Hl2 performance?

[Hoplon]

Your mission: Find me the cheapest videocard to meet my performance requirements for source.

Please feel free to speculate. I'm just trying to get a general idea of how much cash i need to save in order to play this game. I've got $250 saved up right now.

Acceptable specs. 1024x768 60fps with the bulk of the eye candy on. Ati cards are prefered over nvidia.

My system's specs.
Athlon 2400xp 266fsb
512ddr(2x256 paired on an nvidia2 board)
80gig 7200rpm hd


I'll be building a whole new system when 64bit software becomes the norm but for now this system has got to get me by.


I'm tempted to just buy a 9800pro right now but is that card powerful enough?

[Animal]

I am running a 9700 Pro right now. Honestly, save up another $150 or so and spring for a 6800 Ultra or Pro if you can. Buying anything below a 6000 series Nvidia or equivalent ATI card is a waste of money in my opinion.

[Hoplon]

My original plan was to save up for a x800pro but i'm getting antsy.

[D_Struct]

My original plan was to save up for a x800pro but i'm getting antsy.

dude. you've still got until mid to late november for hl2. keep saving your money and by the time it's out, you'll be all set with a badass new card.

[L1veUndead]

Im running a GF Fx 5900 Ultra 256 MB. I run about 60-150 now. Thats with everything on high, no AA, no AF, no VS. Everything looks great from textures, to water, to player models. All rag doll effects and every aspect of source is fully in tact. The only problem is this is not running in DX 9 so im missing a few of the lighting effects and the super water reflections. Over all when looking for a card that is going to play HL2 or off the Source engine find one that will run DX 9. My card is fucking great and all but it doesnt run DX 9 because its a DX 8 card. If I drop the enging into DX 7 I still keep all the goodies except the water ripples, the bullet holes on objects, and its not as polished. I do however get a constant 135 fps. So no matter what you get whether it be Nvidia or ATI find a fairly cheap 256 MB card that will run DX 9. I have spent alot of time tweaking the program and setup options for this game to find out the best possible way to run it for graphics and keep the FPS.

[CorpseHumper]

I have a 9600XT in one of my towers and it cost me about $150. I kid you not, I run Source with med/high settings and it looks and plays great. I would save up and get one of the x800 or GF-super-duper boards, but I'll just wait 6-12 months and get it for cheap. For now, I can play the game and it looks great for $150. That beats a stick in the eyeball any day!

[el Learned Hand]

I am in the same boat, currently running this setup

P4 3.06
512 ddr 333
Radeon 9500pro

And looking at the next round of upgrades but have only a 300 budget.

Which means vid card upgrade to like 9800pro 256mg for 200 and a stick of ddr 400 for 100. Getting a dual channel pack would run like 210 or so for decent stuff...
Maybe I should get a drug habit instead...it might be cheaper in the long run..

[Hoplon]

Is dod source available yet?

[Animal]

Nope.

[Sckoarn]

I pick up my new system on Monday

Athlon 64 3500
x800 Pro 256M
1 G Ram
120G hard drive

Should be a nice upgrade from my 3 year old system Im running now.

Sckoarn ;(

[gramps]

I know that you "prefer" a ATI, but man over the last few months I have done tons of research on what I am going to put in my system. My requirements are that the damn thing last me for the next 3 years without a serious degradation in performance. I am going with the Geforce 6800 GT. One step down from the fastest thing on the market, and faster than anything ATI has out.

But if you are "gotta have it now, just cant wait" Check out the 6800 basic card. quick search found it for $250-275, just a hair over what you have right now.

http://shop3.outpost.com/product/4082672?site=sr:SEARCH:MAIN_RSLT_PG
http://www.xpcgear.com/winfasta400tdh.html

what is the difference between a basic and a ultra card?

http://www.vr-zone.com/?i=1208&s=1

[Hoplon]

The problem with nvidia cards is that they require a crapload of power to run. They tend to piss of my sff power supply. The basic 6800 would work just fine. The ultra would be pushing it.


Plus i've always been amaized with ati's tech support. I blew a videocard overclocking and they send me a new one 2nd day express from Canada.

[Thunder]

<moving to sckoarns house>

[L1veUndead]

Sckoarn and I can have a party for our awesome rigs.....

[Hoplon]

Well, i took my computer to compusa today to have a new videocard installed.

The truth is that with my abnormally shaped pc i really didn't have a clue what would fit. They tried a 6800 but that whole line won't work with my system.

I ended up shelling out $230 for a 9800pro.

I've got cs:S running at around 60frames on average. 1024x768, med details.

It looks good enough.

The problem is that it's been so long sense i've played cs that i'm getting my ass handed to me. All the guns recoil differently then i remember and i'm getting shot before i even see anybody.

Live, hit me up on steamfriends some night and help me get my groove back.

Friends name Hoplon.

[L1veUndead]

To be honest Source is an entire different state of mind from CS as we know it. The hit boxes are different, the guns recoil different, and the movement and feal of the game is different. It will take a bit to get used to but once your in your fucking Gold. I got my ass handed to me dirty when I first started playing Source but since I dont play 1.6 or CZ anymore Source has become my version of CS.