graphics card for p4c800-e

  • Thread starter Thread starter grylion
  • Start date Start date
G

grylion

Hi All,
I built my last system 3 and a half years ago and am out of touch with
modern tech.
I submitted a query a couple of weeks ago about the p4c800-e and have since
downloaded the manual and devoured it.
I intend using this m/b with a 3g cpu and two half a gig memory sticks.

I need a bit of advice on a graphics card (so many on the market) all with a
different spec.
Usage will be about 10% gaming, 20% video editing 70%, surfing and general
use.
Advice on sound cards would be helpful too.
regards Peter
 
"grylion" said:
Hi All,
I built my last system 3 and a half years ago and am out of touch
with modern tech. I submitted a query a couple of weeks ago about
the p4c800-e and have since downloaded the manual and devoured it.
I intend using this m/b with a 3g cpu and two half a gig memory sticks.

I need a bit of advice on a graphics card (so many on the market)
all with a different spec. Usage will be about 10% gaming, 20% video
editing 70%, surfing and general use.

Advice on sound cards would be helpful too.
regards Peter
Click to expand...

Read this article first. It will make a good primer.
http://graphics.tomshardware.com/graphic/20041110/index.html

I use an ATI 9800 Pro on mine, as at one time it was
relatively cheap (kinda a sweet spot for AGP). A news item
I read a few days ago, said the chips are in short supply, but
don't believe everything you read. (Presumably that was
posted, to justify jacking the price...)

You can use a chart like this, then price the cards on a
site like Newegg, and find the sweet spot. Considering the
time of year, you will probably get "Christmas pricing".

http://graphics.tomshardware.com/graphic/20041110/buyers_guide-08.html

Ultimately, it depends on how much money you've got to burn,
and just what you mean by "10% gaming". I have another
computer with a FX5200, which is the lowest of the low
in terms of gaming performance (3DMark2001 around 5000
versus 17000 for the 9800 Pro). But, you can play older
games on it just fine - no modern game is going to be
very happy with a card like that. Video editing is a
2D function, and 2D is about the same on all cards, as
2D has not evolved at all for years - as long as a card
offers AGP 8X, there is hardly any differentiation at
all there.

Bandwidth to video card memory, is partially a function of
memory width. So, a 128bit card has the potential to offer
more than a 64bit card, when the same GPU is used for both
cards. For example, you can find FX5200 cards in both 64bit
and 128bit cards - one card uses (4) 16bit wide chips, the
other uses (8) 16 bit wide chips. Those differences may not
be well represented in the chart above, but for an inferior
card like my FX5200, would probably help a bit. My card is
the more common 64bit version. The 64bit version of the
FX5200 is such a low power card, it has no fan on the GPU,
and doesn't even get burning hot when gaming.

HTH,
Paul
 
Peter,
I put together the same MB, CPU, and 2x512MB Kingston memory. What I used
for the video is the ATI AIW 9600XT.
What I like about ATI is that it gives me all the features that I wanted. A
fast video card, built in TV card for viewing and capture like a VCR. It
also has two VGA video ports which I drive two 19" LCD displays. It also
comes with the ATI Remote II control which works quite well. It's a fast AGP
card with 128MB and costs about $200 or less on the WEB.
With this video card and the ASUS P4C800E I haven't found a need yet to use
any of the PCI slots. I am also running two 120GB Maxtor drives in a RAID 1
config on the ICH5R chip. Good Luck.
Rich
 
Hi All,
I built my last system 3 and a half years ago and am out of touch with
modern tech.
I submitted a query a couple of weeks ago about the p4c800-e and have since
downloaded the manual and devoured it.
I intend using this m/b with a 3g cpu and two half a gig memory sticks.

I need a bit of advice on a graphics card (so many on the market) all with a
different spec.
Usage will be about 10% gaming, 20% video editing 70%, surfing and general
use.
Advice on sound cards would be helpful too.
regards Peter
Click to expand...
Another vote for the ATI 9800 Pro card. Games run smoothly, video
looks and runs great, and the whole system is rock solid stable. It
offers an appropriate amount of video clout to handle most anything
you care to do with the P4C800-E.

Ender

P4C800-E Deluxe
3.0g Northwood
1 gig OCZ
74g WD Raptror 10,000rpm SATA
2x80 WD 7200rpm PATA
____
[____]
(OIIIIIIO)
[] []
 
Another vote here for the ATI 9800 Pro. I am running it on my P4C800E Deluxe
with a 3.0 Ghz CPU and 1 gig if OCZ memory, have a SATA Seagate 160.

I may do RAID 0 after xmas.



Ender said:
Hi All,
I built my last system 3 and a half years ago and am out of touch with
modern tech.
I submitted a query a couple of weeks ago about the p4c800-e and have
since
downloaded the manual and devoured it.
I intend using this m/b with a 3g cpu and two half a gig memory sticks.

I need a bit of advice on a graphics card (so many on the market) all with
a
different spec.
Usage will be about 10% gaming, 20% video editing 70%, surfing and general
use.
Advice on sound cards would be helpful too.
regards Peter
Click to expand...
Another vote for the ATI 9800 Pro card. Games run smoothly, video
looks and runs great, and the whole system is rock solid stable. It
offers an appropriate amount of video clout to handle most anything
you care to do with the P4C800-E.

Ender

P4C800-E Deluxe
3.0g Northwood
1 gig OCZ
74g WD Raptror 10,000rpm SATA
2x80 WD 7200rpm PATA
____
[____]
(OIIIIIIO)
[] []
Click to expand...
 
Hi Peter,

By the looks of it, you won't need a fast up-to-date video card if it's only
10% gaming.
So although you have a high-end system, a simple videocard should be enough.
From what I've seen, although I am a die-hard nvidia user, nvidia's
'mid-end' cards are good just for games while ati is more all around,
especially the 'all-in-wonder' cards.
Don't go for a 6800 or X800, very expensive and I don't think you need it.

Just for a comparison: one of my computers is running with a budget geforce
fx 5200. I can play many games at decent resolutions and speed, but not
games like doom3 or farcry. For surfing, you don't need anything special. I
don't know if such card like this is suited for video editing.
Still, I think ATI is more suited for your purpose, especially with video
capturing.

As for sound, why not simply use the on-board sound controller?
That will works just fine.

regards,
Marcel
 
Hi again,
Just by reading your opinions and looking at the specs of the different
cards mentioned I am now a lot wiser.
thanks Peter
 
Back
Top