Final Video Card Decision- Suggestions Please

T

TheOrteganator

New Member
I know I've asked about video cards before, but now I'm really ready to purcahse. This is the last time I'll ask... I promise.


So I've narrowed it down to a few from newegg.com (they seem to have better prices). These are just a few, I had a list of about 10, but I couldn't expect you to look at all of them, so I'm asking about the ones that I think are best.

To give you the needs that I have, the game that I am upgrading to run requires either a Radeon 9800 or higher, NVidia 6600GT or higher, with 256MB or VRAM or more. Also, it requires "pixel shaders 2.x and above". I would imagine that 512MB is better than 256 for obvious reasons, but how much of a difference does it really make? It will be replacing a ATI Radeon 9550.

Which of these cards would be best for this. I only have an AGP slot, and there isn't a lot of free space below that slot, so some of the thicker fan systems worry me. A picture of my mobo is shown below with a line where the free space ends.


Here's the cards:

#1 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814102073

#2 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814121020R

#3 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814161053

#4 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814102057

#5 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814161033
^^^^That's the fan system that worries me space wise.^^^^

#6 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814143049
^^^^With this one, does it require the little extra power connector? I can see the spot for it, but t doesn't look like it comes with one.^^^^


Here is my motherboard. As you can see, the AGP slot is on top, with three PCI slots underneath. The bottom two PCI slots are filled, so I only have the space of the one PCI slot open below the AGP slot. I don't even know if card #5 will fit there, and even if it does I don't know if there will be enough room below it for airflow. It looks like that card can vent out the back, so if I take off the cover of the PCI slot below it, will it vent out the back and not need more room underneath?

a527xmobo.jpg
 
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The ATI version of the Radeon 9550 was an excellent card on the old build here with the X1650 Pro being a far newer and supported model that will easily run newer games without problems. Performance wise? besides duplicate links seen for only two models there the BFG 7600GT would be the best seen in that list at http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814143049 HIS is a "junk" brand where people have complained about it on several occasions especially with the Radeon models.
 
I was already leaning toward the 7600 GT, since a 6600 is required, that pretty much blows away the requirements and should run it at full settings.
 
That BFG 7600gt you questioned about is pci-e. You dont have pci-e. You wont be able to run the card. (And no, it doesnt require the power connector.)

:)
 
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