Help me pick a video card

[Speedgnom]

Hello.I am thinking of buying a new video card.I am thinking of buying the XFX GF 8600 so i want to ask is it compatible .If you have other options for video cards feel free to post.

Here is my system:

CPU: AMD Athlon 64 X2 5200+
Mother Board: GIGABYTE M61PME-S2 ddr2/Sata2/6100+PCI-E s.AM2
RAM: A-Data DDR2 2GB PC2-6400/800 MHz
Case power supply: Quantum ATX 400W 24 pin

 

[neon neophyte]

should be fine.

8600 alternative is a 4670, same price. lil bit better performance on the 4670. no cuda.

*edit* oops, im thinking of the 9600s. the 8600s are a touch slow.

 

[coozie7]

What is the main use of the machine?
The 8600 is a terrible choice for games and only so-so for video playback.

 

[Speedgnom]

Well the main use for the machine will be games,movies,music.
A friend of mine has this video card and he can play Crysis on max settings with resolution of 1024x768(not sure about the resolution) so why is it bad for gaming?

 

[coozie7]

What resolution will YOU be using?
And your friend will be playing a low settings, even at that resolution, a terrible waste of a truly beautiful game.
I would suggest the HD4670/9600GT/9600GSO as a maximum, anything more will need a more powerful powersupply.

 

[Speedgnom]

So 9600GT is fully compatible with my mother board and power supply?

 

[coozie7]

If the PSU has a 6 pin PCI-E connector, yes, the 9600GT will run.
If the PSU does not have a 6 pin PCI-E connector, get the HD4670 instead or you'll need to use molex/PCI-E power adaptors, which should be avoided like the Plague.