Advice

[Kid A]

I'm looking into buying a new video card in the near future. My budget is 200-215 USD (In HS and out of a job). Current specs:

P4 3.0Ghz HT, 800Mhz FSB
1GB PC3200 RAM
ATI Radeon X300 128 MB

When I got the computer, I was too poor to get a non-crappy video card. A few months later, I've got some cash. Right now I'm mainly looking at the PCI-e GeForce 6600GT and the X700. Would the processor and RAM limit either of these cards? And which is the better buy? Thanks for any help in advance.

EDIT: I can probably get the 6600 GT for ~190, and the 256MB X700 Pro for ~210. Any direction towards good deals is appreciated.

 

[[Matt]]

I dont think the CPU would limit the GPU as its fast enough.... and the 6600GT is the better buy...

 

[Kid A]

Hmmmm, okay. That's what I thought. Any recommendations on a brand? (eVGA, Gigabyte, etc).

 

[RTFMy]

Hmmmm, okay. That's what I thought. Any recommendations on a brand? (eVGA, Gigabyte, etc).

I hear XFX is a really good brand, not sure if they make 6600GT's though.

 

[JoeMan05]

I own a XFX 6600gt, so yes they make them It is a great card. One of the coolest running of all the other brands, and its also a good overclocker.

 

[Kid A]

Argh, there are too many options. I was looking at the eVGA, but now that I see that the MSI comes with PoP and XIII and the Leadtex comes with PoP and SC: PT, I think I will get one with a better software bundle. (I can't find the XFX).

So I guess my question is, can I expect the same performance from most manufacturers; specifically MSI and Leadtek?

 

[J_Tweedy]

difference between manufacturers is fairly negligible aye. just cooling (mainly idle speeds) and overclocking capability are the differences

 

[Kid A]

Is there one company that is better for OCing; it's something I would like to do, and I am willing to spend a little extra to get good OCing capabilities.

 

[Kid A]

I'm going to go with the Leadtek, I can't resist the cooling. Thanks for the help, guys.