What's available in the AGP market these days?

Viper007Bond · June 1st, 2008, 01:43 AM

My sister's computer is basically identical to my old computer, especially now that I passed down my 6800 GT to replace her original 9800 Pro. However, she's suffering from the same problems I was -- shit FPS in newer games. Unlike me though, she can't afford a whole new PC as she's going to college and has no income.

So, would it be worth upgrading her video card to something better (AGP)? If so, how much would it be?

Ilpav · June 1st, 2008, 01:49 AM

All the latest ATI cards support AGP. I have the 2600, you can get that, or the 2900 or even a top of the line 3850.

Viper007Bond · June 1st, 2008, 01:50 AM

I'd really rather go nVidia. We both had horrible experiences with drivers, rendering issues, etc. with our 9800 Pro's and much prefer the nVidia control panel, etc. anyway.

Serj · June 1st, 2008, 01:51 AM

what chipset is the motherboard. what she's running into at this point is that a newer AGP card may not be able to be fully utilized because of the AGP bus to the CPU and ram.

Viper007Bond · June 1st, 2008, 02:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Serj

what chipset is the motherboard. what she's running into at this point is that a newer AGP card may not be able to be fully utilized because of the AGP bus to the CPU and ram.

Oh, seems I didn't list the mobo at the link in my original post. It's an ASUS P4P800-E Deluxe if I remember correctly.

Serj · June 1st, 2008, 02:02 AM

no i saw that. Im trying to determine if that's an Intel chipset, and if so what kind. iirc, that's really close to a designation for a VIA chipset before they went away from the desktop market and back into the integrated arena.

Viper007Bond · June 1st, 2008, 02:11 AM

Oh, I did actually. heh

How would I go about finding out what chipset it is?

cvrefugee · June 1st, 2008, 02:18 AM

I am nearly certain that board has the Intel 865PE chipset.

jeffy777 · June 1st, 2008, 03:56 AM

This is about the best Nvidia AGP card available:
http://www.amazon.com/BFG-GeForce-78...2288811&sr=8-3

The problem is finding a good place to buy it since I think it's gone out of production.

My brother has the same card and it treats him well.

The best Newegg has as far as Nvidia AGP cards:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814125039

If you really want better performance than those from an AGP card, you would have to go with an ATI.....

Viper007Bond · June 1st, 2008, 04:37 AM

Ugh @ ATi.

How do those 7800/7600's compare to the 6800? Would she notice a significant improvement? She doesn't wanna spend $90-$150 for only a minor to medium improvement.

I mean, obviously it'd be no 8800 GT, but you know what I mean. images/smilies/wink.gif

Plus, she only has a P4 3GHz, etc. so no sense in going lots more too if the CPU will become the bottleneck, although that doesn't seem to be the case. For example, the Mass Effect minimum specifications are only a 2.4GHz processor, but a 6800 GT.

jeffy777 · June 1st, 2008, 06:32 AM

hmmmm, well, did some googling and it's sounds like a 7600GS is really not any better than a 6800GT:
http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/...ad.php?t=99581

A 7800GS would be a bit more of an improvement, but if you really want a significant improvement from an AGP card, it would have to be an ATI, which I know is not what you want to hear images/smilies/sad.gif

Viper007Bond · June 1st, 2008, 06:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jeffy777

A 7800GS would be a bit more of an improvement, but if you really want a significant improvement from an AGP card, it would have to be an ATI, which I know is not what you want to hear images/smilies/sad.gif

Damn.

Okay, well since I'm throughly confused by ATi's current numbering system, what would be the sweet spot for price vs. performance while not outdoing the rest of her system?

Viper007Bond · June 1st, 2008, 07:05 AM

Serajadeyn linked me to this 3850 (as recommended earlier in the thread) and while expensive, it seems like the way to go. A 250-300% increase in performance according to the reviews on Newegg and that'll probably give her another 1-2 years probably outta her PC.

