The Short List: the Best Gaming Videocards for the money - Page 8

hey, yeah just wanted to hint, now there is a video card for over 500, the 7950gx2

I don't believe SLI can work with anything except pairs of cards.

I don't believe you could even get a motherboard with three PCIe graphics ports... I haven't heard of any.

x800xl for 130 CDN!!! omfg

http://www.canadacomputers.com//in [...] id=999.243

great post, thx for the helpful info

I think the AGP section should be updated. In the 100-150 section, both the x800xl and x850pro on the ATI website beat the X1600 and 6600GT. I'm not sure if theres anything good in the 150-200 category, because the two cards I mentioned beat those too.

That'd be me!

As for the AGP stuff on Ati's site, I'm going to add those as honorable mentions... that's the only place you can get that deal, it's not like it's the standard MSRP.

Hey take a look at this too
http://forums.hardwarezone.com/sho [...] id=1233319

Interesting. It looks like the poster is outside the states.

However, I would avoid any list that tells people to avoid the 7600GT because a 7600GST can overclock to 7600GT speeds. Can it compare to an overclocked 7600GT? The Inno3D Geforce 7600GST card is also very hard to find (I wonder why). I'm not trying to be negative, but the poster also says to avoid the X1800XT because it's overpriced and superceded by a cheaper X1900XT???? I understand places across the pond (and next door) pricing is different and all, but an X1900XT cheaper than a X1800XT??? I think he meant the X1900GT. And according to FiringSquad, the X1900GT doesn't fair to well against the X1800XT.

Perhaps the post needs to be updated, even though it does say " Which PCIe Graphics Card to buy in JUL 06?".

All in all, thanks for the info.

As Cleeve said, it would all depend on how much of that budget can be used for a video card; if that's also covering a lot of parts, such as, say, a very nice case, a new power supply (if you don't have a good one already) and a large monitor, that might not leave much for a video card.

However, presuming a fairly "balanced" budget for parts, I'd concur with Cleeve's suggestion; for around $300US, the X1900XT is awfuly hard to beat, producing some of the best "bang for your buck."

Indeed, I'd guess they are in Singapore, given the use of the term "S$", and the fact that the site chiefly lists countries in Southeast Asia/Oceania.

Indeed, I don't think that the information listed there would be all that applicable here. It might be the case where they are, though.

Yes, the X1900XT is definitely more expensive than the X1800XT, particularly the 256MB version of that card.

As for the GST, some people also forget that even if all these people say it's easily overclocked, it's not a gaurantee, just like all of those claiming those X800GTO^2 cards could be turned into full X850XT PEs. You might be able to push the card that far, or it might not go that far. Using the more expensive card, you're gauranteed to have that speed, since it's then stock, and you'll more likely be able to overclock it even further.

For sure. Availability is a big plus when deciding what goes on this list.

The 7600 GS is about as good as an X800 GTO, but with SM 3.0. If it becomes widely available, it's a shoe-in... assuming they don't price it stupidly high.

Newegg has one for $159.00--$139.00 after mail-in rebate: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6814130036

you mean ATI has discontinued the X800GTO AGP product line? Why hand over that market segment to Nvidia? weird decision...

especially since it would cost them nothing to compete with a new Nvidia card with the same level of performance which costs more (7600GS).

I guess that's just as intelligent as moving to PCI Express, whose only purpose is to allow SLI, which only a very small portion of enthusiasts would want, because a better single video card gives the same or better performance for less cost, unless you own a mega expensive super high res LCD monitor which is again, only for rich enthusiasts.

News flash: brand-new cards don't have to be at the top of the performance pile. The market is driven by sales, not by benchmarks.

At any rate, SM 3.0 is actually a potential selling point; keep in mind that's its a necessity to gainthe effects of HDR in many games, and some people particularly like it.

As for price/performance, it does appear as if it's sliding into place to compete with such cards. First, of course, it must wait out ATi's low-priced X850pro and X800XL cards.

Actually, it DOES cost them to compete with nVidia; if they're making new cards so that they don't run out, that's a fabrication plant that's busy making old cards, when it could be working at newer parts, such as the X1000 line, or tooling up for the X2000 line. Remember that R&D aren't the only real costs; plants cost money to operate, and can't do everything at once (and neither doe companies have unlimited fabs)

As for PCI-express, it also allows for variable-bandwidth cards; provided a PCI-e slot will fit a plug, any card can fit into any slot.

