What video card would you recommend?

[swdw]

Originally Posted by Nuc

I notice that the ATI X1650XT and the ATI 1950 PRO have the same list price. Between those two which would you recommend for SH4 performance? (i.e., whats the difference between an ATI X____XT and an ATI ______ PRO) ?

the 1950pro

[SteamWake]

Originally Posted by Rockin Robbins

That's the crazy thing about the whole episode. There is no smell, no potting compound splattered around, no singed connectors or contacts. The whole thing defies explanation. Oh, and the computer is connected to a UPS, as is my router and cable modem. And the card which failed was on top, with the most cooling airflow around it. My case has 2 100mm fans and an 80mm fan, so there's plenty of airflow and everything has always run very cool.

Its entirely possible they had a bad run of caps .. ( elecrolytic capacitors) those llil gizmoes are prone to failure by there very nature. They are sort of like supercharged batterys. If they 'published' a bunch of cards with bad caps on them they surely know about it by now.

I guess I forgot to mention that in my 'catastrophic failure' post.

Breifely they fail by shorthing through the insulating medium and 'poof' a blown cap. Funny thing is they all went at once.

[moose1am]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accelerated_Graphics_Port

Spend a few minutes reading the web site at the above link before you buy a new video card. It will help to explain the different types of PCI, AGP and PCI-Express video card standards. Each motherboard can have different AGP. AGP 1.0 standard, AGP 2.0 standard ahe newest AGP 3.0 Standard. I think that these are either Microsoft of INTEL Standards. Not all video card and motherboard designers follow the standards though.

PCI Express is the newest and latest bus between the video card and the motherboard. And there are more than one type of PCI-Express ports out there.

Originally Posted by Torplexed

Wow. More great advice. Thanks for the link. I find all this card stuff baffling. According to my computer's manual I have card connector slots for PCI and AGP, but maybe it's better to stick with AGP.:hmm: I can't say I know the difference though.

[mcarlsonus]

Think you had a catastrophic sub-standard power supply failure that caused an internal spike. It went to the point of first resistance. In this case, the leading 7600 card.
I've been off too. After deciding to hook up the old 3200+, 2GB, 4200RPM IDE HD, and seeing how SH4 looked on it (NOT good!), I went back to the "major leaguer" which now reports "BOOTMGR not found..." Haven't been able to get around that, no matter what I've tried (it now sees the C: drive as just another removable drive !)
A NEW lesson to Vista users: apparently when one uses a thumb/zip drive to utilize ReadyBoost, when one powers down the system and unplugs it, the "reactivation" results in the machine seeing the ReadyBoost drive as the boot drive. In short, I was using a 4GB, ReadyBoost-approved USB dongle to increase boot speed. It worked fine - until I unplugged the thing. Now the machine's riding the short bus...

[Nuc]

Originally Posted by swdw

the 1950pro

Thank you
How about the ATI 1950 Pro vs. the ATI 2600 XT? Is any one using the 2600 with good results?

[Rockin Robbins]

Originally Posted by mcarlsonus

Think you had a catastrophic sub-standard power supply failure that caused an internal spike. It went to the point of first resistance. In this case, the leading 7600 card.
I've been off too. After deciding to hook up the old 3200+, 2GB, 4200RPM IDE HD, and seeing how SH4 looked on it (NOT good!), I went back to the "major leaguer" which now reports "BOOTMGR not found..." Haven't been able to get around that, no matter what I've tried (it now sees the C: drive as just another removable drive !)
A NEW lesson to Vista users: apparently when one uses a thumb/zip drive to utilize ReadyBoost, when one powers down the system and unplugs it, the "reactivation" results in the machine seeing the ReadyBoost drive as the boot drive. In short, I was using a 4GB, ReadyBoost-approved USB dongle to increase boot speed. It worked fine - until I unplugged the thing. Now the machine's riding the short bus...

Testing by PC Pitstop shows that ReadyBoost gave minimal and sometime unmeasureable speed increases to the system. The dangers far outweighed any benefit in all cases. That's unfortunate. I still have the feeling that Vista will be worthwhile, after all, it's no ME. I think a year from now it will be time to consider it. I've built three systems for different family members since February and bought XP for all of them. Hell hath no fury like a Vista plagued family member.:rotfl:

Flash news: my frame rates in SH4 are not much different than they were with SLi! I now that those with that other card's dual system (it shall remain nameless because this is an official nVidia thread:p) showed no difference at all. I can report that my frame rates are within 5 frames per second with a single 7600GT card as they are with SLi. I'm running about 25 fps in external view, 80 or so on internal, map and control screen views. That's very playable and graphics settings are wide freakin' open 1152 x 864. So I wonder if I had a graphics card problem to begin with or if SH4 treats SLi and CrossFire (damn, he said it!) equally shabbily. Maerean_m, what's your take on that?

