[AsILayDying]

I have a Compaq Presario 6000, Pentium 4, 2 ghz, the works. but i only have a intel extreme graphics card. its not to bad but games seem to get sketchy at parts in games like warcraft III and Command and Conquer. I want to get a new video card to improve the quality of the games i have now and eventually be able to buy high quality games like Doom III that are coming out some time down the road. What graphic card is the best that is available now and around $150 or $200. Also, does my system have to have some sort of requirements to put them in???

Thanks for your help

 

[dannyboyfx]

does it have an AGP slot? It will be brown above the white PCI slots. Open the case and look. I would go with an ATI if i were you, but you need to check and post back.

 

[Triple6]

To check for an AGP slot you can look up your Compaq model on thier website, or post it here, or you can take the side off and see if there is a single brown slot at the top of the white ones. If you don't have an AGP slot then you're really limited.

The best card right now is the ATI Radeon 9800XT 256 MB - but its price is very high. You probably should look at a ATI Radeon 9600 or a Nvidia FX5600 or higher. I personally would recommend the Radeon 9600Xt 128MB - it'll do you fine and fit with your system.

 

[Triple6]

Sapphire 9600XT:
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=14-102-326&depa=0

Specs:
http://www.ati.com/products/radeon9600/index.html

 

[Wet Chicken]

IF you have a AGP slot then I wouldn't get a new video card now

In a few months ATI will be coming out with the new R420 and R423. You can't use the R423 in your computer, but you CAN use the R420, and it will have 16 pipelines and be twice as fast as the 9800 Pro, which is currently the best gaming card around. So if you can wait I would get the ATI R420. If you can't wait I would get the 9800 Pro. If you look on the net you should be able to find a OEM version for the same price as the 9600

 

[Ash_11]

I'm an ATI die-hard, but this is a good article. I personally would wait for ATI to comeback though:

http://www.techtv.com/news/products/story/0,24195,3668181,00.html

 

[AsILayDying]

i have the AGP slot. so i guess the next step is deiciding which card to get???

 

[Triple6]

Hmm, I just read about the 6800 but it totally slipped my mind. Anyhow it would be overkill for your machine and way out of you're intial budget. The good news is that prices drop as new cards come out on the market. I've seen a few 9800SE's in the price range of the 9600XT on the web and the PRO at around $200: http://www.buyxtremegear.com/r9800pro128.html

 

[kingcobweb]

Hmm, I just read about the 6800 but it totally slipped my mind. Anyhow it would be overkill for your machine and way out of you're intial budget. The good news is that prices drop as new cards come out on the market. I've seen a few 9800SE's in the price range of the 9600XT on the web and the PRO at around $200: http://www.buyxtremegear.com/r9800pro128.html

Sorry, 9800SE is absolutely awful unless you intend to soft-mod it. If you can drop $200 and can't wait, go for the 9800XT.

 

[McTimson]

No, a 9800SE still outperforms a 9600XT....it's horrible when compared to a regular 9800, but then again, so is a 9600.

 

[Wet Chicken]

Yes 9800SE is a good choice

 

[dannyboyfx]

waiting is also nice. As soon as the new models come out, the old ones will drop in price. That will be nice for you.

 

[AsILayDying]

Thanks guys