Video Card Experts - Need Help

[IndianaHoops]

I am not a good hardware guy and need help upgrading my current Video Card to play PS2.

Here is my current system:

Shuttle SX38P2-Pro Intel Core 2 Extreme / Quad / Core 2 Duo

8G RAM DDR2

Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit

Current Card: VisionTek Radeon HD 4870 512MB

My budget is around 225$.

Would this be my best option? VisionTek 900505 Radeon HD 7850 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814129230) ?

Ideas?

Thanks

[CaptainMaverik]

maybe, might wanna hold out for the nvidia 660's either plain or the ti version, out in about 2 weeks apparantly

[braydog]

A Nvidia 550ti is a pretty nice card for the price. I can't remember exactly the price but it might be around 225-250. Make sure you get the ti version! Also if you can get 1gb of graphics ram then even better. I have a 560ti and it runs Metro 2033 on high no problems. Same CPU pretty much as well.

To sum up: my suggestions are 2gb 550ti or 560ti.

[fod]

thats a pretty good card to play PS2 with it will run it well imo - the 7850 is a great card

[dafuq]

GTX 560 TI best bang for your buck

ATI got shitty driver problems again

[Absentis]

If you want Nvidia and you want to get a new card as soon as possible, go with a 560 Ti. The best place to get 560 Ti's by price would be through Newegg. Alternatively, you can wait a little while longer and go for a 660 once it comes out.

If you want AMD, either a 6870 or 7850 is in the same price range. These tend to be similarly priced all over, so you'll just have to browse around to find the best deal.

[morf]

NVidia 660 should be out sometime this summer if you can hold out. I'm waiting for the same.

[IndianaHoops]

Will my system support the NVidia 660?

[Kaotc]

you will need to check the space inside your case, Shuttles are not exactly the most roomy of places to be, you may have issues getting a full sized (and there for good) graphics card in there.

Originally Posted by IndianaHoops

Will my system support the NVidia 660?

assuming it physically fits, yes

[morf]

Originally Posted by IndianaHoops

Will my system support the NVidia 660?

main factor there will be your power supply - which isn't listed in your post, but the 6 series nvidia cards are currently using less than their 5 series counterparts. You have a 4870 now which requires a 500 watt power supply unit at minimum. The nvidia 670 requires a 500 watt also, so I would expect the 660 to be less than that - so you should be in the clear.

[Trolltaxi]

I'm not sure that your CPU won't limit a GTX660(ti)... I might be wrong with that, but check it before you buy a too powerful card into your rig!

Based on the date you provided, this barbebone config supports a wide array of CPU's (from core 2quad and extreme through core 2duo, Pentium Dual-Core, Pentium D, till Pentium 4) and that means a huge difference. That means that the best core2quad has more than 8 times higher score than the weakest Pentium 4 in Passmark benchmark.

Benchmarks mean nothing on their own, but this difference is damn big. There are multiple generations between the processors that may or may not be in your system. So check the CPU.

If you have a quad or an extreme, and have that spare money, go for the gtx660, otherwise your config will be imbalanced and some of your money will be spent without good reason.

[fb III IX ca IV]

A 4870 should still run the game fine, so it may be better to wait out this generation of video cards.

[lord of torture]

thats a nice card.

[Coreldan]

I recently got a 7850, great bang for the buck. Havnt had any driver issues yet, which I never had with my 5770 either in the 1½ years I used it.

[Solidblock]

I have the MSI6850 and I haven't gad any issues whatsoever yet, it seems incredibly fast and will do the job. I suspect PS2 will run at high with good fps, at worst medium.