Recommend me a video card

[Vesayen]

Just got a GeForce FX 5500 with 512 megs of ram.... I had a GeForxe FX 5200(256) and according to my tests thus far.... I do not detect ANY noticable system improvments on any game.

A little looking around online has numerous people claiming the 5500 is nothing more then an earlier chip set repackaged with no real improvments and outdated technology.

I don't know if thats true.... I've never kept up with hardware-it is true?

Recommend me a new video card which is half decent.... absolute upper limit on it is $100.00.


I just want to play Oblivion.

*cries*

EDIT/UPDATE


I don't have that new of a motherboard so I can only handle an AGP.........

Just found out I can get a discount from newegg because of a promotion.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.asp?N=2010380048+4027&Submit=ENE&SubCategory=48

Any of you have any suggestions out of that lot?



Leaning towards this one, what do you think?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814131227

[EPW]

This is a pretty good deal for an AGP card:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814102673&ATT=14-102-673&CMP=OTC-pr1c3grabb3r

If you have PCIx16 theres a much bigger selection of cheap decent cards.

[Imran Siddiqui]

I've heard the 6600 is a pretty good card for the price, though it may cost more than $100.

I guess anything with a 6xxx (or a 59xx) would be able to run Oblivion (though not very fast). Don't go under that though.

Read:

http://www.elderscrolls.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=270923&st=0

That thread, post 2.

[Urban Ranger]

The 6600GT is quite good. It's a big improvement over the 5500FX, which I had (still have, not in active use now).

[Vesayen]

Forgot to mention, only got PCI slots atm :/

[Urban Ranger]

PCI or PCI-Express?

If the former, you need to have a newer computer first.

[Provost Harrison]

5500 is a bit antiquated...this computer has a 5900 and is almost 3 years old...the memory is nice but if the GPU can't pull it's weight, it's pretty pointless...

[Whaleboy]

I think you were screwed on that purchase. I used to have a 5500 on my last computer, wasn't really any better than the Geforce 4 series let alone the 5200.

Your best bet (if you have an AGP system) is to find a 6600GT or a 6800GS.

I've just bought a 7800GT to replace my 6600GT and it's fantastic!

[Ming]

Originally posted by Whaleboy
Your best bet (if you have an AGP system) is to find a 6600GT or a 6800GS.

The 6600GT is great and answers all my needs.

I've just bought a 7800GT to replace my 6600GT and it's fantastic!

I was looking at the 7800GT, and the sales guy laughed and said unless I run some serious CAD/CAM programs, it wasn't really needed

[Imran Siddiqui]

The sales guy hasn't heard of 'Oblivion' (or many other modern games) it seems

[alva]

So if you don't paly any of these modern games, the salesman was absolutely correct (and fair, not something you see everything, a salesman not pushing the most expensive article).

Best cards at the moment:
6800
6600
if still for sale then the last option could be a 9800 (ATI).

[Ming]

Originally posted by alva
So if you don't paly any of these modern games, the salesman was absolutely correct (and fair, not something you see everything, a salesman not pushing the most expensive article).

Yep... The additional cost was significant, and we had a chat about the games and applications I use. He could have easily took my money, but instead, he gave me good advice.

And no... I don't have any plans to play or buy Oblivion.
The only real game I'm playing is Civ IV, and will probably not buy another game until Civ V comes out

[Solver]

Getting the 5500 to upgrade a 5200 is a waste of money.

For modern games, you certainly want at least the 6600. My general advice to people at the moment is: go for the 6600, but consider buying the 6800 if you have the money.

I remember a year ago, I was in a computer store with a person who knows little about PCs, so I was consulting. The person in question was generally interested in doing office work, music listening and Web-browsing, yet the salesman tried to say that the PC with a high-end video card should be chosen. Sheesh.

[reds4ever]

I'm still runnning a 9800, its fine for Civ 4, RTW etc. The top end cards get expensive pretty quickly, best avoided unless you really need them.

[Urban Ranger]

If you can wait, get something a generation behind. For example, the 6xxx series from nVidia. You get nice performance at a reasonable cost.