New graphics card
 

:hmm: I'm considering a new graphics card.....and have been looking at Radeon X800 AGP and Nvidia 6800 GT 256mb gddr3 AGP. It has to be AGP since an upgrade to PCI Express means replacing motherboard,CPU and memory etc.,and this item blows all my current savings (that is,what my wife allows me to spend on my computer!!
Can I have some views on what would be the best choice...it has to last a few years....Thanks :o

Re: New graphics card
 

Is that when your wife will grant you your own credit card for good behavior? :smug:

Nvidia cards in Sh3 have the irritating bug that the sun glare doesn't work.

I´m trying to upgrade my wife ......After this I ´ll try to upgrade my card :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

You're gonna come up short of enough renown, you know that, don't you? :P

I know, I know.......I will never have enought renown....

Re: New graphics card
 

Buy the ATI X800XL, it´s an excellent card and it´s not too expensive (less than 260€). Check Google for some reviews.

My old Nvidia card would not pass muster when I bought and tried to load SHIII. I upgraded to the ATI Radeon 9550 and VIOLA! I'm in SH heaven. :know:

Everybody here seems to favor ATI. Not wanting to start a nVidia/ATI war cause I've heard the ATI X800XL is a very good card, but I'm using a nVidia 6600GT and it's running the game fine. However I'm looking for the prices to go down a little and I may grab a 6800GT 256 mb card for the Egosoft X3-Reunion game. One other reason to consider this card is if you want to overclock it, but otherwise they are about equal and less expensive.

Even using an older ATI card, the radeon 9800 pro, my graphics are great enough! ATI seems to like SH3.

Wait, is the 9800 old??? Honestly, I have no clue...

Don't misunderstand. I wasn't trying to say my Radeon 9550 was a 'better' card. Only that my aging nVidia (or however it's spelled) was deemed not worthy by the game itself when I tried to load it. When I went to Best Buy to get a new one (and I was leaning toward nVidia because it had served me so well on my four year old computer), the saleskid steered me toward the Radeon 9550 as the 'best' for gaming. Well, it, and the comperable nVidea, were priced nearly the same so I figured "what the hell", I'll try it. I have no idea if the graphics are better or not. Only that the game will now load and I can play - and that's all I really cared about. I don't get into the nuts and bolts of computers past what I need to know to make them do what I want them to do. I don't read computer mags, or visit computer related websites.

I DO love to read the message board(s) here and in a couple other places because it's fun to pick up tips on winning at sea.

As an aside, when I was unable to load the game on my desktop computer and hadn't found out the problem yet, I managed to load it on my laptop and it runs pretty well there.

Well !!..........thanks for all the comments.My present card is a Radeon 9600 XT 256mb.It functions OK with SH3 and FarCry etc, but when I was offered the chance to upgrade 'non-essential furniture' without the pain of 'silent meals' and still be able to share the bed,I thought 'Why not'!!
I still haven't made a decision......I may need to drink some beer.

"Hello? Sales? Yesh, I'd - a - like to erder a graphlixs card - uh - a Radevidia - no, no - I - er - an Gedeon - woops - a - a - a - an Envyon."

"Hello?"

"Hellowwwwwwwwwwwww?"

:doh:

Have a 6600GT 128MB AGP running on my motherboard atm as an "upgrade" to my old Radeon 9500pro. There are definitely some new effects and improvements, but the framerate difference isn't dramatic (I believe my aging CPU is the bottleneck now, an Athlon 2500XP Barton core).

From a price standpoint, 6600GT is a great value and will probably "last" two more years (depending on your desire to play the latest and shiniest games).

So if you have a decent CPU that can push a 6600GT, that'd be a good purchase. If you have an older CPU, you'll only notice a few shinier effects (depending on what you're upgrading from) and minor framerate improvements.

If you have a great CPU, 6800GT is the way to go.

If your motherboard and CPU are falling behind the curve, then probably consider grabbing a new set of toys (after saving up some renown with your wife.). So up the tonnage, sir! ;)

I have a ATI X800 XT PE AGP card and it works fantastic on SH3 as well as all my other games.

Well......you did make a decision, and a pretty good one I would say. You chose beer.
See if this helps.

Toms Hardware AGP cards comparison
Toms Hardware PCI express cards comparison

I just upgraded to 64Bit myself so I will be putting my just bought ATI X800SE 256MB AGP card on eBay.
I can say when I put it in for my 9800 it was much smoother (AMD2700) and vastly superior. It ran all the games better but no 32bit is going to compete with 64bit and a equivalent PCIE VC
I hate to sell a like new card for a loss particularly when it works so well but the 9800 is already over kill for my email PC and the X800 would be a waste like giving grandma a 911 to do 30MPH in for church.
The 6600 actually works better than the 6800 for SH3. As the VC war continues both makers have differences that games must now choose from mediocre on both or better on one or the other, unfortunately.
Ironically the Nvidea is what SH3 touts on the cover but ATI works better. Not the same case for other games though where Nvidea is superior, or so I am told.
Benz or Bimmer, Ford or Chevy, AMD or Intel, same ole, same ole. My dogs bigger than your dog!

Wulfmann

My vote is go ATI.

Running a x800xt PE using Omega drivers the difference in IQ (image quality) and performance level worth trying this beta driver.

If you do go with stock/WHQL drivers I personally recommend 5.7 or 5.9 without CCC, get the classic version and skip the .NET you have to add to run it (CCC). ATi tray tools more than enough for tweaks. If ATi does not archive those drivers anymore PM me or post can give you a couple links.

BTW got a price range? Sorry if that sound too personal but might help some make the call...

g/l and Have Fun <g>

:lurk:

Just my 2 cents (euro-cents :P )

I have just replaced my ATI 9600 XT with a nVidia 6600 GT, and I am much more satisfied with the nvidia, sunglare or not. None of them are top cards but in my opinion nvidia drivers suck less than ati. My ATI card did lots of strange black-poly things in the background, with 3 different driver versions (including omega).

Apart from nvidia doing the best linux and open source drivers around, which I fully support them for, I have found ati's drivers quite a big PITA.

But then again YMMV!!

cya

I also hate ATI's drivers. When trying a different game I have to switch them very often.

I'm going to buy a 6600 GT too :P