Gaming Looking for new graphics card for $150

[kalbertv8]

I only have a $150 to spend.

My computer has a 450w Power Supply and a PCI-e slot.
Right now its using something called intel integrated graphics card, I do nott see it though in any of the slots.

Does anyone have suggestion on what good card there are for that price?
I am looking into playing Left4Dead, Fallout 3, and Crysis.

 

[Diablo1123]

Intergrated means its built into the motherboard, can't be removed.
150 is enough for a decent video card I think

 

[juggernaut911]

"Right now its using something called intel integrated graphics card, I do nott see it though in any of the slots. "

That's because it's INTEGRATED! as long as you have a PCI Express 16 slot, you'll be okay on installation terms. just get a 98/9600 series card. Both will play all those games, though, HIGHLY douby you'll get crysis or med/high

 

[Joe88]

4850 is pretty much the best card you can get for $150
competes neck and neck with the 9800GTX+ which retails on average for $30-40 more

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...N82E16814102770


benchmarks and reviews:
http://www.anandtech.com/video/showdoc.aspx?i=3341&p=1
http://www.legitreviews.com/article/731/1/
http://arstechnica.com/reviews/hardware/at...ries-review.ars

 

[juggernaut911]

4850 is pretty much the best card you can get for $150
competes neck and neck with the 9800GTX+ which retails on average for $30-40 more

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...N82E16814102770


benchmarks and reviews:
http://www.anandtech.com/video/showdoc.aspx?i=3341&p=1
http://www.legitreviews.com/article/731/1/
http://arstechnica.com/reviews/hardware/at...ries-review.ars

Hmm... I'll look into that card, I was gonna get a 9800GTX+ but this may be a cheap solution! Thanks alot!

 

[kalbertv8]

Wow, that graphics card looks like a good deal.

Is www.newegg.com a reliable site to buy it from?

 

[Taza]

GeForce 9800GT/9600GT. Preferably the latter. Try an Asus Silent 9600GT from NewEgg.

Also, don't go with the ATI cards with that power and that knowledge of cooling. It's always a bad idea, but especially bad when a newbie tries it.

EDIT: Also, confirming L4D and Fallout 3 to work at 1680x1050 with the Asus Silent 9600GT. Got two in the house.

EDIT2: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...9600GT%20Silent , $100 after a rebate. Should work with the power more reliably than the 9800GT and way more reliably than any high-end ATI card.

Also, I'd take Joe88's opinions with a grain of salt - he hasn't even completed his first computer build. For reference, I have too many to count but at least a few dozen under my belt - computer repair has been a bit of a hobby for a long time and I even got employed in repair/support.

 

[Joe88]

Wow, that graphics card looks like a good deal.

Is www.newegg.com a reliable site to buy it from?

they are very reliable
excellent customer service and great prices is pretty much what they are know for

 

[kalbertv8]

Thank you for the comments everybody.

I just bought a Sapphire Radeon HD 4850 off of newegg.
Cant wait till it arrives.

 

[Scorpei]

The 4850 is a great choice, have fun with it

. One thing though, they do tend to get hot, so don't be too alarmed if it gets hot in your PC. You might want to keep an eye on it though, make sure it doesn't get TOO hot. 80 degrees celcius is fairly normal.

 

[hankchill]

Don't bother playing Crysis though, it wasn't that good, and was just overhyped because of its "high resolution" -- you can't tell the difference between high and very high, and even at that the quality wasn't amazing.

 

[Trolly]

Don't bother playing Crysis though, it wasn't that good, and was just overhyped because of its "high resolution" -- you can't tell the difference between high and very high, and even at that the quality wasn't amazing.

I agree about the graphics, but a few of the moments looked breathtaking enough to warrant a purchase (the alien base, the frozen areas, the long-distance views of the rest of the island). Besides, I thought Crysis had a decent story, and interesting new mechanics, even if it was a bit too macho-man like Gears of War.

And congratulations on the 4850, it's a great purchase, and hits the sweet spot as far a bang for your buck goes I reckon. My 3870 is virtually identical performance-wise, and I've had no problems running any games to date, and can max out most.

Oh, and are you sure you have a PCI-E slot? You need to be aware that most Intel bought PCs that come with integrated graphics only have PCI slots to cut down on costs.
If you do only have PCI slots you're slightly buggered, as the best graphics card you can currently find for that is the nVidia GeForce FX 5200, and the best it can manage is Half-Life 2.