Good cheap graphics card

Not a gamer but going to upgrade to AMD XP2800 Barton/AsusA7N8X Delux/512
Crucial.
Can't decide on a lower end graphics card.
Think its between Geforce FX 5200, Geforce FX5600XT or Radion 9200SE or
Radion 9600SE.
I'd be glad for advice from experienced members.
Also, does anyone know off hand which of the above have passive cooling and
which have fans?
Thank you.
Anne

On Mon, 9 Feb 2004 08:45:25 -0000, "dave stockdale"
wrote:

Not a gamer but going to upgrade to AMD XP2800 Barton/AsusA7N8X Delux/512
Crucial.
Can't decide on a lower end graphics card.
Think its between Geforce FX 5200, Geforce FX5600XT or Radion 9200SE or
Radion 9600SE.
I'd be glad for advice from experienced members.
Also, does anyone know off hand which of the above have passive cooling and
which have fans?
Thank you.
Anne

All cards you suggested are considered 3D cards (gaming cards), but
that is just as it should be. There is, IMO not much case anymore for
any '2D' cards. Regardless of gaming habits.
I think you should look at a normal Radeon 9600, no suffix.
This should only be slightly more expensive than the 9600SE, but while
9600SE handles some 3D games just as well as 9600, 9600 is a generally
better card, because it has better bandwidth.
FX5600 and big brother FX5700 would be excellent choices for serious
3D apps, because they do the OpenGL interface a bit better than 9600.

If you find the 9600 and FX5600 too expensive, I suggest the FX5200.

Someone doing, exclusively, writing, photo editing, and video, is well
off with just a high bandwidth '2D' card.
- But I feel a bit cautious about recommending 'nongaming' -cards
with low DX & OpenGL capabilities, even for "non gamers", because
there is a lot of hardware acceleration creeping in, in a lot of
software. In fact, MS is phasing out GDI, and there will be increasing
emphasis on DD, D3D and OGL for drawing everything. MS next OS,
Longhorn has a UI that does all it's drawing with DX. And I think
there's a very good chance that you sooner or later, end up fiddling
with an application that have a 3D work interface. Most
design/engineering and all computer modelling/3Dgraphics applications
have already. Wouldn't it be a petty, if your XP2800 "supercomputer"
behaves like an old 66MHz '486, just because you saved on the
videocard? Even the web, is making use of 3D. And I think it's going
to increase.
...But, excellent value, very, very cheap, nongamer cards are
the old GF2 or GF4 - "MX" cards. They actually handle simple 3D (DX7)
well too. Still, I think that would be way too little videocard for a
XP2800. Go with a 9600 or FX5600.

ancra

On Mon, 09 Feb 2004 08:45:25 +0000, dave stockdale wrote:

Not a gamer but going to upgrade to AMD XP2800 Barton/AsusA7N8X Delux/512
Crucial.
Can't decide on a lower end graphics card.
Think its between Geforce FX 5200, Geforce FX5600XT or Radion 9200SE or
Radion 9600SE.
I'd be glad for advice from experienced members.
Also, does anyone know off hand which of the above have passive cooling and
which have fans?
Thank you.
Anne

DS:

IMOH won't make any difference WHAT vidcard you pick, after choosing the
"son-of-A7V333" mobo that goes-by-the-name-of A7N8x. I have never SEEN so
many fault-reports on the ASUS NG as for that mobo. Don't have to believe
me -- do a GOOGLE for yourself.