new video card - on a budget

[ChrisJake 0]

my video card crashed on me this weekend. since i wasn't in the market for a new one when it happened, i've been somewhat "out-of-the-loop" in knowing whats available now. i want to replace an ATI 9800pro 128Mb card, and i would like to upgrade, but i think i'm limited to around $200. is there any chance of getting a better card for that much? if not, what are we talking $$ wise?if anyone could give me some insight and info, i would greatly appreciate it.thxchris

[Deaf Pilot 1]

If, by any chance, you can up your budget to $300, you can get some really good cards... my personal pick would probably be something along the lines of an X850 Pro such as this one:http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?...N82E16814102606For a solid $200 limit... I would look at a X800GT:http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?...N82E16814102618All this is considering the fact that it needs to be AGP (versus the newer PCI-Express) based on your previous card, and assuming you want to stick with ATI. If you were open to going with Nvidia, then my pick would be the 6600GT:http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?...N82E16814143027So, to sum it up, I would recommend the X850 Pro if you were willing to go a little bit out of budget. If you really need to stick with your $200 budget, either one of those ATI or Nvidia cards are probably the best bet. They are relatively equal in performance... the 6600GT outperforms in certain situations, and the X800GT is better in others. I'm leaning towards that particular 6600GT because it is a factory-overclocked card that, if I'm correct, has the best performance of any 6600GT of the same type. Hope this helps, Chris! :)