Nvidia or not?

Hi All,

I was looking to upgrade my old Voodoo 3 3000 graphics card, and I have been led to believe that Nvidia ranh=ges are the best.

Could someone pls shed some light as to which model mite be the best one? Also, are there any drawbacks to purchasing second hand ones aswell? (I was only worried about some one overclocking them).

Thanks in advance.

Be very careful. The newest NVidia drivers screw up GP3 very badly. Go for an MX440. Cheap, cheerful and uses old drivers. Should run GP3 well from what I've heard.

Thanx Harjinator,

The MX440 did catch my eye, but I read that EA games is developing games to work only will Nvidia cards???!!!

My main problem was some of the new tracks that the voodoo 3 cant handle (there is major tearing in the graphics).

Any way thats given me a starting point, I'll keep hunting...

Thanx again!

Is this only for GP3?

I used a MX440 for 2 years, it runs brilliantly with GP3, but if you play other games, its a weak card, it was the budget choice 2 years ago, and it still is, but obviously it was still competitive (relatively...) 2 years ago. Now its been left behind really.

But if you're on a budget, that's a good card.

It seems GP3 doesnt like DX9 cards (GeForce FX5200, 5500, 5600, 5700, 5900, ATI 9200, 9550, 9600, 9700 9800) for whatever reason..so avoid those really if its solely for gp3. My ATI 9700 Pro handles GP3 a little worse than my MX did, and considering its about 3x as powerful, that shows you how much gp3 dislikes Direct X 9 class cards!

MX440 is fine, MX460 is better (though rare), avoid MX4000 at all costs too. An ati 9100 may be fine, itss faster than a MX card, and Direct X 8 class.

If you want an all round gaming card, then I can dig around if you give me a budget

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She says brief things, her love’s a pony
My love’s subliminal

Would you dig for me?

170-200

!70-200 Euro?
Good grief!

My new 256mb Nvidia GeForce 5700 LE only cost me $130.
You really should be able to find something good new for much much less, and even less if you purchase one second-hand.

The 64mb Nvidia MX440 which came installed on one of my new computers ran GP3 fine and was also okay for games from early 2000 and earlier, but really not up to running newer games satisfactorily.

My Nvidia GeForce 5700 LE runs newer games splendidly, but has some problems with older games. Some won't run at all. GP3 runs fine with it, except the game asks to calibrate the graphics every time I start it. There are also problems with armco showing white at some tracks. This only happens at tracks that use the original GP3 software jam file for the armco. Also, GP3 crashes a little ways into a race at many tracks. Curiously, this occurs in two of the GP3 installations that I have at present, but never in the third.

From what I've read in many forum posts over the last year of more, most ATI cards have very serious problems running GP3, if they can run it at all.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/01/2004 12:22PM by JackiMatra.

Speed Addict, do you want the best you can get for 100 - 130 euros? Or the best card for GP3?


If bestt for GP3, I believe the GeForce 4 Ti4200/4400/4600/4800 all ran it brilliantly, and they are good cards, so that is an option for sure, but they're not made anymore, so it'd have to be second hand, or possibly from an online shop if they had some in stock. If you can get one of these, they'll love gp3, but struggle with games like Doom3 etc.

Don't pay more than

Ti4200 128mb £35 second hand, £55 new
Ti4400 128mb £45 second hand, £60 new
Ti4600/4800 £50 second hand, £60 new.




The ATI cards dont like older games, but their brute force will often carry them through, as is true of my 9700 Pro, while a 9600 cant do gp3, as it isnt sstrong enough to overcome the basic incompatability.

If just generally the best card for 100 - 130 euros (up to £88), there is the:

Asus V9570TD GeForce FX 5700 128MB DDR TV-Out/DVI (AGP) - Retail (GX-027-AS)
For exactly £88 inc VAT (and they ship to mainland europe) over at:-



[www.overclockers.co.uk]

If you want to play new games as well as old, the FX5700 above is a good choice, as it'll run gp3, but will be ok for newer titles. The ATI cards wont run gp3 if you're looking at up to 130 euros, as that iss essentially a 9600 Pro, which cant really do it.

