Let's vote again, Which VGA card are you running now?

Which VGA card do you have?

  • Total voters
    591
Before I go anywhere with this post, yes, KickAssCop, I did vote :)

As far as the low-end/mainstream/high-end debate goes, here's how I feel, having worked in retail with computers and components for several years:

Low-end: Enough to get what you want done... done. Spend as little as possible to get your work or play in. As far as graphics cards go, 6600 GT/X800 or lower (including the GT/GTO) is low end, out of the box; whatever you do with flashing or unlocking things is entirely up to you to make it perform better.

Mainstream: As the name implies, good enough for the mainstream. $200 buys you a lot of kit, and boy is it faster than a low-end but sure as hell isn't as great as that high-end card. The compromise brings satisfaction until you can afford better. This is where my 6800 GS comes in...

High-end: The best (or nearly the best) damn thing you can buy, period. If you were a mainstream user, this thing would last you for several years.

Just my opinion, though.
 
I finally had to admit to myself that my 9800 Pro is no longer the high end beast it used to be, when FEAR absolutely murdered it at such a low resolution :( But saying that, Civilization IV works nicely on it...so what do I have to complain about? :p
 
Look at it this way. On fear I dont need to use the slow down button if im playing on my 9800 machine.
 
Vitamin T said:
Anyone who owns a 6600gt, and wants something better, isn't going to want to call their card "low-end". Compared to alot of other cards though, it IS low-end.
Click to expand...

Even if it's "low end," it's still a testimony as to how powerful today's video cards have become.

As for me? Currently happy with my 8X AGP GeForce 6800 (non-Ultra). Does everything that I want it to, and has breathed some more life into my Socket 754 system.
 
And now we see where the real money is, on the "low end" cards and mid-range 6800GT/GS/Ultra.

Despite what we like to think, us bleeding-edge nutcases just don't make the major bucks for Nvidia/ATI/et. all.
 
SgtSweatySac said:
And now we see where the real money is, on the "low end" cards and mid-range 6800GT/GS/Ultra.

Despite what we like to think, us bleeding-edge nutcases just don't make the major bucks for Nvidia/ATI/et. all.
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And this is on an enthusiast forum too..
 
i think the general population on these forums would rather buy a midrange card, tweak, flash, OC, mod it to death and squeeze out every last frame from their video card than drop an extra $150 for the bleeding edge stuff.
right or wrong?
:)
 
Yeah, I never did feel compelled to spend more than $200 on a video card.

The ONE time I did, it was for the Voodoo2. boy, that was cool going from integrated graphics to that! $250. ouch.

Now, I realized that I really don't play enough of the high-end games to justify the $300 mark.
But isn't that funny? Voodoo2 was king of the hill when it came out, and it was only $250. Now the top cards go for $400-$500+

Kinda lame. I think the mid-range cards should be priced around $100-125, since you can find the crap for $50. Thus, the "high-end" should be around $250. I think it's just a problem of nVidia & ATI to try and phase out the old high-end stuff, while making the new high-end perform better. The old high-end cards still perform well compared to new high-end, but the mid-range cards seem to not last as long. It's all good though if you don't have the 20" LCDs and want to see the pretty games at 1600x1200.

I need to go back to Unreal Tournament. I can play that just fine at 1600x1200. heh. :D
 
I would hardly call those "low end" cards low end, more like mid range. Low end cards would be those in the 5XXX range and below (or ATi equivalent). Those "low enders" can still play any game with fairly good settings just because they can't do 1920x1080 with 4xTSAA and 16xAF does not make them low end :rolleyes:
 
Just to add more fuel to the fire.....

on the frontpage of hardocp, there is a review. It states:
ASUS Extreme N6600GT Silencer Evaluation : Want a cool midrange graphics card that provides great performance and silent operation?

Hmmm.... so kyle would classify the 6600GT silencer edition video card "midrange".... not "low end" makes me feel a little bit better.
 
J Macker said:
Just to add more fuel to the fire.....

on the frontpage of hardocp, there is a review. It states:
ASUS Extreme N6600GT Silencer Evaluation : Want a cool midrange graphics card that provides great performance and silent operation?

