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Budget Video Card


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#1
Opt

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Suggestions, Ideas and Recomendations on a PCI-E Video card (not ATI), with peferably 512. :blink:

I just smoked the 256 memory on a x1950xt and had a accel X2 on it for cooling purposes. Had it all of 4 months! :whistling:

Price Range for another card is gonna be right around 200.00 maybe 250.00 :help:

Let me know what ya'll think....


OPTIMUS

Obnoxious, annoying text format removed

Edited by Fenor, 21 March 2007 - 05:24 PM.

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#2
SRX660

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Take a look.

BFG 7950 GTO - 256MB $220
http://www.newegg.co...N82E16814143090

BFG 7950GTO -512MB $280
http://www.newegg.co...N82E16814143071

Gigabyte 7950 - 512MB Zalman cooler $240
http://www.newegg.co...N82E16814125046

So far these were the best prices for best cards i can find. I like the last one.

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#3
warriorscot

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How did you manage to damage the memory on the first card?
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#4
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Thanks SRX660, those all look good. Also I read your thread about CPU temps.

Is 55 to 60 hot for a Fx-60?

As far as cooking that card, well I am really not to sure. It was having driver issues when I got it and it ran really hot. So I downloaded the ATI tool, to control it as best I could. Even with the stock fan at 100% the 3d artifact got the temps up to 80 and 90. I was concerned so got that AccelX2. Temps never broke 63 under heavy loads, but I was still having driver issues. Sapphire Tech was no help at all. Finally weeks later, I got CCC 7.1 and the lastest drivers loaded and it ran ok. This was after a reformat.... I put some games in and the screen would glitch every now and then. Me and my buddy ran multiple tests on the MOBO and all hardware components (using micro) only to find the memory failing every test in every category on the new X1950XT. I slaved my old x800xl and hoped for the best. The 800 passed and mobo pci e slot is ok. :whistling: Don't know what happened or how, maybe bad card or perhaps operator error. :blink:

So far I have had the 9700 9800 800 and 1950. I guess its time for a change.

Obnoxious, annoying text format removed

Edited by Fenor, 21 March 2007 - 05:24 PM.

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#5
Opt

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SRX660, does that gigabyte 7950 come with a 4 pin connector, did not see one in pics? I know my last card took a 6 pin but was sold seperatly. mmm
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#6
warriorscot

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Hmm sounds like it was defective from the start(happens on occasion) i would have RMA'd it for a new one before fitting a new cooler and voiding the warranty, before fitting new coolers you should always be certain that the card works 100% before upgrading a cooler and voiding the warranty.

The 8600s from nvidia and the r600s from ATI should be out in the new couple of weeks apparently i would try and hold off for one of those(living with an x800 for a few weeks is not a big hassle still good cards) i think an 8600 might be a good buy for you and still be in your price range or even one of the lower 2xxxs from ATI but you said you fancied a change.
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#7
Opt

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Awesome Warrior, ya your right bout testing before modding ...and that warranty was killed too. Live and Learn I suppose. New 8600's huh? What are the specs on that? And thanks for the great advice and replys. Ya I can hold out, that 800 has always been good to me.
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#8
SRX660

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If you look at the enlarged pictures at newegg you will see the gigabyte card uses a 4 pin molex connector like cdrom drives. A friend has a FX-60 and it does run around 60° with a zalman 7700-Cu heatsink when he is on-line gaming. I installed the Zalman on the computer because the stock cooler was letting temps get into the 70's.

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#9
Opt

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On another note, Warrior -your from Scotland or living there? I was stationed at Lakenheath RAF UK,.. and traveled to Edinburgh (is that spelled right) a couple of times..

Good times for sure.. whew!

Edited by Opt, 17 March 2007 - 04:45 PM.

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#10
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Thanks Srx660,... ya I got a few extra 4 pin molex's somewhere from last build. The PS that I used last time came with a few extras. Thanks Alot on those CPU temps too. It runs good and I put a Cooler Master DreamX on it I am pretty sure, something like that. Great CPU though.
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#11
warriorscot

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Scottish through and through, im studying at Edinburgh uni at the moment.

8600 spec wise no firm details and probably wont be till its released Nvidia keep the specs under their hats for as long as possible, but it will be a different core from the current 8 series cards fewer pipelines slower memory probably a faster clock speed though, itll be faster than any dx9 cards though and it will be dx10. Itll be pretty decent the 600s from nvidia usually have a good price/performance ratio so itll be right up your alley if you arent going to go for an ATI.
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#12
james_8970

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Here are some details on the 8600 GTS, be warned dial up users big pictures and high quality which will be a killer to load.
O and its Chinese, however you can make out the needed information. The cards will be running at 175USD for the 8600GTS.
http://itbbs.pconlin...jsp?tid=6864651
James

P.S. The amount of ram on a given card doesn't equal performance no matter how much a vendor wants you to think it does. To a point it will but if your card has 1GB of ram and 2 pixel shaders and 1 vertex shader, the 1GB of onboard ram doesn't do much for ya.

Edited by james_8970, 18 March 2007 - 08:34 PM.

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