video card differences

[jakkusto]

I'm just wondering how you can tell if one video card is better then another...what should i be looking at for comparison between 2 models? and what do the numbers and letters in a video card name indicate (ex. geforce 6200 vs. geforce FX 5600)?

[jakkusto]

while im at it, does anyone think a eVGA GeForce 6200 LE 128MB would be able to smoothly run a game such as far cry? i wasnt considering high level gaming when i first built my computer but now i am....should i keep the video card or upgrade? im not really planning to b playing online either. i also realize that far cry isnt that advanced anymore but still its up there

[bassman]

the basics I can give you are this:
With your particular card, the 6200 number is simply a model number. I have found that the higher the number in the model refference do not indicate it's performance over another card. In otherwords, a 5900 might be a better card for gaming perfomance. The 128 MB is the cards onboard memory (Like the RAM on mobo). The highers this number, the better overall perfomance. As for recommending a card just for your needs, I am not able to do that. I also don't want seem like I am sending you away but I believe a forum (http://forums.nvidia.com/index.php?act=idx&c=16,24,29,6&skinid=5&setskin=1) dedicated to video card perfomance might shed more light on this for you. There are folks here who should be able to answer better then me so hang in there ;)

[jakkusto]

ok thanks a lot for the info

[saphalline]

The link in my sig goes to a website that my friend Orion (his forums identity) and I made. It has tons of info on all sorts of vid cards - peruse till you go cross-eyed! :p

The model number does indeed affect a lot of features supported by the vid card, especially in relation to core clocks and RAM bandwidth. Overall performance takes into account many of these features, including shader model support, number of pipelines/units in a GPU/VPU, and the generation of the GPU/VPU (which in turn affects shader and texture efficiency). You also have to factor in the relative performance and specs of your entire system, and whether or not it can keep up with a certain vid card. For instance, installing a GeForce 7950 GX2 along side a slow Celeron D CPU isn't the best balance for gaming performance. ;)

If you want to know what vid card would be best for you, post your system's specs (especially as it relates to the vid card slot type) and how much money you have to spend on the vid card.

[jakkusto]

alright thanks a bunch. Specs:

MSI k8n neo4-f mobo
maxtor diamondmax 160gb. hd
2 512 DDR RAM (1 gb pack)
AMD Athlon 64 3500+
Antec SP 400 W ps
evga geforce 6200 LE 128 MB

as far as spending goes, id like to keep it under 150 if possible. the card i have now was 30 bucks (bought it online).

[saphalline]

Well, you can get a 7600 GT (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814133150) for under $150 after rebate, but otherwise you can get a 7600 GS (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814141031) for dirt cheap.