graphics advice

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cerealkilla

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hey guys, some help required! i turn to you okes coz you know your "shyte".

this is my current pc:

core2 duo e6600 intel chip, 512mb X2 DDR2 800mhz ram, ati X1550 512mb card(crap!) all on a gigabyte GA-965GM-DS2 motherboard, connected to a 500w psu.

i need a new DX10 card, prefer an ATI one... i'm looking to spend +-R4500 on the card... any suggestions?

also do i need to upgrade my psu? the case i have will cool almost anycard so that's fine, i have a aerocool extreme engine 3t
 
HD2900XT but I would suggest going for the 8800 320MB

I would consider upping your memory to 2GB as well.
 
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yup if you want ati get the 2900xt

also look at upgrading your ram to 2 gig for vista
8800gts 640 meg would be better in my opinion but if your set on atit hen you only have one choice

also look at upgrading your PSU
 
ok, i've only ever had ati cards... and they all worked beautifully, opposed to the nvidia cards my friends were running, i had a 9600se, then a 9800le , then a X800GTO and now the X1550, this is the only **** card i've had so far.

so i dont know, i know that everyone says that the ati cards having driver issues, but once it's sorted i'm sure it'll kick ass! but if you compare the 8800gts to the hd2900xt, which is better all round? i dont want to buy something that'll be obsolete as soon as dx10 games really take off!
 
What PSU do you have? if its a el cheapo 500w it won't be sufficient.
 
ok, so along with my gfx card i'll need a new psu and extra ram... thats a bit heavy to get in 1 go! so can i get gfx card 1st, psu later and ram last? or does psu have to come before card? coz that X1550 is busting my balls, it even slows down on dota's new maps during a heavy fight...
 
Hmm KME are *** PSU's but it's still 500 Watts, I wonder if it would be enough to run a 2900XT :/ Don't waste too much money on a PSU if you need a ram and graphics upgrade first.

Otherwise you could go for the 8800GTS, which is only around R3000, then get the extra ram at the same time and leave the PSU as it is.
 
8800GTS needs about 26A on the 12v if I remember correctly. Check the specs on your PSU. Usually the stickers on the PSU should say.

I have the 8800GTS 320meg and Im quite happy with the card. Unfortunately my AMD4200+ X2 is bottlenecking it but your CPU should be fine :)

It's is currently the mainstream card from what I read somewhere and should last a while. Otherwise go one up and get the GTX if you can afford it. I can't say much about the ATI but I agree that the older ATI cards I have owned were very good.
 
I'd rather go for the 8800gts 320mb, its cheaper & with the left over money get a decent PSU. A bad PSU can **** up your whole machine. Get the ram later, its dirt cheap these days anyway.
 
actually you should waste money on a good PSU, it runs your entire system without a good PSU your screwed

im with brawler on this one
8800gts 3k
good psu 800 bucks
2 x 512 assuming you got 4 slots 1.2k maybe less

8800gts wont be obsolete for a very long time, if your going to run games in very high res i would not suggest it though

total of 5k for new dx 10 card 1 gig ram and a psu

4.2k for the ati 2900xt which may or may not get better drivers, also you dont an additional 1 gig mem or psu
 
ok, so the general thoughts on my upgrade is nvidia based... so i should leave the idea of ATI and join the nvidia masses, get a 8800 320mb card with a new psu(what one would be ideal?)... what do u guys think of the 640mb card??? and if possible a few links to some online shops where i can get it at a good price will be nice... also, i'm using a 17" CRT so resolution 1280X1024 max!
 
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pcnt.co.za has got some good prices, check them out.
about the whole nv vs ati debate, doesn't really make a difference anymore both extremely good cards, you get what you pay for.
 
cerealkilla said:
ok, so the general thoughts on my upgrade is nvidia based... so i should leave the idea of ATI and join the nvidia masses, get a 8800 320mb card with a new psu(what one would be ideal?)... what do u guys think of the 640mb card??? and if possible a few links to some online shops where i can get it at a good price will be nice... also, i'm using a 17" CRT so resolution 1280X1024 max!
Click to expand...

Look at Cafe Viva for good prices.

http://www.cafeviva.co.za
 
cafe java's prices aren't bad, infact my friend works there so i get a slight discount, but i've found prophecy.co.za to be slightly cheaper and if ur goods are over 1k then delivery is free... so thats a good thing

but more links will be greatly appreciated! cant wait to go shopping hehehe
 
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