Which Video Card is best for me?

PokerGoblin · #1 09-30-2005, 03:50 PM

Sorry to ask redundant questions but I want to add a 2nd monitor(2001fp). First, I am going to buy the vid card.

Any advantage of AGP over PCI? How do I find out if I have a 4x or 8x AGP slot? My PC is about two years old.

What is D-SUB?

What is OPEN GL?

Do these stats even matter to someone who just wants to multitable with occasional gaming?

Finally, which of these would you buy?

* CHAINTECH P-FX20 256MB Geforce FX5200 256MB DDR PCI Video Card - Retail

Core clock: 250MHz
D-SUB: 1
DirectX: DirectX 9
DVI: 1
Memory Clock: 332MHz
Memory Interface: 128-bit
OpenGL: OpenGL 1.4
Tuner: None
TV-Out: S-Video Out
VIVO: No
* Model #: P-FX20 256MB
* Item #: N82E16814145087
* $85.00

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814145087

OR:

* POWERCOLOR R92P-LD3 Radeon 9250 256MB DDR PCI Video Card - Retail

Core clock: 240MHz
D-SUB: 1
DirectX: DirectX 8
DVI: 1
Memory Clock: 400MHz
Memory Interface: 128-bit
OpenGL: OpenGL 1.3
Tuner: None
TV-Out: S-Video/Composite Out
VIVO: No
* Model #: R92P-LD3
* Item #: N82E16814131411
* $74.00

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814131411

Thanks

PG

kenberman · #2 09-30-2005, 04:15 PM

[ QUOTE ]
Do these stats even matter to someone who just wants to multitable with occasional gaming?

[/ QUOTE ]

prob not, especially if you're not a hard core gamer.

more important would be finding a card with dual dvi, if you have 2 2001fp's

PokerGoblin · #3 09-30-2005, 04:23 PM

No, I only intend to buy one 2001FP. I am going to be using it along side a 17"CRT that came with my PC. If I end up adding another LCD, I'll buy another vid card.

MyMindIsGoing · #4 09-30-2005, 04:30 PM

[ QUOTE ]
Any advantage of AGP over PCI? How do I find out if I have a 4x or 8x AGP slot? My PC is about two years old.

What is D-SUB?

What is OPEN GL?

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes AGP will transfer data faster from memory to the graphics card, and you will have an extra free PCI slot. Get AGP if you can. If it is 2 years old 8x should work almost certianly.

D-SUB is the regular connector for monitors (some people call it VGA-connector, always blue) it is what is used on normal CRT monitors and very cheap TFTs (decent TFTs use DVI witch is digital, always white).

Open gl is the API used for games like Quake.

You can easily check how "fresh" the card is by checking the numbers for directx and open gl. That is why I would take the top card instead of the bottom one. But if you plan to use AGP instead maybe you should consider a whole diffrent card, preferably one with two dvi outs instead.

If http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814161115 will work in your computer it is fast enough for what you want to do and decently priced.

*edit* Another post was made while I wrote this, so the dual dvi card is not what you want if you are gonna run one crt and one tft.

PokerGoblin · #5 09-30-2005, 04:54 PM

Thanks for taking the time to post that.

Actually that card will work nicely, as it comes with one DVI -> VGA adapter. That will leave me open to expanding to two LCD's.

PG

MyMindIsGoing · #6 09-30-2005, 05:00 PM

Didn't even see that [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img] But even better yes.

Supersetoy · #7 09-30-2005, 05:51 PM

Can I connect one of these 20.1" Flat Panels via VGA?

I have heard it both ways...it doesn't affect the viewing quality, and have heard the difference is like "night and day". (Referring to the difference between plugging a 20.1" in to a VGA or DVI).

Thoughts?

MyMindIsGoing · #8 09-30-2005, 06:05 PM

[ QUOTE ]
Can I connect one of these 20.1" Flat Panels via VGA?

I have heard it both ways...it doesn't affect the viewing quality, and have heard the difference is like "night and day". (Referring to the difference between plugging a 20.1" in to a VGA or DVI).

Thoughts?

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes you can.

My thoughts are: if you have a bad TFT and a good videocard there may not be a big difference, but if your video card is bad and the monitor is good then there will be a big difference. Also the higher resulution the more difference it will make (higher frequecy signals).

There is a reason TFTs have DVIs, beacuse it is the optimal signal for it (digital all the way). I personaly think it is a total waste to run TFTs on standard vga signals. If you have no other choice, sure dual vga does the job, but if you are gonna get a new card, I see no reason at all not to get a dual dvi card. I mean spending like 1/8th of what the monitors cost on a decent dual dvi card is not overspending.

Neuge · #9 10-01-2005, 05:28 AM

[ QUOTE ]
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814161115

[/ QUOTE ]That's an absolutely terrible deal. You can get much better cards than a 9600 for $130.

MyMindIsGoing · #10 10-01-2005, 06:39 AM

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814161115

[/ QUOTE ]That's an absolutely terrible deal. You can get much better cards than a 9600 for $130.

[/ QUOTE ]

Newegg only have one dual DVI AGp 4x/8x card that is cheaper, and it is a whole $9 cheaper. And that card is a geforce, not a radeon. It will be faster for gaming, sure, but since op only played occationaly that is not a problem. Radeons are of higher quality in general, I am never gonna get a geforce again. By the way, the cheaper card demands a 8x agp slot, while the 9600 works with both 4x and 8x. I would get the radeon, but every one makes their own choice.