Please HELP!!!! (its about upgrades)

[Andros]

I have the same problem, not sure which graphics card to get.
I have:
-512MB RAM (Getting that upgraded to 2GB)
-Pentium4, 3.00 Ghz processor
Graphics card I'm using now is Radeon x300 se, 128MB & have DirectX9

So think you could help please?

[Howling]

A new PC would be better for you Andros, unless you're upgrading as a temporary thing to "get you by" as it were..
a 6600GT or X1950 would be nice and cheap, and shouldn't get bottlenecked by the CPU.. But really, If you can afford to splash out $600 or so to build a new pc - do it ($600 would be enough to get you parts for a decent mid-range pc)

[Bibliophile]

well thanks alot for the help everyone you've answer a number of my questions and I feel more confident about handeling my computer now.

I think iv decided on the GeForce 8400 its only a little unde Howling's suggestion and its unde r$100 (which was my current limit). Thanks again to everyone who gave advice especially Howling and PhiberOpticks.

[Fishy McFish]

Originally Posted by Bibliophile

well thanks alot for the help everyone you've answer a number of my questions and I feel more confident about handeling my computer now.

I think iv decided on the GeForce 8400 its only a little unde Howling's suggestion and its unde r$100 (which was my current limit). Thanks again to everyone who gave advice especially Howling and PhiberOpticks.

You can find something better than a 8400 for $100.. Give me a moment and I'll do a search for you.

A 8600GTS seems to be the "best" for under $100 range.. Which is kinda okay I guess... If you can manage to save a bit more and spend around $150 you can get a 9600GT which has an average of about 10-15% less performance compared to the 8800GT. Some card have rebates as well so it can end up around $120-130 after you get the check back.

Or if you're interested I plan on buying a new card most likely in a month or two. I can sell you my BFG 7600GT for $30 or so. It should be enough to play Aion on some decent settings. Either that or wait a bit longer just before Aion comes out. Prices should at least drop a little bit, and perhaps the 9600GT or 8800GS(a step below the 9600GT, and is a bit cheaper.) will drop within your price range. Although your PSU is still iffy if you're unable to provide any information about it. You can get a quality Corsair PSU for about $50 that will support most cards at this time.

Check this list out to see the overall average performance of the cards. The 8400GS is at the bottom of the list. The ones with the blue bars are the comparison from my 7600GT to the 8400GS you plan on buying. :x

VGA Charts 2007 | Tom's Hardware

[Howling]

As fish said, the 8400 is god awful... Don't let the model numbers confuse you into thinking that it's just a step or 2 down.. For example the 9600GT is less powerful than the 8800GT, GTS, and GTX.. But slightly (very slightly) more powerful than the 8800GS.

And the link Fishy gave is a very good link btw HotHardware and Tom's Hardware are 2 of the main sites I look at for my hardware reviews.