Shopping for video card need advice

[Glitch]

Currently running a g4 mx440 128mb, on a biostar m7vkd motherboard, with a 1k athalon processer, 512 pc133 sdramm, win98se.

I want to upgrade to a better video card. I am considering g4 ti4600, geforce 5600 fx, geforce5800fx all with 128 mb memory. I would like comments on which would be best for my machine.

Motherboard is single data rate, limited to 4x AGP. all of the above cards have in the descriptions area of the website.  Some thing like:

" Easy Plug-and-Play AUTORUN installation from CD-ROM, supports 8x, 4x, and 2x AGP. "

Am I correct in assuming that this mean the cards are backwards compatible to at least 4x AGP?

I fly all the Micro$oft flight sims except FS2004 C.O.F. CFS 3 being my only problem sim. My previous videocard a g2mx400 64 meg handled cfs3 much better, after tweaking, than the g4 mx440 128mb before tweaking. In fact the g4in cfs3, un tweaked  handles cfs3 un tweaked about the way the g2 did.  The machine has dvd player which has become almost unuseable for action films like Spiderman, Lord of the Rings,.... during the heavy action scenes the film staggers just like cfs3 when attacking an enemy base at 50ft alt.

Any comments ,suggestions, welcomed!

[ozzy72]

Hi Glitch, well I upgraded to a Ti4600 a few months back and all I can say is HOLY S***!!!!!!
It is awesome. The performance levels I'm getting now are incredible! You might want to think about also moving to XP as your OS as it runs a lot quicker than 98 and doesn't eat memory as much

Ozzy

[ATI_7500]

i only recommend a 5600 or 5800,when you're going to upgrade your mainboard ,cpu and ram within the next months. the reason is,that the rest of your system has too little power to supply those FXs efficiently,this simply means that your  video card gets "bored". i recommend the 4600,because it fits quite well to your system.and yes,every graphics card is backwards compatible,i'm running an AGP-8x-card on an AGP-4x-slot,too.

[Glitch]

I am planning to upgrade mb, cpu & ramm asap, but I am the only one in the house working right now, when I can, I will. One of the reasons I was considering the 5600 is, so I will not have to replace the card when I do upgrade. It could be as much as 6 mos before I can save enough for the upgrade. ATI could you define "bored"? Ozzy what did you upgrade from?

Glitch

[Paul2k12]

could you define "bored"? Ozzy what did you upgrade from?

I think he is meaning that while your CPU is calculating everything and getting maxed out the graphics card is wanting more and more information to process and the CPU cannot supply it with enough info so really you would be paying a lot of money only to use maybe 50-60% of the cards capabilities

Please correct me if I am wrong

Paul2k10

[Glitch]

Well the Gainward 5600fx I am considering is cheaper than the Asus g4 4600 both 128mb ddr. Shopping at pricewatch.com

[ATI_7500]

no,you aren't wrong,paul. well said.

[congo]

Go here and see for yourself...........

http://www17.tomshardware.com/graphic/2 ... 00-10.html

A GF4 TI4200 is gonna beat or be as good as a FX5600
even if it's a 4x AGP 64mb version, so, don't be fooled by all the hype!

Go here and buy one......

www.pricewatch.com

or wait 6 mths and see those fx prices tumble!  

[JBaymore]

I've been having a nightmare  :P to get either of two GeForce FX 5600 cards (Asylum or PNY) to work with direct X 9.0a on Win XP with FS2002 and a P4 2.4 Gig machine.  So far .... no go.  Tech support can't solve it.  See other threads on this subject.

best,

...................john

[JBaymore]

I just traded in the GeFOrce FX 5600 card on a ATI Raedon 9600.  WOrked on the first try with no hassles.

So THAT is a message right there.

best,

..................john

[Glitch]

I have done some research and decided the 4600 will be the way to go. Instead of upgrading this System I plan to give it to my wife to replace the 200 mhz pacard bell she now uses. Then I will build a new machine stripped  for gaming i.e. no DVD player. no burner. By the time I can afford to do this. I should end up with a faster machine, than if I bought the 5600 now and upgraded this one later.

[congo]

Me thinks the GF4 TI4600 is way better than a GF FX5600.

Also, if you bought the cheaper, not much slower TI4200 video card, you may be able to afford a new "who knows what by then" video card when you finally upgrade.

On your present system, a ti4600 isn't justified, but a 4200 would do nicely to match your 1 gig cpu.

[Glitch]

Well I already ordered the 4600. I may have the cash left to up grade to the mainboards 1.8 gpu bios limit. that should give it a little more to work with.

[congo]

Wow! that 4600 is an awesome card, you won't know the sim with that running! CRANK IT UP!

Might pay to consider the power requirements before plugging it in.  ;D

[Glitch]

Power requirements?The machine has a 300 watt power supply.