OT : Upgrading Graphics Card

I figure you guys will know as much about Graphics Cards as anyone so I wonder if you can give me your thoughts on the following:

I run a PIII 667 with 256MB of RAM and a TNT2 card. I am wanting to upgrade the ol' TNT2 to say a MX440 or something simliar - I only want to spend about $100AUD ($60US/30-40 pound).

My question is this - will a MX440 make much of a difference or am I wasting my time trying to squeeze anymore out of the PIII? Am I better off upgrading the whole package?

I play mainly GP3 (I'm not even game to try GP4!!), flight sims and first person shooters - and the old TNT2 is starting to complain a bit especially when I add a few patches to spruce up the games.

Thanks for any advice guys.

Highroller

I reckon that you'd be better off upgrading to something faster than the old P3 AND get a new vid card, Geforce4MX the lowest id settle for at the moment.

you could though get a Geforce2 MX for less than $100 AU, ive even seen GF4 MX for $150 - 180 AU



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[timblair.net]
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Homer Simpson: "Well i would like to live long enough to see the effects of global warming, cos i've got an inside line that its all a load of crap"

I just got GP4 AND a new system, I have AThlon 2400, with a Geforce 4 MX600 card and It still won't run normal with all features switched on but it is a good card, my old Voodoo card was a good card but it is not supported by the latest games and watch out for Windows XP! that is living hell! XP will not load or play some games or software I have older software which works fine on it and newer stuff which will not even load. Its a guessing game! THANKS TO BILL GATES Okay for him he is laughing somewhere.

i would get a GF3 to go with that cpu - anything higher would be over kill. Can get a ti 200 for £44 in vat at [www.novatech.co.uk]



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Beardless2

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Bear in mind that the GF4 mx cards are not even true DX8 cards were as the GF3 is. AND in alot of bench marks the GF3 still outperforms the GF4 mx's



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It depends if you are planning on upgrading the processor soon, and if so how soon.

I got a GF4 Ti4200 a couple of months before I upgraded my porocessor/mobo. Buying one of these for a PIII 450 made a difference, well I was going from a VooDoo3 3000, but I only did this because I have since upgraded to an Athlon XP2000+.

If I were you I would save up, and get them all at once, either that or save for a bit and go for a more expensive modern card with the knowledged of a future mobo/processor upgrade.

Going for a MX440 and then upgrading to a top processor, before finding out you want a new graphics card could be slightly wasteful. Unless you want a second system from your "old" parts.

Baz

Lets face it we are all chasing the perfect system for our games and different uses, just when you think you got the lot...it goes pear shaped! its out of date obsolete or the software does not load / run or whatever! Just WHAT did we do before PC's??? Cannot remember now?

Alot of people are getting rich on us sheep! Its like it for everything now! Got an old mobile phone? Might as well jump off a cliff! Ah Well! saves being seen with it! Are we really manipulated? err YES!

I've got a P3-600 Mhz with 768 MB ram
I've upgraded my Geforce256 six months ago to a AOPEN Geforce4TI 4200-128MB.
Everybody told me this is a silly upgrade but I have to tell you I noticed a serious performance boost. Also the graphics are a lot more beautiful (bumpmapping,...)
Right now I can play gp4 in 1024*768 mode (mirrors off, opponenets car sounds off)

I 'm not thinking of upgrading my cpu to a P4/athlon

(turning opponenets carsounds of gave me an incredible boost)

Yes I agree with that last message and also yes I noticed someone will tell you one thing and then someone will tell you the complete opposite! OOh no! I wouldn't get that! etc etc. In the end it is down to your own judgement and it workes out that your first choice or wahtever is the best!

I had a PIII 866 with the 440MX card which was OK I then upgraded the memory to 512MB which made a bit of differnce then the processor to a P4 2.4 which made a big differnce and then I upgraded the graphics to a Radeon 9700Pro which made a HUGE differnce!!

I know the card is more then what you want to spend but in my expirence the graphics card makes the biggest differnce

Hope this helps

Ray