XFX 4650 for $20 AR and promo code

[DanNeely]

This is one step above the normal dirt cheap emergency card. It's still hobbled by DDR2 memory like all cheapie cards, but with 320 SPs should allow you to play something more graphically intense than minesweeper if your main card ever fails.

$55 - $25 rebate - $10 promo code: EMCYTZT378 = $20

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150393&nm_mc=EMC-GD03302011&cm_mmc=EMC-GD03302011-_-index-_-Item-_-14-150-393

 

[compudocs]

64-bit memory = fail. For $20 it's still better than some other cards that go on sale for $20 but it has 6.4gbps memory bandwidth vs the reference 16gbps for this card.

 

[pxc]

Good card for the price, but that's about it.

Fry's has the XFX HD 4670 1GB DDR3 (750MHz core, 1600MHz effective memory speed) for $35AR in store expiring tomorrow. Better as a low end gaming card, but a GT 240 DDR5 is faster when those are sometimes on sale for the same price. The GT 240 DDR5 isn't on sale right now, so it doesn't count.

 

[XacTactX]

Having owned a 9500GT that had DDR2 running at 800MHz effective for a grand total of ~8GB/s memory bandwidth, I can tell you that this card's performance will be horrendous compared to the normal 4650 models. On my 9500GT I could barely play CS:Source at 1440 x 900. It killed my urge to game for about 2 months. But like you guys said this would be good as a backup and for things like that, I just hope you're not trying to game and enjoy it.

 

[Alai]

Good as HTPC graphics card too.

 

[nalc]

I used a HD 4650 with the same crappy 64-bit DDR2 memory for a month or so while I was waiting for an RMA. Ran SC2 at 1280x720 with medium settings fine, similar story with TF2, but to use it as anything other than an emergency card or HTPC card isn't a great idea.