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**Praetor** · 02-26-2006, 02:59 PM

Category B - "I want a video card that will let me play the occassional videogame: I'm not looking for the best of the best, just something that will let me play the occasional game."
As the description suggests, people falling into this category will be looking for a videocard that will let them play the occasional game, perhaps not at the maximum settings but appreciably well. So in a sentence, the profile for cards falling into this bracket is "low-midrange gaming" and the specific constrains applied here will be

Pricing will fall in the sub-150 range
Dual video outputs are a requirement whether it be DVI+DVI or VGA+DVI etc
No cards with 64bit memory interface will be selected

[PCIE][nVidia] BIOSTAR V6502SS26 GeForce 6500 256MB ($62.00). The cheapest half-decent PCIE card to start us off, this card falls dead between the 6200 and 6600s: it lacks the pipelines of the latter but has a superior memory interface to the former; this card provides respectable performance particularly so for it's pricing prof
[AGP][ATi] Sapphire Radeon 9600Pro 128MB ($63.00),
[PCIE][ATi] ASUS EAX1300/TD/128MB Radeon X1300 128MB ($67.50). Offering higher clockspeeds as well as a superior API featureset, the X1300 handedly beats out the X300/X550 for a spot on the reccomendation list
[AGP][ATi] Sapphire Radeon 9800SE 128MB ($69.00), Sapphire 100566-RD Radeon 9800SE 128MB ($69.00), Sapphire 100566L-RD BK-HS Radeon 9800SE 128MB ($60.00 after $10.00 MIR), Sapphire 100132 Radeon 9800SE Advantage 256MB ($74.00). In it's stock condition, the performance of the Radeon9600Pro listed above is superior to this however a clever user may/will find that these 9800SE's can be BIOS-flashed and overclocked quite readily ... and in that case, these cards are a steal. If you're just looking to run a card in it's stock condition, save your money and grab the Radeon9600Pro
[AGP][ATi] JetWay 96XT-AD-256C Radeon 9600XT 256MB ($83.00). Featuring a significant clock jump from the 9600Pro, this card definitively offers the best AGP performance of the cards listed so far
[PCIE][nVidia] MSI NX6600-TD128E Lite GeForce 6600 128MB ($86.99), Albatron PC6600Q GeForce 6600 256MB ($82.00 after $10.00 MIR) . With the Radeon X1300 roughly matching the performance profile of the 6600LE cards (at a cheaper price), the 'full' GeForce 6600 offers significantly improved performance over all the PCIE cards so far
[AGP][nVidia] ABIT FX5900 OTES GeForce FX5900 128MB ($89.99). Although a two-slot solution, to find a flagship card (albeit several generations back) in this price bracket is impressive; for non-DirectX9 games, this card will handedly come out on top for AGP cards however if you're interested in playing DirectX9 games, the 9600XT still holds the reccomendation.
[PCIE][ATi] Sapphire 100121L Radeon X700 128MB ($90.00), ASUS EAX700-X/TD/128M Radeon X700 128MB ($96.00). The first 8-pipe ATi card to hit this reccomendation list, this card pulls out ahead over the performance of the X1300 and takes place as the best ATi-PCIE card so far. Of the two, the ASUS, featuring a higher memory clock will provide better performance
[PCIE][ATi] Sapphire 100125L Radeon X800GT 128MB ($99.00). Handedly dominating all previously listed PCIE cards, this card features 8-pipes running on a 256bit memory bus. Stock or modified, this card handedly outperforms the previously listed cards
[PCIE][ATi] Sapphire 100139L Radeon X800GTO 128MB ($96.00 after $10.00 MIR). Adding an extra four pipelines ot the X800GT, this card readily garners top-PCIE reccomendation so far.
[AGP][ATi] PowerColor R98-PC3G Radeon 9800Pro 128MB ($109.00). Priced significantly higher than the 5900/9600XT which previously had the reccomendations, this card offers no-compromise, better performance compared to both in the AGP category however purchasing this card should be done with a grain of salt: compared to current generation cards, the 9800Pro, as good as it might be, is incredibly outdated (not to mention, AGP is essentially dead and this would be an investment into a dead platform).
