Is a PCI GeForce FX 5500 better than an AGP Radeon 9700 Pro?

[rihallix]

I have a Radeon 9700 Pro AGP, but was just given a PNY GeForce FX 5500 PCI with 128MB DDR. I have a Dell 3.06Ghz P4 with AGP and PCI (not PCI express) slots, 1GB RAM.

Is it worth ripping the AGP Radeon out of my PC and replacing it with the GeForce 5500 PCI?

Thanks, appreciate some insight from the experts on this board.

Rihallix

 

[swaaye]

I have a Radeon 9700 Pro AGP, but was just given a PNY GeForce FX 5500 PCI with 128MB DDR. I have a Dell 3.06Ghz P4 with AGP and PCI (not PCI express) slots, 1GB RAM.

Is it worth ripping the AGP Radeon out of my PC and replacing it with the GeForce 5500 PCI?

Thanks, appreciate some insight from the experts on this board.

Rihallix

NO! A FX5500 uses the same chip as a FX5200, which means a Radeon 9550 will run with it nicely. A 9700 Pro can run with a 5950 Ultra if you play games that have any shading. Hell, a 9700 Pro will run Oblivion a lot better than any FX.

 

[BRiT]

Exactly what Swaaye said. It's not worth removing your AGP card. It might be a decent card to throw into a system that only has integrated video, like a matrox or tnt-mx level video...

 

[Albuquerque]

Exactly what Swaaye said. It's not worth removing your AGP card. It might be a decent card to throw into a system that only has integrated video, like a matrox or tnt-mx level video...

Heh, I was just thinking that. My younger (22yo) brother likes playing games occasionally, so a year ago I built him a cheap 1.4ghz Tually rig. The only problem was, it had no AGP slot and the best PCI card I could find at the time was an old TNT2. This post got me looking again; perhaps I'll get him an upgraded video card for his birthday later this month.

 

[rihallix]

Elaborate on "can/will run with..."

NO! A FX5500 uses the same chip as a FX5200, which means a Radeon 9550 will run with it nicely. A 9700 Pro can run with a 5950 Ultra if you play games that have any shading. Hell, a 9700 Pro will run Oblivion a lot better than any FX.

Are you suggesting:

1) The two cards can be paired together (in series),

2) I install both graphics cards but switch the VGA lead to the FX5500 for games requiring shading?

Thanks for the feedback, greatly appreciated,

 

[SugarCoat]

no hes saying throw the FX5500 high up on a shelf and forget about it.

 

[digitalwanderer]

You could do it, if you're a masochist who likes lousy/slow graphics.

 

[Blazkowicz]

Heh, I was just thinking that. My younger (22yo) brother likes playing games occasionally, so a year ago I built him a cheap 1.4ghz Tually rig. The only problem was, it had no AGP slot and the best PCI card I could find at the time was an old TNT2. This post got me looking again; perhaps I'll get him an upgraded video card for his birthday later this month.

or for cheap you could get him a geforce 6100 asrock mobo, sempron and 512MB PC3200 stick, then use his parts for geeky stuff (server, linux), sell them or build a great browsing/office/general use PC for somebody.
PCI vid cards are overpriced slow crap (usually with 64bit geforce FX 5200-5500 or radeon 9250)

 

[Pete]

rihallix, by "run with" he meant compete with. A 9700 should be at least twice as fast as a 5500 at 1024x768 and above. Practically the only advantages a 5500 has over a 9700 is lower power draw and better Linux support, neither of which are much comfort to a gamer.

 

[swaaye]

Yah I meant that basically a FX5500 is really a useless card to anyone who wants to play a game made after 2001 or so.

This page sums it up nicely. A 9800PRO is basically a 9700PRO with a bit more clockspeed, and maybe 10% faster performance or so. Gives you some perspective on the FX5500 in the review.

Stay Clear of the FX Series.

 

[rihallix]

Thanks for all the advice. I put the 5500 up on eBay and will be contributing the estimated $45 proceeds towards a 19" widescreen monitor (and sticking with my Radeon 9700 Pro for at least 6 months).

 

[Moloch]

In my experience ati is about 2 or 3 generations behind nvidia so I think the nvidia card may be better.

 

[Chris123234]

In my experience ati is about 2 or 3 generations behind nvidia so I think the nvidia card may be better.

LOL...

 

[BRiT]

In my experience ati is about 2 or 3 generations behind nvidia so I think the nvidia card may be better.

Someone forgot the "" or "" or "" smilies...

 

[Moloch]

Someone forgot the "" or "" or "" smilies...

I assure you I did not

 

[swaaye]

LOL. OMG. Radeonic may be onto something here.........

 

[Lezmaka]

LOL. OMG. Radeonic may be onto something here.........

OK, I don't really know what you're thinking, so I'm just gonna take as you made a typo...

LOL. OMG. Radeonic may be on something here.........

as in, something hallucinogenic.

 

[ANova]

Radeonic on shrooms? That's a scary thought.

 

[neliz]

Radeonic on shrooms? That's a scary thought.

Maybe he just quit?

 

[Moloch]

You guys are crazy.. maaannnnn.
Nvidia rox0rs my box0rs