What's a good card for around $75?

I

iqwertyi

Limp Gawd
Joined
May 4, 2006
Messages
167
So, looking for a gift.
What's a good card for around $75?
My friend doesn't game much, I think the only game he plays/played is Civilization.
PCI-E

Thanks
 
Thanks for the tips.
Should I even consider DX10 capable cards at this price?
He doesn't use Vista yet, but just thinking in advance.
 
Well the 8600GT is "capable" but DX10 is simply a checkbox feature on anything lower than an 8800 series card (gets advertised but is close to unusable in reality), and even then a lot of DX10 games won't run well. Those two cards should provide sufficient DX9 performance tho, depending on what games he's playing anyway.

My vote goes for the 8600GT that mentok mentioned, but that x1650 is a very nice price. The 8600 also has better video decoding features with Purevideo so if your friend is watching a lot of movies I'd go for that.
 
provoko said:
Haha, sorry, I meant video card.
Click to expand...

:)

oh, he's got an ATI X300. It came with the Dell desktop he got.

He does need a PCI-E. I've never bought a refurb video card before. Are they a good bargain? I mean I know the prices look really tempting, but are they reliable?

Keep the suggestions coming. I'll pick out one of them soon. Hopefully today.
Thanks again for all the advice.
 
x1650 will definitely be a major boost from his x300. If he plans on playing games at med settings or so it should be fine. But it also runs older games or wow at relatively nice settings.
 
I seem to keep going back and forth between the X1650PRO and the X2600PRO.
There's a $20 difference, and I guess in the end that's really not that much (since i'll be letting my friend get the rebate as well).
Is the X2600 the updated X1650?
 
OK, one last question about the X2600PRO

There are three HIS brands that are very similarly priced. Just want to pick the best one

256 MB, single slot, Core: 600 mhz Mem: 1000 mhz
512 MB, single slot, Core: 600 mhz Mem: 800 mhz
256 MB, Double Slot, Core 650 mhz, Mem: 1050 mhz

Thanks
 
iqwertyi said:
OK, one last question about the X2600PRO

There are three HIS brands that are very similarly priced. Just want to pick the best one

256 MB, single slot, Core: 600 mhz Mem: 1000 mhz
512 MB, single slot, Core: 600 mhz Mem: 800 mhz
256 MB, Double Slot, Core 650 mhz, Mem: 1050 mhz

Thanks
Click to expand...

1st or 3rd. The 512MB of ram is slower and a waste. The 3rd card is faster, but only by ~5% in clock speeds. It will probably run quieter and cooler with the dual slot cooling, but some prefer the single slot cooler so it doesn't take up 2 slots.....
 
Thanks.
I'll get the third one then.
My only little concern is if he has the second slot open.
But it's a dell dimension, so i'm pretty sure that second slot is not being filled.

Thanks again.
 
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