Gfx Card Recommendations and PSU confusions.

[WazMeister]

I have the current system-
XP3000
1gig Ram
ATi 9800XT 256ram

Now its pretty rubbish comared to systems these days and games, but it still runs what I play full I.E CS:S, Quake 4 etc.

Now I want a bit more ooze out of it, I know my GFX card is the bottle neck, so I'm looking at replacing it to give my PC bit more life. I can't afford a PC upgrade, not yet so I wanna get a few more months out of this bad boy, and I rekon it's got the heart
I think if I replace the gfx card with one of the following, then I can easily run Quake Wars, Bioshock at least in MED or something-
Problem is what one from the two-
Either this-
BFG GeForce 7800GS 256MB GDDR3 VGA DVI AGP Graphics Card

http://www.ebuyer.com/UK/product/103597

For ?133
Sounds awesome, my friend has exact same spec as me apart from the card above and he runs CS:S full max 120FPS!

Or
FXFX GeForce 7950GT 512MB GDDR3 Dual DVI HDTV Out AGP Graphics Card

http://www.ebuyer.com/UK/product/131696

But don't know much about it, is the extra few quid worth it for this instead?
Its ?144 Pounds.

Then again someone tells me go for a ATI card, for half the price I can get the same power as them Nividia or better!
But I don't know much about ATI anymore, so guys what do you suggest?
my budget is ?150.

Any advice please! Or cheaper prices?

On to PSU (power Supplys),
Mine is a ?30 quid real rubbish one, had it for years! And the fans busted on it and makes real load noise.
Been like this for about 2 years, really not sure how its still powering my PC LMAO.
I want another PSU, what do I need? Obivsouly a good one to power my new GFX card that I get, but I don't want to pay out the roof!
Also everywhere I read most PSu says 12v adaports, PCI plugs blah blah.
I just want a good standard ATX that will plug my AGP in, mobo etc etc....
Where do we get these? Or do all standard ATX PSU have this with the extra PCI power port?
Just seems confusing PSU have these plugs and adaports Ive never heard of!

I feel well out of fashion, remeber the days I was clicked right on with hardware.

Any help, Big thanks!

[Hohum]

That seems a bit expensive when you can get the same card for considerably less on Overclockers:

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=GX-028-EA&groupid=701&catid=56&subcat=411

I wouldn't spend too much money on an AGP card though, as eventually you might want to upgrade the rest of your PC... at which point your card would have to be changed for a PCI-e variant.

Regarding PSU, I'd prolly go for something like this:

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CA-061-AN&groupid=701&catid=123&subcat=103

You wouldn't need anything much over that wattage really, it'd just be overkill for your system.

[WazMeister]

wow

Wow
That is cheaper and the same? is it the same? I think it is!
Wow!

Should I look at ATI or settle for that ?88 quid card?

I wont get PCI E for a while year, at least a year as I gotta get mobo.. well basicly a whole new PC!

Thanks for help!

Maybe I can find that other Nvidia one cheaper?!?!?

[WazMeister]

Is this one not better than the one u posted?

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=GX-031-BG&groupid=701&catid=56&subcat=411

[Hohum]

No, quite a bit slower. Don't get caught out by the larger amount of RAM it has, it does not equal higher performance.

Regarding ATI, there is this:

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=GX-137-SP&groupid=701&catid=56&subcat=403

It is better than the 7800GS, but not by a vast amount. I'd still be inclined to just go for the 7800GS due to it being cheaper... wouldn't want to be spending much money upgrading an AGP system.

[WazMeister]

Think I go for the GS, hopefully its still in stock by a month, too skint now lol.

I get that GS and a PSU.

So I rekon I could run CS:S alot more smoother and probley Quake Wars with that right?
Obivsouly only in mED or less settings, but at a good FPS average rather than slow downs on me old card now.

Think I might get a 320gig IDE HD too when I got the cash only 35 quid.

[Hohum]

Yeah, I'd have thought so... although Quake Wars isn't finalised yet so the performance of the finished game is still a bit unknown.