MadCow809 · June 1st, 2008, 07:31 AM

lol @ Viper's anti ATI attitude.

images/smilies/mrgreen.gif

Viper007Bond · June 1st, 2008, 07:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MadCow809

lol @ Viper's anti ATI attitude.

images/smilies/mrgreen.gif

I've just had such bad experiences with their cards and drivers.

Quote:

[Sat 23:07:03] <~Viper007Bond> but for example, in WoW she'd get crazy artifacts sometimes (polies drawing way too big, etc.)
[Sat 23:07:11] <~Viper007Bond> if she alt+tabbed and then went back, it'd be fine

jeffy777 · June 1st, 2008, 07:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Viper007Bond

Serajadeyn linked me to this 3850 (as recommended earlier in the thread) and while expensive, it seems like the way to go. A 250-300% increase in performance according to the reviews on Newegg and that'll probably give her another 1-2 years probably outta her PC.

Yep, that would be the way to go. And while not as good as Nvidia, ATI drivers have gotten a lot better in the past couple years, so just give it a shot images/smilies/smile.gif

The performance boost will be worth it.

FWIW, my brother uses same ALT + TAB artifact fix for one of his PCs which is running a 6600GT, so it's not just an ATI thing.

the Interceptor · June 1st, 2008, 09:35 AM

I've been running a 9800pro for many many years until the present day, and I've never had a single problem with it. Don't buy Nvidia, they're big and evil!

MadCow809 · June 1st, 2008, 10:01 AM

^

ATi drivers used to be really.. really shit. (had a few problems with my ATi 7500 AGP)

But over the recent years, nVIDIA's quality and release of drivers has gone down, while ATi has improved.... so now it doesn't bother me anymore, IMO I think they are pretty much on par now, even though nVIDIA still releases drivers more often than ATi.

The best nvidia drivers era was the tnt detonator drivers and the early release of forceware, they used to release drivers far more frequent and more stable during that time. Now I think they are just too busy with hardware development, driver's can't catch up to the hardware.

Back then I used to buy only nVIDIA cards (TNT, TNT2, GeForce2 & FX series), now I just choose whats the best bang for the buck card.

And Viper :

If your sister is not going to upgrade her PC in the near future, HD3850 sounds like the right choice to me(last hoorah for AGP). Otherwise it would be a waste of money to buy any expensive AGP card that will not run on any new mobos.

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/...-agp,1939.html

also you should take a look at this, they tested the AGP 3850 on a single thread CPU. worth a read

June 1st, 2008, 01:43 AM	#1
Viper007Bond Lazy Head Dude Joined: Sep 21st, 2003 Last Online: Yesterday Location: Portland, Oregon Age: 24 Posts: 20,988 Car: Dodge Viper (I wish!) Rep Power: 234	What's available in the AGP market these days? My sister's computer is basically identical to my old computer, especially now that I passed down my 6800 GT to replace her original 9800 Pro. However, she's suffering from the same problems I was -- shit FPS in newer games. Unlike me though, she can't afford a whole new PC as she's going to college and has no income. So, would it be worth upgrading her video card to something better (AGP)? If so, how much would it be? __________________ Fight back against the evil Quiky by +1'ing this post! There is no replacement for displacement. - Wolfgang Bernhard, Chief Operating Officer, Chrysler Group talking about the Dodge Viper SRT-10 ... I ask Herb Helbig, vehicle synthesis manager for SRT and a member of the original Team Viper development group since day one, if they'd ever thought of adding traction control. "It comes with two," he says, pointing at my feet. "Learn to use them." Got it. - Motor Trend on the 2006 Dodge Viper Coupe, November 2005

June 1st, 2008, 01:49 AM	#2
Ilpav Joined: Sep 3rd, 2006 Last Online: 01:47 AM Location: GTA, Ontario, Canada Age: 19 Posts: 1,129 Car: 1996 Plymouth Grand Voyager SE 3.3L LFS Status: Rep Power: 16	All the latest ATI cards support AGP. I have the 2600, you can get that, or the 2900 or even a top of the line 3850. __________________ "The Ferrari 355. The best car...in the world...ever."- Jeremy Clarkson

