I hate making these threads...

[o_fresh]

Guys, I'm sorry. I hate to make another GFX card thread, however I've read up on a million cards and I cant decide what the best one to get is.

Background -
I have a decent machine, however my gfx card atm is a Sapphire x1300 PCI-E. I thought it was good, because like 1300 is a bigger number than 800 (!). Apparently its shit.

Criteria -
I want a good GFX card that can play HL2. Im looking to spend around £100ish.

Erm -
http://www.ebuyer.com/UK/product/113687/rb/20801602188
this is what I have so far.

What do you think I should get?

[o_sidd42]

For less than £100, I'd recommend nvidia cards, either a 7600 GS, or a 6600 GT.

This for £80 is a very nice card that will comfortably destroy hl2

Not quite certain what DabsValue cards are like, but This or This is probably the fastest you can find for £100

[o_zaskar]

Originally Posted by Sidd42

For less than £100, I'd recommend nvidia cards, either a 7600 GS, or a 6600 GT.

This for £80 is a very nice card that will comfortably destroy hl2

Not quite certain what DabsValue cards are like, but This or This is probably the fastest you can find for £100

Those cards will play HL2 at max res perfect. but if your on Widescreen and use the max res for that, you will need something a little better to be able to run HDR without getting a FPS hit. (i found that out >< )

[o_fresh]

Thanks guys, I appreciate your help.

[o_zippy]

Dual GeForce 7900 GTs in SLI configuration

With more pixel pipelines and higher clock speeds the 7900GT is a further leap ahead in graphics card evolution. The 7900 GT is the capable little brother of the GTX. Slightly lower clock speeds and less DDR3 memory mean this card is the affordable alternative to the 7900GTX. It gives almost as much performance as the older 7800GTX for less money.

[o_dancingfool]

How good is an Nvidia 256 MB 7900 GS?

[o_ghost]

It won't play Crysis at max details.

[o_dancingfool]

Shut up I know, just tell me.

[o_footlong]

Originally Posted by zippy

Dual GeForce 7900 GTs in SLI configuration

With more pixel pipelines and higher clock speeds the 7900GT is a further leap ahead in graphics card evolution. The 7900 GT is the capable little brother of the GTX. Slightly lower clock speeds and less DDR3 memory mean this card is the affordable alternative to the 7900GTX. It gives almost as much performance as the older 7800GTX for less money.

Yeah, but he can't pick up dual 7900s for £100 (what's the alt-code for the "£" sign, I just copy-pasted)

Personally, I'm just waiting for the new processors and gfx cards that will emerge from the AMD/ATI merger. I'll probably build a whole new system next summer.

[Lost]

Save a little more and get the 7900 GT. Its about $300 USD (dunno what that is, £150 or so) and it will do you some good for years to come. But thats just from what I've been reading recently. SOG is the dude to ask.

[mervaka]

the 7900GTs are still going from about £180, and thats for one with bugger all memory.

[o_someoldguy]

I really like the 7900GT for a mid-range card, as the numbers I've read on it are quite sufficient for current games and for the foreseeable future (until DX10 makes it's appearance, but I'm really not concerned about that since most games will not be written for DX10 until there is enough gaming systems out in the wild to justify the development).

For your budget, I'd probably go with one of these (the quotes are from Sharky Extreme recommendation ):

Nvidia

Video Card: GeForce 7600 GT 256MB - PCI Express

Current Cost: $168
Months on list: New
Price Change: N/A

This month we welcome yet another graphics challenger to the fold, and add the impressive NVIDIA GeForce 7600 GT 256MB card to our system mix. The graphics processor is one area that really speeds up overall gaming performance, and while our budget could never support something outlandish like the GeForce 7900 GTX or Radeon X1900 XTX, we do try to allocate one of the top mainstream cards. The GeForce 7600 GT is a very powerful and feature-rich video card, and not only does it up the ante in many different areas, it also costs about the same as the GeForce 6800 GS we selected last time out. This makes it not only a great match for our AMD and Intel systems, but also a perfect fit for our $1K budget.
The GeForce 7600 GT 256MB features a streamlined 90nm core that in many ways, is similar to a GeForce 7900 sliced in half. The GPU features 12 pixel pipelines, 5 vertex shaders, 8 raster operators, and 24 ALUs, and basically anything the GeForce 7900 offers features-wise, so does the GeForce 7600 GT. The clock speeds are also impressive, and the GeForce 7600 GT 256MB runs at default 560 MHz core and 1400 MHz memory speeds. The GeForce 7600 GT is fully Shader Model 3.0 compliant and offers standard features like PureVideo, UltraShadow II, IntelliSample 4, and SLI.

You can get one of those for about $150 range here in the states.

ATI

On the ATI side, it's extremely difficult to find a contender at the same price level. The Radeon X1600 XT 256MB is priced lower ($140-$150), but cannot match the GeForce 7600 GT in terms of performance. The Radeon X1800 GTO is a super performer that can outpace the GeForce 7600 GT, but it comes with a higher price tag ($200+).

Currently you can get that card here in the states from $180 - $200.

[o_fresh]

Think I'm gona go for Sids first link.

[o_sidd42]

Same card but a whole £2.89 cheaper, and actually in stock.
I'm going to buy one of these myself soon. I got a gigabyte 6600 a while ago, and have definitely been converted to passively cooled graphics cards.