Need help picking a video card to finish up system! Help ple

[chezman]

Video card to finish off system listed below.

I am finally down to the wire, just waiting for my modded PSU to come in and a couple other parts to put together my new system below.
Although I never got a video card since I had a Ti4200 I was going to put in until the 9800PRO AIW came out and either dropped the price on the 9700 or went with the 9800. (I helped myself need an early upgrade - bumped off a capacitor while prepping for a Zalman pipe cooler) Going to try and send it back anyway, maybe get a back-up video card for one of my 4 systems.

I really don't want to spend all that much right now. I need something in the $200-250 range.

Any recommendations?

I need your guys help on this one. I have never used ATI, always Nvidia. I was really happy when I got my 4200 even though the 4600 was out there. So it doesn't necessarily have to be the best gamer. I don't play a ton. Maybe once a month, sometimes less.
I have GTA3, Medal of Honor and a couple others.
I wanted the AIW for the video options, editing, and watching TV while surfin' (for fun). Especially with my new 19" LCD.

Thanks,
Chez

[Darthtanion]

ATI has made a very solid product with their Radeon9xxx series cards. The 9700 Pro boards are going in at about $300, so if thats a bit high for right now, then check into the 9500 Pro or the newer 9600 Pro boards.

Oh... and the ATI will give you better 2D visuals as well. At higher resolutions when the text begins to blur a bit with the nVidia boards, the ATI ones will still give you a crisp image quality. Their driver support is also greatly improved from ages past as well so you won't have to worry too much about that either. :)

[claudmasta34]

I say go with the ATI, i just got a 9800 PRO and love the damn thing, i had a 9700 PRO but i returned it and paid the difference for the 9800, i work at Circuit City so i do get it cheaper than you guys, the 9800 PRO was about $311 for me and the 9700 Pro was $220 so if you can find a whole sale store that sells this stuff you can get it around those prices, also look at newegg.com, they might have some good prices. if not check your local comp. nerd little stores...hehe :), but definately what ever you do, get ATI

[chezman]

The prices I have seen are :

9700PROAIWonder - $365
9800PRO - about the same.

The nvidia cards are way cheaper. I can get a newer 8x agp for around $200 or so.
If I don't go with the AIW, I am going to just stick with Nvidia. Just seems like a better way to since I don't think the graffics are worth the extra $150 for an ATI>

So I guess its a aiw or an nvidia for now.

I wonder how much the 9700aiw will drop once the 9800 is out. I emailed ATI and asked them how long till it comes out and they wouldn't say, just that it would be soon.
Even with their exchange program, they only give $50 off and they sell it for $399, so $350, and I have to send them a card. That is for the AIW.
The 9800PROAIW is supposed to be $450 or something.
So I wonder if I should just by a Nvidia Ti4200 8x and then wait for the 9700 to drop in price? !?!? ! ?

Any help? I hate being undecided. :steam: It really is either an AIW or nothing from ATI since they are so much more, and I don't need the graffics bells, as much as the AIW stuff. So in that sense the Nvidia would do fine.

Does anybody have a good Nvidia card idea to get until the AIW drops in price?
$100-150 for the meantime would be fine for me with something from Nvidia. Then I can put in one of my other machines and upgrade to the AIW when the prices drop.

Should I go with a 5200 or stick with a Ti 8x?
I don't know anything about the newer cards from Nvidia. All I know is the Ti4200 was alright and did fine for what I needed at the time.

I REALLY appreciate your guys help on this. Especialy since I have no knowledge about the latest graffics out there. I will stick with something cheaper from Nvidia now, and then go for the AIW when the price drops.
At least I have that much figured out now though!!!

Chez
:shrug:

I guess I just need something to fill the slot until the 9700AIW drops in price aftet the 9800AIW comes out.

[The__tweaker]

I say go with the ATI, i just got a 9800 PRO and love the damn thing, but definately what ever you do, get ATI

Erm.. I just read in ya other thread you have some probs with yours..:?: Same prob as with ya other Ati card..