Hmmm.... so kyle would classify the 6600GT silencer edition video card "midrange".... not "low end" makes me feel a little bit better.
Click to expand...
just whip out your favorite magic marker and make that second six into an eight ...

...roll your shoulders up and down and bust out with the "Jefferson's" theme song and then your good to go!


[H]
 
Single EVGA 7800GTX 256mb KO but I voted 7800GTX 512 because EVGA is sending me one in the next couple days (step up program) ,I'm stuck using a PCI based Geforce 5500FX in the meantime.
 
mathesar said:
Single EVGA 7800GTX 256mb KO but I voted 7800GTX 512 because EVGA is sending me one in the next couple days (step up program) ,I'm stuck using a PCI based Geforce 5500FX in the meantime.
Click to expand...
hmmmm step up program... does BFG have one that you know of??
 
And i was thinking the gtx is slow, some people here have video cards slower than 6800s or x800s!
 
The 800 and 850 should be two seperate choices, there are many differences in both price and performance. Is this an nVidia biased forum?
 
Sharkzf6 said:
The 800 and 850 should be two seperate choices, there are many differences in both price and performance. Is this an nVidia biased forum?
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Well the did dominate (still?) the upper price/preformance cards for over a year
 
Sharkzf6 said:
The 800 and 850 should be two seperate choices, there are many differences in both price and performance. Is this an nVidia biased forum?
Click to expand...

I ran out of choices. I do have separate for X1800 series since that is primarily what I wanted to know about.
 
Darakian said:
Well the did dominate (still?) the upper price/preformance cards for over a year
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I accept that if you're talking PCIe cards, however, my point was the cards are different enough to have them on seperate lines without regard to their standing among the competition. He answered saying he ran out of lines and was really interested in 7800 vs. X1800 series. Problem with that is, does anyone actually own X1800s? Oh, wait, maybe "that" was the point of the poll... ;)
 
I think it all depends on your definition of low end. My definition is if it needs to play games low settings very low res (800x600 or 640x480). That to me is low end. However to some it's how it compares performance wise to existing cards. So according to me, I dont consider a 6600gt or 6800 low end.
 
*hugs 9800pro* I don't want to let you go!!! youve been good to me!! playing doom 3 at high settings with 2x AA looks fine to me!!! but alas...:( I guess I have to go for 6800gs...
 
Sharkzf6 said:
I accept that if you're talking PCIe cards, however, my point was the cards are different enough to have them on seperate lines without regard to their standing among the competition. He answered saying he ran out of lines and was really interested in 7800 vs. X1800 series. Problem with that is, does anyone actually own X1800s? Oh, wait, maybe "that" was the point of the poll... ;)
Click to expand...

They got the late AGP market as well with the 6800 series, so you have 2 generations of nvidia domination. That does affect the enthusiest mind set. Personally I have no reservations on company but back when I got my 6800gt the promiss (and later delivery) of a 6800 ultra at $100 less was great, beat out a x800xt in my book. 410/1.1 on stock :D
 
Alright guys, brace yourselves, and don't get jealous..............


Intel 82810E Graphics Controller (4 MB)
 
you know you can configure that to use up to 32mb, right?

my sister uses the integrated i810 too.
 
lithium726 said:
you know you can configure that to use up to 32mb, right?

my sister uses the integrated i810 too.
Click to expand...
uh, no, I didn't know that. Do you know how to do it? I'd take all the help I could get.....32mb isn't much, but it's 8 times what I currently have so it's got to be somewhat of a help.
 
pretty sure its a bios or driver option

if you really need, ill go kick her off in a min :p
 
well, I've got one slight problem, I don't know what my BIOS setup password is :eek:
 
Wow...I know my card must be really screw because it is not even listed under the low end / budget cards.

Anyhow, for those who uses the X1800 series, how many of you are water cooling it, and if so, what's the cooler you use?
 
Low end... FX5700. Still on AGP, and not planning to upgrade the video till I build a new rig, unfortunately.
 
AGP 6800GT

Have had it for a year and a half, and I'm trying to resist the urge to start building an SLI system and putting a grand into 2 x 7800GTX.
 
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