a 7600GT or a x1800gto would be interesting choices. I put the x1800gto because i've read the toms article about performance in oblivion and i found interesting the x1800gto performance.

All prices from newegg:

7600GT: $135
X1800GTO: $170
X1800XT: $230

The X1800GTO is priced too closely to the X1800XT. $60 is a fair bit of money, but I'd gladly spend that to get a card which will totally kill the cheaper one. The 7600GT, which performs about equal to the GTO, is the best value.

 

[dmantech]

I agree with Lan, plus it has 48 pixel shader something that the 7900 does not have. I have to say also the Anti is also much better than it's rival.

 

[jap0nes]

yeah, good point. I'd also pick the 7600GT as my first option, but in oblivion the x1800xt performs better than nvidia's, that was my point. Didnt look at prices, though.

 

[noobtastic]

In regards to power supplies, you may want to check with Gateway before ordering a power supply online. Dell and Gateway are notorious for having slightly different hardware configurations, hence having to purchase upgrades through them. Different in that sometimes the screw holes on a standard power supply will not line up properly in a Dell/Gateway case.

My opinion on getting a video card to last you 2-3 years and still be able to provide you with high settings, I recommend you read the article;

http://www.tomshardware.com/2006/07/10/can_your_rig_run_oblivion/

This article shows that the even current top of the line graphics cards cannot run this game at the highest settings, with all the eye candy turned on and still be playable at higher resolutions. So my advice would be to get a good quality card, since you are currently using onboard video, I am sure either Nvidia or ATI card you decide on will provide you with significant performance increases. As the next generation of games come out, you will likely have to decrease the settings on the card you buy to maintain playability, but this is a fact of life, all of us will be doing it in the future until our next upgrade.

Lastly, as posted by Ali, if you can wait until the dx10 cards come out, you may want to wait until then.

I hope this helps, good luck.

 

[jesusgotcaught]

Ok so i started off thinking i should get a x1800xt or 7900gt and that it would last forever, But i reconcidered that, I guess i now want something to hold me off untill directx10 comes out AND the prices have dropped a bit , so i want a card for the next few years,

It doenst have to play the NEWEST games, just some good ones like empire earth 3.

As for power supply, i dont know anything... im guessing psu = power supply?

What graphics card should i get that'll last me a few years, but be around the 200$ range. Will i need to upgrade my power supply? After my dad bought this computer he said he wasent buying another one, so ill have this one for a while. If i have to buy a new psu ill be willing to spend a bit more than 30$ to get a better one. As for gateway having slightly different models than everybody else, can't i just buy the psu from gateway?

by the way, out of all the computer forumz ive posted in, your the best by far!

 

[NoRest4wkd]

Regarding Gateway Computers and the power supplies in their systems - they tend to be underpowered. Fortunately, if you have a tower or mid-tower system, they typically are configured with easy to remove bays, fans, and power supplies. My Gateway 700XL is over 3 years old now and when I upgraded my power supply from the anemic 300W factory psu to a nice 550W unit (Antec I think), the old one literally snapped out and the new one snapped in. My case has a series of slide locks to secure all internal drives and the psu, allowing for installation without using any screws.

I literally "unlocked" the psu bracket, popped out the unit (remember to note the position of all cables and/or take a digital photo first in order to be sure of connecting the new power supply correctly), popped in the new one and connected the cables. From the time I opened the case until I closed it, it took me less than 10 minutes to swap out power supplies.