Graphics Replacement for a flakey 9700 pro

Discussion in 'Hardware' started by Deep-Blue, 5 Oct 2006.

  1. Deep-Blue

    Deep-Blue Part-time Overclocker

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    I have a wonderfull nvidia special edition Shuttle (SNG42) which is currently home to an XP2700 clocked to 2.2ghz.

    The 9700Pro is started to get a bit problematic, so im moving it to a test rig.

    I've been flicking through ebay and ive found the following agp cards for around £100

    - 6800 GDDR2 128MB
    - 6800 XT GDDR2 128MB
    - 6800 GT GDDR3 256MB
    - 6600GT GDDR3 128MB
    - 7600GS GDDR2 256MB / 512MB Model too

    Which of these would make the best replacement. Im not a heavy gamer (light BF1942, QIII, RTCW:ET) but i do want to stay with nvidia kit that is capable of the odd game in the future.

    For those that want to know, the other reasons (sad though they are), are that its an nvidia shuttle, and the nvidia linux drivers are WAY better than atis.

    Cheers
     
    Deep-Blue, 5 Oct 2006
    #1
  2. kenco_uk

    kenco_uk I unsuccessfully then tried again

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    7600GS, natch.
     
    kenco_uk, 5 Oct 2006
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  3. atanum141

    atanum141 I fapped to your post!

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    Na!
    the New X1650Pro from Ati is the best in that league now, tho the 6800Gt you have listed is fastest card out the whole group and can be had cheap secondhand tho most od the 6800Gt's and dual slot cooled.
     
    atanum141, 5 Oct 2006
    #3
  4. Deep-Blue

    Deep-Blue Part-time Overclocker

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    The 6800GT is a single slot model, and SHOULD fit from what i can see.
     
    Deep-Blue, 5 Oct 2006
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  5. riggs

    riggs ^_^

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    Kinda strange really how the Nvidia (NForce) based Shuttles have a hard time with any ATi card faster than a 9800Pro. Or maybe it's supposed to be like that :nono:

    TBH, if you can afford it you should go for the 7600GS, providing it'll fit. Always go for the fastest you can afford.
    Failing that, a 6800GT will do nicely (which is what I'm currently running in my SN41).
     
    riggs, 6 Oct 2006
    #5
  6. Austin

    Austin Minimodder

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    :search: Be sure to check out the other threads on AGP cards for some info.

    :lol: The 9700Pro was a fine card, you could replace it with the same card if you look 2nd hand. The 9800Pro was only a smidge faster and the 9800XT a smidge faster again. The 6600GT was a wee bit faster than the 9800XT so all of these will be an upgrade for you and if your CPU isn't up to it there's very little point in springing for anything faster. You have to be careful in AGP now that nVidia & ATi are ripping AGP users off. Especially beware of ATi's AGP cards as they tend to use woefully slow memory which severely handicaps performance. I'd suggest looking for 2nd hand 9700/9800, 6600GT, 6800 or 6800GT ... maybe even try a 6600 and o/c. By all means buy new but do so very carefully. It's advisable to stick with 6600, 6600GT, 6800 or 6800GT which all represented nVidia's best cards back when AGP was important to them. 6800XT (read renamed 6800), 6800GS (in AGP form), 7600GS (slow RAM) and 7800GS are over-priced and not worth it IMHO. 256MB is ideal, 128MB is cutting it a bit fine whereas 512MB is needless overkill. This is all from memory, if you find the recent AGP thread there's more solid specifics there.
     
    Austin, 6 Oct 2006
    #6
  7. BFGunrunner

    BFGunrunner What's a Dremel?

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    You should get a 7600 GS altough a 6800 GT is much faster, Or better yet look for a 7600 GT in AGP they are rare and look a bit ugly but it will not give up on you!
    Also 7600 GT's proform like heavily overclocked 6800 Ultra/GT.
    I would advise you to stay the hell away from a 7800 GS becuase theire just overpriced crap. A stock 7800 GS run slower than the 7600 GT witch is half the price.
     
    BFGunrunner, 10 Oct 2006
    #7
  8. Gravemind123

    Gravemind123 avatar not found

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    Of those cards I would go with the 7600GS or a 6800GT. If you can find the 7600GT for a good price, that is even better. If you don't mind ATI, the x800GTO2 or the x850xt are great AGP cards for similar prices. I have not seen much of the x1650, but it is also in that price range. The best AGP card is undeniably the 7800GS, but unless you land a major deal it will cost you and arm and a leg!
     
    Gravemind123, 10 Oct 2006
    #8
  9. Austin

    Austin Minimodder

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    :thumb: Using OcUK as a guide; £100 7600GS, £140 for a new 7600GT, £160 for 6800GS (diff to PCI-E 6800GS, much slower), £180 for 7800GS. 7600GS is likely to be too handicapped by the slow RAM to be truly worth it, 6800GT would be much faster and you should get one 2nd hand for around £100. The 6800GS-AGP is over-priced, as is the 7800GS (but at least you do get speed with that). When I checked it out a couple of weeks ago ATi's AGP offerings were all sub-par due to severely low memory bandwidth, as said you're better off seeking out one of the X800/850 cards if you want ATi (X800XL & X850Pro are about equal to 6800GT). So all that really leaves out of the new cards is the 7600GT as the best option, if you can't afford £140 it's definitely better to look 2nd hand IMHO.
     
    Austin, 11 Oct 2006
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