In his pricerange it would be hard to beat the Ti4200 128Mb which can be had from $129 and up depending on memory and video in option etc..

[The__tweaker]

Btw don't take me wrong, I would kill to have a video card like yours.. :)

[chezman]

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduc...tby=14&order=1

Its about 3/4 down the page. Thanks for your help!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Chez

[Beefy]

If you are mainly after the video input side of things, then you will want to stick with ATi. After having used various video inputs / outputs on nVidia, ATi and Matrox cards, nVidia image quality was by far the worst of the bunch. The older ATi cards weren't quite as good as the Matrox I used, but the newer cards do surpass it in image quality.

You don't necessarily have to get a 9700Pro AIW (which is coincidentally what I have). There's also a 9000 AIW, or if you want to go older still I've seen a couple 8500 AIW cards around the place. I personally found that the 9700Pro AIW had everything I needed, as well as good 3D performance, so I was happy.

[The__tweaker]

Both the 5200 and GF4MX are very poor performers, I'd say look into a Ti4200 with 128Mb and video in. Also called "VIVO".

[chezman]

www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduct.asp?submit=manufactory&catalog=48&manu factory=1126&DEPA=1&sortby=14&order=1

Why is it so cheap? Is that because it only has 64mb ram? Can't be just because of that?!?

Chez

[chezman]

It is either that one, or the 8500DV AIW.
Which the DV is so you can hook your dv camcorder up to it (which I have a canon ZR-10) so that would come in REAL handy.
It seems to have all the other stuff the other one has too, remote, inputs, ect. and a little more.
The 8500DV is $188.00

Should I just go for that one? ?

That is in my price range and seems to fit the bill. I wonder if I can watch tv on my pc and stuff with it still? Just for fun of course, I have a TV in my home office right next to my PC, but just for kicks.

Thanks so much for your guys help on this one. Video is always the hardest to buy. You really need other people opinions since they have probably had the card, heard about it, or know about it!!!!

Thanks again,
Chez

The 8500DV seems to be a good one to me. I don't know about the GPU and all that though.

They have a 9000 for $177, doesn't seem to have as much though.

[chezman]

For $127 the 7500AIW looks good for now. I will throw it in one of my other systems when the price on the 9700AIWPRO drops.
I am sure it will be on par with a Ti4200 as far as what I use it for.
I read some reviews at other sites and it seems like the best band for the buck with the feature set it has. And if it doesn't work out it is cheap enough to throw in another system I have with an MX440 in it now. So it can't hurt for what I need it for at the moment. And I will get to try out ATI and All in wonder prior to purchasing the card I really want.

thanks guys,
Chez

[Beefy]

The reason the 7500 is so cheap is because it's basically an antique now. :) That 8500DV AIW is a bargain though, so personally I'd go for that one if it was within budget. That 9000 you mentioned, was that AIW or just a normal 9000?

[chezman]

It was an AIW.

I was just doing some more research and the Gainward Ti4200 8x with Vivo looks pretty sweet for $140. 3.6ns 128mb DDR.
Red card (3 window case).
Something I like, until the AIW's come down.

I DON'T know. I know this. I will probably end up with a Ti4200 when the checkout button is pushed. For the price and what I need it for right now, you can't beat em'. Only cause I haven't seen or used an ATI card yet, and I have read so MUCH about driver issues it is ridiculous.

I don't know. I gotta get some sleep though b4 I just buy a couple cards and end the whole issue......

Chez

[Beefy]

Only cause I haven't seen or used an ATI card yet, and I have read so MUCH about driver issues it is ridiculous.

I was the same about 2 months ago, but I took a stab and tried out a 9700Pro AIW. And I was very pleasantly surprised. The whole driver issue has passed. That has been resolved for a while now. And yes, there's also stories about incompatibilites, but I haven't seen anything to back that up yet. It all boils down to what you want I guess. I'd prefer the better 2D image quality and TV / video input quality that the Radeons offer as opposed to nVidia's efforts. That's just me