I paid £72 (around 120 euros) for my 9700 Pro, second hand off ebay, works great on gp3 and all new games, but if you go this route, do not go below a 9700 Pro.

So, basically, if you want new, with gp3 and other games, the FX5700 128mb

If you want second hand, but gp3 and other newish games, a Ti4200/4600 128mb.
If yoou want second hand, gp3 and all new games, ATI Radeon 9700 Pro 128mb.

If you want only gp3 (though good in DX8 games like UT2003) and save A LOT of cash, a GF4 MX440 128mb is an optionn.

Hope that helps mate!

Hope that's of some use!

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She says brief things, her love’s a pony
My love’s subliminal

Thanks to both of you guys, you've been much,much help! Now I know where to start off.


Just a quick remark. I currently own a Radeon 9000 and it runs GPx almost perfectly. No crashes, no armco showing white... Just this strange problem with GP3(2k) where I can't see the other side of the fences, if you can understand what I mean? At the parts of a track where fence weaves you can't see the back side, it doesn't show!
Hard to explain as English is not my native lang...


Anyways,that problem with gfx recalibration JackiMatra? I believe it isn't really a problem, I'd solved it in such a way that I simply disabled the secondary Display Adapter on "System Properties" (and then also the secondary Monitor). It stopped asking to do the calibration every time I start GP3

Wow, so much information!

Looking at some of the prices for the cards suggessted, I think it may be better to upgrade to a new pc altogether. My old box is showing its age now I guess (667 mhz, 64Ram, voodoo 3 3000, 20GB drive).

When looking for a new PC, what would be the most important aspect (or which standard fitted card should I look for? I take it most new machines will have a good quality 3D card fitted??) Budget ideally around £1000 - maybe even £1500 (ok, maximum £2000). IT WILL HAVE TO PLAY GP3.

Thanx to all for their contribution!

Hmmm, I just re read your original post, I though you said up to 130, in fact it was up to 200 euros, oops!

Anyway, gp3 will rn on any new pc, its the gfx card which will be difficult. If you're looking to spend 1000 to 1500, you can get a really nice pc!

"Ultima" AMD Athlon 64 3800+ Dual DDR System (FS-004-OC)
If you are looking for the ultimate AMD box then look no further than the Ultima AMD Athlon 64 3400+. Supplied pre-built it has an impressive specification to say the least :-

- AMD Athlon 64 3800+ (Socket 939) Dual DDR400 CPU
- AMD Approved Cooler
- ASUS A8V Deluxe Dual Channel Motherboard
- Corsair 1GB (2x512MB) DDR XL Pro PC3200 CAS2.0 Dual Channel Kit
- 250GB Western Digital 8mb cache SATA 150 Hard Drive
- nVidia GeForce 6800 Ultra 256MB DDR3 8x AGP
- Pioneer DVR-108 16x DVD±RW Drive
- Creative Sound Blaster Audigy ZS 7.1 Sound Card
- Silver floppy drive
- Coolermaster Silver WaveMaster Case
- Tagan 480W ATX Power Supply
- Metal Braided Rounded Floppy Cable (0.5m)
- Metal Braided Rounded Ultra ATA100/66 IDE Cable (0.45m)
- Metal Braided SATA Cable

Note - All Ultima systems are built and installed on demand, during busy periods this may cause a delay of between 24 and 48 hours in despatching your order. The Ultima can be supplied assembled with or without your choice of installed operating system but is supplied without keyboard, mouse, speakers or monitor (all of which are available elsewhere in this on-line store). The prices listed below are in addition to the system price.