[PCIE][ATi] Sapphire 100147L Radeon X1600Pro 128MB ($111.00), Sapphire 100144 Radeon X1600Pro 256MB ($116.00) With only 55% of the memory bandwidth compared to the X800GTO, the only reason this card makes the list is because it has a higher core clock and offers newer API support as well as having memory RingBus. Now whether or not the efficiency advantages of RingBus will overcome the lack of memory bandwdith is something benchmarks will show, this card is respectable nonetheless
[PCIE][nVidia] eVGA 256-P2-N384 GeForce 6800 256MB ($99.00 after $30.00 MIR). This card's price and performance profile put it deadsmack in the same category as the X800GTO albeit behind in both core and memory clockspeeds. However, for those users looking for nVidia cards and/or considering pipeline unlocking, this card offers itself as an excellent buy.
[AGP][nVidia] AOpen 90.05210.616 GeForce 6600GT 128MB ($113.00 after $30.00 MIR), Leadtek A6600GT TDH GeForce 6600GT 128MB ($139.00). Priced significantly higher than the 9800Pro above, this card offers hands-down superior performance
[AGP][ATi] Sapphire 100148 Radeon X1600Pro 256MB ($139.00). A current generation chip, the inclusion of RingBus, higher clocks and more pipelines compared to the venerable 6600GT, this card is takes the top position for AGP buyers.

Praetor's Picks - Category B
[PCIE][nVidia]
Definitely an easy choice here, the eVGA 256-P2-N384 GeForce 6800 256MB ($99.00 after $30.00 MIR) offers remarkable amount of performance for it's price; you're getting a 12pipe card running a 256bit memory addressing bus for a remarkably low price.
Make eVGA
Model Name/# 256-P2-N384
Interface PCI-Express
GPU nVidia 6800
GPU Clock 325MHz
Memory 256MB DDR
Memory Clock 300MHz (DDR600)
Memory Interface 256bit (19.2GB/s bandwidth)
Pipelines 12x5
Cooling Stock HSF
Shader Models 3.0
Connectivity VGA+DVI+SVideo
Product Link http://www.evga.com/products/moreinf...256-P2-N384-TX
[AGP][nVidia]
Somewhat a difficult choice between the 6600GT and the FX5900 with the former offering significantly improved performance while the latter offering a significantly reduced pricetag, I ended up picking the 6600GT and in particular, the AOpen 90.05210.616 GeForce 6600GT 128MB ($113.00 after $30.00 MIR) since that it more acurately fits the category description. While the FX5900 will definitely win if the category was restricted to DirectX8 games and older, most major titles now (and definitively those to come will be) DirectX9 based or even more advanced -- something that the GeForceFX architecture cannot handle very well.
Make AOpen
Model Name/# 90.05210.616
Interface AGP 4x/8x
GPU nVidia 6600GT
GPU Clock 500MHz
Memory 128MB GDDR3
Memory Clock 500MHz (DDR1000)
Memory Interface 128bit (16.0GB/s bandwidth)
Pipelines 8x4
Cooling Stock HSF
Shader Models 3.0
Connectivity VGA+DVI+SVideo
Product Link http://usa.aopen.com/products/vga/GF6600GT-DV128AGP.htm
[PCIE][ATi]
A relatively easy decision here, the Sapphire 100139L Radeon X800GTO 128MB ($96.00 after $10.00 MIR) offers absolutely stunning performance for a $100 card. No regrets on reccomending this card whatsoever
Make Sapphire
Model Name/# 100139L
Interface PCI-Express
GPU ATi Radeon X800GTO
GPU Clock 400MHz
Memory 128MB GDDR2
Memory Clock 350MHz (DDR700)
Memory Interface 256bit (22.4GB/s bandwidth)
Pipelines 12x7
Cooling Stock HSF
Shader Models 3.0
Connectivity VGA+DVI+SVideo
Product Link http://www.sapphiretech.com/en/produ...s.php?gpid=119
[AGP][ATi]
A somewhat difficult choice, the JetWay 96XT-AD-256C Radeon 9600XT 256MB ($83.00) ended up with the pick due to the very good performance/price ratio. Was originally even considering the Sapphire 9600Pro however the 9600XT offers a significant enough performance jump to warrant the pick
Make JetWay
Model Name/# 96XT-AD-256C
Interface AGP 4x/8x
GPU ATi Radeon 9600XT
GPU Clock 500MHz
Memory 256MB DDR
Memory Clock 300MHz (DDR600)
Memory Interface 128bit (9.6GB/s bandwidth)
Pipelines 4x2
Cooling Stock HSF
Shader Models 2.x
Connectivity VGA+DVI+SVideo
Product Link http://www.jetway.com.tw/jetway/syst...e=96XT-AD-128C

02-26-2006, 02:59 PM	#5 (permalink)
