Question on Video Cards...

[Alpha]

Ok, I just got Final Fantasy XI, and, I noticed it said it needs an nVidia Geforce (says a Geforce FX would be the best). I was wondering how much those things go for normally, and if there are any cheaper, but comperable, vid-cards that can do the same job?

[Morgan Evanar]

No, it doesn't need a GeForce. They would be abandoning about half of all other computer users. ATi has Nvidia beaten at ever price point right now. How much do you want to spend?

[Charley]

My advice to you is to not waste your money on Final Fantasy for the PC, but I'm pretty biased.

[Alpha]

Morg~Not more then $50, if that's possible. :)

Charley~Meh, it's a Final Fantasy game, and I'm actually looking forward to playing it. :)

[Silus Xilarian]

Originally posted by Alpha
Morg~Not more then $50, if that's possible. :)

Dont think its possible. You might be able to get away with $100. Morg will know better than I though.

[Morgan Evanar]

Silus is right. Spending less than 100 dollars will net you a piece of trash. 100 will get you a card that isn't especially quick but will do what you want it to.

[Figrin D'an]

My advice... save your money, and it won't be that long that you'll be able to get a pretty kick-butt AGP card for cheap, given that the protocol is going the way of the dodo.

[Morgan Evanar]

Urrhmmm not as quickly as you think. PCI-X video is more a Q4 04/Q1 05 deal.

Right now, you can get a Sapphire (makes ATi's boards) Radeon 9600 128MB from newegg for $99. IMO this is the way to go.

[Marcus Telcontar]

The Opteron I have under my desk has PCI-X.Didnt actually expect that - I've nto seen a single PCI-X device at all. I'd say PCI / AGP will be aaround a long time, there a far too big install base to just cut em off. It'll go much like ISA took it's time to FOAD.

I'm not sure if this Opteron board has a seperate video bus. It's far too new and different for me to really know.

[Figrin D'an]

AGP cards are still dropping in price, though. Yeah, the high-end stuff will be expensive for a while, but the writing is on the wall already. $150 will get you a pretty nice card right now.

Morg's advice is good, though. Don't spend a lot of money on a video card right now. Get what you need, then wait until AGP really drops in price.

[Morgan Evanar]

Cards are going down in price right now because ATi and Nvida are about to release the DX10 class products that support the 3.0 shader standards.

[imported_Firebird1]

Geforce FX 5200 $99 at your Local Walmart. Put it on layaway so if you change your mind or it goes on sale you can deal with it.

AGP might be going bye-bye but most people can't afford that right now.

[Morgan Evanar]

Yeah, the 5200 is a piece of trash compared to a 9600, ESPECIALLY in FF-XI.

www.newegg.com

Edit: and why in the name of bezelbub would you buy a graphics card from Wal-Mart. I mean, what the frell?

[imported_Firebird1]

I work there... It's been a long weekend...

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduct.asp?catalog=48&DEPA=0&submit=property&mfrcode=0&propertycode=&propertycodevalue=4807,3668

:|

I had a bad experance with an ATI so I don't usually get them...

[Morgan Evanar]

ATi's drivers have come along by leaps and bounds over the past three years. Writing them off due to old bias is foolish.

[imported_Firebird1]

Originally posted by Morgan Evanar
ATi's drivers have come along by leaps and bounds over the past three years. Writing them off due to old bias is foolish.

So has Nivida's....

[Charley]

I ran ATI in my old computer, and aside from being unsupported (way back in the Voodoo days), it was rock solid. I've heard nothing but good things from the newer, better supported cards.

The issue with Wal Mart is that they cater to the least common denominator for all their products, more or less. You can find whatever you need there, thats true. However, you can't find high-end, or specialty products.

Same reason that if I'm buying every-day groceries, I shop Wal Mart. If I'm making good food, I shop elsewhere for my stuff. I can't find the same quality at Wally World.

[imported_Firebird1]

Originally posted by Charley
Same reason that if I'm buying every-day groceries, I shop Wal Mart. If I'm making good food, I shop elsewhere for my stuff. I can't find the same quality at Wally World.


You and half of America!

:smokin

And I suggusted that because of Layaway gives more options then just buying Computer Hardware off the shelf

Like a drop in Price

OR

Something better comes along.

[Morgan Evanar]

Originally posted by Firebird1
So has Nivida's.... What. I'm sorry, you must have missed the fiasco that was the 30 series drivers where they pulled two sets on two seperate occasions, or the toss up ansiotropic filtering quality. After the Quake/Quack fiasco ATi's have been very predictable.

NVidia's drivers have been "excellent" with the exception of the occasional botched set since detonator 6.35. Or something. So there hasn't been a "leaps and bounds" improvement for them.

[Charley]

Originally posted by Firebird1
And I suggusted that because of Layaway gives more options then just buying Computer Hardware off the shelf

Like a drop in Price

OR

Something better comes along.

