FX5500 OR Ti 4200

[Simpleton]

I need to replace my aging video card(have an NVIDIA Ge Force Ti 500)which is starting to lock up while playing video games.I may have an overheating problem.
This for an older computer. I am thinking to buy either the NVIDIA Ge Force FX 5500 or the Ti 4200
Also...do I have to reformat my Hard Drive to install the new card?...
I selected those cards because my puter is over 3 years old
and will be replace with a new one soon...but mean time video card needs to be replaced.
System😀ELL 8100 series
Pentium 4 1400 Mghz
40 gigs HD
Creativelabs Soundblaster card
250 megs of RAM
Windows XP Home edition upgrade.
Nvidia Ge Force Ti 500 card

 

[diesel23]

hi there...
I have a Ti4200 128mb card that I am upgrading from.
Good card still to this date. Getting good FPS in most games.
The new card should be here tomorrow. So if you want my card, I will put it on ebay.

For a new card you dont reformat the drive. Usually remove the old drivers then install the new ones. They can be downloaded from the manufacturers site.



P4 3.0Ghz
Intel D865GRH
512 PC3200 Dual Channel
Ti4200 128MB (6600gt soon)

 

[cleeve]

Choosing between the Ti4200 or FX5500... Hmmm. I believe the 5500 is an underclocked 5700. The Ti4200 is the safer bet, the 5500 might be good overclocked but at stock speeds I reckon the Ti4200 is better.

Honestly, if you're buying new in that price range your best bet is the Radeon 9600 PRO... quite a bit better than either of those choices.

[EDIT]
Had a look at some benches... the 5500 is not an impressive beast. Even overclocked, the 128-bit version isn't as fast as the ~$110 9600 PRO.
Add to this the problem that many of the the 5500 cards out there are crippled 64-bit cards, I'd stay away from it.

That leaves you with the Ti4200 which, while an amazing card in it's time card, is not something you should buy right now because of it's lack of DirectX 9 capability and lack of performance next to the 9600 PRO... the obvious choice in your price range.
________________
<b>Radeon <font color=red>9700 PRO</b></font color=red> <i>(o/c 332/345)</i>
<b>AthlonXP <font color=red>3200+</b></font color=red> <i>(Barton 2500+ o/c 400 FSB)</i>
<b>3dMark03: <font color=red>5,354</b>

 

[diesel23]

You can go here
<A HREF="http://www.ixbt.com/video2/over2k4-over.shtml" target="_new">http://www.ixbt.com/video2/over2k4-over.shtml</A>

benchmarks alot of cards. The ti4200 beats the fx5500.

P4 3.0Ghz
Intel D865GRH
512 PC3200 Dual Channel
Ti4200 128MB (6600gt soon)

 

[Cyrus]

If you want to replace your PC soon, I think you better go for the cheaper one (I don't know which one). But if I were you, I won't change my card (I still have my Ti200 works pretty well). If the problem is overheating, you should check your Ti500's heatsink and fan. I quess they need to be cleaned up. Add a bit oil on the fan's bearing if necessary.

You don't have to reformat your hard drive. Just plug in the new one and install the latest driver. If you're unsure, uninstall the driver before changing the card.

 

[Simpleton]

NEW DECISION...Based on Cleeve's sugestion.
Will the Radeon 9600 (not te Pro but the plain one)128 megs Memory 128 Bits memory Interface be a better choice?...

Also...going from an NVIDIA Ge Force to a ATI RADEON card will requiere any special procedure in the installation process?

Diesel...thanks for your offer...but I want a new card.Good luck on your sale tho.

 

[Plekto]

I'd get a used Ti4600. This was the top card made at the time and you need to spend $150 or more *today* to get a better card new. I'd buy a ti4600 used for ~100 and laugh at the fools who say they need DX9. Wait until DX10 and this whole PCIe/AGP nonsense is worked out.

