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"I need a new graphics card"

I just bought a new PC and the graphics card that came with it is crap!!!, so i need to buy a new one so can actually play games on it, the problem is I dont have a clue which one to buy. Im willing to spend under £100 (im a student) for a fast and reliable card, Im asking u people for your advice? i hear radeon and Gforce are good...

If you really want to then I'll make one...if I must...

Probably a Radeon 9600 or something like that would be best.

Could be entertaining for all not involved. Maybe sometime when I'm not feeling so lazy I'll create one. Nobody would stick to it mind...

they really are, come to think of it. they've been done hundreds of time's before, and the same has been said.

"if you want so-and-so for thingymajigging, i recommend a whatsitsname"

etc etc.

Graphics card threads are boring. I think we should have one thread dedicated to them. I realise that would be completely confusing, but that is to represent the complexity of the process of choosing a new graphics card.

Pfft, the best graphics cards are all way expensive and then probably a month later a brand new better one will come out.

that is rather old, but the rest of the system is rather decent, so if you get a graphics card like an FX5600 it'll be a worthy machine...

The graphics card that came with the computer is The "S3 prosavage DDR" (thats what i meant by crap)Total memory=32mb.

Processor: AMD Athlon XP 2400+.MMX.3DNow.-2014mhz
Memory:480mb ram

Memorandum! wrote:
> UrkiE-UK wrote:
> i'll explain it this way;
>
> there are two large companies involved in the Graphic Card industry;
> Radeon and Geforce.
>
> "two large companies"
> Then you named flagship products.
> HAHAHA.
>
> nVidia and ATi

Crap, i didn't see that!

"i have a distinct principle - if it costs a lot it has to be good - but that's not always the case"

There's usually an element of truth in this, but the key is always finding which is the right point to step on to the ladder at. Sure, the FX5900 ultra can outperformed the 9800pro, and costs more, it follows that explanation. However, the amount more that it costs makes justifying the hike in price difficult. Paying less may get you a card which doesn't quite match a more expensive one in some areas, but it's often still a damn good card in its own right.

And some things are just overpriced and should be avoided, the fx5800 was an example of this.

Just how much a card is "jiggled" around depends on the company doing the jiggling. Some third parties will simply take the reference board from ATi/nVidia, stick their badge on the cooler, add a software bundle and ship it. Others redesign it to different degrees - anything from an improved/quieter HSF to a reshuffle of components on the PCB itself. The differences in price between brands is often down to the bundle that comes with them - I have a Connect3d radeon 9800pro, and when I got it it was a good deal cheaper than any other model on the market. It's not an inferior design - great overclocker, uses the reference board, performs just as well as any other 9800pro - but Connect3d ship the card bare, cutting costs greatly. You get a card, a driver cd, a manual and an s-video adapter cable. All I want with the card, I don't need games, dvd players, antivirus and other utilities adding to the cost.

That went off topic. Point is, it's worth looking around at different 3rd parties, a cheaper one doesn't necessarily mean it's inferior, but check here if in doubt.