PCI Express Card Question

[HalfLIFE2_newguy]

I'm looking to purchase a PCHI express card for the sole purpose of playing games like Half-life2 among others. I'm just looking for a card that the game will actually run smoothly with.

I can get a Radeon X300SE Video Card, PCI Express, 128MB DDR for a good price. Will it be enough to run those types of games?

OR...

Would I be better off spending the extra money on a Radeon X550 Video Card, PCI Express, 256MB DDR?

I'm not the most computer savy, so any advice would be great. Thanks alot

 

[DrDevin]

Both of those cards arn't very good for gaming. You will want to go for a 6800gs minimum, unless you dont do much gaming then you could get a 6600gt.

If you have more money to spend a 7800gt is a good value right now.

What are you full system specs?

 

[HalfLIFE2_newguy]

System is:

Dell Dimension 4700
Pentium 4 Processor 530 with HT Technology (3.00GHz, 800 FSB)
Memory:512MB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 400MHz (2x256M)
Video Cards Integrated Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator 900 IV
Hard Drive 80GB Serial ATA Hard Drive (7200RPM)

I just copied and pasted that info from my order details, not sure what it all means. Hopefully that helps.

Thanks

 

[diluted]

Both of those cards are budget cards. If you have the money, go for at least something like the Radeon x800 series or the Geforce 6800 series.

 

[DEATHMASTER]

also make sure you have pci-ex. slots on your motherboard because you dont wanna buy the wrong thing.

 

[_-_-SELAS-_-_]

Okay Ill be the first to actually answer your question.

Of the two cards you mention the x550 is pretty much faster I think it compares to a 9500 pro. But I would agree with the others that if you really want to use it for gaming you should go even higher like at least a 6600gt or if you want ati a x600/x700 AT LEAST, dont worry about the amount of RAM when ur at this price range they simply arent powerful enough to utilize the RAM because they cant run the high resolution settings that would need the extra RAM.
And next time you upgrade get more system RAM

ps: dont worry about if you have the right socket for the card, with those specs ofcourse you do, and welcome to the forums :bounce:

Heres a nice test it has the X300 but not the X550
http://www.tomshardware.com/2006/01/05/squeezing_value_out_of_lower_end_cards/page3.html

 

[Codcommando]

Alright,your computers specs are about the same as my current computer,except I have a geforce 4200ti.(thank god im buying a new top of the liner tommorow online*squeels with joy*) Do yourself a favor and buy a geforce4200ti....its dirt cheap,and it plays games like half life2 and doom3 no problem.graphics arent the "best" but this videocard has carried me through almost 3years of gaming just fine,and my processor is only a 2.66 pentium4.

 

[_-_-SELAS-_-_]

He cant get a 4xxx series for PCI-E...

 

[longhorn88]

Alright,your computers specs are about the same as my current computer,except I have a geforce 4200ti.(thank god im buying a new top of the liner tommorow online*squeels with joy*) Do yourself a favor and buy a geforce4200ti....its dirt cheap,and it plays games like half life2 and doom3 no problem.graphics arent the "best" but this videocard has carried me through almost 3years of gaming just fine,and my processor is only a 2.66 pentium4.

YERR!!

4200ti was teh king. its even better than the most of the fx series

 

[HalfLIFE2_newguy]

Thanks alot. I've thought it out and I think I'm going to go with a 6800

Any advice on places/sites to purchase this card?



thanks again.

 

[joule]

www.newegg.com

 

[Asus]

FYI a Geforce4 4000 series will not play BF2.

 

[TheGrimSweeper]

nor does he have an AGP slot so it doesn't matter anyway.

Get this if you have a bit more money, it will run everything easily: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814143042

If not get this:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814130267

 

[JNightshade]

If I were you, I'd just get Short Recoil to do all the graphical processing with his muscles. He will not fail you.

 

[Loc-Dog]

I got myself a Geforce 6800 GS XXX edition. Awsome card and very cheap compared to the newest. I run anything on max with it (Doom 3, Battlefield 2, you name it it's got a minimum of 60 FPS with all effects on full).

Whatever you go for, make sure it's 256 mb and that it supports Shader Model 3.