Graphics Card Help Please?

[canky]

Hi people,

my spec pc is 2.4 quad core 4gb ram and 1tb hard drive.

I currently have installed Nvidia Geforce 8500 GT 512mb.

Main games i play is Race Pro and C & C Red alert 3/tiberian wars.

When playing these i can only really have the graphics on medium with the card i have else everything gets very slow.

As im not 100% sure what im looking for my mate has advsied me that 8800 Gt will be sufficient for these games? (im not looking for a graphics card to play the likes of Crysis!)

Dont really want to spend more that £80 ish, what would you recommend?

Ive seen the following below. Can you help advise me which is best or one that would be sufficient to run the games ive mentioned on full graphics

thanks

http://www.play.com/PC/PCs/4-/55379...R3-PCI-Express-2-0-Graphics-Card/Product.html

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&item=260389331691

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/XFX-NVidia-Ge...14&_trkparms=72:1690|66:2|65:12|39:1|240:1318

 

[MDP91]

Tbh even the 8600GT will do fine, but if you can get the 8800GT or maybe more.

The links provided are all great prices, the last one is good and will run those games no problems although it only has 256MB of Ram, try and get 512MB. Tbh if your running them at medium with the 8500 then the 8800 will cope fine. Im running the 8600GT 512mb and I can run cod w@w and cod4 all on the highest settings.

 

[UncleGrumpy]

Pissy world do an 9600GT for about 70 quid, so its under your budget and the upgrade in performance can be seen right here.

That'll chew those games up that you mentioned without breaking sweat.

Its on their site here

 

[Mike_182]

My big question is how do any of you guys know that that card will run it fine when you don't know what screen is being used? I've got two 9800GTs SLI and playing those games on very high with any AA it starts to struggle...

 

[MDP91]

My big question is how do any of you guys know that that card will run it fine when you don't know what screen is being used? I've got two 9800GTs SLI and playing those games on very high with any AA it starts to struggle...

but an 8600GT will run cod w@w on full settings on our 50" TV no probs.

 

[MDP91]

Pissy world do an 9600GT for about 70 quid, so its under your budget and the upgrade in performance can be seen right here.

That'll chew those games up that you mentioned without breaking sweat.

Its on their site here

That link is too a 8600 not an 9600?

 

[Mike_182]

but an 8600GT will run cod w@w on full settings on our 50" TV no probs.

At what resolution though? It's not about the size, it's about the resolution. My 27" screen is guaranteed to have higher resolution than your 50" screen - I'd even be inclined to say if your 8600 can run it then it's an old 1024x768 panel.

 

[canky]

thanks for the reply guys i play my pc through the new samsung rose monitor.

22 inch version with resolution of 1680 x 1050 if that helps any more?

 

[daveymacivor]

At what resolution though? It's not about the size, it's about the resolution. My 27" screen is guaranteed to have higher resolution than your 50" screen - I'd even be inclined to say if your 8600 can run it then it's an old 1024x768 panel.

Yeah id agree with that, we had this problem at work when our engineering dept bought a 50" Plasma without speaking to us first and then tried to run their high end CAD laptops on it, wont work unless we drop the res to 1024x768 and it looks pants then!

 

[MDP91]

I run it at 1280x1024

 

[Mike_182]

thanks for the reply guys i play my pc through the new samsung rose monitor.

22 inch version with resolution of 1680 x 1050 if that helps any more?

You'll want to be going to the *800 GT series, or if you can stretch to a GTX then you'll be laughing. ATI's side of the fence, the 4850 should just about cut it with 2xAA, again stretching to the 4870 and you're well away.

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=GX-130-XF&groupid=701&catid=56&subcat=927

Possibly the best buy I've seen in a while for 2yo games at mid-high resolution and quality. Will also stand for more modern stuff at low settings, but is again more money than you suggest. You're quite cornered and for the panel you're using (incidentally, the same as my bedroom TV, good choice!) and the budget you give...

 

[Mike_182]

I run it at 1280x1024

So, 763,000 less pixels to draw than 1080p, and 453,000 less pixels to draw than the OP's. Or to put it in more obvious numbers, 35% more to draw, texturise and put any filtering on than your panel compared to the lesser of the two!

So that's a fair comparison...

 

[MDP91]

So, 763,000 less pixels to draw than 1080p, and 453,000 less pixels to draw than the OP's. Or to put it in more obvious numbers, 35% more to draw, texturise and put any filtering on than your panel compared to the lesser of the two!

So that's a fair comparison...

ummmmmmmm, that went over my head, lol

 

[canky]

I think im going to go for the 8800 gt its around my budget on ebay and should be suffcient enough will go for the 512mb.

thanks for your help though guys its appreciated

 

[MDP91]

good choice, let us know how it works out.

 

[Kris86]

iv got an 8800gtx that came with mine i think its 756mb or so, that still a good card or better out there now?

 

[Mike_182]

There's a lot better out there, but depending what you do with it it's still a very capable bit of kit.

 

[UncleGrumpy]

That link is too a 8600 not an 9600?

So it is it was late when I posted that, ive just dug out the receipt from a month ago when I had to change cards, it was a BFG 9600GT OC 512MB at £69.85, that was off the shelf though not online.

 

[canky]

Went for this beast in the end running all my games so smoothly now so glad i upgraded

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&item=260389331691

 

[Andy.]

Good call. Its always nice having a play with a new card. Gives the PC a new lease of life!