Video Card

[R.a.B.B.i.T]

I'm looking for a good videocard (right now I use the mobo) for my computer, and I'm interested in what people here use.  I've been looking at My budget is ~$180 (USD, if it matters).

I've been hearing great things about the Radeon X800, but it's WAY out of my budget.  So far the one I'm probably going to get is the Radeon 9200.

[Hitmen]

Clicky

[hismajesty]

I have the 9200 and I like it, it runs everything I play (HL2, CS:Source, CoD, CoD:UO, BF1942, etc.) fine, but it is a bit outdated. You should go for a 9600 or 9800.

[R.a.B.B.i.T]

The 9800 is too expensive, but the 9600 looks good, although I don't need the BEST video card in existance, I too have only a few games I need to play: HL, CS, and BFV, but then HL2, CSL:S, Call of Duty, and COD: Expo if I get a card soon (I'm leaving out others for space, but you get the idea).

[Wish]

you can get a 9800 pro, which is still up to par i believe, for around $180.

[quasi-modo]

I am assuming your interface is agp 8x... While you can find the ati x line and the nvidia 6 lines that run on the agp8x interface, it is a bit less common. These cards are mainly using pci-express. If you have been to the newegg video card store lately you would see that most of the high end cards are on pci-express because it is the newest interface and gets the most bandwidth.

I think you should get an x600 myself. This card will perform up there with your 9800s and 5900s but it is a bit cheaper.

[j0k3r]

The 9800 is still high end, with the 9700 close behind and the 9600 close behind that. I can play any game on the market right now with my 9700 quite well, and a few of my friends with a 9600 have no problem playing games with it either.

I got a 9200 for my other computer yesterday, $80 canadian, I don't believe it can play any of the new games out there with decent settings, but I haven't tested. If you're getting a video card, I would recommend not getting one that's mid-market right now, it'll be out by next year and you'll have to spent another $180 on a mid-market card. Get a decent card, or get something cheap.

If you can get the 9800 for under $200, I'd say go for it, it'll last you awhile.

[Falcon[anti-yL]]

I'd go with the 9600, its pretty reasonably priced and will play most games fine.

[Stealth]

Be sure never to buy hardware from Best Buy unless it's got crazy rebates on it or it's absolutely unavoidable. They're ridiculously overpriced.

[R.a.B.B.i.T]

I usually look at Best Buy first  because I've never not found something there that I've not found somewhere else (still get me?).  I'm really leaning towards the 9200 mostly because of the fact that the newest game I'd have to play would be Half-Life 2.  I don't want to buy the highest-end card to play my games (most of which are at least a year old already), because I'm not the most die-hard gamer.

[quasi-modo]

Be sure never to buy hardware from Best Buy unless it's got crazy rebates on it or it's absolutely unavoidable. They're ridiculously overpriced.

so is circuit city, and comp usa... shopping local is a good was to get ass reamed.

[quasi-modo]

I usually look at Best Buy first  because I've never not found something there that I've not found somewhere else (still get me?).  I'm really leaning towards the 9200 mostly because of the fact that the newest game I'd have to play would be Half-Life 2.  I don't want to buy the highest-end card to play my games (most of which are at least a year old already), because I'm not the most die-hard gamer.

well the ati high end cards are actually selling for a lower price then the former high end cards. I mean I can find an x800 with a high ram speed for less then the cost of a 9800 on newegg with the same ram speed. I think a lot of it has to do with weather the x800 is on pci express or not. But this is just something that I have noticed and read an article about on, I think it was hard ocp.

[hismajesty]

I usually look at Best Buy first because I've never not found something there that I've not found somewhere else (still get me?). I'm really leaning towards the 9200 mostly because of the fact that the newest game I'd have to play would be Half-Life 2. I don't want to buy the highest-end card to play my games (most of which are at least a year old already), because I'm not the most die-hard gamer.

I'd say go for the 9600, I beat HL2 today and the last few large battle sequence chapters got pretty  laggy at times. Also, in some multiplayer games, if a lot of stuff is going on at once (meaning not in CS, but modded CoD:UO servers for example) it gets laggy as well. You'd be safer spending the extra ~$50.

[R.a.B.B.i.T]

Well, I don't have PCIe so I don't think I'll be getting a PCIe board.  I have PCI and AGP, and I found this card, but I'm not what you'd call very "knowledgable" in the field of hardware.  I've heard a lot about people not liking Radeon SE's and some of the other stuff, just wondering what you guys think (it's now my #1 choice so far).

[Falcon[anti-yL]]

I would go with that 9800 pro.