video card advise

[dinkster9]

Howdy all, new to the posting thing, however been a reader of tomshardware for a long time now. I have a quick question for anyone who cares to give me a few minutes of their time. I'm planning on buying a new video card because my generic gforce 256 32meg is horrible. (most likely because its not really a gforce, lol). Anyway, i'm looking to spend less than or around 150 bucks for this new video card. From all the reviews I have read and all the postings i've had the time to read, it seems that I have plenty of options open to me. So far that best i've seen for the price was the

MSI StarForce 831, GeForce2 Pro, 64MB DDR RAM, 5.5 ns. Heat Sink.

its got the 64megs of ddr ram 400mhz, but i can't find the spec file on it to know if the memory pipeline is small like most of the mx ddr's or larger like, I've heard that the pro and ultras use the higher pipeline makeing the DDR worthwhile.

So If anyone can give me a little advise on what they think is the best card for the money under 150 it would be much appriciated.

Thanks,
Dink9

 

[Guest]

If it is a geforce 2 Pro than it doens't have any limitations the MX series has. The way the MX is cut down for speed is, it is either limited to sdram with 128bit bus or ddram with a 64bit bus (removing the purpose of having DDR). Again, no Pro card has this limitation.

If you give your full system information we'd be able to recommend you the best video card to match the rest of your system.

 

[dinkster9]

Sorry, forgot to include system information:

Windows98SE
asus k7v mobo w/sound
2 x 256mb micron 7.5ns pc-133 cas2/cl2 ram
AMD Athlon 700mhz
16x slot loading pioneer dvd player/40x cdrom
19 flat screen mitsubshi 900u monitor
generic 32mb gforce 256...

Nothing is overclocked, ram / mobo are running 133mhz

 

[Guest]

If your not going to be overclocking then it doesn't really matter what video card brand you get. In that case just look to see other peoples experiences with that brand and what their technical support is like. With a 700mhz cpu you should be looking to a Geforce 2 card or radeon. What is more important to you? Raw speed and ok image quality or good speed and great image quality?

 

[dinkster9]

MY GOAL = Great speed, AWESOME image quality.

 

[khha4113]

<b>AWESOME image quality</b>

Get ATI Radeon, it has better image quality than Geforce,

<b>Great speed</b>

but then get Geforce because it has better speed!!!

Good or Bad have no meaning at all, depends on what your point of view is.

 

[FatBurger]

I smell a Radeon fan in m_kelder.

------------------------------
Apple? Macintosh? What are these strange words you speak?

 

[noko]

The Radeon had great image quality and are fast. Radeon's cost anywhere from $70 (Radeon LE) to around $200 for a Radeon All-In-Wonder. The newer Radeon 64 VIVO (64meg DDR) are faster Radeons coming with 200mhz core and 400mhz memory speed with 5ns ram. The price for the speedier Radeon64 is around $150. I have a Radeon 64 which I bought last year which came with 5.5ns ram clocked at 183/183 core/mem. I've never have been more happier with a video card, image quality is superb and I play all my games at max settings without any problems. I do recommend a 64 meg board if you want the best image quality that way you won't have to use compressed textures.

 

[Guest]

"I smell a Radeon fan in m_kelder."

How can you not like the radeon? I only wish it performed as well in 3dsmax as the geforce 2. I only wish I have the image quality of it...

 

[AEboy128]

I'm getting a radeon as soon as i get paid for mowing the lawn. I got $40 coming and that'll give me more than enough for the radeon. Where are people getting radeon 64mb ddr with 5ns ram. I was thinking of getting it from buy.com but i don't know whether theirs are the newer or older radeons. Isn't the radeon with 5ns ram clocked at 198/198??

Im savin up for a Cobra!! Hehe!!

 

[Guest]

Hercules 3D Prophet 4500 (Kyro II). $150 retail, faster than a Radeon, and excellent image quality.

Trust me. I have one.

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If you look hard enough, you might see it...
Well, I did say you <b>might</b> see it...

 

[noko]

As it turns out they are actually 200/200. Which was actually the design goal for the Radeon to begine with. So in retrospect the new Radeon 64s are what was suppose to have been when they came out last year.

 

[noko]

Faster in some things, slower in others. Fast in FSAA slower in anisotropic filtering. Fast in QuakeIII slower in 3dMark2001. Fast in Serious Sam slower in Counter Strike. As long it plays all or most of the games you play fast enough either is a good solution.