[WazMeister]

Whats this thing about shaders etce tc

is that GS DX10?

DX10 is used in all new games now right? or still DX9.c?

WIll that GS run all effects, obivsouly not highest but still run em?

[eastyy]

halo 2 and and shadowrun are the only two exclusives to vista and dx 10 (though i think halo2 has been hacked to work with xp)

games like crysis and lost planet work with both dx 9 and 10

some games have had patches to use dx 10 like company of heroes however it seems they take a HUGE frame rate hit

the geforce 8000 series are dx 10 compatible

[WazMeister]

Thanks for heads up

That GS sounds like the thing that give my PC new life.

GET IN! just gotta getthe money now!

haha

[RBelmont]

I have the current system-
XP3000
1gig Ram
ATi 9800XT 256ram

Now its pretty rubbish comared to systems these days and games, but it still runs what I play full I.E CS:S, Quake 4 etc.

Now I want a bit more ooze out of it, I know my GFX card is the bottle neck, so I'm looking at replacing it to give my PC bit more life. I can't afford a PC upgrade, not yet so I wanna get a few more months out of this bad boy, and I rekon it's got the heart
I think if I replace the gfx card with one of the following, then I can easily run Quake Wars, Bioshock at least in MED or something-
Problem is what one from the two-
Either this-
BFG GeForce 7800GS 256MB GDDR3 VGA DVI AGP Graphics Card

http://www.ebuyer.com/UK/product/103597

For ?133
Sounds awesome, my friend has exact same spec as me apart from the card above and he runs CS:S full max 120FPS!

Or
FXFX GeForce 7950GT 512MB GDDR3 Dual DVI HDTV Out AGP Graphics Card

http://www.ebuyer.com/UK/product/131696

But don't know much about it, is the extra few quid worth it for this instead?
Its ?144 Pounds.

Then again someone tells me go for a ATI card, for half the price I can get the same power as them Nividia or better!
But I don't know much about ATI anymore, so guys what do you suggest?
my budget is ?150.

Any advice please! Or cheaper prices?

On to PSU (power Supplys),
Mine is a ?30 quid real rubbish one, had it for years! And the fans busted on it and makes real load noise.
Been like this for about 2 years, really not sure how its still powering my PC LMAO.
I want another PSU, what do I need? Obivsouly a good one to power my new GFX card that I get, but I don't want to pay out the roof!
Also everywhere I read most PSu says 12v adaports, PCI plugs blah blah.
I just want a good standard ATX that will plug my AGP in, mobo etc etc....
Where do we get these? Or do all standard ATX PSU have this with the extra PCI power port?
Just seems confusing PSU have these plugs and adaports Ive never heard of!

I feel well out of fashion, remeber the days I was clicked right on with hardware.

Any help, Big thanks!

easily the biggest bargain i have seen recently(xxx version too ):

http://www.ebuyer.com/UK/product/131050

sli two of these for a seriously powerful dx9 gfx solution(probably in line with a 8800gtx)

[eastyy]

he has a agp board

[WazMeister]

I'm back with more questions.
That OCUK GS is sold out, so not sure where to look or get now!

I do use a 360 on my monitor as I can't afford a HDTV.
If i got a HDTV card would that run the 360 in better quality?

Whats the diffrence between a 360 on HD and a monitor? Its just a resoultion HD is in and my WS monitor can do it, so it's all the same right?

I'm looking at getting a cheap 7600 HDTV card.

Or if not get that 7600 on OCUK.

What u guys think.

[WazMeister]

I seen this card-

http://www.aria.co.uk/Products/Components/Graphics+Cards/AGP/nVIDIA+GeForce+7+Series/EVGA+GeForce+7600GS+256MB+AGP+?productId=26952

What does the DVI-I, VGA, HDTV-7 Resolution & Refresh mean

Can I plug my 360 in or something?

[sj33]

It just means the GPU supports both DVI and VGA output (as well as probably Component).

Can't plug your 360 into the graphics card - it's output not input!