I'm planning to finally upgrade my video card - I was thinking of getting an FX5900 but can't justify spending over $300 AUD on a video card since I don't really play FPS like Doom 3 or Far Cry. I've currently got a Nvidia GEforce2 MX400, so keep this in consideration.
The games I will be using this for will be mainly:
Rome Total War
Medieval Total War
Civ III
NBA Live 2005
FIFA 2005
NWN
Morrowind
Rise of Nations
KOTOR (I and II)
Mainly this kind of stuff - RPGs, strat games, maybe the odd driving game. I'm also planning to watch DVDs on my PC (got myself a DVD burner and a 17" LCD). Animal's told me of some problems with the ATI cards with OpenGL stuff like NWN and KOTOR, so I want to stick to NVidia.
I was thinking of getting this one (cost $220 AUD, approx. $165 US).
Albatron's FX5700Q System Requirement
1. Free AGP port 8X/4X
2. CD or DVD ROM for software installation
3. 32MB system RAM minimum
4. 30MB free hard disk space minimum
5. Operation system - Windows® XP, Windows® Me, Windows® 98, Windows® 2000, Windows® NT
Albatron's FX5700Q Features
1. Powered by nVIDIA GeForce FX5700 GPU
2. AGP 8X with AGP Texturing and Fast Writes
3. CineFX 2.0 Engine supports DirectX9.0 & OpenGL1.5
4. NVIDIA Intellisample High-resolution Compression Technology
5. NVIDIA UltraShadow Technology
6. RAMDACs 400MHz
7. D-Sub, TV-out and DVI Ports
8. Supports nView Technology
FX5700 Chipset Features
1.CineFXTM 2.0 Engine
(1)Powers cinematic effects beyond imagination
(2)With advanced vertex and pixel shader capabilities, stunning and complex special effects are possible.
(3)Increase horsepower delivers faster and smoother gameplay.
2.NVIDIA® UltraShadowTM TechnologyAdvance technology designed to enhance the performance of bleeding-dege games that use complex shadows.
3.NVIDIA® IntellisampleTM high-resolution compression technology¡]HCT¡^
(1)Delivers higher image quality through anti-aliasing at frame rates that rival aliased modes.
(2)The industry¡¦s fastest and highest quality anti-aliasing.
4.AGP 8X
(1)Provides double the bandwidth of AGP 4X ¡V 2.1GB/sec. Vs. 1.1GB/sec.
(2)Enables more complex models and detailed textures, creating richer and more lifelike environments.
(3)Uninterrupted data flow allows for smoother video streaming and faster, more seamless gameplay.
5..13u Process TechnologyDelivers higher performance through faster clock rates ¡V more MHz!
6.Architected for Cg
(1)Ensures that the newest, cutting-edge special effects in applications will run flawlessly.
(2)Speeds up content creation so game developers can get their new games out to PC users faster than ever before.
7.Integrated TV encoderProvides best-of-class TV-OUT functionality with resolutions up to 1024x768.
8.Integrated full hardware MPEG-2 decoderDelivers full-frame, full-screen MPEG-2 video on your desktop.
9.NVIDIA® nVIEWTM Multi-display Technology
(1)Great multi-display technology
(2)Easy-to-use control panel interface
(3)A setup wizard makes configuring your desktops a snap.
10.NVIDIA Digital Vibrance ControlTM 3.0
(1)Superior display quality with sharper text and richer color for displaying photographs.
(2)User-controllable through a simple interface.
11.400MHz RAMDACsIndustry¡¦s fastest RAMDACs support QXGA displays with ultra-high, ergonomic refresh rates
12.DVIAble to drive large displays with up to 1600x1200 resolution.
13.NVIDIA Unified Driver Architecture¡]UDA¡^
(1)Delivers rock-solid forward and backward compatibility with software drivers.
(2)Simplifies upgrading to a new NVIDIA product or drivers because all NVIDIA products work with the same driver software.
14.DirectX 9.0 optimizations and supportEnsures the best performance and application compatibility for all DirectX9 applications.
15.OpenGL 1.5Ensures the best performance and application compatibility for all OpenGL applications
Model: ALBATRON NVIDIA GEFORCE FX5700 256Mb DDR, CineFX, Direct X 9
Brand: ALBATRON
Warranty: 1 Year Manufacturer's return to base
Link: http://www.albatron.com.tw
Will this meet my needs?