Better than 8600GT 256MB card

[bytebuzzer]

Hi All,

I have Asus M2N-E motherboard , AMD 2.2 Ghz Processor and 2 Gb DDR2 RAMs. I am planning to buy a new Nvidia graphics card. Since, I have Asus board I am planning to buy asus card which also provides some add-ons. I looked into Asus.in site and found several card.
EN8600GT/HTDP/256M, EN8600GT TOP/HTDP/256M, EN8600GTS/HTDP/256M

There are several others from Palit, EVGA ... etc.

It looks like some of the cards have DDR3 memories. So I would like to know
1. Which Graphics card is best suitable for my machine configuration considering future gaming(GTA 4, DX10)
2. Any compatibility/performance issues in using DDR3 graphic cards on motherboards only support DDR2?

Please suggest a suitable Nvidia graphic card around $100 considering future gaming.

Thanks,
DD

 

[bytebuzzer]

In case required, my board supports PCI-E cards and I m looking for 1 in same category.

 

[cusideabelincoln]

First, you really shouldn't even be considering an 8600GT or 8600GTS. They are pretty weak cards and will struggle with new games.

You also don't need to buy an Asus video card. As far as I know, there is no extra benefit of, for example, using an Asus video card on an Asus board as opposed to using an Asus video card on a Gigabyte board. Or vice versa, there's not detriment using a Palit card on an Asus board. Any video card should work flawlesly and completely on any motherboard, so if one brand offers a cheaper card then I would suggest getting that brand, assuming the feature set is similar.

To answer your questions:

1. Try to get a 9600GT or 9800GT. In the US they can be found for $100 and under. The 9600GSO or 8800GS is also under $100 in the US and is much faster than an 8600GTS. If these cards are still too expensive for you, then you should consider the 9500GT, which is a bit faster than an 8600GT.

2. Nope, there will be no issues with a video card using DDR3 memory and your motherboard. The video card RAM is exclusive to the video card.

 

[s44]

9800GT

 

[darkrisen2003]

I actually have had the 8600 gts 256 meg since 06 and let me tell you it is not the budget performer that everyone boasted it was when it first came out. I think if the new 295 gtx card is decently priced when it hits I might be upgrading to that. Anands preview about the info of the card said it will be sporting over a gig and a half of ram which is nutts. But everyone is speculating that it will be priced over 500 bucks which is hard for me to justify. I know everyone will bash me for saying that but over the years one thing I have had to learn is that its difficult to pay all of the household bills, extra expenses such as car and insurance and cells phones etc, and drop that kind of cash on one single part. I can see spending 300 on a high performance part but not much more than that. I just think that to drop 500 on one part that will be outdated in a few months is just insulting considering the price drops happen every 3-5 months making you feel like an idiot for paying full retail price.

 

[eternalone]

I recommend the The Radeon HD 4670.

Best PCIe Card For $80: Tie

Good 1600x1200 performance in most games

Radeon HD 4670 GDDR3 Codename: RV730
Process: 55 nm
Universal Shaders: 320
Texture Units: 32
ROPs: 8
Memory Bus: 128-bit
Core Speed MHz: 750
Memory Speed MHz: 1,000 (2,000 effective)
DirectX / Shader Model DX 10.1 / SM 4.0

The Radeon HD 4670 slaps previous-generation, high-end performance squarely in the jaw of mid-range pricing. With 320 shader processors, this card means business and will provide awesome 1600x1200 gaming. Compared to the 9600 GSO, its main advantage is a low-power requirement?the 4670 doesn?t need an external power cable, which for some upgraders is a really important feature.

from toms latest best graphics cards for december 2008.

 

[nemesismk2]

The 4670 is a good video card but so is the 9600 GT.

 

[Flipped Gazelle]

Originally posted by: eternalone
I recommend the The Radeon HD 4670.

The OP says he wants an Nvidia-based card.

9800gt/9600gt would fit the bill, I think, providing the OP's PSU is OK.

There's zero performance/compatibility advantage to getting an Asus-branded video card to match your mobo's make.

 

[gregoryvg]

Well, a lot depends on your Power Supply Unit (PSU). If it is a no-name weak unit (300w and under) that you are unwilling to upgrade, your best bet would be a 9500GT (if you must have nVidia). It performs much better than the 8600GT and somewhat below the 8600GTS. They do sell overclocked versions which are faster than the 8600GTS, but it is of course, more expensive than a stock 9500GT.

If it is a 350w+ PSU, then you have the option of getting a 9600GSO, 9600GT or maybe even a 9800GT (listed in order of performance). It would probably be best if you had a least a quality PSU of at least 400w even for these.

However, if you have a weak PSU, and are brand agnostic, you really can not beat the ATI Radeon HD4670. It is actually the card I finally chose to upgrade on my Dell (and it has a standard 300w PSU).

 

[AzN]

9500gt much faster? 9500gt is essentially same card as 8600gt. Slightly higher clocked. Not much else.

