A
Adam Parkin
Hi all, I'm wondering if I could get a recommendation for my next card.
I'm currently running an 8500 LE, and plan on buying a replacement
during all the boxing week sales. I do *not* have a PCI express slot,
so I'm stuck with AGP. My system specs:
CPU: P4 3.0 Ghz
RAM: 1GB
Video: Radeon 8500LE (as mentioned)
I'm a fairly big gamer (mostly FPS's, I plan on buying FEAR & Serious
Sam 2 once I upgrade), so I want a fairly beefy card that'll last a
little while, but at the same time I am not completely ignorant of value
and don't feel like dropping $600+ on a video card.
What I'm currently leaning towards is either the AIW X800XL or a x850
Pro. Which card would be the better performer, and by how much (the
benchmarks I've found only seem to have the x800XL only, not the x850
Pro). I'm also a bit concerned about heat/noise of the new card, so if
anyone can comment on this I'd greatly appreciate it.
If there's a card you think would be better suited for me, by all means
feel free to make a recommendation. The AIW x800XL I can get for about
$350 (Canadian), although I'm willing to go as high as probably around
$450 or so (again Canadian $$$). If I do the trade-up thing directly
through ATI I can get the X850 XT for $349 US (about $405 Canadian), but
I'm a little unsure about the whole trade-up process.
Any advice as to online retailers might be helpful as well, although
keep in mind I do live in Canada, and I'm not too enthusiastic about the
idea of having something shipped cross-border (duties can add up in a
hurry).
Thanks in advance for any advice.....
I'm currently running an 8500 LE, and plan on buying a replacement
during all the boxing week sales. I do *not* have a PCI express slot,
so I'm stuck with AGP. My system specs:
CPU: P4 3.0 Ghz
RAM: 1GB
Video: Radeon 8500LE (as mentioned)
I'm a fairly big gamer (mostly FPS's, I plan on buying FEAR & Serious
Sam 2 once I upgrade), so I want a fairly beefy card that'll last a
little while, but at the same time I am not completely ignorant of value
and don't feel like dropping $600+ on a video card.
What I'm currently leaning towards is either the AIW X800XL or a x850
Pro. Which card would be the better performer, and by how much (the
benchmarks I've found only seem to have the x800XL only, not the x850
Pro). I'm also a bit concerned about heat/noise of the new card, so if
anyone can comment on this I'd greatly appreciate it.
If there's a card you think would be better suited for me, by all means
feel free to make a recommendation. The AIW x800XL I can get for about
$350 (Canadian), although I'm willing to go as high as probably around
$450 or so (again Canadian $$$). If I do the trade-up thing directly
through ATI I can get the X850 XT for $349 US (about $405 Canadian), but
I'm a little unsure about the whole trade-up process.
Any advice as to online retailers might be helpful as well, although
keep in mind I do live in Canada, and I'm not too enthusiastic about the
idea of having something shipped cross-border (duties can add up in a
hurry).
Thanks in advance for any advice.....