which video card should i buy?

[Webster]

i need to upgrade my video card. i have a nvidia geforce fx5600 128mb now.
so im thinking a 256mb would be all i need but i see all different sizes of video card Memory Clock mhz and core clock mhz. im running 1024 of ddr400 ram pc3200 and a 2.8 p4 800mhz fsb. so my question is for those who know what those video clock sizes mean to please enlighten me.

EDIT

UPDATE: i made my decision so thanks to all of you for your help.

the Radeon X1650PRO 512MB 128-bit GDDR2
should be a major improvement over my old card

[leeclose]

some one who knows there Arse from there elbow will be along shortly to enlighten you :yep:

[NipplesTheCat]

Memory size and clock speed arent everything. The number of pipelines makes just as much if not more of a difference that the memory speed and clock speed of the GPU. Im assuming you have an AGP system and not PCIe. Thats narrows it down some. How much do you want to spend?

Edit: I never really answered your question. Core clock speed is the frequency that the GPU (graphics processing unit) is running at. The faster the GPU speed the faster the GPU can process data. The more pipelines that the GPU has, the more info can be processed in parallel at the same time. Having faster memory of the right type will allow for more memory bandwith . It acts much the same way as system memory. The more on board memory that the card has the more information it can keep close to the GPU.

[elite_hunter_sh3]

FOR AGP i recommened a 7800 GS

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814143046

top 5 agp cards you van get and it will run sh4 on max graphics because it has geforce 7 series core and it has pixel shader 3.0 and vertex shader 3.0 and DDR3 256mb ram so its very good for a agp card. i also recommened getting better power supply incase ur current one is stock.


1. whats your power supply
2. whats your cpu and amount of RAM??

[kiwi_2005]

FOR AGP i recommened a 7800 GS



:yep:

Good cards.

@webster really i wouldn't worry to much about the clock specs, just get a highend card that your mobo and PSU will handle, the above mentioned is a nice card, throw her in and start playing. Unless you get into overclocking your card then clock specs should be considered.

[Spray]

What is someone considering buying a 5600FX these days? :rotfl:If you can get a 7600GT AGP card its good price and performance for value the 7600GS has 512mb memory but its clockspeeds are too slow to be able to use it all.

[NipplesTheCat]

7600gt 7800gs are both fine fine cards.

[Webster]

no spray im not buying one im replacing it finally. i bought it 4 yrs ago and only because it was in my budget but now i can afford a real graffics card.

[Webster]

well my budget only allows $50-100 range in options so i cant go high end.

[wormzog]

I'm running SHIII on an Nvidia 6800LE 128MB, AGP.

You'll get one on a certain auction site for $50 with change I'd have thought.

Runs like a dream!

[Webster]

im running a true 400watt power suplly so i think im ok there.


does it matter if you use ddr, ddr2, or ddr3 AGP grafics card or is truely a totally seperate plug in component and system compatability isn't an issue? my system has ddr ram

[Webster]

well i've got a geforce fx5600 128 now thats working good but its time to go up to 256 since i run into lag times occassionaly since i started sh3 mainly when aircraft appear. sometimes its down to slow motion.

[elite_hunter_sh3]

550mhz core clock 800mhz memory clock

x1550 pro agp ATi for a litle under 100$


hader model 3.0 vertex 3.0

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814102081

[stabiz]

im running a true 400watt power suplly so i think im ok there.


does it matter if you use ddr, ddr2, or ddr3 AGP grafics card or is truely a totally seperate plug in component and system compatability isn't an issue? my system has ddr ram

No, graphics card ram will work no matter what your system ram is. You really want DDR3, by the way.

[elite_hunter_sh3]

best card i could find under 100$ was the x1550 pro w56mb ddr2 550mhz core 800mhz memory

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814102081

[NipplesTheCat]

The 1550 = the 1300 more or less. Im not familiar with the pro version of the 1550 card but the 1550 is the 1300 pro renamed to move old SKUs. Personally I would wait untill I could afford a 7600GT. I think they run about $130 at the moment but im not entirely sure. Maybe you could find one on eBay.

[Drebbel]

I have a FX5600 too, needless to say it needs an upgrade before I can decently run SHIV.

I foumd an interesting test at the famous Tomshardware website:
The Best Gaming Video Cards for the Money: March 2007 (http://www.tomshardware.com/2007/03/06/the_best_gaming_video_cards_for_the_money/)

It devides them in different groups of different price and interface.

PCI under 100$: Tie between Radeon X1650 PRO and GeForce 7600 GS
AGP under 100$: GeForce 6600 GT

[Spray]

well i've got a geforce fx5600 128 now thats working good but its time to go up to 256 since i run into lag times occassionaly since i started sh3 mainly when aircraft appear. sometimes its down to slow motion.

Thats your ram and processor power failing then.

[leeclose]

Hehehe trying to keep up with the constant upgrades is damm near impossible:up: