Need advice on which video card to purchase

Howdy; Ok, I don't have a state of the art system, but this is what I am running:

AMD Sempron 3000+
1 GIG DDR RAM
9600 PRO AGP video card.

I am wanting to upgrade my card so I have been reviewing the card articles listed here. I am wondering after reading some of the submissions here whether the cards I am looking at would even work on my system.

I was thinking of the 7600GT or GS, but that may be way more card then I need. However, I don't want to purchase a card that is going to suck in one year like the 9600 (when I bought it the top ATI was the 9800).

Actually most of the software I own is rather old but I want to get into the high res games that are out there. I just picked up Company of Heroes and while my 9600 works, all the game setting are very low.

So is there any ideas as to whether the 7600 GT/S would be a good card for my system, or should I look at something else?

Thanks.

I recommend the 7600GT over the GS as well. You may want to consider the 7800GS AGP. It's a damn fine nVidia AGP card.

ATI's x1950PRO AGP definitely the best performing AGP card though. If I were you, I'd invest in that.

Ok, so all of these video cards will run on my system without bottlenecking then? I would assume so since you guys recommended them.

Is this the same as a regular 7600 GT, the Ko has me wondering:

Evga E-GEFORCE 7600 Gt Ko 580MHZ 256MB 128BIT 1.5GHZ GDDR3 Dual DVI-I Hdtv Out Video Card

Thanks for the replys guys.

UGGHH! And after all that the store doesn't have any in stock (although the website says 4). They won't order more unless they have a lot of orders. So here are my options: My current card is 9600 AGP: I could get:

(All in Canadian)
EVGA 6800 XT $171
EVGA 7600 GS $144
Sapphire Raedon X1600 Pro $132
PowerColor Raedon X1600 Pro 500Mhz $152

I am thinking the 7600 GS wins this horse race?

Opinions?

Have you not learned from the 9600? You're asking us, but you keep going back to, IMHO, "crippled" video cards. From what I've read, you WILL be disapointed in a year if you buy a 7600GS. Here's what I think is happening to most who buy the 7600GS: http://forumz.tomshardware.com/har [...] 67#1437367 You will save money in the long run by getting the X1950 Pro! Also, think of it this way, getting the faster video card opens the door to upgrading the CPU instead of a platform replacement.
The X1950 Pro AGP is in such high demand right now that the cards are being sold ABOVE MSRP. Give them a month or two and the prices will drop. My favorite is the Powercolor version due to the cooler they use and the fact that their MSRP is $209USD.
BTW, the X1950 Pro AGP performs just as well as the PCI-e version, so you can use the VGA charts to compare performance levels.

It's quite simple. If you're gonna spend enough to get a 1950 Pro, you might as well just save the money and wait to upgrade your whole rig altogether.

AGP is literally on its last leg and really card companies are only releasing AGP cards to milk out the remaining target consumers, such as yourself, who are in that "I only have about 150 bucks to spend but can't afford a new rig" position. What ends up happening with those buyers is that they just keep 150$ upgrading their system for years and years, not taking the plunge and saving up to get a new rig altogether.

Don't make the same mistake I did. I went with a socket 754 AGP motherboard, just because I wanted to recycle my 9600XT back in 2004. After a couple months, I ended up taking the plunge and just decided to build a new rig altogether. I started by buying parts I knew wouldn't get outdated. (ATX 2+ form factor case, power supply, hard drive, keyboard, mouse) and after that I waited until I had a solid 300-400 budget and then spent that on core parts. (1 gig of ram, videocard, processor and motherboard)

I don't regret going to PCI-Express one bit. Last night I beat Chronicles of Riddick. I was able to play that game at max settings with 4xAA and quite literally it was a new game altogether. FEAR at max settings, Oblivion at "decent" settings with a good framerate. It's like having your own Next Gen console on a high def TV. I still have yet to play Far Cry, Doom 3 or Quake 4 on this rig, but I know I'll enjoy them.

I actually kick myself now for not changing to a PCI-E MB when I changed out my board. I was seriously thinking on it, but do to money restrictions I couldn't justify to my wife spending the coin on a new MB and new video card when the old one still worked. Thus the AGP.

I will hang onto this rig until the X1950 comes down into my price range. The company I listed has lots of video cards, but nothing in stock except for what I stated.

And if my Sempron is a 32 bit I am going to explode! I will run CPUz to confirm, but like I said the computer companies website has it listed as 64.

Its not the 64bit thing that you should be happy about, but rather the updated arch in the CPU. (like having an IMC, etc)