Ideal graphics Card?!

[Splink]

need a decent card to run CS:S

will this graphics card run it well?

JK

[Rueful Rogue]

While I'm not an avid gamer, were I you, I'd think about spending a bit more and buying a card I'll be happy with for years to come. Of course, that's your decision. Here's what I would consider if I were choosing a performance graphics card.

MEMORY: When it comes to graphics memory, you can never have too much, especially if you're a hard core gamer. More RAM means better performance, inproved 3D texturing, and higher display resolutions. More memory also allows for smoother game play,,though anything above 256MB won't make much difference currently. You should consider moving up from a 128MB card to a 256MB card.

CONNECTIONS: The AGP bus was developed specifically for graphics cards, but it's being replaced by a faster technology called PCI Express. Both nVidia and ATI, makers of the two competing graphics-processing units - the engines that drive the cards - are supporting this new technology, which doubles the bandwidth of AGP 8x. Again, the cards are more expensive, but worth the investment if your computer will support this interface. If you have a PC which does not support PCI Express but are thinking about replacing you PC some time in the next year or so, I'd wait on buying a new graphics card and when I buy the PC, make sure it will support this interface.

DVI versus Analog: If you have (or plan to purchase) a monitor with a digital Visual Interface (DVI) connection, which provides image quality superior to the standard analog VGA interface, make sure the graphics card you purchase has this DVI connection so you can take advantage of this improvement.

I don't know what OS you are using (version of Windows), but you probably know that Windows is going to be releasing it's Vista OS in 2006. That's an OS that concentrates on gamers and graphics. It will be made for 64-bit processors and speed is the name of the game as well as the best graphics you have ever seen. If you plan to move to Windows Vista in the next year or two, this is another reason to purchase a 256MB graphics card.

[Coconut Monkey]

MEMORY: When it comes to graphics memory, you can never have too much, especially if you're a hard core gamer. More RAM means better performance, inproved 3D texturing, and higher display resolutions. More memory also allows for smoother game play,,though anything above 256MB won't make much difference currently. You should consider moving up from a 128MB card to a 256MB card.

More memory isn't necessarily better rogue. For many lower end cards, anything more than 128Mb worth is rather pointless (and, sometimes, the model with more memory actually has lower clockspeeds). Should a game actually require that much, chances are the GPU won't be able to keep up anyway.

I would definitely look for a better card, perhaps something along the lines of a 6600GT/9800 Pro/X800GT/X700 Pro. However, your video card isn't everything (although it is the primary performance factor in today's gaming). What's the rest of your system?

[Splink]

to be honest im not sure what it is, i know that its a AMD Athlon Processor, Windows XP Home Edition, its about 3 or 4 years old!

without being at home i cant tell you?

wat sort of prices will i be able to get a relatively good one that would run such games like CS:S or other FPS games to there best?

would i be able to get change from £100?

[Rueful Rogue]

The 6600GT ranges in price from $131 - $230 depending on the retailer, the Manufacturer and the model in the USA.
The 9800 Pro is $127 to $300 also depending on the ...
The X800 GT is $162 - $174 (only comes in the 256MB version)
The X700 Pro is $119 - $311 also depending on the...

At today's change rate, £100 = $174 US. However, I have found that if you purchase from a vendor in the UK, you'll be paying more than here in the USA.

[Scratchy]

Hey Splink. If its CS : S you want to use it primarily for, the GeForce 6200 should be good enough. I have a very inferior card compared to it (Radion 9550 SE) and I can play it with almost maxed out settings with a good frame rate. That card seems to be reasonably good value for what you'll get here in the UK as well. However, it really does depent on the spec of your computer. I mean, you could have the latest graphics card, but it wont do much good plugged into an old computer. You need a balance between the gain in performance you'll get with the cost of the card. There's no point spending tons of money on a graphics card that'll give you a miniscule gain.

[Rueful Rogue]

To answer your initial questionneed a decent card to run CS:S will this graphics card run it well? the card you mention here should be fine.

But...As I saidwere I you, I'd think about spending a bit more and buying a card I'll be happy with for years to come. Of course, that's your decision..

Operating systems are continuously being upgraded. With that come games with more graphics demand. If you buy a card to get by now, which is not upgradable, then you will be unhappy when the newer games come with better graphics. Since the card is not upgradable, you are then faced with either settling with poorer game performance, or buying yet another card.

But ... I have to agree to some extent with the post by Coconut Monkey. You should look at your GPU specifications to see if it will support a higher end card. But ... also on the other side of that, with a higher end card, you could transfer it to a newer computer or motherboard. Buy once now, or now and again later? That is the question. If you're rich, let your wallet guide you.

[nizzy1115]

i have a 6600gt agp from pny...i paid $125 usd for it. I love it and would highly recomend the card. It plays newer games at high settings like call of duty 2, and quake 4, and fear. I think its a much better bang for the buck than a 6200 because you will be a little better off in the future for a few bucks more :)

[Helltech]

I would get the XfX Nividia 7800 GTX 512 MB ... lawl ... jk jk ... I play CS Source on max, with a very very old video card on my old PC its like a ATI Raedon 9250, and 1.5 ram... yea ... it doesnt take much.