Curse

Fr_3_aK · Aug 07, 2007, 05:15 PM // 17:15

Hi,

I need a AGP 3D card for my computer. Previously i ran a Geforce4 MX420. When i couldnt stand playing at minimal settings and Directx7 anymore i bought a FX5500. The DX9 graphics were fantastic but the FPS was only about 22 on average (and as low as 7 FPS in Kamadan #1).
Now i need a new 3D card to enjoy EotN for all it can give me.

I'm limiting myself to these constraints: AGP and 300watt 12V PS.

Ideally i dont want to drop below 20 FPS in the most highly stressed GWs situations (running to storage in Kamadan) on max settings and 1024x768 res. It would be preferable to get around 60 FPS in normal playing situations. Staring at a wall and getting 100FPS doesnt count, it needs to be FPS in a playing situation.

By testing with friends video cards, i think i've narrowed down the choice to these:

6600GT
X1650 Pro
7600GT

All of these fit my budget and i think PS wattage. Please advise, if you agree/ disagree with what i want to achieve, or if i've left out any cards please let me know. The cheaper the better.

IF you think what im after is impossible i might toy with the idea of keeping all hardware and swapping motherboard to PCIe. This would be a used OR cheap and nasty mobo with a used 7600GT 3D card. But we have to consider the effort/cost/result for doing all this.

Thanks alot in advance for your help, and if i havent been specific enough please let me know.

Computer Specs:
CPU: Celeron 2Ghz
RAM: 1Gb

MasterPatricko · Aug 07, 2007, 09:54 PM // 21:54

What you will find with a system like the one you are building is that the CPU, not the gfx card, is the bottleneck when it comes to your FPS. It will be extremely difficult for you to achieve 60 FPS on max settings IMO. One of my computers has a similar setup (1.8Ghz P4, Geforce 7600GS, 1GB RAM) and it averages ~30 FPS @ 1280x1024. Dunno what it would be at 1024x768.
With that in mind there is no point in buying anything too powerful. Currently there are VERY few AGP cards worth buying. The only ones I would even consider are the cheap nVidia 7600GS, the hard to find GDDR3 version of the ATi X1650 Pro (do NOT buy the DDR2 version), and the powerful ATi X1950 PRO - and if you have the money to buy a X1950 you might as well upgrade to PCIe. The 7600GT is allright but it costs quite a bit more than the 7600GS for not much performance difference. I don't know if its worth it.