Praetor Administrator Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Canada Age: 24 Posts: 19,943	*Category B - "I want a video card that will let me play the occassional videogame: I'm not looking for the best of the best, just something that will let me play the occasional game."* As the description suggests, people falling into this category will be looking for a videocard that will let them play the occasional game, perhaps not at the maximum settings but appreciably well. So in a sentence, the profile for cards falling into this bracket is "low-midrange gaming" and the specific constrains applied here will be Pricing will fall in the sub-150 range Dual video outputs are a requirement whether it be DVI+DVI or VGA+DVI etc No cards with 64bit memory interface will be selected [PCIE][nVidia] BIOSTAR V6502SS26 GeForce 6500 256MB ($62.00). The cheapest half-decent PCIE card to start us off, this card falls dead between the 6200 and 6600s: it lacks the pipelines of the latter but has a superior memory interface to the former; this card provides respectable performance particularly so for it's pricing prof [AGP][ATi] Sapphire Radeon 9600Pro 128MB ($63.00), [PCIE][ATi] ASUS EAX1300/TD/128MB Radeon X1300 128MB ($67.50). Offering higher clockspeeds as well as a superior API featureset, the X1300 handedly beats out the X300/X550 for a spot on the reccomendation list [AGP][ATi] Sapphire Radeon 9800SE 128MB ($69.00), Sapphire 100566-RD Radeon 9800SE 128MB ($69.00), Sapphire 100566L-RD BK-HS Radeon 9800SE 128MB ($60.00 after $10.00 MIR), Sapphire 100132 Radeon 9800SE Advantage 256MB ($74.00). In it's stock condition, the performance of the Radeon9600Pro listed above is superior to this however a clever user may/will find that these 9800SE's can be BIOS-flashed and overclocked quite readily ... and in that case, these cards are a steal. If you're just looking to run a card in it's stock condition, save your money and grab the Radeon9600Pro [AGP][ATi] JetWay 96XT-AD-256C Radeon 9600XT 256MB ($83.00). Featuring a significant clock jump from the 9600Pro, this card definitively offers the best AGP performance of the cards listed so far [PCIE][nVidia] MSI NX6600-TD128E Lite GeForce 6600 128MB ($86.99), Albatron PC6600Q GeForce 6600 256MB ($82.00 after $10.00 MIR) . With the Radeon X1300 roughly matching the performance profile of the 6600LE cards (at a cheaper price), the 'full' GeForce 6600 offers significantly improved performance over all the PCIE cards so far [AGP][nVidia] ABIT FX5900 OTES GeForce FX5900 128MB ($89.99). Although a two-slot solution, to find a flagship card (albeit several generations back) in this price bracket is impressive; for non-DirectX9 games, this card will handedly come out on top for AGP cards however if you're interested in playing DirectX9 games, the 9600XT still holds the reccomendation. [PCIE][ATi] Sapphire 100121L Radeon X700 128MB ($90.00), ASUS EAX700-X/TD/128M Radeon X700 128MB ($96.00). The first 8-pipe ATi card to hit this reccomendation list, this card pulls out ahead over the performance of the X1300 and takes place as the best ATi-PCIE card so far. Of the two, the ASUS, featuring a higher memory clock will provide better performance [PCIE][ATi] Sapphire 100125L Radeon X800GT 128MB ($99.00). Handedly dominating all previously listed PCIE cards, this card features 8-pipes running on a 256bit memory bus. Stock or modified, this card handedly outperforms the previously listed cards [PCIE][ATi] Sapphire 100139L Radeon X800GTO 128MB ($96.00 after $10.00 MIR). Adding an extra four pipelines ot the X800GT, this card readily garners top-PCIE reccomendation so far. [AGP][ATi] PowerColor R98-PC3G Radeon 9800Pro 128MB ($109.00). Priced significantly higher than the 5900/9600XT which previously had the reccomendations, this card offers no-compromise, better performance compared to both in the AGP category however purchasing this card should be done with a grain of salt: compared to current generation cards, the 9800Pro, as good as it might be, is incredibly outdated (not to mention, AGP is essentially dead and this would be an investment into a dead platform). [PCIE][ATi] Sapphire 100147L Radeon X1600Pro 128MB ($111.00), Sapphire 100144 Radeon X1600Pro 256MB ($116.00) With