Recommend graphics card for this system?

[jeffc]

If it would be worthwhile, I'd like to add a new card to this system. It
works fine now for what I've used it for, but I'd like to get the max
performance in games. Having said that, I don't want to change anything but
the graphics. In other words, I'm pretty sure it would be overkill to put
in a $500 graphics card that I can't exploit because the rest of the system
isn't up to it. I'd be looking to get a budget price on an older card
rather than get a card that I can use again in a better system. I'll play
the most advanced games I can play (I don't mind buying last year's games),
and then get a new system in a year or 2. (I also don't care to upgrade the
sound right now, as I'm only listening through headphones.)

Note that one of the things I don't like about this system is that there is
no integrated memory for the current graphics. It eats 32M of my system
memory that it reserves for graphics use. I'm assuming this will stop when
I stick in a new card.

a.. Microsoft® Windows® XP Home Edition
a.. AMD AthlonT XP 2200+ Processor (1.800 GHz) with QuantiSpeedT
architecture
a.. VIA KM 266
a.. 60 GB HDD
a.. 256 MB DDR (PC 2100)
a.. 56K* ITU v.92 ready Fax/Modem
a.. AC '97 Audio
a.. S3 ProSavage8T integrated (1 AGP slot available for upgrade)

 

[@drian]

If it would be worthwhile, I'd like to add a new card to this system. It
works fine now for what I've used it for, but I'd like to get the max
performance in games. Having said that, I don't want to change anything but
the graphics. In other words, I'm pretty sure it would be overkill to put
in a $500 graphics card that I can't exploit because the rest of the system
isn't up to it. I'd be looking to get a budget price on an older card
rather than get a card that I can use again in a better system. I'll play
the most advanced games I can play (I don't mind buying last year's games),
and then get a new system in a year or 2. (I also don't care to upgrade the
sound right now, as I'm only listening through headphones.)

Note that one of the things I don't like about this system is that there is
no integrated memory for the current graphics. It eats 32M of my system
memory that it reserves for graphics use. I'm assuming this will stop when
I stick in a new card.

a.. Microsoft® Windows® XP Home Edition
a.. AMD AthlonT XP 2200+ Processor (1.800 GHz) with QuantiSpeedT
architecture
a.. VIA KM 266
a.. 60 GB HDD
a.. 256 MB DDR (PC 2100)
a.. 56K* ITU v.92 ready Fax/Modem
a.. AC '97 Audio
a.. S3 ProSavage8T integrated (1 AGP slot available for upgrade)

What about an ATI Radeon 9600 Pro? Or even an ATI Radeon 9500 Pro? Both
would scale nicely with the processor you have. You could even try to find
a cheap[ish] ATI Radeon 9700 Pro on eBay.

@drian.

 

[Shawk]

If it would be worthwhile, I'd like to add a new card to this system. It
works fine now for what I've used it for, but I'd like to get the max
performance in games. Having said that, I don't want to change anything but
the graphics. In other words, I'm pretty sure it would be overkill to put
in a $500 graphics card that I can't exploit because the rest of the system
isn't up to it. I'd be looking to get a budget price on an older card
rather than get a card that I can use again in a better system. I'll play
the most advanced games I can play (I don't mind buying last year's games),
and then get a new system in a year or 2. (I also don't care to upgrade the
sound right now, as I'm only listening through headphones.)

Note that one of the things I don't like about this system is that there is
no integrated memory for the current graphics. It eats 32M of my system
memory that it reserves for graphics use. I'm assuming this will stop when
I stick in a new card.

a.. Microsoft® Windows® XP Home Edition
a.. AMD AthlonT XP 2200+ Processor (1.800 GHz) with QuantiSpeedT
architecture
a.. VIA KM 266
a.. 60 GB HDD
a.. 256 MB DDR (PC 2100)
a.. 56K* ITU v.92 ready Fax/Modem
a.. AC '97 Audio
a.. S3 ProSavage8T integrated (1 AGP slot available for upgrade)

What about an ATI Radeon 9600 Pro? Or even an ATI Radeon 9500 Pro? Both
would scale nicely with the processor you have. You could even try to find
a cheap[ish] ATI Radeon 9700 Pro on eBay.

@drian.

Nowt wrong with the system you have for even tomorrows games if you go for
something like the 9600 Pro. I have an XP2100 (palamino) CPU and it runs
everything sweet coupled with my Sapphire 9600Pro. I'd get another stick of
memory tho'. 512MB seems to be the norm these days and its pretty cheap at
the moment.

Shawk

 

[@drian]

Nowt wrong with the system you have for even tomorrows games if you go for
something like the 9600 Pro.

Oh I agree. His system is more than powerful enough for modern games.

...I'd get another stick of
memory tho'. 512MB seems to be the norm these days and its pretty cheap at
the moment.

Yes, that would be a good idea. Can't have enough RAM onboard.

@drian.