Stupid Question: which card is better?

eric m. · Post by **eric m.** » Tue Dec 07, 2004 10:02 am

I am looking to buy a semi-decent card for my girlfriend for christmas (romantic, huh?) and I am not sure what to get. There are so many cards in the under $200 range and i just want to make sure i get the best one without going overboard, and keeping in budget at the same time. I was going to just get a 9800pro or something, but i thought i'd ask here just to see if there is something better and maybe for less money ($150 range). It's not like I'm trying to be cheap with the present, she just doesn't need a crazy video card, but I do want it to be semi nice. I am using a 9600xt which i am happy with, but I know it's an old card now. I was checking out the new X line of cards but most of them seem to be PCI express which her mothboard doesn't support. So it has to be AGP. Thanks for your help everyone.

LVCapo · Post by **LVCapo** » Tue Dec 07, 2004 1:49 pm

you could really impress her with a AIW 9600 or 9800. A couple of very nice cards that range in price from abour $160 to 220.
Other than that, with the card makers really putting their attention into PCI-E, the 9600 is still a very good budget card.

eric m. · Post by **eric m.** » Tue Dec 07, 2004 2:39 pm

thanks. i think the 9800SE will be good enough, and it's only around $130. She already has replay TV and i don't think the all in wonder would impress her that much. although i did buy an all in wonder 9600xt a little while ago but had to return it because the waterblock won't fit with that tv tuner in the way. oops. i have seen some cheap tv wonder cards that i can use for the same effect though. i live in a small place with no room for a TV so it would be perfect for me.

Xerxes · Post by **Xerxes** » Tue Dec 07, 2004 9:55 pm

personally id get the plain 9800 from sapphire since it has 8 pipelines instead of 4 but otherwise the same core and mem speeds & 128bit memory and its not that much more expensive ($5-10 more), unless of course you can find a 9800se you can softmod.

Post by **Apoptosis** » Wed Dec 08, 2004 9:29 am

In the $199 price range you are in the mainstream market. Meaning that NVIDIA offers the 6600GT and ATI offers the 9800Pro. Those are the cards you will find new in this price area. You might be able to snag a used 6800 or 9800XT if you do some looking for around $200.

eric m. · Post by **eric m.** » Wed Dec 08, 2004 10:21 am

thanks guys. i got a sapphire 9800SE and am going do the modification so it uses all 8 pipelines. (9800PRO) not bad for $127.

thanks again to rich for helping me with this info.