Graphics card help

[wazy15]

Hi,

I am building a PC for someone that is using it for DVDs and work but a bit of gaming for his younger son, but nothing too intensive like Doom 3 (he's under 10). What card would you recommend? He also wants to link his camcorder upto the PC so he can transfer the movie to a CD/DVD, is this possible?

Thanks,

Waz

[yashiro]

To be honest even the crappest of todays cards would do the job.

But who's to say the youngster won't be playing Doom/HL2 spec games?
Working to a budget is a better approach. The Radeon 9600 is the best card in the 100 quid bracket.

As for video transfer, yes. It's usually done via firewire.

[wod]

go for something like an 9800 pro

[wazy15]

what about the 9700 Pro? it seems fairly cheap at the moment.

Waz

[Chadruharazzeb]

If all you need it for is DVD playback, you could get a GeForce 2 for about ?10 these days. 9700 Pro is a little OTT for the requirements.

[FelixofMars]

I don't think you can get anything less that a Geforce 4 from a store now, I think they are about ?30, the Geforce FX 5200 is ?40 (I was looking for a replacment for my parents graphics card.) , I have a cheap 9200 ATI that I got a few months back for about the same.

[Chadruharazzeb]

You could still pick up a GF2 from a flea-market component shop. Useless as they are for games, they're fine for DVD playback.

[replicant]

Yeah but a gf2 is pointless if the lad wants to try a new game. Definately go for a 9800 pro. You can pick them up for a bargin cost of 130 quid new.

It gives him dvd support, plus the ability to play games if he wishes. Its a waste of money buying a gf2 now, and then having to upgrade a couple of months down the line as he wants to play games.

Forget the 9700 pro. Pointless in today's market.

[Fragmaster]

Pointless. Well it is pretty near in performance to the 9800 Pro?

[superkully]

All the ATI 9??? and NVidia 5??? series cards are 'obsolete' now. Why spend money on a top of the end card from the last generation when you could spend a little bit of money on a card to get them along and then buy an ATI x??? or nVidia 6??? when they come down in price?

[Chadruharazzeb]

lol.... the guy wants a gfx card so a kid who is < 10 can watch DVD's, and folk are suggesting a Geforce 6.

Talk about using a sledgehammer to crack a nut.

[oracle]

a radeon 9000 se would fit the bill

[FelixofMars]

I suggested a ?30 graphics card, with at least a years warantee and it would play all the games out now, I think that you at least need a TNT2 minimum for even the most basic PC games now.

[Montaver]

A TNT wont play ANYTHING out now, you need at least a capable DX8 card, preferably DX9.
OCUK are doing 9700 pro's for about 90 quid, that would be puuuurfect for your needs.

[Super Stu]

Hows about a nice voodoo3 off eBay for a couple of quid? Got it in a P2 450 here and plays DVDs flawlessly.

The kid's too young to play PC games