[N3TH]

Im currently looking at buying a Sapphire 2600XT 256MB/ DDR4/800/2200MHz GPU, but have no idea if this is going to be worth it!

I know NVIDIA make faster cards, but the specs on this card are better than any NVIDIA card for a similar price... as your guessing Im building on a seriously limited budget... am I wasting my money?

Any advice welcome

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You could try checking the website http://www.tomshardware.com as it can compare the performance of graphics cards (amongest other componenets) against various gaming/software titles.

Its a great website...especially when it comes to upgrading!

[S_t_r_y_k_e_r]

You could try checking the website http://www.tomshardware.com as it can compare the performance of graphics cards (amongest other componenets) against various gaming/software titles.

Its a great website...especially when it comes to upgrading!

[stettybet0]

I'm not sure on prices in Austrailia, but I would go with the 8600GT over the 2600XT if they are similarly priced and at the top of your budget range. For a bit more though, you can get much better cards, so if you can stretch your budget a bit, let us know.

[N3TH]

Yea I can get the XFX 8600GTS 256MB DDR3 xXx edition 700/2.26 for a bit more than the the XT... but by the way im from New Zealand, not part of Australia lol!

[stettybet0]

Sorry, the New Zealand flag looks very similar to the Australian one.

Anyways, while the 8600gts would be a step up, its not really worth it until you get to the NVIDIA 8800GS or the ATI HD3850.

Oh, and what will you be using the computer for? Because you might not need that much power.

[N3TH]

Im not a really serious gamer, but would like to be able to play modern games without uber lag!

[stettybet0]

Define modern games. There are a ridiculously large number of The Sims games which seem to come out every few days, but these don't require much graphical power. On the other hand, if you are looking to play games such as Crysis or Bioshock, you will need much more graphical power.

Also, what resolution do you play on and what settings are desirable to you (do you want maxed-out eye candy)?

[N3TH]

Nah not maxed out. I do have a copy of Crysis, but wouldnt mind this being run at half pie with moderate detail and 1024x768 resolution

[stettybet0]

The 8600GT should handle 1024x768 and medium settings on pretty much every game.

[N3TH]

Sweet i just bought the 8600GTS thanks for the advice!