Best sub-$100 video card?

Malo

Yak Mechanicum
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Yes it's not exactly an exciting range to purchase but I'm wanting to recommend a replacement for a friends computer. He's currently using a crappy 7300LE and doesn't really want to spend more than about $100. From what I can tell just from browsing newegg, the 2600XT seems like the best card available for sub $100. DX10 isn't part of consideration but it looks like the fastest card available for that price.
 
See if you can find an X19x0 series card on sale for that price. The 2600 series is just crap. Newegg has an X1950 Pro for $120 link.
 
I'd feel a lot more confident about an x1900 series than an 8600, especially if DX10 is not any part of the consideration. Last gen's top-end is almost always > this gen's mid-end.
 
this is what toms hardware thinks (couldnt find any numbers)

The X1950 PRO is still a very powerful card for the sale price. With no high-performance DirectX 10 cards under £100 to compete against it, the relatively powerful card is having it’s heyday. The card’s other competition is the 7900 GS and 8600 GTS, which are more expensive and offer similar performances.
 
Yeah it's a tough call though. If you go up to the X1950 Pro's price, you are getting awfully close to Radeon 3850 and X1950 Pro can't hold a candle to 3850. Buying a video card has never been such a difficult decision. There are so many cards out there at such close prices that you can just spend "a little more" and be a good bit faster. Endlessly "a little more". Radeon 3850 for $160? How about a 8800GT for $200? lol

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814161211

8600GT and HD2600XT perform similarly, btw. Not a bad deal for $75! C'mon! Yeah, dumb rebates, but still. If you want to use it in a HTPC someday, it also has that excellent video decoder onboard too. :)

As for Tom's Hardware: the VGA Charts are fun to mess with to see where cards sit relative to each other.
http://www23.tomshardware.com/graphics_2007.html?modelx=33&model1=858&model2=855&chart=296
 
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Thanks for the comments folks. from what I've been seeing (and as mentioned), the 8600GT and the 2600XT are pretty close in speed so either one would probably do the job. The X1950Pro is about $140 or higher so it is close and definitely a better option, up to him I guess how much he wants to spend. But yes as he gets slightly higher and higher, the 3850 will be the best performance for dollar card.
 
Thanks for the comments folks. from what I've been seeing (and as mentioned), the 8600GT and the 2600XT are pretty close in speed so either one would probably do the job. The X1950Pro is about $140 or higher so it is close and definitely a better option, up to him I guess how much he wants to spend. But yes as he gets slightly higher and higher, the 3850 will be the best performance for dollar card.

I linked you to an X1950 Pro @ Newegg that is $120.

Edit: and then they deactivated it. Jerkfaces... Oh well. Get an HD 3850 and be happy for years to come then.
 
Sucks on that $120 1950 :(

But yeah, if your buddy can swing the $160, the 3850 will stomp a hole in every other option he's considered or we've mentioned in this thread. Even moreso if he ever intends to overclock it; quite a few of the 3850's get some really good OC results.
 
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