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PCI Video Card

L

lawrence

n00b
Joined
Apr 22, 2005
Messages
8
PCI seems to be an obsolete standard for VC's now, which is all well and good because a newly purchased VC will not outdated (so to speak) by the time installed. Currently searching for best PCI gaming card available. Preferably OGL 1.5, DX 9, 256mb high-speed onboard RAM. Suggestions?
 
256MB isn't going to do anything for a PCI video card. You're better off looking at 64MB and 128MB cards.

Some choices, from fastest to slowest:
a 5700LE 128-bit $87 shipped http://www.chiefvalue.com/app/productdetails.asp?submit=&item=14-140-041
a 5200 with 128-bit memory if you can still find any
a Radeon 9100 with 128-bit memory, R200 core (ebay, around $50 shipped)
various 9200 or 9250 cards.

the Radeon 9100 and 92x0 models aren't completely OpenGL 1.5 compatible or DX9 parts. The 5700LE and 5200 are pretty slow DX9 parts. You seem to have real requirements for a card, so you're better off with a new motherboard and an AGP card.
 
Well OGL 1.5 (-2.0) is a must, but I don't know of many AGP cards with 250w PSU compatibility. Although, would be willing to try if available... any come to mind? (not really willing to replace with stronger power supply)
 
No, I don't think you understand. There is the AGP option is always available, the PSU creates restrictions, as newer cards have 300w+ requirements.
>2.8Ghz P4.
 
why not just get a new PSU and a new card then? PCI cards are very slow and not really worth the upgrade.
 
LOL. Even a mediocre AGP card is way better than what's available in PCI. Get a 9600 Pro, a good bang for the buck.
 
9600 Pros are a good deal but you have to watch out. Some which are listed at 600MHz RAM are in fact 446MHz. This one is listed at 600MHz but is apparently the 446MHz model (note the people complaining about the clock rates here). Make absolutely sure you get the 600MHz RAM model. A 9600 Pro or XT is a good choice. It's unlikely to upset your power supply.
 
mavalpha said:
Overall good advice. Technical correction that AGP allows 25W, not 30W.
Click to expand...
Oh, really?

http://www.motherboards.org/files/techspecs/agp20.pdf p.188:
3.3v @ 6A + 5v @ 2A = 29.8W. :D

12v is usually used for the fan(s) on the card so I don't count it.

The Vddq3.3 and Vddq1.5 are not used for powering components except the AGP interface on the GPU (see note #1). Both AGP 2x and AGP 4x/8x use VCC3.3 and VCC5 power pins.
 
Google: AGP 25W and AGP "25 watts"
Interestingly, it turns up more results than 30W, though your math does make sense. A different story is that apparently, AGP8x allows up to 42 watts, according to several sources. Where'd that come from? And either way, PCIe allows 75W, with the next revision powering up to 150W (and double the bandwidth).
 
UncleMacro said:
9600 Pros are a good deal but you have to watch out. Some which are listed at 600MHz RAM are in fact 446MHz. This one is listed at 600MHz but is apparently the 446MHz model (note the people complaining about the clock rates here). Make absolutely sure you get the 600MHz RAM model. A 9600 Pro or XT is a good choice. It's unlikely to upset your power supply.
Click to expand...
And how do you make absolutely sure that what you're getting is the 600mhz product, if the listings are 446? Is a 256MB, 600mhz mem. clock, OGL 2.0 available?
 
mavalpha said:
Google: AGP 25W and AGP "25 watts"
Interestingly, it turns up more results than 30W, though your math does make sense. A different story is that apparently, AGP8x allows up to 42 watts, according to several sources. Where'd that come from?
Click to expand...
42W comes from 29.8W + 12v @ 1A. And 42 is the answer to eveything. ;)

Whatever. I'm sure the actual target that board makers use is somewhere between 25W and 30W. From what I remember a couple of years ago, the figure was 27-28W.
 
And how do you make absolutely sure that what you're getting is the 600mhz product, if the listings are 446? Is a 256MB, 600mhz mem. clock, OGL 2.0 available?
Click to expand...
All Radeon 9600's support OpenGL 2.0. It's in the recent drivers produced by ATI. You just need to get a card with decent shader support which a 9600 definitely has.

Regarding the clock rates business: you just have to be careful when shopping the web sites. Lots of video cards have incorrect clock rates and lots of cards which are listed as 128 bit RAM are really 64 bitters. It's a good idea to go to www.newegg.com and check the customer comments. You'll see people complaining about the 256MB Sapphire 9600 Pro listed as 600MHz RAM when it's really 446MHz. All of the budget places basically sell at the same price and I'm pretty sure that all those Sapphire 9600 Pros listed here for $79 and $89 are really the 446MHz versions and you can see it in the customer comments. The comments report this 128MB 9600 Pro as 400MHz GPU and 580MHz RAM (which can be fixed quickly in ATITool). If you really want 256MB (it rarely is of much use on this kind of video card) then there is this 256MB 9600XT which apparently is really 600MHz. You can also check on the manufacturer's web site if the card has an identifiable model number (lots of Sapphires don't).
 
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