considering upgrading video card

[327]

Right now I am running a Geforce 4 ti4600, and I was considering upgrading my card. I was wondering what would be a good upgrade? I was looking at a 9600pro or I could stretch my budget and get a 9700. It would mostly be used for madden2k4 and vice city. I would sell my Ti4600 on the forum, and try to pickup a 2nd hand card, although Newegg has one of the 9600 pros for $120.

mobo P4P800 Deluxe, 2.8 prescott 512 single channel pc3200 xms, 400w Antec and 2 40gigs in RAID 0
Winxp

 

[myocardia]

Changing your videocard from a Ti4600 to a 9600 Pro would be downgrading, not upgrading. You'd have to get at least a 9700 Pro for there to be any difference at all, but I doubt you'd notice any speed difference between the two, unless you like to use lots of AA/AF.

 

[DaveSimmons]

$200 9800 Pro to notice any real difference. Read a few of last year's nV vs. ATI comparisons to see how strong even the ti 4200 is against newer cards. The fx 5600 looked particularly sad but the 9600 Pro didn't look that great either for being a year newer and selling for more.

 

[Corporate Thug]

look around (FS/FT or ebay) for a 9700 pro

 

[327]

looks like I'll probably get a 9800

 

[Corporate Thug]

if u can afford $200, definately a good buy

 

[Hans5849]

go nuts X800XT

 

[Schadenfroh]

get the 5900xt leadtek from new egg for $170ish and flash it into a 5950 ultra

 

[CTho9305]

Originally posted by: 327
Right now I am running a Geforce 4 ti4600, and I was considering upgrading my card. I was wondering what would be a good upgrade? I was looking at a 9600pro or I could stretch my budget and get a 9700. It would mostly be used for madden2k4 and vice city. I would sell my Ti4600 on the forum, and try to pickup a 2nd hand card, although Newegg has one of the 9600 pros for $120.

mobo P4P800 Deluxe, 2.8 prescott 512 single channel pc3200 xms, 400w Antec and 2 40gigs in RAID 0
Winxp

You're upgrading from a ti4600 for vice city? :Q

I played VC on a GF2 GTS. It was slow, but playable. I upgraded to a Radeon 9100 pro, and now it's smooth with the graphics maxed (I even use a third-party mod to extend the view distance because it's still smooth).

 

[Runner20]

Originally posted by: 327
looks like I'll probably get a 9800

Good choice, i have it myself

 

[327]

I am mostly upgrading for Madden2k4. It seems to skip somewhat.

I am debating on the 9600XT or the 9800pro 128.
I am also selling the 4600 soon hopefully

 

[Cerb]

Originally posted by: 327
I am mostly upgrading for Madden2k4. It seems to skip somewhat.

I am debating on the 9600XT or the 9800pro 128.
I am also selling the 4600 soon hopefully

Don't go 9600! Not worth it.
I speak from experience.

 

[caz67]

Flash the 5900XT.Its easy safe , good soft mod option.

 

[duragezic]

Unless you got some cash to spend, DO NOT UPGRADE THE TI4600! The 9600Pro would only be marginally faster, mostly when AA/AF is used. Don't get the 9600XT, you can just o/c the Pro if you're set on a 9600. But still don't.

And especially, you're only upgrading for Madden and VC?? I actually have both of those games on my computer and they play fine. And that is only a 1.33ghz Athlon, 512mb PC133, and an ORIGINAL Radeon! Just turn down some of the graphics if it is running slow.

The only card that would be somewhat worth it is a 9800 Pro but unless you got a lot of cash, I would have a REALLY hard time spending $200 on it when it still isn't that much faster than the GF4...

 

[327]

Madden runs choppy at 1024x768x16. I can't figure it out. I have the ti4600, 2.8 prescott single channel 512 xms pc3200 all at default settings and 2x40gig ATA100/7200 WD's in RAID 0 on a p4p800 deluxe, the newest drivers from nvidia and fresh install of xp. It barely plays smooth at 800x600x32. All the graphics options like shadows and weather effects are set to medium.

 

[Cerb]

Originally posted by: 327
Madden runs choppy at 1024x768x16. I can't figure it out. I have the ti4600, 2.8 prescott single channel 512 xms pc3200 all at default settings and 2x40gig ATA100/7200 WD's in RAID 0 on a p4p800 deluxe, the newest drivers from nvidia and fresh install of xp. It barely plays smooth at 800x600x32. All the graphics options like shadows and weather effects are set to medium.

Single-channel RAM + P4 != great gaming. Don't know about that specific game, though.

 

[Cerb]

In my continued response about experience with the 9600 XT:
I now have a Leadtek FX 5900XT. Still stone stock. It's plenty fast enough for me at the moment, the 2d IQ is better than BBA cards (sqaure pixels! I now have really square pixels!), and the driver's control panel applet is much easier to get around in (and I can use Rivatuner with it, which beats every tweaking tool geared towards ATI). I should have spent $300 six months ago and just gotten a 5900.

From a GF4 Ti, the 5900XT is the minimum I would recommend for a decent upgrade.