Stuck Between 2 Video Cards

2600xt is slightly faster. Although both are slow.

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Diamond/HD_4870/23.h...

They aren't slow for a power supply like mine.

Also I'm upgrading from a 7350 LE, so nearly anything would be better...
I'd like to see real benchmarks for the 2600XT 256MB GDDR4 model, and if possible, the overclocked model. I just can't find any..

It would be wise to up the budget to $100 or so if you play anything other than solitare.

well we aren't all rich and this didn't answer my question at all...

That chart is the average of all games at all resolutions/aa settings. Flip through the pages in that review for individual games.

Radeon 3650?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
Or even a 4650 if you can go up to $70
3650 uses less power then a 2600xt I think, and would be better for your psu, should oc better too (ish)

^+1

You can get 3650's for that price, which will smoke the 2600. I wouldn't get a 2000 series card - they're real finicky and don't do well with...anything, really.

I'd recommend using the $50 to buy a better power supply instead.

roadrunner has a pretty legitimate point though. Of course it all depends on the rest of your system, which ultimately will affect the performance of any other video card you install. Understanding that you're on a budget (most of us are) I can see why you're set at $50. However, I think roadrunner's point is that even with the cards you're looking at, you won't find very great performance for any modern games.

Another person suggested a better power supply, which may not be a bad idea (it'll allow you to run more modern video cards). Of course, the problem there is that means spending $50 on a PSU, and then $100 or so on a better video card.

I'm curious as to what the rest of your system components look like. It may or may not even be worth spending $50 on a 'newer' video card.

That I am too. Also, what resolution do you game at?

If you want to play games, I suggest to increase your budget a little, and don't go below this card:

POWERCOLOR AX4670 512MD3-P Radeon HD 4670 512MB 128-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - Retail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

If you're in a tight spot at the moment and don't mind trying your luck with your PSU, then this might fit the bill:

Recertified: EVGA 384-P3-N966-RX GeForce 9600 GSO 384MB 192-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

HP m8120n (now with 3GB of ram rather than the initial 2GB)

1280x1024

I'm not considering a better PSU, as there are plenty of cards that work well enough on the 300W I have. Also, I've heard for some odd reason that power supplies over 350W dont get along well with my computer...

With that being said, I've found out that the 8600 GTS has much better performance than the 2600XT w/ GDDR4.

As far as gaming, the next big step up from the 8600 GTS is the 9600 GSO or 3850, which are both out of my price range by a large margin.

Since when did the 8600 GTS become a not-so-good card? its price to performance ratio cant be beat as far as i can see...

The 8600GTS was never a good card to start with, if you look into older threads the 8600 series were considered junk by many of us, because they failed to deliver decent budget performance.

It wasn't a good move to buy an 8600/HD 2600 card back then and it sure isn't a good move to buy it now. If money is THAT tight, then get the recertified 9600GSO I showed you, otherwise just hold your purchase until you can get at least $20 (which shouldn't really take more than a few days at most...)

^+1. I too would recommend getting a new PSU and a new card if you are gaming. You can get a 9800GT for < $100 after MIR.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=E...

If not gaming, any cheap card would work fine.

8600gts is the best bet but for 70 you can get a 9500GT WITH DDR3

definitely consider spending slightly more money and get a 4650 or even a 4670.

Definitely look at the $100 price point. Lots of bang for the buck value there.

Black Friday is the 28th. Keep your eye on the adds for the recomended cards above.