Best Videocard for a Socket A

Discussion about systems that do not use the K6-x processors.
Post Reply
l0new0lf
K6'er
Posts: 50
Joined: Sat Jul 05, 2003 2:14 am
Contact:

Best Videocard for a Socket A

Post by l0new0lf »

By best I mean best bang for the buck because after the x1300 f-up im working on a very limited budget. I came across this card yesterday and I'm seriously considering it if itll work on my soyo board http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 814102002R I know the Sapphire site would probably be better suited to answer any/all questions but I figured I'd start here. Firstly it's an open box and im curious if any of you ever rolled the dice on a similar deal and how it turned out. Im guessing the reason they're offering these at such a reasonable price and have so many that are apparently "open-box" there was some confusion regarding which of these 800 gto models could be modded from the default 12 pipelines to 16 with a simple bios update so im guessing these are the ones that probably wont convert to the 16 but i could be wrong. And this really doesnt matter that much considering my 9600 pro only has four so 12 by itself should offer a vast performance boost not to mention the added 256 memory interface vs. the 128 for the 9600pro. Secondly, they say in system requirements it requires a , " Connection to the system power supply is required. The power supply should have a specialized 12V graphics card power connector". Now I have two power supplies which are both 350 watt so the power requirement isnt necessarily an issue and they both say they are "k7/8 / pentium 4 ready" and both have a connector besides the atx hookup that connects into a four prong (I think) female connection onto the mobo itself. Is this the connection they are referring to or do I need to purchase a new power supply with this "special 12v graphics card hookup" ? Hey if you guys have any other suggestions or know of any other good deals under $125 im all ears. My 9600 is getting a little long in the tooth and this deal seems almost to good to be true.
1)K6-III+450Mhz acz @600(120 x 5.0),Tekram P5M4-M+ 392mb Kingstn sdram(2-2-2-5),Radeon 9200 256mb PCI@(325/470),Maxtor 40GB (8mb cache),Artec wrr-52X CDRW,Liteon 16x DVD-rom 2)Sempron 3000+(sktA)@2225ghz(185x12),1gb PC2700 Ultra DDR(2.5 cas),Geforce 6200 AGP 128mb(520/800),200gb Maxtor (8mb cache) Sony DVD RW DRU-710A 3)AMD 64 (skt 939) 4000+ @3.1ghz(12x255),Biostar TForce 6100 mobo,2GB Kingstn HyperX DDR (2-3-2-5-1),Maxtor 200gb 7200rpm (8mb cache),BFG 7600GT (650/1700),Plxtr DVDRW PX-716SA
User avatar
tazwegion
Veteran K6'er
Posts: 349
Joined: Sat Jun 21, 2003 11:13 am
Location: Victoria, Australia

RE: Best Videocard for a Socket A

Post by tazwegion »

I was gonna' suggest a 9600XT or 9800pro, but I like the X800GTO even better! :D
Image
User avatar
KGB
K6'er
Posts: 98
Joined: Mon Apr 07, 2003 7:55 pm

Post by KGB »

Jokingly dude, you must out of your g-ddamn mind if you're planning on getting a radeon again. :wink: I heartily recommend the http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6814150157 XFX 6800XT (Sure 8 pixels, but it fully supports Direct X9c, (pS3), has 256-bit memory, is fairly overclockable as well) Its the XT version of the core (pipelines are laser cut at the fab, so not unlockable with bios or software) however, you do get lifetime warranty. Which means, card dies in two years, you get replacement, which in practical terms means not another 6800XT, but a newer card since there wont be any AGP cards for them to replace it with.

The only other option would be a Ati x800XL (which ATI got rid of mid august in its clearance sale, and will be popping up on ebay soon there-after). I didn't order, just hoping a better deal would come along.

