Tom's Hardware > Forum > Graphic & Displays > TV/Video Cards > Best sub $225 video card?
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Tilepusher2   02-01-2003 at 02:50:01 AM

Hi Guys,

This is my first post in this group & I need your help.

I am building a new system based on a Athlon XP 2100+ & Win XP Home Ed with 512mb PC2100 Micron DDR. I would like to get the best video card for gaming that my $225 can get. Looking to buy/build in 2 weeks. I am leaning toward the Gainward Ti 4400 128mb 3.6ns Golden Sample for $195 from Newegg.com. or maybe the Gainward Ti 4200 128mb 3.3ns Golden Sample for $199 or Sapphire Ati OEM Bulk Radeon 9700 128mb(not "Pro" ) for $236-if the prices come down in 2 weeks.

Are there any other cards that I should be looking at for my budget & time frame? What would you suggest? The mobo chipset is a Via KM266 if it matters & it is in a Shuttle XPC system.

Thanks & Peace..............tile2

Why do you want to believe me?

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Crashman   02-01-2003 at 08:04:38 AM
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OH! That 9700 is a great card. Did you know that you can convert the 9500 non-pro 128MB Saphire card to a 9700 non-pro through software?

<font color=blue>You're posting in a forum with class. It may be third class, but it's still class!</font color=blue>

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Tilepusher2   02-01-2003 at 02:19:37 PM
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Yo Crashman,

What can you convert the 9700 non-pro to? Also a lot of people have been having problems with the Ati Drivers & getting the card to run, should I just blow it off as inexperienced newbie errors & get a Ati Radeon 9700 or 9500 pro? The 9500 pro runs $180(oem bulk) & the 9500 non-pro runs $159.

The reviews that I have read the GF4 4200/4400's are faster than the 9500's in most benchmarks. I also like the nVidia Drivers(when they work) better. What I don't know about is the Ati Radeon 9700 non-pro. It has got to be stable & able to over-clock(or perform better than the nVidia cards) in this Shuttle Aluminium Easy Bake Oven............What do you think? What would you go with? Thanks Again

Peace Out.................tile2

Why do you want to believe me?

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Crashman   02-01-2003 at 09:52:59 PM
- 0 +

A long time ago I bought a cheap upgradable card, the Radeon LE. NOT the 8500LE, simply the Radeon LE. It was a cheap version of the Radeon DDR card, and sat on the 64MB VIVO PCB, but used 32MB. I got the TVO version, which didn't have the "VI" part of the VIVO. I modified it to stock Radeon DDR speeds, but when I wanted to upgrade, noone would buy my modified card. People seem to fear the modified cards. So I'd probably wait a bit longer for the 9700 Pro to drop in price, simply because if I later decided to upgrade to the next hot card, the REAL 9700 Pro would be easier to resell.

Having said that, here's the deal. The Radeon 9500 non-pro 128MB from Saphire sits on the 9700 PCB. I believe they might be 9700 Pro cards that failed testing at full speed. They are oddball cards in that they have the 256-bit memory interface of the 9700 and only 4 pipeline enabled. Now the 9500 Pro has 128-bit RAM and 8-pipelines, so it performs better. But you can't get the memory to work at 256-bit, so upgrading the 9500 Pro to 9700 spec is impossible. A bit of hardware can re-enable the other four pipelines on the 128MB 9500 Non-Pro, so that making a 9700 non-pro out of a 9500 Non-Pro is easy, if you get the right card. It usually works with the right card, but some people have had artifacts appear in their images after doing the hack. Undoing the hack is as simple as reinstalling the drivers. It's a risk, you save some money, if all goes well you have 9700 Non-Pro perfomance for $160. If it doesn't work, you still have a $160 card.

If you can spare the money, the 9700 is a sure thing, no risk involved. And most will overclock to retail speeds or higher.

<font color=blue>There are no stupid questions, only stupid people doling out faulty information based upon rumors, myths, and poor logic!</font color=blue>

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Tilepusher2   02-02-2003 at 01:32:36 AM
- 0 +

Yo Crashman,

Thanks! That put everything into perspective for me! I also checked out the THG VGA charts, & for $180 the Ati Radeon 9500 pro looks like a winner! The 9500 non pro is not in stock, but in 2 weeks, I might consider that tweaking route. I guess I just got caught up in looking at the 3.3ns fast DDR of some of the GF4 card setups.

Peace Out..............tile2

Why do you want to believe me?

Reply to Tilepusher2
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