Price: £1,479.00 (£1,737.83 Including VAT at 17.5%)

OR

"Ultima" Pentium IV 'Northwood' 3.4 GHz (800FSB) HyperThreading System (FS-005-OC)
If you are looking for the ultimate Pentium IV box then look no further than the Ultima Pentium IV 'Northwood' 3.4C GHZ. Supplied pre-built it has an impressive specification to say the least :-

- Intel Pentium IV 'Northwood' 3.4 GHz (800FSB) HyperThreading CPU - Retail
- Abit IC7-Max 3 "Canterwood" (Socket 478) Dual DDR400 Motherboard
- Corsair 1GB (2x512MB) XL Pro PC3200 CAS2.0 Dual Channel Kit
- 250GB Western Digital 8mb cache SATA 150 Hard Drive
- nVidia GeForce 6800 Ultra 256MB DDR3 AGP 8x Graphics card
- Pioneer DVR-108 16x DVD±RW drive
- Creative Audigy 2 ZS 7.1 THX - Retail
- Silver Floppy Drive
- Coolermaster Silver WaveMaster Case
- Tagan 480W ATX Power Supply
- Metal Braided Rounded Floppy Cable (0.5m)
- Metal Braided Rounded Ultra ATA100/66 IDE Cable (0.45m)
- Metal Braided SATA Cable

Note - All Ultima systems are built and installed on demand, during busy periods this may cause a delay of between 24 and 48 hours in despatching your order. The Ultima can be supplied assembled with or without your choice of installed operating system but is supplied without keyboard, mouse, speakers or monitor (all of which are available elsewhere in this on-line store). The prices listed below are in addition to the system price.




Price: £1,329.00 (£1,561.58 Including VAT at 17.5%)


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Those are pretty much top of the range, first place I looked.

Check out Carrerra PCs, (google it), Evesham and Mesh, all would sell awesome PCs for 1500.

Basics to look for: AMD 64 Proccessor, at least 3400(+) for that money, or a Pentium 4 3.4 ghz. 1GB ddr ram, 120gb SATA hard drive (or better), windows XP, 5.1 speakers, a tft monitor, and either a Nvidia 6800, or ATI X800, or 9800XT, or FX5900 graphics card.


Only issue is, I have no idea how these new gfx cards handle gp3, so you could always pick up a GF4 MX440 PCI gfx card, and select that in game I guess!

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She says brief things, her love’s a pony
My love’s subliminal

Nowt wrong with your PC for running GP3. GP4 would be another matter...

Personally of I was going to buy a new PC (which I would never do-I prefer to build my own) I would go for an AMD processor. I've had enough of under-performing Intel ones.

1GB RAM?!

I must still be living in the Dark Ages....

Qwerty, Harjinator - ur help has been invaluble, I shall search the others recommended. Building my own PC never really occured to me until you just mentioned it Harjinator, that cud be another option.

Anyhows, this has given me an excellent base to work from.

Thanx again!

Ahhh, getting a Pentium 4 tomorrow, 80 GB, nVidia Ge force something or other, welcome to the 21st century me!

On new retail computer systems, Intel processors typically account for about an additional $300-$350 in price in comparison to ones with comparable AMD processors.

Its a good thing i don't use dollars then.

If you do decide to build your own-watch out that you don't get ripped off. Go to specialist computer shops (or E-buyer.com if you can). Get the chjeapest stuff you can (obviously with a good spec). Even if you go for moderately priced stuff, it'd still work out cheaper than a shop-bought one.

If you need any help, set up a topic in the off-topic forum, or send me a PM.

_______________________________________________________

Team Japan Owner - GPGNC




Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/02/2004 08:40PM by harjinator.

Oh, yeah and if you get an intel heatsink and fan, get some strong sticky-tape!

Cool, Cheers Harjinator

I shall let you know of my progress....

jolly good. One less customer for the rip-of merchants! (Shop near me charges £20 to put a card in your PC. I can do it in 2 minutes and have it running in 5! £20/7=almost £3 per minute!)

Good luck!

_______________________________________________________

Team Japan Owner - GPGNC




Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/03/2004 08:56PM by harjinator.

I've already got mine directly from Dell.