Complete computer noob wanting to buy and install his first ever graphics card

Reginald

Reginald

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I purchased an Alienware in August of last year, but only a fairly basic package, with only a mediocre graphics card (nVidia GeForce FX 5900XT) and I was planning on upgrading it for the next generation of games (and Lost Coast ;))

But, this is the first time I will ever have upgraded beyond the graphics card that came with the computer, so I was wondering whether you could guide me through every stage and reccomend some good cards for me.

My budget is between 300 and 400 pounds...hopefully.

First of all, just ask for any specs you need...
 
First, what type of motherboard do you own (AGP / PCI-E capabilities, though it most likely has an AGP slot due to your current GPU), and what is your CPU (this normally limits graphics capabilities if not up to par.) Another thing is what brand are you seeking? Are you an Nvidia fanboy, or a Radeon fanboy? If this doesn't apply, then I would suggest going with the GeForce 6 line as Nvidia is known for a broader scale of better performance on multiple games, as well as having great drivers. If you could answer these questions, we / I can help you further.
 
i would get 6800ultra so u can play in high q because all of the radeon cards right now will only be able to play in low q intil the r520 u prob. dont know what that is

also i have no idea how much a pound is in american but thats what i recommend
 
Soldier X said:
First, what type of motherboard do you own (AGP / PCI-E capabilities, though it most likely has an AGP slot due to your current GPU), and what is your CPU (this normally limits graphics capabilities if not up to par.) Another thing is what brand are you seeking? Are you an Nvidia fanboy, or a Radeon fanboy? If this doesn't apply, then I would suggest going with the GeForce 6 line as Nvidia is known for a broader scale of better performance on multiple games, as well as having great drivers. If you could answer these questions, we / I can help you further.
Click to expand...

AGP Motherboard
AMD Athlon 64 Processor 3500+, 2.20 Ghz

I am impartial to both brands, because, as you can probably guess, I know very little about them.
 
I would say wait a little bit for the ATI R520 chip. See what it has to offer then make a decision, it should (hopefully) be available by mid-summer. If you absolutely can't wait go get a 6800 Ultra.
 
R520, or whatever next gen nvidia card. But you'd have to get a new motherboard since they most likely wont ever have an agp version.
 
How much would a new motherboard cost then? I don't really feel the need to buy a new one yet...
 
I would personally go for an Nvidia 6800 GT mate, v. powerful card. Nice system btw, those specs won't bottlneck a 6800 GT at all and you will benefit from the full performance. The Nvidia 6800 Ultra is marginally quicker, but you are paying nearly a 100 pound difference for an extra 5-10 percent performance. Not worth it imo.
 
Get the 6800GT.

For god's sake, don't wait for the 520 chipset, you can do that with any hardware and be waiting forever.

With a 6800GT you'll be sitting pretty for a long while :)
 
Thanks for the advice. Know any websites where I can get a good deal? I think I will go for the 6800 GT because I have heard nothing but good things about it.
 
Since we're kinda on topic...how does an x800 xl compare to a 6800 GT?
 
it is agp and only agp but its kind of getting to be low end soon so go for 6800gt if u can afford it
 
^^ thats because its te higher end one, which would be more fairly compared to the 6800 ultra. i would reccomend newegg.com and get a 6800gt. its plenty, i play hl2 with full settings and 1600x1200 res and i VERY rarely drop below 80 fps. your eyes cant see the difference above 35 or so, so no worries there. In my opinion the ultra only has minor advantages over the gt because of the huge price difference for minimal gain.
 
noldevin said:
^^ thats because its te higher end one, which would be more fairly compared to the 6800 ultra. i would reccomend newegg.com and get a 6800gt. its plenty, i play hl2 with full settings and 1600x1200 res and i VERY rarely drop below 80 fps. your eyes cant see the difference above 35 or so, so no worries there. In my opinion the ultra only has minor advantages over the gt because of the huge price difference for minimal gain.
Click to expand...

Uh uh uh... The x800xl is 279 dollars the x850xt or x800xt is the high end.
 
6800 is more future proof x800xl is a nice card but though
 
9800 is old, stay away from it. You should be looking at the current flagship AGP cards from ATi and nVidia.

ATI's flagship is the X800 XT Platinum

nVidias flagship is the 6800 Ultra

If you want to pay a little less for a little lower (but still mighty fast) performance, the budget models of these cards are the X800 Pro and the 6800 GT. Just make sure that you do buy the AGP version.
 
Reginald said:
How much would a new motherboard cost then? I don't really feel the need to buy a new one yet...
Click to expand...

Yo, visit this site: www.overclockers.co.uk

the best site for Hardware in the UK ;)

PS: Go for Nvidia 6800Ultra PCIe and get DFI SLI MObo because it has S3.0 whereas Non ATIs cards support it.
Or if you could wait until this fall, there are 2 beasts coming ATI R520 and Nvidia G70........... :)
 
Don't get a new motherboard, there's absolutely nothing wrong with the one you've got!
 
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