My two video cards (GF2, and GF4) were re-furbished (see "Open Box"). They worked well over 3 years now. Though, they dont come with ANY cables, and good luck finding ATI compatible 7 to 9 pin S-Video cables, HDTV cables and DVI-VGA out socket. It is a very unwise decision if you go open box and you'll need other parts later (and no warranty, and don't base it on my luck with my refubished products). Good Luck.
-K6-2 550 Gigagyte GA-5AX (5.2) 1x512MB GeForce 2 Ti500 64MB
-Pentium III 933 Asus P3C-L 2x128MB GeForce 4 Ti4200 128MB DDR
-Pentium III 750 Asus P3B-F ATi Rage128 GL 32MB
-Celeron 1.2 Asus TUSI-M 2x128MB
-Pentium IV 1.5 DELL 2350 1x128MB
-Athlon 900 Asus K7M 1x256MB 2x128MB GeForce 3 64MB
-AthlonXP-M 2400+ Asus K7V880 2x512MB HIS Radeon HD3850 512MB DDR
DonPedro
K6'er Elite
Posts: 578
Joined: Wed Jul 27, 2005 2:11 pm

Post by DonPedro »

The P4-ready ATX power supply features the 4-prong power connector you are talking about. this was necessary for the power-hungry P4. you need an "ATX-12V" power supply which comes with the correct power connector for the graphics card.
l0new0lf
K6'er
Posts: 50
Joined: Sat Jul 05, 2003 2:14 am
Contact:

Post by l0new0lf »

Thx for the quick responses everyone. I was a bit apprehensive about staying with the ati and pixel shader 2 so now im really torn because with some games this 800gto really should run circles around the 6800 but everything will look better with the nvidia in most cases im guessing. Would this 6800 work with my present psu which apparently if i understand don correctly does NOT have this 12v power connector? I really do not have any extra cash to spend on a new psu and I didnt see it listed under the system requirements for the 6800. If you need a pic of my current psu just hollar. ;) kgb do u own the 6800? Im curious what potential this card has overclocking wise. OH and I dont have a hd t.v. or anything like that so the lack of cables or whatever doesnt really bother me.
1)K6-III+450Mhz acz @600(120 x 5.0),Tekram P5M4-M+ 392mb Kingstn sdram(2-2-2-5),Radeon 9200 256mb PCI@(325/470),Maxtor 40GB (8mb cache),Artec wrr-52X CDRW,Liteon 16x DVD-rom 2)Sempron 3000+(sktA)@2225ghz(185x12),1gb PC2700 Ultra DDR(2.5 cas),Geforce 6200 AGP 128mb(520/800),200gb Maxtor (8mb cache) Sony DVD RW DRU-710A 3)AMD 64 (skt 939) 4000+ @3.1ghz(12x255),Biostar TForce 6100 mobo,2GB Kingstn HyperX DDR (2-3-2-5-1),Maxtor 200gb 7200rpm (8mb cache),BFG 7600GT (650/1700),Plxtr DVDRW PX-716SA
l0new0lf
K6'er
Posts: 50
Joined: Sat Jul 05, 2003 2:14 am
Contact:

Post by l0new0lf »

Found even a better deal on the 6800 ... http://www.buy.com/prod/XFX_GeForce_680 ... 43300.html :banana
1)K6-III+450Mhz acz @600(120 x 5.0),Tekram P5M4-M+ 392mb Kingstn sdram(2-2-2-5),Radeon 9200 256mb PCI@(325/470),Maxtor 40GB (8mb cache),Artec wrr-52X CDRW,Liteon 16x DVD-rom 2)Sempron 3000+(sktA)@2225ghz(185x12),1gb PC2700 Ultra DDR(2.5 cas),Geforce 6200 AGP 128mb(520/800),200gb Maxtor (8mb cache) Sony DVD RW DRU-710A 3)AMD 64 (skt 939) 4000+ @3.1ghz(12x255),Biostar TForce 6100 mobo,2GB Kingstn HyperX DDR (2-3-2-5-1),Maxtor 200gb 7200rpm (8mb cache),BFG 7600GT (650/1700),Plxtr DVDRW PX-716SA
User avatar
KGB
K6'er
Posts: 98
Joined: Mon Apr 07, 2003 7:55 pm

Post by KGB »

lonewolf, why are you asking the wrong questions? Why does a 4 pin power connector matter if it is 12V or whatever? The pictures supplied by the newegg website clearly shows a power cable splitter, (one which goes to the graphics card, since obviously it needs more power than is available through the AGP slot) It does not need a "special" connector or do-hickey, you NEED an able power supply, agp 4-8x slot and adequate case cooling.

This unit does get hot (read the 157 reviews on the card), it needs it the cooling, but it does work when you need it to. I didn't just recommend this because its what I could find. I chose it because the card is reviewed and supported by many, and has a good company behind it. If you get an ATi made card (not sapphire, powercolor, visiontek etc...) for the same price, get the ati... but otherwise get the look elsewhere. If you think a 12-16 pixel card will actually make a difference on a Socket A get it a 6800GT or 7600 GS which, will cost above or near $200. I personally, and statiscally don't think it will help whatsoever.

