iainl Posted March 10, 2004 Report Share Posted March 10, 2004 I've read previous threads on this question of which one to get, and I've been given a distinct impression that ATI is the way to go. However, everyone is talking about the Radeon 9800, which costs an absolute fortune. I'm working on a very limited budget here for upgrading, and I'm really not sure what to do. I've got a 64Mb GeForce2 GTS that is perfectly happy, and can remain un-upgraded if there isn't any point in buying a budget card. So, working on a maximum possible budget of ?75 or so, is the 'ATI only' advice still the case? I know that the GeForce 5200 gets a lot of stick, but is it really so bad for its monumentally cheap price, when it seems to at least actually get me a DX9 part? Or should I just stick with the GF2, and make the chip 2800+ not a 2400+, when most of the speed is going to be needed for non-gaming purposes anyway? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rustyjaw Posted March 11, 2004 Report Share Posted March 11, 2004 Why not the Radeon 9600? Not sure exactly how much it costs, but I'm pretty sure it's faster than the GeForce 5200. And what do you mean by 'non-gaming'? In the Mac world ATI is highly regarded for it's 2D quality, color, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelley Posted March 11, 2004 Report Share Posted March 11, 2004 ATi by far and away has the best 2D out of any consumer card. If you plan to make the upgrade to Longhorn and don't like the idea of buying a new card every year, then you must get something with 128MB of RAM as that will be a requirement for Longhorn's Aqua rip-off, mysteriously called Aero. BTW - as for a card if you plan to game then get no less then a 9600 Pro, but if gaming isn't a concern look for the 9200 with 128MB of RAM. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orpheus Posted March 12, 2004 Report Share Posted March 12, 2004 Originally posted by iainl@Mar 10 2004, 08:48 AM However, everyone is talking about the Radeon 9800, which costs an absolute fortune. I'm working on a very limited budget here for upgrading, and I'm really not sure what to do. For the last couple of weeks, some of the 9800's have been selling for ridiculously low prices here, which usually starts happening when new hardware is on it's way (which has been hinted at for a while now). I'm in the same need to upgrade category myself, but am holding off to see what's coming out and what the current stock gets cleared for. Waiting is never an easy (or fun) option, but it may be possible to get something rather powerful at a good price. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iainl Posted March 12, 2004 Author Report Share Posted March 12, 2004 Thanks guys. Its currently looking like I'll be holding off for a couple of months and then getting either a 9600SE or maybe a bottom-end 9800 should the prices drop in the meantime. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
exile Posted March 12, 2004 Report Share Posted March 12, 2004 Well a 9600SE will run you about $120 bucks right now from the last purchase a friend of mine did. I wouldn't recommend it for gaming though.. Personally I'd suck it up and save the dough for the 9800 pro which has hit the $200 mark here in the states. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iainl Posted March 12, 2004 Author Report Share Posted March 12, 2004 Possibly, but I don't really do enough PC gaming to justify a card of that price, really. I kind of baulk at the idea of a graphics card that costs more than a whole console... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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