Video Card for 200$

[Luna64]

The reason I ask is that I can't find a Radeon 9500 card anywhere in Houston. I went to Best Buy, Comp USA, and Frys.

They all carry the 7000, 8500, 9000, and 9700.

Strange how they skip over the 9500.

But I have found one on Pricewatch that I liked. I can add Ram and Proc cooling to it for like 30$ more. Sounds like a plan to me

It said it was OEM, but the price is 165$. The ones that say retail are all around 195$ w/o extras.



I was also shocked to find that they are selling the 4600 for around 240$. I thought about getting it but decided not to. A few months ago that card was like 400$.

 

[Sazar]

Originally posted by Luna64
The reason I ask is that I can't find a Radeon 9500 card anywhere in Houston. I went to Best Buy, Comp USA, and Frys.

They all carry the 7000, 8500, 9000, and 9700.

Strange how they skip over the 9500.

But I have found one on Pricewatch that I liked. I can add Ram and Proc cooling to it for like 30$ more. Sounds like a plan to me

It said it was OEM, but the price is 165$. The ones that say retail are all around 195$ w/o extras.



I was also shocked to find that they are selling the 4600 for around 240$. I thought about getting it but decided not to. A few months ago that card was like 400$.

nvidia has yet to drop the product price much on its products...

the 9500pro for the price you are looking at is good... make sure you buy the PRO version... if there is no PRO.. it is not worth buying right now...

 

[Iceman]

Originally posted by Sazar
OEM basically comes without the retail box... and therefore the warranty is not as long on the part normally...

also some companies retail products have software bundles and extras'... you may not get that BUT you get a cheaper product

OEM also means u don't get tech support from the company usually, you have to get tech support from the place you bought it from.

 

[Luna64]

Might I ask how well the Radeons 9000 + overclock?

I just got the 9500 Pro, and with it I also got some cooling.

8 Tin Coated Copper RAMsink, and a better fan for the GPU.



Cooling raises the price like 30$, so I hope I see some use out of this.

 

[Sazar]

Originally posted by Luna64
Might I ask how well the Radeons 9000 + overclock?

I just got the 9500 Pro, and with it I also got some cooling.

8 Tin Coated Copper RAMsink, and a better fan for the GPU.



Cooling raises the price like 30$, so I hope I see some use out of this.

the bios is locked for oc'ing... but you can dl/flash and install a new bios..

I doubt you will be able to put all the 8 bga ram sinks onto the card since one has a power connector almost on top of the bga ram chip...

www.rage3d.com for all your radeon questions/answers/files

if nothing else the ram sinks will extend the life of your product...

I too have added copper coolers to the card and I think it runs cooler since the copper coolers are warming up a litte...

 

[Luna64]

From what they show me, they are installed on the card when I get it.


http://store4.yimg.com/I/ocsystem_1720_20140109


Even if I can't.

I still cool everything in my case. MB, HD's, Proc, Ram.

3d cards should be no exception



But I am wondering about the vpu fan. It's smaller then the black sink/fan that comes stock on the card. I wonder if it cools better. Costs me 10$ more.

 

[Luna64]

Might I ask where you got your coolers ?

I was going to buy a card that had them pre installed, but they don't take American Express.

So now I have to buy it from another site w/o the cooling.

 

[Sazar]

Originally posted by Luna64
From what they show me, they are installed on the card when I get it.


http://store4.yimg.com/I/ocsystem_1720_20140109


Even if I can't.

I still cool everything in my case. MB, HD's, Proc, Ram.

3d cards should be no exception



But I am wondering about the vpu fan. It's smaller then the black sink/fan that comes stock on the card. I wonder if it cools better. Costs me 10$ more.

they realligned the power socket to be vertical therefore you should be fine

the cooler is adequate... don't worry about it..

 

[Sazar]

Originally posted by Luna64
Might I ask where you got your coolers ?

I was going to buy a card that had them pre installed, but they don't take American Express.

So now I have to buy it from another site w/o the cooling.

hmm well if you buy your card with the power socket flat on the card you can't add one cooler... but if you buy that card in the link above... you should be fine...

see if you can locate another card that has its power socket connector vertical like in the link you provided..

 

[Luna64]

Yes, well it's impossible to find another company that does that

But I am sure the thing can be bent up. It looks as if it was just bent down to save space.


Btw, you said you had coolers on yours. Did they come with the card ?

 

[Sazar]

nope... the coolers I bought are bga ramsinks that most places carry... just do a search on google for bga ram sinks and boom you will see em

I would not recommend bending it upwards btw.. you never know if that baby might break... and the extra power is ati recommended...

 

[Luna64]

I think your right about the bending thing. After looking at a stock power connector. I don't think you could bend it w/o breaking it.

Still, I think the card would overclock well w/o extra cooling.

 

[Sazar]

Originally posted by Luna64
I think your right about the bending thing. After looking at a stock power connector. I don't think you could bend it w/o breaking it.

Still, I think the card would overclock well w/o extra cooling.

oc'ing is locked in the bios... a place called warp 11 has developed a 9500pro bios that allows oc'ing like I said before...

its basically the same thing without the locks...

can be found @ www.rage3d.com forums...

check out other related posts on the radeons...