06-24-2004, 02:10 AM
And then I'll shut up (for awhile ;)).
VGA Charts Part III
Specifically:
Benchmarks
Quality Benchmarks
Notice the scores between the cards. MY card is the NVIDIA GeForce 4 Ti 4200 64MB 4x AGP, a.k.a. "GF4 Ti 4200 64". Compare those to the GeForce FX5200 (a.k.a. "GF FX 5200"), or the ATi Radeon 9200 (a.k.a. "R 9200 64").
Benchmark - UT2003:
GF4 TI 4200 64 = 54.4
GF FX 5200 = 33.2
R 9200 64 = 30.7
Quality Benchmark - UT2003 (4x FSAA, 8x Aniso):
GF4 TI 4200 64 = 14.0
GF FX 5200 = 14.8
R 9200 64 = 0.0 (not even on the Quality Benchmark list!)
Know how much these cards run currently (retail, $ U.S.)? My card is unlisted, but I'd imagine the price to be around the same as the other two cards, if not slightly less. The other two? ~$100. Is $100 really worth spending on a card that is not only the lowest of the low in the CURRENT generation of video cards, but is also WORSE than the lowest of the low in the PREVIOUS generation of cards? THIS is the point, the ONLY point, I'm trying to drive home. For just a little bit more money, you'll gain not only much more performance, but MUCH greater lasting power. Why buy something that's BRAND NEW and already obsolete? Does that sound like it's worth $100? It sure doesn't to me, and I know precisely what you're going through.
Let me step back a minute and say one thing: I'm not trying to force something you don't want or can't get down your throat. I'm just trying to impress upon you the options you're looking at, compared to the other options that are so very close to what you can afford to look at. Believe me, I know how tight money can be, and how you're struggling to find that perfect price / performance upgrade that will buy you just a little bit more time, until you get a whole new computer. I know all about it. I deal with it personally on a regular basis, and with friends (since they often come to me for computer help) just as often. I take a duty in watching the hardware coming down the pipeline, the rising and falling costs, and take it all into consideration to plot what's worth getting, for whom, and what's just flat out not worth the money, no matter how cheap. It's what I'm trying to start a business on, so I have to take it seriously, and keep up-to-date on it all. You don't have to trust my word; I don't expect you to necessarily. After all, it's your money, your choice, and ultimately you're the one who has to live with it in the end. So go with whatever you want. I just wanted to give you a bit broader perspective than most here did, or could.
I'll leave you with one final question:
Would you rather spend $100 on a piece of obsolete hardware, only to have to spend another $200+ to replace it when you eventually buy / build your next computer? Or would you rather spend $20 - $50 more NOW, and have something you can carry with you until at LEAST your next computer, before it even starts to show signs of its age?
Choice is yours, and luck and happiness be with you whatever you decide.
VGA Charts Part III
Specifically:
Benchmarks
Quality Benchmarks
Notice the scores between the cards. MY card is the NVIDIA GeForce 4 Ti 4200 64MB 4x AGP, a.k.a. "GF4 Ti 4200 64". Compare those to the GeForce FX5200 (a.k.a. "GF FX 5200"), or the ATi Radeon 9200 (a.k.a. "R 9200 64").
Benchmark - UT2003:
GF4 TI 4200 64 = 54.4
GF FX 5200 = 33.2
R 9200 64 = 30.7
Quality Benchmark - UT2003 (4x FSAA, 8x Aniso):
GF4 TI 4200 64 = 14.0
GF FX 5200 = 14.8
R 9200 64 = 0.0 (not even on the Quality Benchmark list!)
Know how much these cards run currently (retail, $ U.S.)? My card is unlisted, but I'd imagine the price to be around the same as the other two cards, if not slightly less. The other two? ~$100. Is $100 really worth spending on a card that is not only the lowest of the low in the CURRENT generation of video cards, but is also WORSE than the lowest of the low in the PREVIOUS generation of cards? THIS is the point, the ONLY point, I'm trying to drive home. For just a little bit more money, you'll gain not only much more performance, but MUCH greater lasting power. Why buy something that's BRAND NEW and already obsolete? Does that sound like it's worth $100? It sure doesn't to me, and I know precisely what you're going through.
Let me step back a minute and say one thing: I'm not trying to force something you don't want or can't get down your throat. I'm just trying to impress upon you the options you're looking at, compared to the other options that are so very close to what you can afford to look at. Believe me, I know how tight money can be, and how you're struggling to find that perfect price / performance upgrade that will buy you just a little bit more time, until you get a whole new computer. I know all about it. I deal with it personally on a regular basis, and with friends (since they often come to me for computer help) just as often. I take a duty in watching the hardware coming down the pipeline, the rising and falling costs, and take it all into consideration to plot what's worth getting, for whom, and what's just flat out not worth the money, no matter how cheap. It's what I'm trying to start a business on, so I have to take it seriously, and keep up-to-date on it all. You don't have to trust my word; I don't expect you to necessarily. After all, it's your money, your choice, and ultimately you're the one who has to live with it in the end. So go with whatever you want. I just wanted to give you a bit broader perspective than most here did, or could.
I'll leave you with one final question:
Would you rather spend $100 on a piece of obsolete hardware, only to have to spend another $200+ to replace it when you eventually buy / build your next computer? Or would you rather spend $20 - $50 more NOW, and have something you can carry with you until at LEAST your next computer, before it even starts to show signs of its age?
Choice is yours, and luck and happiness be with you whatever you decide.
Roland *The Gunslinger*