But neither of these make Wal-Mart a superior provider.

While generally speaking, Wal Mart has a great distribution channel, internet specialty wholesalers are becoming the sweeter option for that. Add a better selection on top of that, then newegg and m-wave win easily.

[Darth007]

I'm glad there's finally evidence that a pricedrop will occur soon. I've bene planning on waiting till the summer to buy a new card, seeing as how ill have a part time job then and it should only take a week or two to save up for a decent card around $150, and by then $150 will hopefully get me something better then it will now.

[Morgan Evanar]

After the new cards hit the price drops don't come through for about another month.

[Charley]

(Insert diatribe about Moore's law here)

[Morgan Evanar]

-Chatter about DDR-RAM prices, and transistor counts.-

[Silus Xilarian]

as an aside also. I paid 142 bux for my ATI Radeon 9600 pro from Mwave.com, and I've been more than satisfied with it.

[Darth007]

Only problem I can see myself having is that once I upgrade my video card I'm gonna have to slowly start upgraded the rest of my comp to keep up with the card, seeing as how my processor is startin to bite the dust (athlon 1.09)

[Alpha]

Newegg.com, huh? :) I'll have to check that one out. :D Thanx guys!

[Charley]

Originally posted by Darth007
Only problem I can see myself having is that once I upgrade my video card I'm gonna have to slowly start upgraded the rest of my comp to keep up with the card, seeing as how my processor is startin to bite the dust (athlon 1.09)

That isn't hard to do. I've done it with my computer, and its four years old, but still keeping up with the joneses.

Moore's Law means you lose 50% computing parity every 18 months or so. If you can stand not being "cutting edge" at every moment, you can quite easily do incremental upgrades.

In my computer, the only original components are the monitor, modem, sound card, speakers, subwoofer, and keyboard.

I've upgraded & replaced everything else on my system, a piece at a time.

Its still cheaper than buying a new box every 3 years or so.

[Morgan Evanar]

I think I've only spent abour $400 a year on the computer itself, and I'm usually well ahead of the curve.

Alpha, newegg ROCKS. I cannot emphasize that enough. They are just superior to just about any company I've worked with for anything.

[Alpha]

Just curious, what about tigerdirect.com? I've heard that they have some pretty good stuff too.

[Morgan Evanar]

Tigerdirect's service isn't comparable to newegg's at all.

[Alpha]

Kay. :) Just thoguht I'd check. :)

what would I do without you guys to help me with comp stuff? lol

[Sanis Prent]

Originally posted by Alpha
Just curious, what about tigerdirect.com? I've heard that they have some pretty good stuff too.

Akrabbim has been burned a few times by Tiger Direct, IIRC.


Originally posted by Morgan Evanar
Tigerdirect's service isn't comparable to newegg's at all.

Newegg is good, but I seem to be able to find things I need on mwave a little easier.

[Alpha]

what's mwave's URL? www.mwave.com?

[Morgan Evanar]

Yes. :)

[Alpha]

figures. :)

[imported_Firebird1]

You will get better service with Newegg.com then some of the other places that I have ordered from...

MORG: $400!!!

o_O

Sweet Mother of God!!
Tell me that not just for the Video Card!

[Marcus Telcontar]

The new PC under my desk that is now a server cost $396 AUD. Case, 40Gb drive, 2400XP, 256 mb RAM (DDR 333), Gigabyte K7 Triton board, CD-Rom. That in itself is a pretty fair PC for day to day usage. Add Radeon and more memory, it's a fair gaming PC, not flash, but okay.

Now, the PC that left here this week was a AMD 64 3000, NVIDIA nForce3 chipset mb (Soltek), 80Gb Seagate, 512mb DDR 400, $900 AUD. Add a decent Radeon and that thing smokes almost everything. Hell, did that with a botring MX440 card in it. Think about it - the AMD 64 has almost everything up to date, it's wonderously quick and it's 900 AUD. Radeons are rare, but still, 250 will get a decent one.

There's no reason at all to be paying lots of money for decent PC stuff anymore. When even top line hardware is under 1G AUD, I'd almost say Morg's being a total hardware geek :D

Oh, and 7G's will buy you this beast. An Opteron 248, 2Gb ECC DDR400 memory (Corsair, tuned specifically for the Opteron), Tyan K8S board, 3 * 73Gb U320 SCSI's, twin 160Gb IDE Seagates in removable cages, DVD R+RW, Antec case. Pictures if it are going into the Gallery today.

[Morgan Evanar]

Originally posted by Firebird1
You will get better service with Newegg.com then some of the other places that I have ordered from...

MORG: $400!!!

o_O

Sweet Mother of God!!
Tell me that not just for the Video Card! Try looking for exactly what I reccomended next time, its exactly $97.


SAPPHIRE ATI RADEON 9600 Video Card, 128MB DDR, 128-bit, DVI/TV-Out, 8X AGP - BULK (http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=14-102-305&depa=1)