 

[Andrew1990]

A 9600GSO, 9600GT, or a 9800GT would be the best bet for under $100. I used a 9600GSO for about 2 months and it was a nice card for anything 1680x1050 and under. The 9800GT is quite a bit better though in my eyes unless there is something like a $50 difference.

I never have used a 9600GT but I have heard they are pretty decent.

Also:

8500GT = 9400GT
8600GT = 9500GT
8800GS = 9600GSO
8800GT = 9800GT

They are basically the same thing but with different names. The only exception is some of the 9800GTs which are on the 55nm and run cooler.

 

[Arkaign]

^ You made a typo, it's supposed to be 8800GT = 9600GT, not 8800GT=9800GT.

Get :

9600GSO
9600GT (better)
9800GT (best)

for the midrange Nvidia card greatness.

 

[AzN]

He didn't make a typo. 8800gt=9800gt

9600gt is missing whole lot of SP and TMU vs 8800gt.

 

[Flipped Gazelle]

Originally posted by: Arkaign
^ You made a typo, it's supposed to be 8800GT = 9600GT, not 8800GT=9800GT.

Get :

9600GSO
9600GT (better)
9800GT (best)

for the midrange Nvidia card greatness.

Actually, he's pretty much right. 8800GT > 9600GT

9800GT is essentially a refresh of the 8800GT, 9600GT is a slightly lower performing part.

 

[Arkaign]

Ah, didn't know that thanks

 

[Arkaign]

Hey I looked up AT's review of the 9600GT, and they compare it to the 8800GT, and the 9600GT actually wins a lot of the benches, despite the specs looking weaker.

What is this disparity. Some games favor the 8800GT, some games favor the 9600GT, and the spread of performance is often quite large.

 

[Andrew1990]

Yes, the 9600GT is somewhat of a wild card when it comes to performance. It is a good choice for a video card under $100. Overall though the 8800GT/9800GT is considered to be better as they have more raw horsepower.

In this case it doesnt matter what card he gets because anything 9600GSO/8800GS and up will be much better than the 8600GT he was considering.

 

[Arkaign]

Ah, that I can totally agree on. Particularly at lower rez, I don't see the point of people buying $200+ ubercards when they will only be going from 110fps to 175fps. Makes sense for the 1080p and above folks, but not for someone with a 17" or 19" screen.

 

[bryanW1995]

Originally posted by: Arkaign
Hey I looked up AT's review of the 9600GT, and they compare it to the 8800GT, and the 9600GT actually wins a lot of the benches, despite the specs looking weaker.

What is this disparity. Some games favor the 8800GT, some games favor the 9600GT, and the spread of performance is often quite large.

9600 gt is clocked higher than 8800gt and has same g92 core and same amt of memory, but it has only half the sp's (64 vs 128). 8800gt pulls significantly ahead at higher res and falls very slightly behind in some games at lower resolution. overall it is a much better card, however.

@OP: what you should buy depends on your resolution. If you game at 14x9 or less like I do then a 9600gso/8800gs will be more than sufficient. If you game at 1680x1050 then 9600gt or 9800gt is best depending on prices and how much eye candy you like. If you're at 1920x1200 or greater than gt200 and a complete system upgrade are in order.

 

[OCNewbie]

THIS is currently your best option for a card at or around $100. But if you must go with Nvidia, then THIS is probably your best bet. Use coupon code "EMCBCBFBK" for another $5 off making this $89.99 shipped, after $20 rebate.

 

[bytebuzzer]

Thanks a lot everyone. I am gonna check local store prices and let you know. I didn't mention ATI for some weird reason but you guys opened my mind for that option.Thanks. It looks like "here" the prices of Nvidia 96XX+ series card are above $100 and 98XX series cards are above $150+. So, I am zeroing down on following

Palit 9600GT 512MB DDR3
Palit 9600GSO Sonic 384MB DDR3
Palit HD 4670 Super 512MB DDR3
Palit 8800GT 512MB DDR3

Some members(Flipped Gazelle, gregoryvg) mentioned interesting point about the PSUs and I am going to upgrade it if required

Any final suggestions??
(*updated removed the prices and changed my configs)
---------------------------
AMD Athlon X2 4200+ @ 2.2GHz
ASUS M2N-E with Nvidia 570 Ultra MCP
2GB Transcend @ 677MHz
Seagate Barracuda 1 TB
ATI Raedon X1300 256MB

 

[qliveur]

Man, those prices are outrageous. If you live here in the states you can do way, way better than that. Check out OCNewbie's Newegg link at the bottom of the previous page. An EVGA 9800GT with a dual-slot cooler for $89.00 is probably your best bet.

 

[SorryImLate]

Go 9800GT its a good fast card for a low price.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16814127387

 

[edplayer]

from your list I would consider the 4670 and the 9600GT. Both of them have low power requirements. Post your PSU model number or just the "12V" listing on the PSU label to make sure.

 

[bytebuzzer]

PSU number is iBall LPE223-400. Looks like it is 400 Watt supply
Output:
+12V | -12V
17A | 0.8A

ATI requirement page says it is sufficient
http://ati.amd.com/products/Ra...4600/requirements.html
Not able to find Nvidia requirements but it should work.