Need help choosing a video card

[Netizen1]

Ok so I got a friend coming in August and I wanted to get myself a new video card for about US$100

these are my two choices so far;
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127285
MSI NX8500GT-TD256E GeForce 8500GT 256MB 128-bit GDDR2 PCI Express x16 Video Card

or

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130017
eVGA 256-P2-N554-AX Geforce 7600GT 256MB 128-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 Video Card

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130062
EVGA 256-P2-N615-TX GeForce 7600GT 256MB 128-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 Video Card


My criteria for selection was: NVIDIA GPU, PCI-e, 256MB, priced around US$100





Now, I'm not an early adopter and most of my games are a few years old anyways, so don't get carried away with the technical arguments here. I'm only looking for the best bang for my buck.

I'm already leaning toward the 7600GT even though it costs a little more (I think I can get the rebate anyways )

I changed my choice in accordance with WASD's suggestion

[Arcmanov]

Of those two, 7600 GT.  Yeah the 8500 is DX10 capable, but so what?
I wouldn't recommend buying a low end DX10 part anyway.

[BloodWar]

yeah i agree besides vista sux so be happy with DX9 cards they rule.

[Nephilim]

yea i agree with the previous posts, i can attest to the quality of the 7600 GT, its a great performer for the $.
also compared to the 85 it is better, the clocks on mem and core faster, and from articles i've read on the net, it seems the 86 only slightly outperforms the 76 so I'd guess the 85 doesn't.

If you can afford an extra 25$ why not opt for this http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130017 pre-overclocked so you can squeeze just a bit more out of it.
Since you don't have the shipping charge, and you say you can get the rebate (brings it to 98), that would seem > possible

When i bought mine it was US$150 final cost was TT$1250 or sum to had it.

oh one thing, the fan, yeah, it makes noise like hell at full load.

[Spazosaurus]

WASD, it cost you over $300 to bring in that 7600gt? It only cose me $88 to bring my card. Someone didnt like you very much. What a rip.

[Nephilim]

lol ah man hadda run ah busy-ness hoss, besides, 1250 seem like a deal considering ah man try to sell me one for nearly 1600

NB : i doh have a skybox

[Spazosaurus]

Its a free skybox I use to bring in all my stuff. They just charge extra for the shipping cost itself.

[Netizen1]

so why allyuh feel the need to hijack my thread with Skybox discussions?

anyhow, I modified my choice because I liked WASD's suggestion, and yes, since someone overseas is doing the buying, I can organize to settle things w.r.t. the rebate

[TrinireturnofGamez]

according to one of the reviews on a 8500GT :


Other Thoughts: XFX 7600 GT is $20 dollars more and nearly did double the score on 3dmark 03. 8500GT got 7246 on 3dmark 03 and the 7600GT got 13007, all runing stock runing on an AM2 3800+, 2GB corsair XMS.


So either a 7600gt or an 8600GT if you can afford it , it is around 2x the speed of the 7600gt in newer games



http://nvnews.net/reviews/inno3d_8600gt_8500gt/index.shtml
 

[Netizen1]

I was looking at the XFX one, but that has no rebate and US$20 > TT$120, therefore over my budget for new hardware

[daniboy79]

I was looking at the XFX one, but that has no rebate and US$20 > TT$120, therefore over my budget for new hardware

XFX cards are so peeeerdy!

[Netizen1]

boy, people only chaining up my head with all these suggestion in various other threads...

I now might even consider that XFX after all. Might even go with a 7900GS since technology is speeding along and leaving me in the dust...

[W1nTry]

Just to chook fiah.. but the Radeon HD2600XTs (out shortly) will be sub 120USD most likely... just food for thought... here's a review that clearly states the card as a 'budget' card: http://www.xsreviews.co.uk/reviews/graphics-cards/sapphire-hd-2600xt-crossfire/ pay attention to the part that reads $140 for a PAIR... (that'd prolly be 180USD) or 90USD for 1 card...

[Spazosaurus]

Those do indeed look incredible...only if their aa and af performance were acceptable.

[Netizen1]

I'm pretty sure I stated that NVIDIA GPU was one of my factors in selection....


I really don't like ATI... That doesn't make a fanboy, just an ATI hater

[BloodWar]

Nvidia FTW!

[W1nTry]

Those do indeed look incredible...only if their aa and af performance were acceptable.

Well ask yourself how many 'budget' cards you run AA and AF on???

I really don't like ATI... That doesn't make a fanboy, just an ATI hater

Cause as we all know Sis and intel integrated are such GREAT alternatives... pffft *W1nTry Stamps fanboy on Netizen1 forehead* but hey nvidia is a good product so at the end of the day why not. I would consider a DX10 part though. 7 series... thats just too outdated now.

[Spazosaurus]

Those do indeed look incredible...only if their aa and af performance were acceptable.

Well ask yourself how many 'budget' cards you run AA and AF on???

True...

I really don't like ATI... That doesn't make a fanboy, just an ATI hater

Cause as we all know Sis and intel integrated are such GREAT alternatives... pffft *W1nTry Stamps fanboy on Netizen1 forehead* but hey nvidia is a good product so at the end of the day why not. I would consider a DX10 part though. 7 series... thats just too outdated now.

True again...directx 10 part FTW, if not for DX10, but DX9 performance.

[Netizen1]

At the start of the thread almost everyone advised me to ignore the DX10 part

In fact, the poll's still open and it shows the 7 series winning over the 8 series card. And it's a 7600GT, not even the 7900GS that I've started contemplating.




@ W1nTry
Oh and it's not so much fan-boy-ism... it's really the drivers that I preferred. I always hated those Catalyst drivers versus NV's Detonators, even Intel's graphics drivers were better IMO

[Spazosaurus]

Well if you're gonna go dx10, is best to stay away from anything slower than a 8600gt/gts. Anything weaker, you'll be better off the a 7600gt.