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Choosing Video card for old P4 system

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I have 2 pc...a P3 800mhz using integrated 815 chipset graphic and a P4 2.4ghz with Ti4200......my next computer will be a Quad core, i'm still waiting patiently for the price to drop....

anyways, I want both of my current computers to have TV-out ability, so i decided to put the Ti4200 to my P3 and get a new card for the P4......

components:

PSU: unknown (i'll say 300W, i can't check right now cos i'm away for a few weeks)
CPU: P4 2.4 ghz
RAM: 1.5GB 266mhz
MOBO: MSI 845G max
supports: AGP 4x, maximum of 2GB 266mhz ram

online store price + shipping isn't any cheaper, so i'll get a video card from my local computer store...and i have come out with these (from cheapest to most expensive):

SAPPHIRE AGP RAD 9600PRO 128M
ASUS AGP GF6 N6200 128M TVO
ASUS AGP RAD A9550GE 256M TVO
PCOLOR AGP RAD 9600PRO 256M
ATI AGP RAD 9550 256M TVO
SAPPHIRE AGP RAD X1650PRO 512M TVO
SAPPHIRE AGP RAD HD2600PRO 512M TVO
EVGA AGP GF7 7600GS 256M TVO

These are the cards in my budget.....i know that CPU and mobo will limit a graphic card's performance (bottlenecking problem).....which one would be a better choice?

upgrade from Ti4200 to 9600pro is like not upgrading at all
but upgrading from Ti4200 to X1650 or 7600GS, will my cpu keep up with the video card? i have searched/googled a lot and i do see ppl couple P4 2.4ghz with x1650....but i want to hear your thoughts....

thx...

Message edited by eraser_rx on 12-03-2007 at 02:14:11 AM

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The x1650pro would be a great pairing with your 2.4ghz p4. In fact, I replaced a Ti4200 with an x1650pro and then an x1950GT. If you're interested I'll sell you the x1650pro.

Reply to mtyermom

If it's just for TV-out and not gaming, get the cheapest card with TV out...

for gaming AND tv out, the 7600 GS and X1650 PRO are good (assuming the X1650 PRO is the GDDR3 version... the DDR2 version is slower)

------------------------------ Cleeve
Hardware Editor, Tom's Hardware Guide
Reply to Cleeve

The x1650 would be great enough. The 2600 just plainly sucks a lot a$$, you'd only consider this thing if you actually just intend to watch HD movies and not play games at all. The 7600gs would be fast, but the cost probably wouldn't be worth for the performance you'd get today.

Message quoted 1 times

Reply to amnotanoobie

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6814130076
this would be a good card for you.

Reply to starcraftfanatic

thx!

i have just read some reviews....x1650PRO and 7600GS perform about the same....in some cases ATI is better, in some other, NV is better

starcraftfanatic had suggested the NV

in this case, should i go for SAPPHIRE AGP RAD X1650PRO 512M TVO or EVGA AGP GF7 7600GS 256M TVO? more memory better? RAD is $10 cheap....meh

Message edited by eraser_rx on 12-03-2007 at 02:34:56 PM

Reply to eraser_rx

The X1650 PRO GDDR3 version is about equal to the 7600 GS... the DDR2 version of the X1650 PRO is quite a bit slower, so it's something to consider.

amnotanoobie:
As for the 2600 PRO, it's likely better than the X1650 PRO/7600 GS, although it's probably a bit more expensive though.

On a side note, there's an AGP 2600 XT that's notably better than both the X1650 PRO and 7600 GS, for $115 on Newegg the last time I checked. Would be a good companion to that system.

Message edited by Cleeve on 12-03-2007 at 04:34:09 PM

------------------------------ Cleeve
Hardware Editor, Tom's Hardware Guide
Reply to Cleeve

thx cleeve,

so, in what circumstances the video card's performance will be limited by CPU, mobo and ram?

cos my mobo seems to be really slow for the card....only support AGP 4x, 2gb pc2100 266mhz memory and my processor is only 2.4....

Reply to eraser_rx

Game performance will be affected by all components of the PC.

However, your slower CPU will certainly have more of a detrimental affect performance in games that require a lot of CPU power... Microsoft flight simulator X, Supreme Commander, etc.

Your system won't bottleneck a Radeon 2600 XT/ Geforce 7600 GT class card all that much in most other stuff. It's actually a good fit for your system.

With a higher end card like an X1950 PRO, you'll start to see alot more CPU/platform bottlenecking...

------------------------------ Cleeve
Hardware Editor, Tom's Hardware Guide
Reply to Cleeve

amnotanoobie wrote :

While I agree with Cleeve, the HD2600XT is well worth the money over the pro based on current pricing (in USA anyway), it's funny to see you trash the 2600 pro when it's the fastest card he mentions in his list. Worth the money, probably not. But he says they are in his budget and here is a bunch of links putting the HD2600 pro at 7600GT levels or above in these games, never mind the slower X1650 pro and 7600GS. Look at the spankin the 2600XT does though. Nice AGP for under $120 shipped.

http://www.legionhardware.com/docu [...] id=693&p=5
http://www.anandtech.com/video/sho [...] i=3128&p=4
http://www.legionhardware.com/docu [...] id=691&p=2
http://www.anandtech.com/video/sho [...] i=3122&p=3
http://www.digit-life.com/articles [...] -pcie.html
http://www.digit-life.com/articles [...] -pcie.html

Also, keep in mind clock speeds like Cleeve said. There is a differenc ebetween GDDR3 and GDDR2 versions. And note in the digitlife charts the HD2600 pro has varying clock speeds too. I'd assume all AGP ones would not be the high clocked models as seems to be the trend.

Message edited by pauldh on 12-03-2007 at 07:47:15 PM

Reply to pauldh

thx pauldh

But the HD2600pro need how much power?....i think i have a 300W power supply or less.....not sure, i can't check it right now, cos i'm away from home for a few weeks....

Reply to eraser_rx

Use this power calculator:
http://web.aanet.com.au/SnooP/psucalc.php

Edit: My bad.

Message edited by bash007 on 12-03-2007 at 10:54:51 PM

Reply to bash007

Wow... 150w at load seems a little high for a 2600 PRO methinks.

------------------------------ Cleeve
Hardware Editor, Tom's Hardware Guide
Reply to Cleeve

31w (idle)
HD 2600 Pro 31W ²
http://www.atomicmpc.com.au/forums [...] c=7&t=9354

Message edited by kpo6969 on 12-03-2007 at 10:46:17 PM

------------------------------ P35-DS3L Rev 2 bios F9C l E8400 @ 3.6Ghz @ 1.232v l OCZ Vendetta 2 /LGA775 Bolt-Thru l 4GB G.Skill 8800PI@1000mhz 4:5 @ 1.87v l WD3200AAKS 320GB l Evga 8800GTS 512 l X-Fi Xtreme Music l Corsair HX520 l Antec Sonata III 500 l Vista32 SP2 l Win7 X64 7600
Reply to kpo6969

http://www.anandtech.com/showdoc.aspx?i=3023&p=4

Oops, my bad. That's the system power draw.

Message edited by bash007 on 12-03-2007 at 10:54:02 PM

Reply to bash007

Both the 7600GS and HD2600 pro use very little power. The X1650 pro would use more. Look at the power cosumption below.

HD2600 pro:
http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/v [...] html#sect0

7600GS:
http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/v [...] html#sect0

Reply to pauldh

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