Registered: Dec 1999
Location: Connecticut USA
Posts: 2682

I just put together a new desktop screamer... an AMD Athlon 1 ghz CPU. I've got a generic AGP video card that's giving me some problems and would like to find a good replacement. Any recommendations for a reasonably priced AGP card? Is one chipset better than another (nVidia TNT vs. ATI Rage, etc)?

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Registered: Sep 1999
Location: Seattle, WA, USA
Posts: 406

What are you using the computer for?
Any graphics design, hardcore 3D gaming?
Not sure what you mean when you say resonably priced.. You just spent how much on a 1ghz system, and now you want a cheap AGP video card?

Registered: Dec 1999
Location: Connecticut USA
Posts: 2682

It was just a motherboard upgrade. Only spent about $350 by the time I was done. I'm not into gaming but do some CAD and graphics work and will be getting a DVD drive soon. I've seen the $300-400 cards and don't think I need them . I was looking at the ATI Rage Fury Pro 32mb and ATI Xpert 128 16mb cards in the store yesterday. There was also a 3DFX Voodoo (they've been bought out by nVidia). I guess I just don't know enough about video cards... is there an advantage to AGP over PCI?

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Registered: Sep 1999
Location: Seattle, WA, USA
Posts: 406

quote:

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Originally posted by MarkEagle
It was just a motherboard upgrade. Only spent about $350 by the time I was done. I'm not into gaming but do some CAD and graphics work and will be getting a DVD drive soon. I've seen the $300-400 cards and don't think I need them . I was looking at the ATI Rage Fury Pro 32mb and ATI Xpert 128 16mb cards in the store yesterday. There was also a 3DFX Voodoo (they've been bought out by nVidia). I guess I just don't know enough about video cards... is there an advantage to AGP over PCI?

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Last edited by Vertigo on 02-25-2001 at 01:55 PM

Registered: Jun 2000
Location: Pembroke,MA
Posts: 307

quote:

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Originally posted by MarkEagle
I'm not into gaming but do some CAD and graphics work and will be getting a DVD drive soon

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Registered: Dec 1999
Location: Connecticut USA
Posts: 2682

I've been doing some checking this morning and so far I'm leaning towards an ATI All-In-Wonder 128 Pro. TV on the PC... between that and VisorCentral, I'll never leave my desk!!! .

I'm going to try and go for a 32mb card but the prices just seem too high. The 32mb A-I-W Pro is over $200.00 (more than I paid for the motherboard!) while the 16mb can be had for around $150.00.

The ATI caught my eye because it's actually part of the Win98 hardware reference design... the OS was designed with it in mind (Web TV).

Decisions, decisions...

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Registered: Dec 2000
Location: East Coast, USA
Posts: 134

DON'T go lower than 32 mb. you will regret it. i personally love my nvidia geforce card, and believe that there is no alternative the geforce 2s are awesome.

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Registered: Jan 2001
Location: Oxford, OH
Posts: 60

If you are doing more CAD work, then you might want a good OpenGL card. Personally, I use an Oxygen VX1... it is a little more expensive than some other 32meg cards, but it is worth it in my opinion. I think it is around $220 or so... ofcourse you could EBAY it. At the time I bought mine, it was probably the best card for CAD, 3D, non-gaming stuff, for under $400.

It does struggle with some of the games though, just isn't built for it. I had a hard time with Unreal Tournament, but it rocks now.

-Russ

Registered: Sep 1999
Location: Seattle, WA, USA
Posts: 406

Guys, would you mind explaining why you think he needs a 32MB card?

A 16MB Card can handle any resolution 99% of monitors are able to put out. I currently have my 22" monitor running at 1600x1200 and that used up under 8MB of memory.

I havn't heard of DVD decoders using video memory, would someone explain?

Registered: Jun 2000
Location: Pembroke,MA
Posts: 307

quote:

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Originally posted by Vertigo
I havn't heard of DVD decoders using video memory, would someone explain?

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Registered: Sep 1999
Location: Seattle, WA, USA
Posts: 406

quote:

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Originally posted by LarryN


Hi Vertigo...

2 words - refresh rate - When you are pushing high fps streams at your monitor, no matter the resolution, you are going to need a card that can keep up with the frame rate of the DVD.

For instance, I have a PIII 600mhz, 16mb nvidia TNT Pro card, 128mb ram, and 15" monitor, that can't handle DVD without many choppy parts. I'm kinda bummed I even bought a DVD drive for it, and I'm going to take up another irq with another card for decoding.

However, my 866Mhz, 32mb GeForce 2 GTS, 128mb ram, 19" monitor, handles DVD's like a dream. The picture is so clear, skipfree, and artifact-less (?sp), that it blows away the quality of my 32" wega tv for pic quality. I'm sure some of it has to do this the monitor quality, but most of it has to do with the video card being able to keep up with the data stream.

I'm with pcgamingnet.com in regards to not getting the 16mb card. I have a feeling that you will be sorry.

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Registered: Jun 2000
Location: Pembroke,MA
Posts: 307

Refresh rates are tied to a few things, including video memory, bus speed, and resolution, the higher the resolution, the more power (memory and type of memory) you'll need to maintain a higher refresh rate. To maintain high refresh rates with high resolution you need more memory. Granted, I do not believe that the human eye can notice any difference above 80fps...

You are dead on regarding getting AGP graphics, it didn't make too much difference when it was first intruduced, bit now, with 2x, and 4x agp cards, it makes a LOT of difference. My newer pc does have 4x agp, and that does contribute to better grahics as well. I would guess that ny mobo that would support 1ghz athlons would also support 4xagp...

As far as your G4 goes, don't Mac's simply handle graphics much better with less power than a Windoze system?

I guess my whole point was that the few (~$40) dollars that you could spend now speaks volumes in graphics quality, even for non-gamers. ...and gives you a couple of more days until the "planned obsolesence" occurs. the geforce 3 chipset is going to be released in a few days, so that should drop geforce 2 prices a bit...

Registered: Dec 1999
Location: Connecticut USA
Posts: 2682

Well, now that I'm totally confused...

The bottom line here was bang for the buck (and the approval of the Mrs.). I decided to go with the ATI All-In-Wonder Pro 128 AGP with a paltry 16mb! Got it for $150.

Since she has an Athlon 750 that's going to need a graphics upgrade soon, I'll just pass on the AIW to her and get something better . I needed something now, and she has possesion of the checkbook, so it's the AIW.

Since I don't currently have a DVD and don't do any gaming, I think I'll be safe for a few months. By then, maybe a good G2 will be available in my price range (my wife reminded me that every dollar I spend on the desktop is a dollar less for Visor toys!!!).

By the way, thanks for all the help!

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