Video card gift recommendations

F

Forealz

Limp Gawd
Joined
May 7, 2007
Messages
253
Hello again
Christmas is coming up soon.

My GF and I play alot of wow together, but her system could use an upgrade. She has a somewhat old Compaq with
AMD 4000+
1GB ram
onboard video card

PCI E slot

Obviously for gaming, the onboard card is holding her back. I'm looking for a card around $100-150 that will fit well in her system, but obviously will not be so powerful as to be wasted with the processor. I want minimal problems with installation, so please no excessive power requirements, I'm not sure what the wattage is on her system. It is an Nvidia based board, so perhaps Nvidia would be better for compatability purposes without the need to reformat?

Also, anyone know if it is possible to drop an AMD dual core into her system? I'm really not too worried about this part, just curious.

Happy Holidays
 
You have a lot of options there. If you want to go cheap, get a 7600 GS ( 256mb version). For a couple more bucks, you can have a 7600 GT or a 8600 GT. All three will have no problem playing WoW, it just depends on how much you want to spend.
 
Before you make any drastic purchases.. first make sure of two things..

1. that the on-board graphics card can be disabled so that either an AGP or a PCI-e card can be installed.

If you get past that step:

2. that the psu is capable of handling the graphics card you wish to purchase. For 100-150 I'd go for an 8600GT or 8600 GTS (little pricier but still within budget).


WoW more than anything is a memory hog, but if you're running on board video, you will see more of an improvement there than upping the memory.


If you need further assistance just private message me and I can help you out more. I don't necessarily check up on threads I reply to so messaging me would be quicker to get a response.

anyway good luck! (on the other hand make sure ur gf also wants something electronic for christmas.. sometimes they think its an insensitive gift and that can be a bummer if you're looking for some a little holiday .. well u know.. lol)
 
X1950Pro hands down. Its faster than every card mentioned in this thread and is $120 at the egg.
 
pfunkman said:
X1950Pro hands down. Its faster than every card mentioned in this thread and is $120 at the egg.
Click to expand...

PFFFT

i know she's a girl and all.. but uhm i doubt she wants a hairdryer in her computer.. my brother has one of these.. i walked into his room one day wondering if someone was blow drying their hair.. oh no hes just gaming at full tilt... ugh
 
Wshmaster0 said:
PFFFT

i know she's a girl and all.. but uhm i doubt she wants a hairdryer in her computer.. my brother has one of these.. i walked into his room one day wondering if someone was blow drying their hair.. oh no hes just gaming at full tilt... ugh
Click to expand...

Uh the pro is dead silent, at least mine is. If i rmember right the XT or XTX had loud coolers. Plus the cheapest Pro on newegg has an accelero X2 cooler on it, you telling me thats loud too?
 
You can run WoW max with a 6800GT.. The 7600GT is faster than the 6800, so i'd recommend it, i think its around $90.
 
I managed to buy an XFX GeForce 6800 (base) on eBay for $25, works like a charm. Also unlocked the pipes, so it was a good investment.
 
I don't know why these guys are recommending these crazy video cards. You don't need much to max out WoW. I maxxed it out with an x800GTO at 1680x1050. The MOST you'll need is a 7600GT, which is a great buy. I've built a few computers with them and they're great for the price. Do NOT buy an 8600 for her, that's overkill.
But, if you REALLY want to spend over $100 that badly, x1950pros are great, and are way more than she'll ever need.
 
Get a 7600GT, 8600GT or 7900GS / 1900GT. They can all be had for sub $100 used in the forums here. Then, invest the remaining $30 in another gig of RAM and you are set.

syn0s
 
Thanks for the replies. I'm probably going to get the 7600GT for her, I'm in college and that fits the christmas budget much more nicely.
 
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