Choosing a graphics card?

[k0r0n4]

I'm looking to buy a new graphics card for my machine, but I don't know what I should be looking at. My machine takes 8x/4x AGP cards, and I pretty much need a graphics card for two things: Digital Video Editing (Obviously :D), and gaming.

Now I know Matrox's cards are geared towards DV editors and not gamers, and Radeon/TI graphics cards are geared more towards gamers.

When video editing, like to have 1 monitor for Premiere's main window, and another monitor with the fullscreen render of the current clip. As for gaming, one monitor is pleanty.

Keep in mind that my motherboard does have an integrated graphics card, so the number of monitor connections isn't an issue.

In short, I guess my question boils down to this: Is there any graphics card that would be good for both DV editing AND gaming? Or am I going to have to buy two seprate video cards and switch them depending on what I'm doing?

Lastly, what would be a good graphics card for DV editing?

[Asmodian]

What is your price range? I believe one can get a decent gaming card for anything from $150 to $500+, with the best deals at around $200 - all very rough prices.
Matrox is not really an option unless you don't want to game (and they are oddly expensive for no apparent benefit). For gaming there are really only two options; ATI or NVIDIA. If you want opengl more then D3D choose NVIDIA if D3D is more important choose ATI - else flip a coin as both work fine for D3D and opengl, the actual model is a matter of cost. I don't think one needs to think about digital video editing when choosing a card - they are all great (even the $60 super low-end cards from ati or nvidia) when it comes to 2D.

On a side note, are you sure you can use both your AGP slot and your onboard video? I have seen a few motherboards where the AGP was disabled when using the onboard video.

[k0r0n4]

What is your price range? I believe one can get a decent gaming card for anything from $150 to $500+, with the best deals at around $200 - all very rough prices.
I'm looking to spend ~$150 for a card.

Matrox is not really an option unless you don't want to game (and they are oddly expensive for no apparent benefit). For gaming there are really only two options; ATI or NVIDIA. If you want opengl more then D3D choose NVIDIA if D3D is more important choose ATI - else flip a coin as both work fine for D3D and opengl, the actual model is a matter of cost.
I used to be a big fan of nvidia....until I was comparing my nvidia with a friends ati at almost the *exact* same price....and found that the benchmarks (playing the games that I like to play) were much higher on his ati than my nvidea.

I heard very good reviews about the 9600XT, and after looking around I found a 256MB one for just over $150!

I don't think one needs to think about digital video editing when choosing a card - they are all great (even the $60 super low-end cards from ati or nvidia) when it comes to 2D.
I didn't think so either....until I read this @ the TechReport about the 9500 pro: (url: http://www.tech-report.com/reviews/2002q4/radeon-9500pro/index.x?pg=6 )

AGP write performance
For the sake of completeness, I'll include a round of tests of AGP texture download performance. What we're talking about here is the ability to move rendered images from a graphics card's local memory over the AGP bus into main memory. Games don't generally have a need to transfer data to main memory, but applications like video processing tools and high-quality rendering programs do. Please see my article on this subject if you want to know more.
Be sure to visit the site and look at the graph just below that paragraph, and you'll see what I mean.

True, the 9500 pro isn't a card I'm looking at, but I can't find any benchmarks for "AGP Write" on the 9600XT. I was just wondering if this is a major issue when editing in premiere.

Thanks for the help!
- k0r0n4

[twist3d]

or spend a roughly 20$-50$ more and buy a (agp-bridged) geforce 6600.
I was going to buy a radeon 9600xt for gaming, until i noticed that for about 30€ more i can get somewhat "new" gpu to replace my ancient radeon 8500. It's your choice, I've already ordered my 6600 :D

[k0r0n4]

I would, but I don't see the point in getting a bridged PCIE card since you lose all the benifits of PCIE when you bridge it :D

[dragongodz]

I've already ordered my 6600
i assume that a 6600GT. i justr read the plain 6600 for AGP will be coming soon with an expect price around $150(U.S.).

I don't see the point in getting a bridged PCIE card since you lose all the benifits of PCIE when you bridge it
huh ? chips such as the 6600 are made for PCIE but just need a bridge chip so they play nice with AGP. if you buy a "made for AGP" based card you wont get any PCIE benefits either. so really it makes no difference.

[peanuts]

Check out the new PCI Express video cards.
It requires the right MBD.asusP5.No choice of AGP.
This is supposed to be the update of AGP.Hyperthreading will probably be what V Capture needs.
Please comment as i'm still decideing
:confused:

[dragongodz]

ummm what are you asking exactly though ?????

[peanuts]

Originally posted by dragongodz
ummm what are you asking exactly though ?????
Just Informeing,so if it's of no interest to you.
Don't reply.
:devil:

[dragongodz]

Just Informeing
just informing what ? that little jumble that is your previous post doesnt make much sense. try taking the time to state exactly and clealry the points you are trying to make so people can understand what you want them to.

so if it's of no interest to you.
Don't reply.
dont get shirty with me, its not my fault your post was an incomprehensible mess. but hey if you want to be ignored just say so now.

[peanuts]

Originally posted by dragongodz
just informing what ? that little jumble that is your previous post doesnt make much sense. try taking the time to state exactly and clealry the points you are trying to make so people can understand what you want them to.


dont get shirty with me, its not my fault your post was an incomprehensible mess. but hey if you want to be ignored just say so now.
I'm sorry but i can only post in English.So try this.
I was informing (reporting)(posting) take your pick that PCI Express is the latest advancement in video cards.What is your observation.
Is that so confusseing ?

:angry:

[k0r0n4]

Originally posted by peanuts
PCI Express is the latest advancement in video cards.What is your observation.
In plain english, yes :D

[dragongodz]

.I was informing (reporting)(posting) take your pick that PCI Express is the latest advancement in video cards.What is your observation.
Is that so confusseing ?
no that is much better. if you had just said that to start with there would have been no confusion over what you were trying to say. maybe you should consider that before adding things like an 'angry' smiley.

yes it is but to use it you need a new motherboard of course. now if a person either does not want to or can not afford to upgrade their motherboard, aswell as a new video card ,then it becomes a mute point.

also if you want to get technical about it its not an advance in video cards at all but an advanced component bus. at the moment its being used for video cards because it will give a better throughput for the newest cards. old cards have also been released as PCIE versions but dont really gain much from it.

[peanuts]

Originally posted by dragongodz
no that is much better. if you had just said that to start with there would have been no confusion over what you were trying to say. maybe you should consider that before adding things like an 'angry' smiley.

yes it is but to use it you need a new motherboard of course. now if a person either does not want to or can not afford to upgrade their motherboard, aswell as a new video card ,then it becomes a mute point.

also if you want to get technical about it its not an advance in video cards at all but an advanced component bus. at the moment its being used for video cards because it will give a better throughput for the newest cards. old cards have also been released as PCIE versions but dont really gain much from it.
Thats where i wanted to go about my new mbd choice.PCIE boards do not come with a AGP slot for my current pro 9000.But i think hyperthreading is a big advancement.Thats where i'm leaning,if it's not exclusive to PCI Express.
:) :D

[Soulhunter]

Yesterday I replace my broken Radeon 9800XT with a GeForce 6600GT...

Besides the nVidia typical chroma-upsampling bug, its a very nice card !!!


Bye