I need graphics card advice

[spldart]

I have just assembled a desktop with a bunch of spare parts and a 'new' old stock apollo chipset motherboard.
fsb is set to 100 mghz
cpu multplier is set to 5x
CPU is amd k6 2 500 with (3dnow I believe)
I have an AGP slot on this socket 7 board.
I am currently running 3 sticks of 128 sdram and I have thrown in an ATI Xpert 98 (PCI version) vid card.

What would be the some good agp video cards to consider? Obviously the latest greatest stuff probably would be wasted on this platform so what would be the point at which diminshing returns becomes an issue.

 

[chuck232]

Ummm... best choices would probably be a Radeon 32MB DDR or a GF2 GTS. I'm not sure how a K6-500 compares to a PIII500, cause that's what I'm using as a reference point.

What's the deal with lampshades, I mean it's a lamp, why would you want a shade?

 

[starvinmarvin]

First question: What is performance like with the ATI card you threw in ? If it works OK why change it ? Reasonable performance can be had from a GF2 MX400 card for around $45 incl. shipping ( www.pricewatch.com ). Then for every $20 or $25 more you spend you get another step up the ladder, like Radeon7500 for $66, or even Radeon8500LE for $99. Could you possibly see transferring the card to a better computer in 6 mos. or a year ? If so, maybe spend the $99 !

 

[spldart]

I'm upgrading in order to make the most of this compy combination. I don't plan on moving the card to a better compy anytime soon. My nice desktop runs a ati 7500 all in wonder 64 and athlon xp 1800+. The compy I'm asking about is just a secondary machine. The performance is ok but jumpy at times. I was hoping to get a bit smoother operation from an affordable card. 100 bux is to much to spend on a machine made from scrap parts. I was thinking 50 or 60 at the most online price. (pricewatch or newegg)

Isn't a radeon 7500 or 8500 a total overkill with a 500 mghz amd k6 2???

 

[spldart]

I think I'm liking the gforce 2 mx400 idea...is this the way to go over the gforce 2 gts?

 

[chuck232]

Yes for the R8500, the R7500 would be pushing it. A Radeon 32MB DDR goes for about $44 on pricewatch and a GF2 GTS 32MB DDR goes for $45... Not too much difference.

EDIT: The GF2 GTS outperforms the Radeon 32MB by about 15% or more at times. I'd go for that. A 64MB version of the GTS is $8 more at $53.

What's the deal with lampshades, I mean it's a lamp, why would you want a shade? <P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by Chuck232 on 06/23/02 08:52 PM.</EM></FONT></P>

 

[spldart]

How does the mx400 with 32 or 64 meg stack up against the gts with 32meg

 

[chuck232]

Not even close. The 32MB version of the GTS is slightly slower than the 32MB and the 64MB version clobbers the MX400 64MB by about 80%. I'd say go for the GTS. I have a GF2 MX 32MB (which performs exactly the same as the 64MB version) on one of my machines a PIII600E with SDRAM (soon to be replaced by a RadeonAIW) and it basically maxes out. I get 2000-2050 points in 3D Mark 2K1 SE and a friend has the MX400 64MB in a P4 1.7 with RDRAM he only gets another 300-400 points more than me. I'd say go for the GTS 32MB.

What's the deal with lampshades, I mean it's a lamp, why would you want a shade?