only 55% of the memory bandwidth compared to the X800GTO, the only reason this card makes the list is because it has a higher core clock and offers newer API support as well as having memory RingBus. Now whether or not the efficiency advantages of RingBus will overcome the lack of memory bandwdith is something benchmarks will show, this card is respectable nonetheless [PCIE][nVidia] eVGA 256-P2-N384 GeForce 6800 256MB ($99.00 after $30.00 MIR). This card's price and performance profile put it deadsmack in the same category as the X800GTO albeit behind in both core and memory clockspeeds. However, for those users looking for nVidia cards and/or considering pipeline unlocking, this card offers itself as an excellent buy. [AGP][nVidia] AOpen 90.05210.616 GeForce 6600GT 128MB ($113.00 after $30.00 MIR), Leadtek A6600GT TDH GeForce 6600GT 128MB ($139.00). Priced significantly higher than the 9800Pro above, this card offers hands-down superior performance [AGP][ATi] Sapphire 100148 Radeon X1600Pro 256MB ($139.00). A current generation chip, the inclusion of RingBus, higher clocks and more pipelines compared to the venerable 6600GT, this card is takes the top position for AGP buyers. *Praetor's Picks - Category B* [PCIE][nVidia] Definitely an easy choice here, the eVGA 256-P2-N384 GeForce 6800 256MB ($99.00 after $30.00 MIR) offers remarkable amount of performance for it's price; you're getting a 12pipe card running a 256bit memory addressing bus for a remarkably low price. Make eVGA Model Name/# 256-P2-N384 Interface PCI-Express GPU nVidia 6800 GPU Clock 325MHz Memory 256MB DDR Memory Clock 300MHz (DDR600) Memory Interface 256bit (19.2GB/s bandwidth) Pipelines 12x5 Cooling Stock HSF Shader Models 3.0 Connectivity VGA+DVI+SVideo Product Link http://www.evga.com/products/moreinf...256-P2-N384-TX [AGP][nVidia] Somewhat a difficult choice between the 6600GT and the FX5900 with the former offering significantly improved performance while the latter offering a significantly reduced pricetag, I ended up picking the 6600GT and in particular, the AOpen 90.05210.616 GeForce 6600GT 128MB ($113.00 after $30.00 MIR) since that it more acurately fits the category description. While the FX5900 will definitely win if the category was restricted to DirectX8 games and older, most major titles now (and definitively those to come will be) DirectX9 based or even more advanced -- something that the GeForceFX architecture cannot handle very well. Make AOpen Model Name/# 90.05210.616 Interface AGP 4x/8x GPU nVidia 6600GT GPU Clock 500MHz Memory 128MB GDDR3 Memory Clock 500MHz (DDR1000) Memory Interface 128bit (16.0GB/s bandwidth) Pipelines 8x4 Cooling Stock HSF Shader Models 3.0 Connectivity VGA+DVI+SVideo Product Link http://usa.aopen.com/products/vga/GF6600GT-DV128AGP.htm [PCIE][ATi] A relatively easy decision here, the Sapphire 100139L Radeon X800GTO 128MB ($96.00 after $10.00 MIR) offers absolutely stunning performance for a $100 card. No regrets on reccomending this card whatsoever Make Sapphire Model Name/# 100139L Interface PCI-Express GPU ATi Radeon X800GTO GPU Clock 400MHz Memory 128MB GDDR2 Memory Clock 350MHz (DDR700) Memory Interface 256bit (22.4GB/s bandwidth) Pipelines 12x7 Cooling Stock HSF Shader Models 3.0 Connectivity VGA+DVI+SVideo Product Link http://www.sapphiretech.com/en/produ...s.php?gpid=119 [AGP][ATi] A somewhat difficult choice, the JetWay 96XT-AD-256C Radeon 9600XT 256MB ($83.00) ended up with the pick due to the very good performance/price ratio. Was originally even considering the Sapphire 9600Pro however the 9600XT offers a significant enough performance jump to warrant the pick Make JetWay Model Name/# 96XT-AD-256C Interface AGP 4x/8x GPU ATi Radeon 9600XT GPU Clock 500MHz Memory 256MB DDR Memory Clock 300MHz (DDR600) Memory Interface 128bit (9.6GB/s bandwidth) Pipelines 4x2 Cooling Stock HSF Shader Models 2.x Connectivity VGA+DVI+SVideo Product Link http://www.jetway.com.tw/jetway/syst...e=96XT-AD-128C __________________ ASUS P5K Premium WiFi-AP, Q6600@3.7 / ASUS P5ND, E6400@3.8 4GB OCz Platinum XTC 8500 / 4GB CorsairXMS2 6400 5x500GB Seagate 7200.10 / 2x500 Seagate 7200.10 OCz 8800GTX 768MB @ 630/800 / 2x Galaxy 8800GT SLI