What is the best Video Card today for $100??

[rozar]

The build is an Asus P5K-VM Motherboard, 2GB ram, 320GB HDD, DVDRW and a Q9450 processor with Vista Home Premium. This will go in a generic chassis with a 450 watt PS. Just a basic system, but I want better than onboard video. At this time I do not play any games. This will connect to a 22" wide screen display. I am wondering what is the best video I can get for $100 today?

Thanks

 

[awolfe63]

Radeon 3650.

 

[jay2tall]

With rebates you can get a 8600GTS 256MB for under $100:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814143113
There is an XFX and eVGA one as well with rebate, this BFG is overclocked though.

If you want something that is $100 without rebate you are looking at a 8600GT or 2600XT. The HD3650 is in there as well but isn't as powerful but is newer and have less power drain. The ATI cards are great, but the Nvidia cards have nice rebates right now.

 

[jay2tall]

Radeon 3650.

I agree if he needs something for home theater or low power consumption. Otherwise get the most bang for the buck with the 8600gts

 

[shadowmaster625]

if you're going "just basic" why go with a Q9450? That dont sound basic to me. lol. Why not spend less on the cpu and more on the video? Or just go with onboard video?

 

[jay2tall]

if you're going "just basic" why go with a Q9450? That dont sound basic to me. lol. Why not spend less on the cpu and more on the video? Or just go with onboard video?

That's a very good point! maybe he does Folding at home???? OP??? retaliation?

 

[ohiou_grad_06]

In case you are thinking on gaming later, Newegg.com has the 8800 gs for 150 for an overclocked edition, but 30 dollar mail in rebate, which should be considerably better than the other mentioned cards. If gaming. If not gaming, I would say the 8600 gts, or an overclocked 8600gt.

 

[jay2tall]

^
|
GOOD CALL!
You mean this? http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130332

He will need a better Power Supply though. Technically he may need a better one for the 8600GTS regardless, it has a 6 pin PCI-E connector.

OP: What PSU do you have?

 

[rozar]

I work at a very large nation wide system builder. As you can guess most of what we build is Servers, Office Desktops and Notebooks. We dont really build "gaming" or "enthusiast" type systems. Thats the reason I dont keep up with video cards.

So as far as the chassis or the power supply goes I can use whatever is needed. The 450 watt PS I had in mind is server grade and likely rated very conservatively. The main reason for the $350 processor is the user of this machine will keep it until it dies. (She kept the last one 7 years)

 

[jay2tall]

does the PSU have a 6pin connector? if you are stuck with THAT psu and no connector I would just get the 8600GT. Sounds like this PC is NOT for you and the person recieving it is just going to use it for general desktop items.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150229

 

[jay2tall]

Does the PSU have a 6pin connector? if you are stuck with THAT psu and no connector I would just get the 8600GT, it takes it's power from the PCI-e bus. Sounds like this PC is NOT for you and the person receiving it is just going to use it for general desktop items.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150229

 

[rozar]

I do not have a 6 pin connector but I have the adapters that I can use. Its basically 2 - 12v lines. The power budget for this system is very low so there should plenty of power.

Board-25 watts
Hdd-15 watts
Memory-12 watts each
CPU-95 watts
Optical-10 watts

Roughly 170 watts before a video card.

 

[pauldh]

For a 22" LCD and 16x10 native res gaming, you just have to IMO spend the extra few bucks for the 8800GS. The 8600GTS is the best sub $100 card now, but the 8800GS is so much better and just $110 AR, that you are getting alot more for the money and a card capable of better handling that resolution.

Grab the evga 8800GS. You'll need a 6 pin PCI-e connector and about 26amps or higher on the 12v rail(s). The XFX 8800GS states a 500W PSU or greater (without specifying the 12v requirement) but that is assuming a very loaded QX6700 system and probably taking into account for some lousy 500W generics. I've used a couple 8800GS (and own one myself) and the Antec Earthwatts 430W(30 amp 12v) is powering two of those systems just fine. I bet the Earthwatts 380W would be fine too. Anyway, sounds like it wll be easy for you to find a psu to power it. But, Typically ones without 6-pin pci-e connectors are also low on the 12v rail too.

 

[jay2tall]

I guess the real question is, what will be done on this PC? You don't need much at all if you are going to be surfing the net and using a word processor. Maybe at most need something to run the Vista aero desktop.

 

[pauldh]

^ good point Jay. I now see he won't play games right now. Then a $60 HD2600XT or 8600GT is more than fine.

 

[jay2tall]

I do think every PC should have some sort of graphics card though. Even if it's $50. They new 780G nvidia boards are nice though. They have an HD3200 built right into the thing. I think that's the only real onboard I could handle. haha

 

[chris312]

There's an x1950 pro for $50 shipped on eBay. I'm thinking about getting one. Sounds risky though!

 

[rozar]

wow 26 amp? @12v thats 312 watts just for that card. Does that card really demand that kind of power?

