okay, so i got a new mobo with pci-e and am looking to put in a new video card...i don't play THAT many games, but the two i'd love to run on full quality would be oblivion and command and conquer 3

i posted this list in the oblivion thread a year ago...it lists the low, mid, high, and omgwtfbbq video cards based on their ability to play oblivion

http://www.atomicmpc.com.au/forums.asp?s=3&c=12&t=10579&p=20

in it, the radeon x800 GTO and x1600 pro are listed as "high-end", though only the x1600 pro supports shader model 3.0...my question for you guys is this: is the x800 GTO ($90) good enough, or should i spend the extra $15-20 for the x1600 pro? i know it's probably REALLY cheap for me to even be asking this question, but as my $40 geforce 6200 has been more than adequate for everything except these two games, i don't really feel like spending more than necessary...also, what's the difference between the x1600 pro and x1600 XT?

really...between these cards, what would you recommend for the price?


diablotek radeon x800 GTO (256mb DDR) - $90
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=2458778&CatId=1560

diamond radeon x1600 pro (512mb GDDR2) - $110
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1892478&CatId=1826

connect3D radeon x1600 XT (256mb GDDR3) - $115
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=2201738&CatId=1560

thankya.

6/3/2007 7:26:26 PM

x1600 pro

6/3/2007 10:37:06 PM

u should get the x1600 and run folding in it

http://folding.stanford.edu/FAQ-ATI.html
/message_topic.aspx?topic=118820

6/3/2007 10:55:22 PM

X1650 PRO (256 MB GDDR3) -$84.99

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102050

I bought one of these a month ago. Mine is the AGP version, but Oblivion still pops with it. Haven't tried C&C3 yet. Just make sure if you get a card get one with GDDR3 memory not GDDR2.

Also I often find that Newegg has way better pricing than Tiger Direct.

[Edited on June 3, 2007 at 11:05 PM. Reason : ]

6/3/2007 11:02:48 PM

The X1650 Pro is a good choice. Although i'd spend a little more and get a Nvidia 8500/8600 series video card. They go as low as 80-100$ and are directx 10. Plus the 8600GTS (100-130$) will beat an nvidia 7800gtx (around 230$) and a x1950pro (around 175$) ultimate (Tomshardware review). They're up to date, and the lower end cards (8500/8600) still beat most DX9 cards and are cheaper than the 8800 series.

6/4/2007 12:33:15 AM

/message_topic.aspx?topic=472002&page=2

6/4/2007 9:34:59 AM

unless you are required to get ati, I wouldn't. you can get a 7900gs for $100
http://shop4.outpost.com/product/4970851

6/4/2007 10:15:39 AM

i agree with ^. If possible get a nVidia card. (This is from a currently x800 XL and previously GeForce 4 Ti 4800 owner).

6/4/2007 1:40:46 PM

8600GT
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127286
8600GTS
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127284
Well worth the price for a DX10 card compared to an older dx9 7 series card.

6/4/2007 2:15:52 PM

okay, newegg has a bunch of ~$100 nvidia 8500 cards...and since they support dx10, it seems like a good idea

my question, though, is whether or not these will work smoothly with oblivion and cc3 on full...i have been out of the video card market for a VERY long time and haven't kept up with anything...anyone know from experience how they play on either (or both) of these games?

also, the 8500GT seems to be the cheapest...is the GT a stripped-down version? does it lack significantly in any way you're aware of? is 256mb more than adequate (as mentioned before, i'm playing oblivion and c&c3 on medium level graphics with a 128mb 6200 and they run with very little effort as long as the detail isn't maxed)?

6/4/2007 2:17:30 PM

i'm in on this too my nvidia fx 5600 crapped its self @ 1080p

6/4/2007 2:20:52 PM

I don't know too much about the 8500's but there's more benchmarks for the 8600 series.
http://www.tomshardware.com/2007/04/17/geforce_8600/page8.html
It just all depends on exacly how much money you want to spend on the card.
http://www.tomshardware.com/2007/04/09/the_best_gaming_video_cards_for_the_money/
That's also a good source of what you'll get for your money.

-Oh and what native resolution will you be running Oblivion and c and c 3 at?

[Edited on June 4, 2007 at 2:28 PM. Reason : .]

6/4/2007 2:23:28 PM

1280x1024? i'm not really that picky...it's a 20" widescreen, so the best i can

6/4/2007 2:46:05 PM

Well if it's a 20.1 inch widescreen the native is probably 1680 by 1050, and you probably want to run everything at that (considering 1280 by 1024 will give you an incorrect game aspect ratio).

-Oh and what cpu are you pairing with this GPU?

[Edited on June 4, 2007 at 3:31 PM. Reason : .]

6/4/2007 3:31:13 PM

d'oh...you said native >.<

yepper, it's 1680x1050...processor is a 2.8ghz p4 with HT...2gb of ddr2 (667mhz)

[Edited on June 4, 2007 at 3:44 PM. Reason : .]

6/4/2007 3:44:02 PM

Quote :

"i'm in on this too my nvidia fx 5600 crapped its self @ 1080p"

if you're talking about just video, I guarantee it's your processor, not the video card.

6/4/2007 5:13:52 PM

it sux too. but no it was on my desktop
it could only throw enough fps for the tv to think it was 1080i

6/4/2007 6:18:37 PM