Printable View
I know this has probably been asked a thousand times, so sorry, but I just haven't been keeping up to date with things.
I'm looking to upgrade my video card very soon (possibly this weekend) and I wanna know which is the best card on the market in the $300-$400 price range--regardless of brand. I want something high-end; I believe the ATI 9800XT is the best out right now...but it's just way too expensive, but what's the next step down from that?
9800pro
I second that motion! ;) You can always consider the FX5900U, but they can be pricy too (I think, not sure though :o ) You'll find that many, myself included, will give you the thumbs up for the 9800Pro - it should fall nicely within your budget, and perform rather well with DX9 games (think HL2);) :D NVidia FX cards - 5900 and above - will need optimized drivers to run DX9 games, although a DX9.1 api's in the pipeline to help nV cards run on 16bit and 32bit cp (I think). Also, the new Dets has help with nV's IQ and FRs. So, the choice is yours, listen to our advice and make up your own mind. Your $$, your choice, 'cause you're the one who's gonna be living with the decision you'd make.;) :)Quote:
Originally posted by lonewolfroger
9800pro
Edit to add : I did not mention the FX5600/U and below 'cause just about everyone says they blow, the FX5700's lookin' good though (for $200 card).:D
Personally I believe that "brand" does matter. If you do go with an ATI based card like the 9800pro stick with either the ATI brand itself or the sapphire card. Not saying the other manufactures are bad but you can have good (other manufactures) or you can have better (ATI/Sapphire)Quote:
I'm looking to upgrade my video card very soon (possibly this weekend) and I wanna know which is the best card on the market in the $300-$400 price range--regardless of brand.
If you do some poking around on hardware sites, you'll see that the 9800Pro easily walks away with the win in the $300-$400 category..
actually, I'm thinking about upgrading to whatever's one step below the 9800Pro. So, what is the next best card out there that's fully dx9 compliant? I figure I'll only be playing games for another 8 months or so before I go to college, so I wanna enjoy it the most I can (without dropping a ridiculous amount of money for such a short span of usage)
The 9800np is a step below the 9800pro.Quote:
Originally posted by Unibrow
actually, I'm thinking about upgrading to whatever's one step below the 9800Pro. So, what is the next best card out there that's fully dx9 compliant? I figure I'll only be playing games for another 8 months or so before I go to college, so I wanna enjoy it the most I can (without dropping a ridiculous amount of money for such a short span of usage)
Get a single Voodoo 2. The driver support is great. ok ok...just kidding...follow the advise in the previous posts...lol
i just bought an ATi-brand 9800 non-pro at worst buy yesterday for $239.99. good deal, not sure if it's nationwide though.
whoa...thats a great deal...damn
i agree that the 9800np is the best card for the price right now. i think newegg has them back in stock.
good stuff. looks like the 9800np is my best bet. hopefully I'll be able to find one for that price too.
You can flash the bios to pro, and oc to pro speeds.
The 9800 is a great card...if you can find it