June 1st, 2008, 01:50 AM	#3
Viper007Bond Lazy Head Dude Joined: Sep 21st, 2003 Last Online: Yesterday Location: Portland, Oregon Age: 24 Posts: 20,988 Car: Dodge Viper (I wish!) Rep Power: 234	I'd really rather go nVidia. We both had horrible experiences with drivers, rendering issues, etc. with our 9800 Pro's and much prefer the nVidia control panel, etc. anyway. __________________ Fight back against the evil Quiky by +1'ing this post! There is no replacement for displacement. - Wolfgang Bernhard, Chief Operating Officer, Chrysler Group talking about the Dodge Viper SRT-10 ... I ask Herb Helbig, vehicle synthesis manager for SRT and a member of the original Team Viper development group since day one, if they'd ever thought of adding traction control. "It comes with two," he says, pointing at my feet. "Learn to use them." Got it. - Motor Trend on the 2006 Dodge Viper Coupe, November 2005

June 1st, 2008, 01:51 AM	#4
Serj Evil Banana Joined: Apr 18th, 2005 Last Online: November 30th, 2008 Location: Michigan Posts: 291 Car: 06 Ford Crown Vic Rep Power: 22	what chipset is the motherboard. what she's running into at this point is that a newer AGP card may not be able to be fully utilized because of the AGP bus to the CPU and ram. __________________ "The fact of the matter is that the car is to be used. What's the point of a car that just sits there gleaming?" - Frank Mountain (commenting on his Brand New $0.5 Million GBP Maserati MC12) "Fuck you idiots who ruin my childhood dreams." -katwalk

June 1st, 2008, 02:02 AM	#6
Serj Evil Banana Joined: Apr 18th, 2005 Last Online: November 30th, 2008 Location: Michigan Posts: 291 Car: 06 Ford Crown Vic Rep Power: 22	no i saw that. Im trying to determine if that's an Intel chipset, and if so what kind. iirc, that's really close to a designation for a VIA chipset before they went away from the desktop market and back into the integrated arena. __________________ "The fact of the matter is that the car is to be used. What's the point of a car that just sits there gleaming?" - Frank Mountain (commenting on his Brand New $0.5 Million GBP Maserati MC12) "Fuck you idiots who ruin my childhood dreams." -katwalk

June 1st, 2008, 02:11 AM	#7
Viper007Bond Lazy Head Dude Joined: Sep 21st, 2003 Last Online: Yesterday Location: Portland, Oregon Age: 24 Posts: 20,988 Car: Dodge Viper (I wish!) Rep Power: 234	Oh, I did actually. heh How would I go about finding out what chipset it is? __________________ Fight back against the evil Quiky by +1'ing this post! There is no replacement for displacement. - Wolfgang Bernhard, Chief Operating Officer, Chrysler Group talking about the Dodge Viper SRT-10 ... I ask Herb Helbig, vehicle synthesis manager for SRT and a member of the original Team Viper development group since day one, if they'd ever thought of adding traction control. "It comes with two," he says, pointing at my feet. "Learn to use them." Got it. - Motor Trend on the 2006 Dodge Viper Coupe, November 2005

June 1st, 2008, 02:18 AM	#8
cvrefugee Joined: Aug 16th, 2004 Last Online: 12:57 AM Location: Corona, CA Age: 28 Posts: 3,399 Car: 2005 Scion xB Rep Power: 58	I am nearly certain that board has the Intel 865PE chipset.

June 1st, 2008, 03:56 AM	#9
jeffy777 Joined: Feb 8th, 2005 Last Online: Yesterday Location: US Age: 27 Posts: 5,633 Car: '04 Toyota Sienna, crippled people like vans.... Rep Power: 51	This is about the best Nvidia AGP card available: http://www.amazon.com/BFG-GeForce-78...2288811&sr=8-3 The problem is finding a good place to buy it since I think it's gone out of production. My brother has the same card and it treats him well. The best Newegg has as far as Nvidia AGP cards: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814125039 If you really want better performance than those from an AGP card, you would have to go with an ATI..... __________________ A man named Jeffy once said, "If laziness is craziness, then I've lost my marbles...and I don't feel like trying to find them."

