Quiet video card for <$150 USD?

Posted by: Ezekiel

Quiet video card for <$150 USD? - 20/11/2005 16:35

I want to replace my aged TNT2 Ultra with something newer and quieter. I play some Quake III but not very often (and I feel it plays fine now). I have an Intel D865PERL motherboard, which has AGP, PCI but no PCI express.

I don't want to spend more than $150 (and the lower the better).

The CPU is a P4 3.2Ghz and I have 1GB RAM.

Any recommendations? Thanks guys.

-Zeke
Posted by: RobotCaleb

Re: Quiet video card for <$150 USD? - 20/11/2005 21:56

I think BestBuy will have an ATI X700 for 99 bucks on Black Friday.
Posted by: ricin

Re: Quiet video card for <$150 USD? - 20/11/2005 23:48

It's not confirmed, but it's listed as:
ATi Radeon X700 Pro 256MB GDDR3 AGP Graphics Card (AR) $99.99

That's after rebate, so I'm not sure what the purchase price is.

Edit: It is currently listed on their site for $199.99
Posted by: Anonymous

Re: Quiet video card for <$150 USD? - 21/11/2005 00:33

How good are these cards?

CHAINTECH Geforce FX5500 256MB DDR AGP 4X/8X Video Card - $62

SAPPHIRE LB Radeon 9250 256MB DDR PCI Video Card - $62

POWERCOLOR Radeon 9550 256MB 128-bit DDR AGP 4X/8X Video Card - $64

Iīm looking for a card as well. Iīm going by the reviews here that these are decent cards for the price, but some expert opinions would be appreciated.
Posted by: RobotCaleb

Re: Quiet video card for <$150 USD? - 21/11/2005 13:43

Old tech. What are you going to use it for?
Posted by: Ezekiel

Re: Quiet video card for <$150 USD? - 21/11/2005 13:48

Is it a quiet card? The card manfuacturers don't seem to advertise db levels for comparison.

-Zeke
Posted by: RobotCaleb

Re: Quiet video card for <$150 USD? - 21/11/2005 14:00

Unsure. I don't have that card. Sorry.
Posted by: Ezekiel

Re: Quiet video card for <$150 USD? - 21/11/2005 17:42

That is a good price.

-Zeke
Posted by: Anonymous

Re: Quiet video card for <$150 USD? - 21/11/2005 21:42

Quote:
Old tech. What are you going to use it for?


I need something to put in a Shuttle SN95G5. I donīt need to play all of the latest and greatest games, but I also donīt want a crap card. It seems so confusing trying to figure out whatīs good and whatīs not with video cards. If I can play half-life 2 reasonably and watch movies then Iīll be happy.
Posted by: jpt

Re: Quiet video card for <$150 USD? - 22/11/2005 20:53

I put an ASUS EN6200TC in my quiet PC about six months ago. It was a generation (now two) behind the bleeding (and screaming) edge but it performs quite satisfactorily for me and has no fan which makes it a winner. Unfortunately it is PCIe.

Don't get a GeForce FX5xxx, they are brutally slow.

Assuming you want at least one DVI output the ASUS N6200 (GF6200 with 128MB for $60) looks like a reasonable (again, two generations behind, but not actually a bad chip, and the card is fanless) solution. If you prefer an ATI chipset, you can get a fanless 9600 from Sapphire for $67 on Newegg.

Note that with a fanless board you do have to worry somewhat about the airflow in the video card area. A severely cramped or poorly designed case might pose problems even though these cards do run relatively cool. But if you think you can pull it off I highly recommend it, as video card fans tend to be by far the loudest component of any otherwise well-made system.

edit: apparently I can't post links , look for any of the parts i've listed on froogle or newegg.
Posted by: Shonky

Re: Quiet video card for <$150 USD? - 25/11/2005 21:32

At the top end of your price range but also quite good performance is the Gigabyte GV-NX66T128VP

nVidia 6600 GT
No fan at all (silent pipe but means your case cooling should be good)
HDTV out

I've just bought one but havent picked it up yet. We have a machine at work with the AGP version and it works fine.
Posted by: DeadFire

Re: Quiet video card for <$150 USD? - 27/11/2005 15:50

Quote:
Don't get a GeForce FX5xxx, they are brutally slow.

While I realize the 5xxx series didn't exactly live up to the hype, your statement is rather biased in the other direction. I have a Giga-Byte built 5700 Ultra that plays HL2 and CS:S at 1024x768 quite nicely, without changing any of the default recommended settings.

It lives in a second computer that is used by friends and family for playing games. It's amazing how everyone becomes interested in what I'm playing (currently Need For Speed Most Wanted and Counter Strike: Source).

Edit: Since I have had both ATI, and more recently, nVidia cards, I am not advocating one over the other. In fact the next time I upgrade, I will be reviewing the cards from both sides that fit my price range. I willingly suffer through the tedious process of reading reviews and specifications and details on new technology (not too in depth, mind you) to be satisfied that I made the right decision when I give my money away.
Posted by: Ezekiel

Re: Quiet video card for <$150 USD? - 27/11/2005 16:26

In the end I went with a fanless MSI FX5200 TD128 Quiet Video Card. It may be a P.O.S., I have no idea, but I figured that in any case it's probably better than my current card, which I have no problem with. At $70 it's no big deal if I don't like it. I also got a Zalman CNPS9500 fan/heatsink.

After poking around I noticed that my current heat sink's mount bracket is loose on one side, so the heatsink only contacts about 1/2 the cpu (even with grease).

The Zalman and the new video card should quiet this thing right down. I already had a quiet power supply from PC Power and Cooling.

Here's hoping!

-Zeke
Posted by: Ezekiel

Re: Quiet video card for <$150 USD? - 12/12/2005 01:45

All quiet on the NH front. Zalman install was tricky, requiring four hands, but the new video card works well and the Zalman (with the fan off) keeps my CPU < 125 deg. F. The old fan was never under 130 degrees, usually 170 when the CPU was taxed. I don't think I've broken 135 yet.

-Zeke