Need AGP Video Card for gaming

[JackHammer]

I just upgraded my comp and it's super fast however, the motherboard I got can only take AGP. Now I need a wicked awesom video card to play games but I am having problems finding one. Any suggestions? The memory interface has to be 256 bit, no?

[_=DeltaForce=_]

Do you need top of the line video card?? There is a Nvidia 7800 256mb AGP video card.. But if you dont need top of the line, you can get an ATI X800XT AGP or a Geforce 6800 256mb AGP

[bachviet]

:stupid:

There is also the 6800GS AGP

[DarkFury]

:stupid:

There is also the 6800GS AGP
But that one still gets spanked by the 6800GT :D

[zippyjuan]

The X850 XT has the best performance in games, but it does not do Shader Model 3.0 like the NVidia cards can. ATI is supposed to have a new card out shortly that can do Shader Model 3.0, but no word on if it will include an AGP version or if they have abandoned that format.

ATI Preps Radeon X1800 GTO Graphics Cards – Web-Site.
ATI Drives Radeon X1800 to Performance-Mainstream

Category: Video

by Anton Shilov

[ 02/21/2006 | 06:22 PM ]


ATI Technologies has officially lowered the pricing of the Radeon X1800 XL to $299, however, this is not enough for the company to fill the gap between $179 and $299 with a product supporting Shader Model 3.0. To introduce a product that would offer up-to-date functionality in the mentioned price-range, the company will release Radeon X1800 GTO product for $179 in late March, according to a media report.

ATI Radeon X1800 GTO will have 12 pixel processors and 8 vertex processors, according to a report at the HKEPC web-site that cites makers of graphics cards. Clock-speed and other details concerning board configuration are currently unknown, however, it is claimed that the product is to be released on the 28th of March and is likely to have recommended price of approximately $249.

The new Radeon X1800 GTO product will be based on the R520 graphics processor that powers the rest of the X1800-series products with cut-down specifications: 4 out of 16 pixel pipelines will be disabled.

The Radeon X1800 GTO will compete against Nvidia’s GeForce 6800 GS as well as GeForce 7600-series graphics cards. After several months of existences, possibly in July or August, will be replaced by the Radeon X1700-series products, according to slides published by the web-site.

The pricing and launch dates information may be corrected as times go by. It is unclear whether it will be possible to unlock the disabled pixel processors and overclock the Radeon X1800 GTO, something that made the Radeon X800 GTO2 products very popular among the enthusiast community.

ATI Technologies did not comment on the news-story.



AnandTech's comparison of the two: http://www.anandtech.com/video/showdoc.aspx?i=2686

[shocky123]

..I dont know if I'd be able to 'wait' until ATI gets around to making an AGP version of anything 'new'. IMO: ATI and NVidia are both being bastards about AGP releases.. but if I had to pick one of the two that's worst about getting AGP cards out, I'd say ATI.. I mean, it only took like, a solid year and a half to get the X700 models into an AGP revision.

sheesh.

Go w/ the 6800GT if you can afford it.
7800GS outperforms it.. well actually, if you can find a 7800GS, it's likely gonna cost about the same as the 6800GT for the AGP versions. I'm sorry.. but... it doesnt cost an extra 100 bucks to build an AGP card versus a pci-e card, there's no excuses for the prices on these....

7800GS if you can find one for a good price.. will cost about same as a good 6800GT
otherwise 6800GS is your best/cheapest bet.

-dont ranting.
~Kyle

[DarkFury]

Actually the price just came down on the 7800GS to the $300 point (the same as the 6800GT)

Here is the current article on Tom's about it:
http://www.tomshardware.com/2006/02/13/nvidias_geforce_7800gs_becomes_a_better_buy/index.html

[Bires]

But that one still gets spanked by the 6800GT :D

Unless you are fortunate enough to be able to soft-mod the 6800GS-->6800GT and unlock those last four pipelines.
http://www.aceshardware.com/read_news.jsp?id=80000605

On a related note, are there any 6xxx or 7xxx cards that have coolers that vent hot air out of the case, like the VGA Silencers?

[PrObLy]

I think that they may have discontinued production of the 6800GT for AGP although you can still find a few of them around.


Personally, I'm waiting for the 6800GS AGP to come down in price to what their PCI-X counterparts are currently at (saw a couple for about 160). That's the card I'd go for...but if you're able to shell out ~100 more dollars, the 7800GS would sure be a nice card.


*(edited because specs I found were improperly listed for the AGP version instead of PCI-express)

[shocky123]

Unless you are fortunate enough to be able to soft-mod the 6800GS-->6800GT and unlock those last four pipelines.
http://www.aceshardware.com/read_news.jsp?id=80000605

On a related note, are there any 6xxx or 7xxx cards that have coolers that vent hot air out of the case, like the VGA Silencers?

I didnt think there was a way to flash the firmware on the GS's to the GT versions successfully? (i may be wrong..)

I have a 6800GT w/ an aftermarket cooler that does the 'blowing out of the case' thingy. I'm not aware of any retail versions of the cards that come w/ an exhaust/blower type cooling system... (though, once again, I may be wrong heh.) Well come to think of it, I wouldnt be surprised if some of the $900 versions come with decent cooling systems, but then again I wouldnt be surprised if someone who's got the nerve to charge that much for a graphics card would be cheap enough to not give the consumer proper cooling devices.. lol *Pokes Intel's entire EE lineup*

~Kyle

[DarkFury]

Unless you are fortunate enough to be able to soft-mod the 6800GS-->6800GT and unlock those last four pipelines.
http://www.aceshardware.com/read_news.jsp?id=80000605

On a related note, are there any 6xxx or 7xxx cards that have coolers that vent hot air out of the case, like the VGA Silencers?
Just as a GS can be modded, the GT can be overclocked... and ultimately will still trump the modded GS (with the now voided warranty).

I'm just glad I have a BFG 6800GT OC which is overclocked out of the box... No contest when a GS is involved (unless that is a 7800GS). :D

[JackHammer]

I just bought the evga 7800gs for $300.

[Bires]

Just as a GS can be modded, the GT can be overclocked... and ultimately will still trump the modded GS (with the now voided warranty).

I'm just glad I have a BFG 6800GT OC which is overclocked out of the box... No contest when a GS is involved (unless that is a 7800GS). :D


The GS--> GT mod is a softmod. You aren't asking the board to do anything it wasn't designed to do.


I just bought the evga 7800gs for $300.
Good choice. :thumb:

[DarkFury]

The GS--> GT mod is a softmod. You aren't asking the board to do anything it wasn't designed to do.

ok.. if you say so.

I just hope you never have a warranty issue where they might prove that wrong. (not that it really matters considering how fast this stuff becomes obsolete anyways. :shrug: )