Thanks for the input guys, I think I will offer either the $60 ish 8600 GT card or the 8800 GS for $110 and see what she wants to do. I do not think power will be a problem with either card. Keep in mind this PS is out of a server. Intel 5275 chassis to be exact. This PS is very under rated at 450 watts.

 

[pauldh]

I do think every PC should have some sort of graphics card though. Even if it's $50. They new 780G nvidia boards are nice though. They have an HD3200 built right into the thing. I think that's the only real onboard I could handle. haha

Yep. Worse yet though is integrated without expansion. You know the people who get Dell'd and end up with disposables rather than upgradeables.

Just today I was working on an emachines for someone. (Blown power supply). it had 256MB shared mem only and a 2.66GHz Celeron D. Thing took forever to boot up, never mind running multiple aps, so we added a stick of 512MB. Anyway, She asked will the memory help for games, and I had to kindly point out that there is no AGP or PCI-e slot on their mobo, so you have very few options for upgrading this for any gaming. But the mem helped a ton in boot up time as she quickly saw.

 

[jay2tall]

There's an x1950 pro for $50 shipped on eBay. I'm thinking about getting one. Sounds risky though!

I sell old electronics on eBay I don't buy they. to risky. There is to much unloading of bad parts on there. I'm not one of them, but its a risk non-the-less.

 

[jay2tall]

wow 26 amp? @12v thats 312 watts just for that card. Does that card really demand that kind of power?

Thanks for the input guys, I think I will offer either the $60 ish 8600 GT card or the 8800 GS for $110 and see what she wants to do. I do not think power will be a problem with either card. Keep in mind this PS is out of a server. Intel 5275 chassis to be exact. This PS is very under rated at 450 watts.

That is correct. the x1950pro is an old card that sucks power. I had the x1900xtx and that thing was a monster as well. They used a 90nm GPU, the newer ones use a 55nm chip. MUCH MUCH better on power. Nvidia uses 60nm chips I believe.. Solitaire does NOT count.

Honestly, unless you are gaming the 8800GS would sorta be a waste. not really a benefit. It's a good light gamer card, that was it's intent. 8600's are mainstream cards for general use. A 8800GS won't make your desktop or apps look any better. Unless they kick into directX mode or something like that.

 

[pauldh]

Not 26 amps for the card. 26 amps for the whole system. And that's just my recomendation as a safe zone. Less may be fine since the system isn't loaded, but building new I would not put an 8800GS into a Quad core system with less than 26 amps of 12v. Even the 8600GT I'd want over 20 amps if building it new.

edit: BTW, For the X1950 pro they recommend 30 amps.

 

[chris312]

http://cgi.ebay.com/Sapphire-ATI-Radeon-X1950Pro-256MB-2DVI-HDTV-PCI-Expres_W0QQitemZ190208208853QQihZ009QQcategoryZ74957QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQ_trksidZp1638.m118.l1247QQcmdZViewItem

It's a refurbished part. I may have to think about this again.

My other choices are the ~$95 8600gt and the slightly more expensive 8600GTS - as nice as the 8800gs is, it's more than I want to pay, because this card will just be to hold me over until the summer when the new generation cards are released.

(I'm upgrading from Socket 478 to LGA 775 and from AGP to PCI-e, so that's why I'm looking for a cheap PCIe card)

 

[pauldh]

chris, take a look at the HD2600XT. In many new games it keeps up with the X1950 pro without fsaa. With fsaa, the X1950 pro pulls ahead. But the HD2600XT is better than the 8600GT more often than not, especially without fsaa.

High clocked GDDR4 HD2600XT with the Witcher game for $62 AR + shipping. I bought one of these. Apart from it being a little noisy (a not terribly loud but definately audible constant 100% fan like so many 8600GTS cards too), this is very nice for the money. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127305

edit: here are Some game benchies where the HD2600XT shines:
UT3 - http://www.anandtech.com/video/showdoc.aspx?i=3128&p=4
HL2 ep2 - http://www.anandtech.com/video/showdoc.aspx?i=3122&p=3
TF2 - http://www.legionhardware.com/document.php?id=691&p=2
Crysis - http://www.legionhardware.com/document.php?id=698&p=2
MOH:Airborne - http://www.legionhardware.com/document.php?id=683&p=2

 

[radguy]

idk about your thinking on this. Today the 8800gs is not going to help much with anything but if this computer is ment to last in 3 or 4 years it could really help with some non gaming programs then over an 8600 or 3650. I never get a computer without at least some graphics power. 4 years ago i made sure to get 64mb 9800 mobilty radeon on my laptop i think it was an extra 150 but today I don't think my laptop would run without it. 1009 on pcmark03 (pentium m 1.6 512 ram) but xp is very slow today on that laptop but it wasn't 4 years ago but the light graphic stuff still goes over ok. internet explorer 7, window media player 11 etc. as updates come i think you need more and more hardware to run basic stuff. So if your going to upgrad or get a new pc in a year or 2 i think the 3650 or 8600 is fine but to future proof a q9450 id go with an 8800 gs for just a bit more money. 7 years is a long time! Its really hard to run a computer even with xp on a 5 year onboard video card. Thats just my opinion though.