Good luck with the choice.

Don, are you sure you're not confusing a 6 pin PCI-E prioritized power cable with that of a extra 4pin connector for a p4 cpu? Or am I confusing what you might be saying? ;)

Edit: Lonewolf, I didn't specifically say get it from newegg ;) Just to let you know you got options and such. And the Buy.com price is good, AND FREE shipping on top of that.
-K6-2 550 Gigagyte GA-5AX (5.2) 1x512MB GeForce 2 Ti500 64MB
-Pentium III 933 Asus P3C-L 2x128MB GeForce 4 Ti4200 128MB DDR
-Pentium III 750 Asus P3B-F ATi Rage128 GL 32MB
-Celeron 1.2 Asus TUSI-M 2x128MB
-Pentium IV 1.5 DELL 2350 1x128MB
-Athlon 900 Asus K7M 1x256MB 2x128MB GeForce 3 64MB
-AthlonXP-M 2400+ Asus K7V880 2x512MB HIS Radeon HD3850 512MB DDR
l0new0lf
K6'er
Posts: 50
Joined: Sat Jul 05, 2003 2:14 am
Contact:

Post by l0new0lf »

I didnt know I was asking the wrong questions KGB but thankyou for informing me :) My biggest concern was I did not want to have to buy ANY new hardware besides the card. Anyhow I ordered it at buy.com. I tried for the 30% off your first purchase by applying for their "paylater" card but my application is in limbo so i guess I wont get that but I'm still happy. 9600 pissed me off today when I tried playing farcry and the card kept crashing the system so Im hoping I left all that b.s. behind with this new card unless it was the mobo all along . :lol:
1)K6-III+450Mhz acz @600(120 x 5.0),Tekram P5M4-M+ 392mb Kingstn sdram(2-2-2-5),Radeon 9200 256mb PCI@(325/470),Maxtor 40GB (8mb cache),Artec wrr-52X CDRW,Liteon 16x DVD-rom 2)Sempron 3000+(sktA)@2225ghz(185x12),1gb PC2700 Ultra DDR(2.5 cas),Geforce 6200 AGP 128mb(520/800),200gb Maxtor (8mb cache) Sony DVD RW DRU-710A 3)AMD 64 (skt 939) 4000+ @3.1ghz(12x255),Biostar TForce 6100 mobo,2GB Kingstn HyperX DDR (2-3-2-5-1),Maxtor 200gb 7200rpm (8mb cache),BFG 7600GT (650/1700),Plxtr DVDRW PX-716SA
DonPedro
K6'er Elite
Posts: 578
Joined: Wed Jul 27, 2005 2:11 pm

Post by DonPedro »

@KGB

well, I read again my former post and I don't know why you believe I had a 6-pin pci-e power cord in mind. ;) I was talking about the 4-pin (arranged in a square) connector that is plugged into the mainboard.

in lonewolf's case the plain normal power connectors with 4 cords in a row (yellow, black, black, red) support 5v and 12v (via red/yellow, black is ground) will do the job, but I think what is important to check is that the 12v line has enough power - amperage! and this is an issue with the quality of the power supply.

a sticker on my power supply for example states that it can deliver 10A on the +12V line .... so what is needed to know is how much current the graphic card needs.
User avatar
tazwegion
Veteran K6'er
Posts: 349
Joined: Sat Jun 21, 2003 11:13 am
Location: Victoria, Australia

Post by tazwegion »

All these nVidia fans :P

Seriously, for Linux support anyways... ATI suck badly :(
Image
l0new0lf
K6'er
Posts: 50
Joined: Sat Jul 05, 2003 2:14 am
Contact:

Post by l0new0lf »