Me? I gave my ti4400 as a holiday gift so *she* could play Sims2 and so on, which it does - get this - 20fps on her aging ASUS CUBX MB with a 900 mhz Celeron. First generation Celeron, first AGP motherboard ASUS made. 384 MB ram. 16 bit no-name soundcard. DMA nothing (original IDE) HD interface. Very deficient system in every respect. Yet, the 4400 makes the game playable for her, it does such a good job, even at AGP 1x speeds.

In my machine? Doom3 was playable if you turned off AA. I showed CS punks a thing or two for two years with that card. Heh. It really is the best design you can buy other than $200-$300 for a high-end card. As for brand? If your MB is ASUS, get an ASUS ti4600. This is the reference system that ASUS used to test all of its MBs a year or two ago, so driver issues are moot. I ran an ASUS MB/ASUS Video combo for two years and had *two* BSODs - both times from trying to drive my monitor higher than it could handle.(my bad, not the card or OS).

As for AGP? PCIe is a gimmick. AGP 8x is already faster than most every system can handle. Hence, my recommendation to wait a generation to see what really ends up being the way to go.

 

[cleeve]

I'd have to disagree with Plekto, there is no reason to buy the Ti4600 anymore unless it's for $80 or under. If you want to use a card to play newer titles, Dx9 shader power is quite useful, and it's becoming more and more necessary as newer titles come out. So unless you're only going to play old games, get a Dx9 card...

Why get an obsolete, used Ti4600 for $100 when you can have a better-performing Dx9 9600 PRO for ~$110? Doesn't make sense.

As far as the 9600 non-pro... well, if it's 128-bit it's not the worst card you can get if it's cheap enough... but the 9600 PRO is alot better if you can afford it.

If you can't, the 9600 non-pro isn't a bad choice... provided you're willing to overclock it to squeeze out the extra performance. 9600's are pretty much guaranteed to overclock to 9600 PRO speeds and higher on the core easily by installing a simple overclocking utility. Then again, your platform is probably going to limit you to the point where overclocking it won't make much of a difference.

Just make sure it's not a 64-bit version (9600SE). Has to be a true 128-bit version of the card, otherwise it isn't worth squat.

________________
<b>Radeon <font color=red>9700 PRO</b></font color=red> <i>(o/c 332/345)</i>
<b>AthlonXP <font color=red>3200+</b></font color=red> <i>(Barton 2500+ o/c 400 FSB)</i>
<b>3dMark03: <font color=red>5,354</b>

 

[diesel23]

When choosing my new card I had the same delimma.
For $180 you can pick up a new 9800 pro 256bit card. Its the best card in that price range, Ive been told.

P4 3.0Ghz
Intel D865GRH
512 PC3200 Dual Channel
Ti4200 128MB (6600gt soon)

 

[TheGreatGrapeApe]

I agree, no surprise there of course. The R9600 makes alot of sense. The GF4ti is a nice card but now you're stuck with less features. And I'm not just talking DX9, heck even a little DX8.1 difference is noticeable in games like Morrowind.

HL2 and others show parity between the R9600 and the GF4ti, and yet you get some nice new effects thrown in extra.

Should DX9 be the only reason to buy a card, of course not, we know that. The FX5200 and R9600<b>SE</b> wouldn't warrant that alone, but if you get similar performance, why not?

Also if you're stuck playing at 800x600 in modern games, why not have it look good. And of course pushing the AA/AF also will favour the R9600 series IMO.

The GF4ti was a great card in it's time, and is still capable, but I wouldn't recomend it for playing modern games when there are so many fine options in it's price range that better suit the games and their features.