I wouldn't be surprised if the X1700 is, like the 7800GS, yet ANOTHER "hah! I've taken the AGP crown from you!" attack. Given that it appears to be half an X1900, (or double the X1600, depending on how you look) it might be a real boon to AGP owners, though perhaps not a great deal, similar to how the 7800GS is now.

YES!!! I own this card! I dunno if it's good for OCing though, I'm too chickensh*t to try. Maybe in a year or 2, when it becomes obsolete.

*** JULY 26, 2007 CHANGES ***

- Took out AGP X800 GTO and 6800 GS in favor of ~$150 7600 GS, which performs similarly for less money and is widely available

- Knocked X850 XT to sub-$150 PCIe category as it can be found regularly for that price on newegg. Replaced X1600 XT and 7600 GS in PCIe.

Well, the real reason is because, even if not directly, the savings (as well as future advancements) still get transfered to you. Because ATi and nVidia needn't keep producing 3-4+ different generations of video cards, they can pool a lot of resources into making ones that produce more power for their money; this then is scaled up to make more and more powerful graphics cards. You could also look at the equation the other direction, as they make more and more powerful cards, using newer tech to keep the price the same as the old, and scale it down to make more powerful cards that don't cost in the to-level; either way is correct, and both reveal that in the end, yes, it does all help to improve your gaming experience; the X1600 AGP does indeed displace the X700 AGP, and for about the same cost, one has to say that it is an improvement.

As for AMD's sockets, there may be a difference in pin count that's almost nil between 939 and AM2, but there are other changes as well.

Silly question, but why isn't the Radeon X800XL mentioned? Is it that you only track general pricing trends, and not individual cards? (hence why you never link to the cards in question?)

Likewise, I haven't heard of the 7800GS+, only the "7800GS 'bliss'." Is it indeed a different card, and hence a re-named 7900GT rather than the renamed 7800GT that was the "bliss" card?

Okay, then. Good reasoning.

I did actually do that sort of thing once, when I ran a series of "will my computer run Oblivion?" threads on the Elder Scrolls forums; it included a list of video cards very similar to this one, but listed specific cards with links. I actually only bothered to update it each time I actually posted a thread, (on those forums, all threads were locked at 200 posts) which was perhaps every other day or so. (NewEgg was probably happy with that thread; they can possibly attribute most of their sell-outs of the X850XT PE AGP last autumn to that thread)

That's what I was getting the impression of, but I wanted to be more certain than I was.

well theres a new card for $250, its the x1800gto2, u can see it on newegg.com, its 512mb, 500mhz core, 1000mhz gddr3, 16 pixelpipelines

yeah it may be $250 but it has a $30 rebate on newegg.com and its 512mb, so its eye catchin

I just found this on newegg: Sapphire X850XT: $105 after rebate

FYI--Cleeve, I realize that there is no sub-$50 category for video card category, and you have good reasons not to have one. However, I was just goofin around, looking at really cheap video cards, and look at how cheap this guy is! http://www.newegg.com/Product/Cust [...] 6814102455

An ATI X700 at under $50, a real bargain IMO! I am considering getting one, because even if it barely beats my suckey 6600 AGP, it is useable in my other unit that has integrated Intel graphics currently (My parent's Dell Dimension 4700) and I can use it there. I simply can't spare hardley anything for computer hardware these days, but wow, a $50 video card that's 128-bit memory interface? That's tough to beat, man!

That's a hell of a deal. Overclock that puppy and you got a nice little budget card there.

that is a sweet fricken deal man. Great card, great price.

you know, I was just thinking that I paid a full $500 for my 1900... $300 more than what you just paid for that 1800, and I would bet vital parts of my anatomy that there is not $300 worth of performance between the two.

Granted, mine is cheaper now... but it is still ~$200 difference and I really doubt that there is even that much difference.

Basically, that is a good price. If that is where the prices are going on those cards I would bet they will sell out very quickly.

(don't get me wrong, I like my card... just belly-aching over the price compared to what you just got. )

Thanks.

I was planning on just holding out with the 7600GT but I can probably get at least $100.00 for it on eBay. It's been a great card and I highly recommend it to anyone. FarCry with HDR was astonishing and it handled F.E.A.R and the Prey Demo quite well but I want to try Oblivion and the 7600GT doesn't fair too well there. The X1800XT was the best card I could afford that would allow it. Besides, since my last two cards have been nVidia's, I figured it was time to give ATI a spin again.