Buy.com doesnt mess around and if you need to get a hold of them by phone good luck. I placed the order and then double checked the part number on the manufacturers site and i must have mistyped it because I got the same card except it only had a 128 m/b interface instead of the 256 so i cancelled the order thinking I had gotten screwed again ala TigerDirect. LOL Later on I realized I must have typed the part number in wrong and it was the real McCoy but they wouldn't cancel the cancel. Rebate offer ended at midnight... Greedy Bastards
1)K6-III+450Mhz acz @600(120 x 5.0),Tekram P5M4-M+ 392mb Kingstn sdram(2-2-2-5),Radeon 9200 256mb PCI@(325/470),Maxtor 40GB (8mb cache),Artec wrr-52X CDRW,Liteon 16x DVD-rom 2)Sempron 3000+(sktA)@2225ghz(185x12),1gb PC2700 Ultra DDR(2.5 cas),Geforce 6200 AGP 128mb(520/800),200gb Maxtor (8mb cache) Sony DVD RW DRU-710A 3)AMD 64 (skt 939) 4000+ @3.1ghz(12x255),Biostar TForce 6100 mobo,2GB Kingstn HyperX DDR (2-3-2-5-1),Maxtor 200gb 7200rpm (8mb cache),BFG 7600GT (650/1700),Plxtr DVDRW PX-716SA
User avatar
swaaye
Junior K6'er
Posts: 28
Joined: Thu Aug 24, 2006 1:53 pm

Post by swaaye »

Shader Model 3 is quite unpopular still. And, 6800 runs slower with it usually. I have a 6800 in my notebook and a X850 at home (actually a X800GTO2 with R480 core). Both are very nice. X850 is a lot faster than the 6800 in my notebook tho.

ATI's DVI is better believe it or not (there are tests out there). ATI's antialiasing is far better too, along with its anisotropic. Both have drivers of equal quality contrary to Internet rumors.
l0new0lf
K6'er
Posts: 50
Joined: Sat Jul 05, 2003 2:14 am
Contact:

Post by l0new0lf »

wish there was a way to delete empty posts lol
Last edited by l0new0lf on Thu Aug 31, 2006 5:27 pm, edited 1 time in total.
1)K6-III+450Mhz acz @600(120 x 5.0),Tekram P5M4-M+ 392mb Kingstn sdram(2-2-2-5),Radeon 9200 256mb PCI@(325/470),Maxtor 40GB (8mb cache),Artec wrr-52X CDRW,Liteon 16x DVD-rom 2)Sempron 3000+(sktA)@2225ghz(185x12),1gb PC2700 Ultra DDR(2.5 cas),Geforce 6200 AGP 128mb(520/800),200gb Maxtor (8mb cache) Sony DVD RW DRU-710A 3)AMD 64 (skt 939) 4000+ @3.1ghz(12x255),Biostar TForce 6100 mobo,2GB Kingstn HyperX DDR (2-3-2-5-1),Maxtor 200gb 7200rpm (8mb cache),BFG 7600GT (650/1700),Plxtr DVDRW PX-716SA
l0new0lf
K6'er
Posts: 50
Joined: Sat Jul 05, 2003 2:14 am
Contact:

Post by l0new0lf »

swaaye wrote:Shader Model 3 is quite unpopular still. And, 6800 runs slower with it usually. I have a 6800 in my notebook and a X850 at home (actually a X800GTO2 with R480 core). Both are very nice. X850 is a lot faster than the 6800 in my notebook tho.

ATI's DVI is better believe it or not (there are tests out there). ATI's antialiasing is far better too, along with its anisotropic. Both have drivers of equal quality contrary to Internet rumors.

Does that ati card have 16 pipes or 12 and is it a decent overclocker? Can you post the rest of the specs for each system Swaaye? Someone else had mentioned the fact that a Socket A system might not have enough umph to even take advantage of the 16 pipes so that was one of the reasons I was leaning towards the 6800.
1)K6-III+450Mhz acz @600(120 x 5.0),Tekram P5M4-M+ 392mb Kingstn sdram(2-2-2-5),Radeon 9200 256mb PCI@(325/470),Maxtor 40GB (8mb cache),Artec wrr-52X CDRW,Liteon 16x DVD-rom 2)Sempron 3000+(sktA)@2225ghz(185x12),1gb PC2700 Ultra DDR(2.5 cas),Geforce 6200 AGP 128mb(520/800),200gb Maxtor (8mb cache) Sony DVD RW DRU-710A 3)AMD 64 (skt 939) 4000+ @3.1ghz(12x255),Biostar TForce 6100 mobo,2GB Kingstn HyperX DDR (2-3-2-5-1),Maxtor 200gb 7200rpm (8mb cache),BFG 7600GT (650/1700),Plxtr DVDRW PX-716SA
Post Reply