AGP GPU upgrade

[velleos]

I am looking for the best AGP video card, for the best price. My old FX 5500 died, and I'm using a 5200 as backup.

In general, the trend I've seen is that to use the old AGP standard, I have to pay twice as much, for half the performance. But, I only have about $100 to spend, until I save up to build a new computer.

I am considering the Radeon HD 4650

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=5367566&CatId=3669

 

[velleos]

one other question. I'm using an old system, with a single core processor and DDR RAM. Is it possible that the system will not be able to use all of the card's resources?

Would I be better off getting a weaker card?

 

[megamanx00]

You would be better off with a weaker card, especially if your CPU is a P4 below 3.0 Ghz or an Athlon XP. A radeon 3650 or 2600XT should be fine.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814131173

If you have a better CPU though, then it may be worth it to spend a few more bucks on that 4650 with DDR3.

 

[megamanx00]

Well, even if you had a 3.8Ghz P4 or Athlon 64 4000+, and dual channel RAM, a 4650 with DDR3 would still be held back by the rest of your system, but at least in such a configuration it would demonstrate a benefit over just a 3650 or 2600XT

 

[velleos]

I was about to leave for work, and in a hurry when I made my post. I thought I would update with some better info.

I'm using an Athlon XP 3200+, 2.2 ghz CPU(200mhz bus), and
1.5 gb DDR RAM(157.1Mhz frequency)

I really wanted to get a decent card, maybe a geforce 9800 GT, but they don't make it in AGP, and at least the 4650 performed better than the geforce 9500, which was the best I could find in AGP from Nvidia.

My issue, though, is that I have to pay much higher prices for performance in AGP, and when I build my next system, it won't have AGP, since PCI-Express replaced everything.

So, even though I want the best performance I can get on an AGP motherboard, I don't want the card to be held back by the motherboard and CPU, and I'm also not too keen on shelling out more money, on a card that will be incompatible with all newer motherboards.

 

[batuchka]

To be honest:

If your reason to upgrade is for gaming then i hate to say it but a single core, DDR platform with AGP expansion slot has its best days way behind it So i wouldn't pump anymore $$ on it....

 

[tvtuner]

Hey Velleos,

I am suffering the exact same problem you find yourself facing and I also have a severe cash crunch. My system is about 6+ years old.

P4 2.4GHz,
Asus P4XP-X Mobo
KIngston 1GB DDR SDRAM,
ATI 9600 128Mb graphics card(not sure if it's SE/LE/XT)
Seagate 7200.12 40Gb HDD
Viewsonic 19" LCD Monitor

The problem is that the fan on my graphics card has stopped functioning and finding a totally new AGP card, let alone a replacement fan is proving to be quite a daunting task. I'm located in India and the only available AGP card here is the Gefore FX5500 by Sparkle and Galaxy and costs more than I would like to spend on such an old system. My question is that are there any identical fans available in the US and for how much? If yes, could someone please provide details. I'd rather make do with a new fan and then save up cash for a more up-to-date system rather than shell out $$ on a card that is inferior to my current card(Do correct me if I'm wrong) and will be redundant once the new system arrives.

Thanks a bunch.

 

[velleos]

TvTuner, you should get some compressed air, and clean the fan, see if it works. If not, you can order a new fan, or a new card. If your local market doesn't have a ready supply of cards, try ordering online.

www.tigerdirect.com is a good place to start, also
www.newegg.com

Use http://www.gpureview.com/show_cards.php to compare the performance
of cards side-by-side.

And use www.pricewatch.com to compare the prices on that card between different sites.

There's also always any local equivalent of craigslist or ebay, to try.

Just be sure, that if you decide to replace the fan, that it doesn't cost more than replacing the card itself. Remember that it's an old card, and you don't want to sink too much money into it.

 

[velleos]

Best answer selected by velleos.

 

[velleos]

To batuchka,

I appreciate the honesty, and it almost isn't worth sinking any more money into. But I plan to use this computer for playing old games, and may give it to a friend. It needs to be able to handle HL2 Source games, and perform general functions well for years to come.

I'll probably spend $60 on the weaker card, and put the savings toward my new build. On that note, any suggestions(or threads) for building the best machine for the least money? Target budget: Less than $300


Thank you all for your help, and I'll do what I can to return the favor to the community.^_^

 

[megamanx00]

Well, $300 bucks is a tight budget. Your best bet is to build something you can upgrade. You should consider the intervals between upgrades. The most important part to consider is the motherboard. For the short term you will have to reuse as many of your current components as possible. If you have a micro-atx case, then you will need to get a micro-atx board that will fit or make the added expense of also buying a case. Anyway, here is a budget build

ASRock M3A770DE AM3 $59.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157176

AMD Athlon II X2 240 Regor $58.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103688

Crucial 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 $54.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148194

BIOSTAR VA4673NH51-B Radeon HD 4670 512MB $62.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814141114

APEVIA X-Dreamer ATXB3KLW-BL $54.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811144002

$291.95 (without shipping)

This is of course re-using your old hard drive, optical drive, monitor, OS, and peripherals. The motherboard is a good option of overclocking the system and accepts more powerful quad core AM3 CPUs, and hopefully AMDs next generation of AM3 CPUs. ASRock is pretty good about CPU support. If you re-use your old case and PSU, then you could go with a more powerful GPU and 4GB of RAM. You could also just use your current case and get a better PSU that will handle your future upgrades. A more powerful GPU than the 4670 would certainly require a better PSU than the one that comes in the X-Dreamer. Of course, the case is also a personal preference ^_^