kamyk on 30/7/2009 at 06:50
I am thinking about upgrading my graphics card, but I'm not sure what to get. I currently have a GeForce FX 5200, and it has served me well for years. However, I want to play Bioshock, and be able to play Sims3, Spore, Diablo III, and Starcraft 2, etc. But I also want to be able to continue to play Thief and System Shock 2 etc, without having to resort to ddfix or losing fog. My slot type is AGP. I'd appreciate suggestions for a new card.
TBE on 30/7/2009 at 08:06
(
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102730) Radeon 3850. I used to be an nVidia fanboy, but for AGP, this is killer. I have one in my aging codger of a system, and play Bioshock almost maxed out, and I play STALKER with medium settings. They both play well now. I had an nVidia 7800 GS, and it just wasn't cutting the mustard anymore. This is a lot of card for AGP, and will serve you well.
bikerdude on 30/7/2009 at 10:24
I have this in my media pc and its a good card and good value you for money, but I think there might be a more power card out there that will give you a biut more mileage - whats your current system specs and budget..?
TBE on 30/7/2009 at 17:46
The 4670 and the 3850 are nearly identical in performance, but the 3850 has a peak memory bandwidth of 44.80 GB/sec, and the 4670 has 25.60 GB/sec. The 3850 has a 256 bit memory interface vs the 4670's 128 bit memory interface. The 3850 does however suck way more power. 100 watts vs 59 watts on the 4670. The 3850 is clearly a better gaming card, and based on reviews, it has less problems with drivers and such.
bikerdude on 30/7/2009 at 18:08
Quote Posted by TBE
The 3850 is clearly a better gaming card.
Also the cooler on the 3850 is far better than the 4670, I have tested boith cards in my media pc, and the 3850 is the one I stuck with.
kamyk on 30/7/2009 at 19:20
Specs:
Amd Athlon XP 2ghz
2 gigs DDR1
Soyo Dragon Plus motherboard
AGP 8x
Windows XP SP3
Budget around $100, give or take.
I know my specs are old, but I am willing to push every last scrap of use out of my computer before upgrading to a new one, even if I am taking a hit in processing power until I do. I have been putting up with occasional lag and living with 7-20 fps on most newer games for a couple years now. I don't mind another year or so of it. Just want to play Bioshock and a few certain other things before then is all, even if they don't perform at max capacity.
Also when I do upgrade to a new system I want to use this one as a legacy system for my older games like Thief, etc. Another reason why I asked for suggestions for a backwards compatible card. I already have to jump through hoops to play Blood, and can't run the "build" editor at all, I'd hate to lose Thief, and Dromed somewhere down the line.
One problem with the card suggested. I have a flat screen crt I am very happy with, and can't currently afford a new monitor anyway, so I can't use HDCP DVI, and the card only has ports for that. Are there adapters available somewhere?
TBE on 30/7/2009 at 21:22
The ports on the card are DVI. It comes with an adapter to hookup to your older VGA style adapter. HDCP is something else entirely for secure transmission of protected content like bluray.
kamyk on 30/7/2009 at 21:49
One other question? I see the card uses GDDR3. I am curious if that means the card would be running on better memory than my motherboard does, lol. Is that even possible? I'd hate to buy it and find out it was too good for my motherboard.