June 1st, 2008, 04:37 AM	#10
Viper007Bond Lazy Head Dude Joined: Sep 21st, 2003 Last Online: Yesterday Location: Portland, Oregon Age: 24 Posts: 20,988 Car: Dodge Viper (I wish!) Rep Power: 234	Ugh @ ATi. How do those 7800/7600's compare to the 6800? Would she notice a significant improvement? She doesn't wanna spend $90-$150 for only a minor to medium improvement. I mean, obviously it'd be no 8800 GT, but you know what I mean. Plus, she only has a P4 3GHz, etc. so no sense in going lots more too if the CPU will become the bottleneck, although that doesn't seem to be the case. For example, the Mass Effect minimum specifications are only a 2.4GHz processor, but a 6800 GT. __________________ Fight back against the evil Quiky by +1'ing this post! There is no replacement for displacement. - Wolfgang Bernhard, Chief Operating Officer, Chrysler Group talking about the Dodge Viper SRT-10 ... I ask Herb Helbig, vehicle synthesis manager for SRT and a member of the original Team Viper development group since day one, if they'd ever thought of adding traction control. "It comes with two," he says, pointing at my feet. "Learn to use them." Got it. - Motor Trend on the 2006 Dodge Viper Coupe, November 2005

June 1st, 2008, 06:32 AM	#11
jeffy777 Joined: Feb 8th, 2005 Last Online: Yesterday Location: US Age: 27 Posts: 5,633 Car: '04 Toyota Sienna, crippled people like vans.... Rep Power: 51	hmmmm, well, did some googling and it's sounds like a 7600GS is really not any better than a 6800GT: http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/...ad.php?t=99581 A 7800GS would be a bit more of an improvement, but if you really want a significant improvement from an AGP card, it would have to be an ATI, which I know is not what you want to hear __________________ A man named Jeffy once said, "If laziness is craziness, then I've lost my marbles...and I don't feel like trying to find them."

June 1st, 2008, 07:05 AM	#13
Viper007Bond Lazy Head Dude Joined: Sep 21st, 2003 Last Online: Yesterday Location: Portland, Oregon Age: 24 Posts: 20,988 Car: Dodge Viper (I wish!) Rep Power: 234	Serajadeyn linked me to this 3850 (as recommended earlier in the thread) and while expensive, it seems like the way to go. A 250-300% increase in performance according to the reviews on Newegg and that'll probably give her another 1-2 years probably outta her PC. __________________ Fight back against the evil Quiky by +1'ing this post! There is no replacement for displacement. - Wolfgang Bernhard, Chief Operating Officer, Chrysler Group talking about the Dodge Viper SRT-10 ... I ask Herb Helbig, vehicle synthesis manager for SRT and a member of the original Team Viper development group since day one, if they'd ever thought of adding traction control. "It comes with two," he says, pointing at my feet. "Learn to use them." Got it. - Motor Trend on the 2006 Dodge Viper Coupe, November 2005

