I'm off to a hardware update for FS2004 but I can't shake off my budget restrictions. I have decided to spend thick on CPU/Mobo/RAM so I have to decide quickly between two low/mid level video cards offered in town.Card A is a ABIT Siluro GeForce 4 TI4200 128MB AGP8x TV out & DVI for $149.00 shipping included.Card B is an ATI Radeon 8500 64MB All in Wonder AGP 4X card for $160.00 shipping included.Please focus on 128MB vs 64MB, 8X vs 4X AGP, All in wonder (not too useful for FS2004) vs only Video out, and $149 vs $160.Which is more card for the value? A or B?Thanks.Mauricio

Neither card would be my pick. Both are basically aged cards that are at this stage slow. I'm sure somewhere you could scrape together an extra $40 and swing a 9500Pro. Simply put, well worth the extra money. Will literally blow both those cards out of the water, especially when AA and Af are enabled. Not to mention the huge bandwidth difference.But, if your heart is set on either of those two, than my choice would be the 4200 128Meg version. Just remember your spending "thick" and now in effect are going to choke yourself to save $40 bucks. The framerate difference alone in FS w AA and AF enabled is worth the $40 difference. Not to mention that by running either the Softmod or the latest Omega Drivers w the 9500Pro you basically have yourself a stock clocked 9700Pro.Bobby

I agree with Bobby 100%, get the 9500 if at all possible, but if it isn't, get the Ti4200.

Thanks guys,I just checked at newegg.com and the Radeon 9600 PRO is going cheaper than the 9500 PRO. At $144 including max shipping it is even cheaper than the TI4200 and ATI AIW 8500 cards I was looking at. I understand the 9600 will outperform these two right? How does it compare to the 9500? BTW Fred, I

No; the 9500 Pro is a faster card and will work better for you. More bandwidth and pipelines. Check out the prices on the 9700 Pro too. I heard they were on sale at bestbuy for $249.

What? You mean I should ditch $105.00 MORE for the 9500 PRO as compared to the 9600 PRO? What about all that stuff about the 9600 being DX9 compliant and using the same core as the 9800PRO? for a hundred bucks less it really sounded like a great deal. Now I'm really confused...:-hmmmEDIT: Sorry, I didn't read your post carefully. I still think $105 more for the 9700PRO is a bit heavy. The 9500 is priced about the same as the 9600. I still think the DX9 compliance and bigger core of the 9600 should give it an edge over the 9500. On the other hand, the 9500 can be tweaked to behave like a 9700. Maybe the 9600 can also?

Thought you might find this interesting. Even w a 100+Mhz core advantage the 9600 basically can't hold a candle to the 9500Pro. One other thing to note is how many of the tests prove that the 9500 is a better performaer than a Ti4600. Just some food for thought. And as was stated above can you get the 9600 to 9700 Specs. Yes and no. Your overclock will be higher but as can be seen in the tests, the loss of the 4 additional pipelines the 95-9700 cards carry is the big performance enhancer..It's all about bandwidth. Not always clock speed.Take a peek and see....http://firingsquad.gamers.com/print_articl...article_id=1229Bobby

Yeah, the 9600 Pro aint as good as the 9500 Pro.EG:If you were to overclock a 9500 Pro 100 mhz, the 9600 Pro would have to overclock 200 mhz to keep up.

Ok guys,Then the 9500 PRO it will be....On second thought, I just checked my bank account and daughter's 2004 university bill...gotta save the 50 bucks so I'll go for the TI4200. First things first! If Marx would'a had his way we would all have green computers with identical government branded OEM TI4200's, no-nonsense FS2004 lead version with only one aircraft to fly {pbbly a YAK, a TU or an AN} and a single detailed Kremlin scenery. The rest of the world would just be a big green polygon...Oh and Bill gates would drive a Mazda Proteg