I am building a new PC and need advice for a new video card for under 150 €. I usually don't play PC games or watch HD videos, but that is mostly because my current PC configuration did not allow me to do so. No need for high-end cards like the nVidia 8800 Ultra series and alike. What is important for me is that the case shouldn't get too hot while at the same time the cooler should be quiet. I know that passive cooled cards require a good airflow inside the case and even then they reach 70 °C, so a better choice might be a silent fan cooled card. I don't prefer nVidia over ATI / AMD or vice versa. The OS is going to be Vista Home Premium and maybe XP Home.
Maybe an nVidia 8600 GT or GTS card? Or an ATI 3850 or 3870?
Full Version: PCIe Video Cards for under 150 €
Yeah, the 8600GT is a solid card, I'm considering getting one to replace my ATI X1600 Pro. I didn't have a preference before, but now I try to stay away from ATI cards, performance is no issue, but the latest driver releases have been problematic (I'm on XP SP2). For example, right now I'm using a borrowed nVidia 6800XT, and while it gives just a bit better performance than the X1600, the nVidia drivers have been problem free and lighter on resources, and even allow me to use some features that the ATI drivers did not, like enabling/disabling LCD scaling.
QUOTE(skelly831 @ Jan 8 2008, 02:14) 
and even allow me to use some features that the ATI drivers did not, like enabling/disabling LCD scaling.
ATI drivers can do that too. What they can't do is "Fixed Aspect Ratio Scaling". But there's already petitions to make ATI provide that feature. I don't need it cause i can select it in my TFT's OSD.
The 8800 GS will soon fill the gap for NVIDIA in the ~150 € market. The 8600 GTS isn't competetive there. The Radeon HD 3850 is currently a good choice.
I am wondering how loud the Club 3D CGAX-3856DD is and how stable its drivers are.
QUOTE(Sebastian Mares @ Jan 8 2008, 22:33)
I am wondering how loud the Club 3D CGAX-3856DD is and how stable its drivers are.
Club3D uses the reference cooler, which is apparently one of the most quiet coolers yet: http://www.computerbase.de/artikel/hardwar...itt_lautstaerke
QUOTE(CiTay @ Jan 8 2008, 10:37)
QUOTE(skelly831 @ Jan 8 2008, 02:14)
and even allow me to use some features that the ATI drivers did not, like enabling/disabling LCD scaling.
ATI drivers can do that too. What they can't do is "Fixed Aspect Ratio Scaling". But there's already petitions to make ATI provide that feature. I don't need it cause i can select it in my TFT's OSD.
The 8800 GS will soon fill the gap for NVIDIA in the ~150 € market. The 8600 GTS isn't competetive there. The Radeon HD 3850 is currently a good choice.
I know the option is available, it just never worked with my monitor (a Viewsonic VX922 through DVI), I wanted to use the centered timings option, but it just scaled the image to full screen size too. I guess it's just an incompatibility with my monitor.
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