[U-Bones]

Originally Posted by Torplexed

Thanks for the voluminous feedback all. Card talk always gets so technical, and sadly I'm one of those down around the fire=bad, tree=pretty level when it comes to understanding it. I think I'll try to find the GeForce 7600 GT recommended by some.

For a little more you can get a 8600 GT instead of the 7600 GT, and I strongly recommend you do so. It is the best card you can get for the price (I just got one for $99 after 25$ rebate).

My old 7600 GT developed a very noisy fan that was obviously going to croak soon. I am very pleased that I did not simply replace it with another 7600, the improvement is very noticable.

[Elder-Pirate]

Originally Posted by U-Bones

For a little more you can get a 8600 GT instead of the 7600 GT, and I strongly recommend you do so. It is the best card you can get for the price (I just got one for $99 after 25$ rebate).

My old 7600 GT developed a very noisy fan that was obviously going to croak soon. I am very pleased that I did not simply replace it with another 7600, the improvement is very noticable.

He can't go there with his present Motherboard for its AGP and 8800GT is PC-I Express.

[mcarlsonus]

WELL where were you with that ReadyBoost advice when I really needed it? I'm back to the laptop now as I gave the "old guy" to my now-ex (who's been without since the older build FX60, dual Raptor SATA 10K's unit died). The newest beast, "ReadyBoost Bozo" is going to have to go to the shop. I simply can't remedy the situation with the tools I have UNLESS I upgrade to Vista Ultimate as it reinstalls the operating system. That may actually be viable, depending on the repair price. I should still be under warranty, but HP'll take a look at the PS and PCI-E mods and probably nix that idea!

[Rockin Robbins]

Originally Posted by mcarlsonus

WELL where were you with that ReadyBoost advice when I really needed it? I'm back to the laptop now as I gave the "old guy" to my now-ex (who's been without since the older build FX60, dual Raptor SATA 10K's unit died). The newest beast, "ReadyBoost Bozo" is going to have to go to the shop. I simply can't remedy the situation with the tools I have UNLESS I upgrade to Vista Ultimate as it reinstalls the operating system. That may actually be viable, depending on the repair price. I should still be under warranty, but HP'll take a look at the PS and PCI-E mods and probably nix that idea!

Just another reason for me to stay away from Vista for awhile. In the meantime, EVGA e-mailed me a complete RMA package, including shipping label with even my return address on it and precise instructions on how to properly package a graphics card for shipment. These guys at EVGA are pros and they know how to take care of their customers.

There is a way with XP to turn caching off for a flash drive and I'm going to do that for my next one.... Yes, there's a sad story behind that one too. Now XP won't even acknowledge it as a flash drive so I can't seem to reformat it. I think mostly computers serve as tests of character.

[mcarlsonus]

True! True! Nonetheless, I still finding myself wishing I were bright enough to pass the entrance exam for cosmetology school!

[Reno]

Originally Posted by Elder-Pirate

He can't go there with his present Motherboard for its AGP and 8800GT is PC-I Express.

He was talking about the 8600GT not the 8800GT. Older card, but I believe that one is also PCI Express.

[mcarlsonus]

nVidia still has AGP cards in the GeForce 6600 through 7950 series. Looks like the closest they come to the 8800 PCI-e group is the 6800 Ultra - at $500!!! What's the point? MUCH cheaper to buy a new, decent mobo with PCI-e slots!

For anyone "following along at home," I'm embarrassed to say my earlier diatribe about Vista and "bootmgr" turned out to be:

a loose HD connection. I'm humbled and humiliated beyond all recognition!

[Elder-Pirate]

Originally Posted by Reno

He was talking about the 8600GT not the 8800GT. Older card, but I believe that one is also PCI Express.

8600.......8800.....jeez I've got to get my glasses fixed.

[Rockin Robbins]

Originally Posted by mcarlsonus

nVidia still has AGP cards in the GeForce 6600 through 7950 series. Looks like the closest they come to the 8800 PCI-e group is the 6800 Ultra - at $500!!! What's the point? MUCH cheaper to buy a new, decent mobo with PCI-e slots!

For anyone "following along at home," I'm embarrassed to say my earlier diatribe about Vista and "bootmgr" turned out to be:

a loose HD connection. I'm humbled and humiliated beyond all recognition!

Yeah, computers do that to you. It's only a matter of time before they all align themselves against mankind. I think right now they're confining their attack to throwing misleading symptoms at us so we buy the wrong replacement parts.