Looking for the right graphic card

[barjack]

Right now i need help, i am looking to buy a new graphics card so i can keep up with the games, but i really don't know what to look fore.
what i have right now is a Nvidia geforce4 mx440 with tv out

I want something better i was wanting something that could keep up or could stand a chance agaist the newer games coming out. if i need to put anything else feel free to ask.

 

[digitalwanderer]

What are the specs of the rest of your system? Are you looking for AGP or PCIe, and what is your budget?

 

[{Sniping}Waste]

He has a GF4 MX440 so his mobo is AGP. The top dogs for AGP now is NV 7800GS and ATI X850 XTPE. Both are expensive for what they are. If you have $300 then go for a 7800GS or X850XTPE. For under $200 theres ATI X800GTO and NV 7600GS.

 

[barjack]

What are the specs of the rest of your system? Are you looking for AGP or PCIe, and what is your budget?

My specs as follows:

2.66 GHZ Pentium 4
512 ram
120+200 gb hard drvies
dvd/cd
cd

what else should i be looking for.
Budget wise $150-300

nothing to price-ie, jsut a college student here

 

[barjack]

He has a GF4 MX440 so his mobo is AGP. The top dogs for AGP now is NV 7800GS and ATI X850 XTPE. Both are expensive for what they are. If you have $300 then go for a 7800GS or X850XTPE. For under $200 theres ATI X800GTO and NV 7600GS.

okay, slow down most of that jsut went over my head if you don't mind explain......

mobo?
AGP?

Ive looked at the 7800 before but i always here good things about ATI.

How would i find out compatiablity?

 

[digitalwanderer]

2.66 GHZ Pentium 4
512 ram
120+200 gb hard drvies
dvd/cd
cd

what else should i be looking for.
Budget wise $150-300

Another 512Mb and a new viddy card should help a lot.

Snipe is right, an X800 would do...and there have just been some nice price cuts to the ATi All In Wonder X800 XT which would game ya proper and has a TV tuner built in...and for $179 ain't bad.

I'd get the AIW X800 XT over the X800GTO, the XT has 16 pipes where the GTO only has 12.

EDITED BITS: Oh, and if you can't wait the four days until they get more in stock you can always pick up one from somewhere else...cheapest I see is $161 shipped out of Dayton, OH.

EDITED BITS II: Double-oh, give up any thought of getting a 7800GS. They start out at $292 and go up from there.

I had no idea there was that much difference in price, the X800 XT seems a no-brainer.

 

[barjack]

Another 512Mb and a new viddy card should help a lot.

Snipe is right, an X800 would do...and there have just been some nice price cuts to the ATi All In Wonder X800 XT which would game ya proper and has a TV tuner built in...and for $179 ain't bad.

I'd get the AIW X800 XT over the X800GTO, the XT has 16 pipes where the GTO only has 12.

EDITED BITS: Oh, and if you can't wait the four days until they get more in stock you can always pick up one from somewhere else...cheapest I see is $161 shipped out of Dayton, OH.

EDITED BITS II: Double-oh, give up any thought of getting a 7800GS. They start out at $292 and go up from there.

I had no idea there was that much difference in price, the X800 XT seems a no-brainer.

what do pipes mean, sorry i know i ask alot, do you think i would need another fan, and as to how to install it could i get the people at compusa to do it? and could i buy the card fromthem ?

 

[dizietsma]

Whatever you get you are going to see a massive improvment as you move to DX9 / DX8 from your current DX7 base .. you'll have a lot of fun.

Good luck with the search.

 

[Sobek]

He has a GF4 MX440 so his mobo is AGP. The top dogs for AGP now is NV 7800GS and ATI X850 XTPE. Both are expensive for what they are. If you have $300 then go for a 7800GS or X850XTPE. For under $200 theres ATI X800GTO and NV 7600GS.

I think Digi's question was more aimed at determining two things, a.) What platform is he currently on (AGP, obviously), and b.) Is he looking to get another AGP videocard/Motherboard+videocard, or go PCI-E.

With those system specs, grabbing a reasonably high-end AGP card is a good choice, the move to a whole new system just wouldn't be worth it, too much sacrificed money to non-video related parts.

 

[barjack]

I think Digi's question was more aimed at determining two things, a.) What platform is he currently on (AGP, obviously), and b.) Is he looking to get another AGP videocard/Motherboard+videocard, or go PCI-E.

With those system specs, grabbing a reasonably high-end AGP card is a good choice, the move to a whole new system just wouldn't be worth it, too much sacrificed money to non-video related parts.

Okay thanks guys, I think i will just set my sights on ATi All In Wonder X800 XT since it seems that might work.

Now my next question how to install it: is this something i should do my self or should i have a prefessional do it?

 

[{Sniping}Waste]

Sorry about that Barjack. Mobo means motherboard for short. There are 2 types of video cards interface now AGP is the older one and the newer one is PCI-E 16X. Your motherboard will determan what video card to get in your case you have a motherboard that uses AGP interface so you need to get a AGP card and the ATI AIW X800XT is a AGP card interface.

Hope this explans things for you.

 

[Sxotty]

Buy a used card, don't even spend >$!00 for an AGP card.
The AIW x1900 is only $229 so you can see PCIe cards are way better in bang for the buck.

 

[barjack]

Sorry about that Barjack. Mobo means motherboard for short. There are 2 types of video cards interface now AGP is the older one and the newer one is PCI-E 16X. Your motherboard will determan what video card to get in your case you have a motherboard that uses AGP interface so you need to get a AGP card and the ATI AIW X800XT is a AGP card interface.

Hope this explans things for you.

Thanks waste this has helped out alot in narrowing my serch and what to look for in a graphics card