June 1st, 2008, 07:31 AM	#14
MadCow809 Joined: Feb 23rd, 2006 Last Online: Yesterday Location: Durban, South Africa / Los Angeles, California Age: 23 Posts: 2,909 Car: 2007 E87 BMW 130i Rep Power: 28	lol @ Viper's anti ATI attitude. __________________ Supporting : A.Priaulx, Kimi Räikkönen, J.Button, R.Kubica, P.Solberg, M.Hirvonen, J.Plato & M.Jackson FinalGear's Car/Bike Register 08 Currently looking for a car.... 08 Honda Civic Coupe 06 BMW 130i 05 Subaru Impreza 2.5RS 05 Ford Bantam 1.3i 95 Mercedes Benz E320 Sportline Intel Core 2 Duo E4300 @ 3Ghz (333 X 9 @ 1.44v ~ 35°c with ZEROtherm BTF90/92mm Cooler) \| DFI INFINITY P965-S \| Corsair XMS DDR II 800 6 Gb \| GeCube ATi HD3850 512mb @ 800/1000Mhz \| Seagate 160Gb + 500Gb + 500Gb + 750Gb \| LITE-ON 20X DVDRW \| XION 600W PSU \| Logitech Z-2300 \| Logitech MX1000 \| Logitech G25 \| Dual 22" LCD Display @ 3360 x 1050 \| CoolerMaster Centurion 590 \| Vista 64 Ultimate \|

June 1st, 2008, 09:35 AM	#17
the Interceptor Joined: Feb 22nd, 2005 Last Online: Yesterday Location: Germany Posts: 1,969 Car: BMW E36 323i superleggera (-85 kg to date) Rep Power: 48	I've been running a 9800pro for many many years until the present day, and I've never had a single problem with it. Don't buy Nvidia, they're big and evil! __________________ "We have to laugh at the Germans, because they're so riddled with guilt about their history, they can't laugh at themselves." - Jeremy Clarkson

June 1st, 2008, 10:01 AM	#18
MadCow809 Joined: Feb 23rd, 2006 Last Online: Yesterday Location: Durban, South Africa / Los Angeles, California Age: 23 Posts: 2,909 Car: 2007 E87 BMW 130i Rep Power: 28	^ ATi drivers used to be really.. really shit. (had a few problems with my ATi 7500 AGP) But over the recent years, nVIDIA's quality and release of drivers has gone down, while ATi has improved.... so now it doesn't bother me anymore, IMO I think they are pretty much on par now, even though nVIDIA still releases drivers more often than ATi. The best nvidia drivers era was the tnt detonator drivers and the early release of forceware, they used to release drivers far more frequent and more stable during that time. Now I think they are just too busy with hardware development, driver's can't catch up to the hardware. Back then I used to buy only nVIDIA cards (TNT, TNT2, GeForce2 & FX series), now I just choose whats the best bang for the buck card. And Viper : If your sister is not going to upgrade her PC in the near future, HD3850 sounds like the right choice to me(last hoorah for AGP). Otherwise it would be a waste of money to buy any expensive AGP card that will not run on any new mobos. http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/...-agp,1939.html also you should take a look at this, they tested the AGP 3850 on a single thread CPU. worth a read __________________ Supporting : A.Priaulx, Kimi Räikkönen, J.Button, R.Kubica, P.Solberg, M.Hirvonen, J.Plato & M.Jackson FinalGear's Car/Bike Register 08 Currently looking for a car.... 08 Honda Civic Coupe 06 BMW 130i 05 Subaru Impreza 2.5RS 05 Ford Bantam 1.3i 95 Mercedes Benz E320 Sportline Intel Core 2 Duo E4300 @ 3Ghz (333 X 9 @ 1.44v ~ 35°c with ZEROtherm BTF90/92mm Cooler) \| DFI INFINITY P965-S \| Corsair XMS DDR II 800 6 Gb \| GeCube ATi HD3850 512mb @ 800/1000Mhz \| Seagate 160Gb + 500Gb + 500Gb + 750Gb \| LITE-ON 20X DVDRW \| XION 600W PSU \| Logitech Z-2300 \| Logitech MX1000 \| Logitech G25 \| Dual 22" LCD Display @ 3360 x 1050 \| CoolerMaster Centurion 590 \| Vista 64 Ultimate \| Last edited by MadCow809; June 1st, 2008 at 10:13 AM..

June 1st, 2008, 10:15 AM	#19
Viper007Bond Lazy Head Dude Joined: Sep 21st, 2003 Last Online: Yesterday Location: Portland, Oregon Age: 24 Posts: 20,988 Car: Dodge Viper (I wish!) Rep Power: 234