Am looking to replace my old 5900(hated it) with a card that will be able to handle some of the newer games (half-life 2, far cry) and will last at least a year ( by last i mean better able to play future games) until i do an entire upgrade. my current specs are: 3 Ghz P4 1.5 Gig RAM Asus P4P800 Deluxe 550W PS (not generic) thanks for any help P.S. What do you think about getting a card from ebay? experienced ebayer however never shopped for graphics card on ebay before, any paticular warnings besides dont buy used?) again thanks for any help! -Tony
For that price range, a 6600 GT, hell, you could probably even find a 6800 NU for $250 now. As for eBay, I try to avoid buying expensive items from there, but that's just me.
X800XL for $267 X800Pro for $200 6800NU for $163 6600GT for $147 All Prices from Pricewatch.com I'd recommend the X800Pro or the 6800NU. The X800XL is unmatched in it's price range, but it's higher than what you said. The X800Pro is > than the 6800NU, and usually very overclockable. However, you might be able to unlock pipes on the 6800NU, but same on the X800Pro. I say go for the X800 Pro.
Wow, prices sure dropped sicne I last checked. If you can afford those extra $17 for the X800 XL, it'll be worth it.
You can also get this 6800gt agp 8x for $280 with free shipping. http://www.monarchcomputer.com/Merc...e=M&Product_Code=190451&AFFIL=pricewatch&NR=1 If your wanting something to last another year, then get a SM3 capable card. But if you're planning on upgrading soon, wait for the Ati SM3 cards which are suppose to be coming out by next month. You could also get a 6600gt for the time being if you don't play with AA a lot. You can find them as cheap as $140 nowadays.
Prices are dropping on some pretty good cards - ATI X800XL at Microcenter for $240, ATI X800Pro (refurb, but full 3 yr. warranty) $179 (or less) direct from ATI - those look good to me.
hmmm, yea i wondered about the SM 3, however i always see an ATI trouncing a GT or Ultra (except in Doom) maybe ill just go for an X800 XL and say the heck with it. besides anything is better than my old 5900