- You need a licence to buy a gun, but they'll sell anyone a stamp <i>(or internet account)</i> ! - <font color=green>RED </font color=green> <font color=red> GREEN</font color=red> GA to SK

 

[TheGreatGrapeApe]

Just a thought, check the visual difference between the cards in the November Digit-Life digest screenies;

<A HREF="http://www.digit-life.com/articles2/digest3d/1104/itogi-video-gallery.html" target="_new">http://www.digit-life.com/articles2/digest3d/1104/itogi-video-gallery.html</A>

Some obvious detail differences in HL2 Canals, but not too much else; which is strange considering I know there are differences in Morrowind and other DX8.1 and DX9 optimized game as exposed best by this <A HREF="http://www.hardocp.com/article.html?art=NTUy" target="_new">[H] article</A>, but maybe they've found some visual work arounds. And while I'm not a proponent of just shiney water (pretty scenery doesn't replace good gameplay), if your getting about the same framerate, why not?

Really the only person who can say what's most important is you. I'd say the R9600series or even an FX5700non-ultra (not sure about the LE) would be wiser choices.


- You need a licence to buy a gun, but they'll sell anyone a stamp <i>(or internet account)</i> ! - <font color=green>RED </font color=green> <font color=red> GREEN</font color=red> GA to SK

 

[Simpleton]

THANKS FOR ALL THE INPUT.
Based on the qualified opinions entered...I decided to buy the Radeon 9600 Pro which at New Egg retails for 106 dollars(Powercolor) and I know there are stores that sells the card for less but they have an atrocious record of service to customers and some of them don't even list the full description of the card so U don't know what U R getting.

THANKS GUYS

 

[mrface]

i think powercolor makes some shady products.

can someone confirm this?

"Never underestimate the predictability of Stupidity."
<A HREF="http://www.cameronwilliamson.com" target="_new">-={Neurotic Narcissist.}=-</A>
<A HREF="http://www.youreadopted.com/" target="_new">Guess what?</A>

 

[TheGreatGrapeApe]

Yes we can confirm that PowerCrapper makes some shady products.

Make sure the PRO is indeed a 'PRO' and not a PRO-EZ.

<A HREF="http://forumz.tomshardware.com/hardware/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&p=423597#423597" target="_new">This recent thread</A> has a cautionary tale at the end of it, plus, click on the link in the Buyers Guide where I mention PowerCrapper underclocking cards given to reviewers.

I would avoid PC unless the price is significantly less than the rest and your options are limited.

Personally I recommend people avoid PowerCrapper and Gag'n'Puke like the plague.

Supposedly PC is trying to fix their image and produce better products, but that's not the case for the R9xxx generation!


- You need a licence to buy a gun, but they'll sell anyone a stamp <i>(or internet account)</i> ! - <font color=green>RED </font color=green> <font color=red> GREEN</font color=red> GA to SK

 

[Simpleton]

WOW!!! Thanks for the warning!!!...I will avoid Powercolor then. Back to the drawing board looking for a better brand of the 9600 Pro.

 

[mrface]

sapphire is good...

"Never underestimate the predictability of Stupidity."
<A HREF="http://www.cameronwilliamson.com" target="_new">-={Neurotic Narcissist.}=-</A>
<A HREF="http://www.youreadopted.com/" target="_new">Guess what?</A>

 

[pauldh]

The powercolor Pro-ez's on newegg are clocked 400/400 not 400/600.

<A HREF="http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=14-102-426&depa=1" target="_new">This Sapphire</A> is 400/600 and $104 shipped. I don't care for the puny orb though that so many of these 9600 pros have now.



<A HREF="http://service.futuremark.com/compare?2k3=3400555" target="_new"> My</A>
<A HREF="http://service.futuremark.com/compare?2k1=8268935" target="_new">Gamer</A>

 

[endyen]

A side warning. Going from nvidia to Ati can cause major problems. Many people have been able to avoid these by going to driver heaven to get driver cleaner <A HREF="http://www.drivercleaner.net/" target="_new">http://www.drivercleaner.net/</A>
That should save a lot of heartache, though it doesn't come with guarantees. Only a format, and clean os install comes with those.