Help please - HD3650, 2600XT or Nvidia?

[AlmicheV]

Hi all, I've been looking for an upgrade from my X1650pro 512mb DDR2 card for a long time now. I've found an HIS HD 2600XT Zalman 512MB GDDR3 going for £39. I use my pc for photoshop, HD video editing and very light gaming. Should I settle for the 2600 or go for something else? And are there any Nvidia alternatives?

Thanks.

 

[ghost101]

Thats a good price. The closest nvidia have is the 8600gt and you wont find it at that price. HD video editing and photoshop are completely dependent on the CPU atm, and therefore, no point spending too much on a gpu.

edit: if the price you mentioned is £39 + delivery,

this is a better option http://www.ebuyer.com/product/127344 (free delivery)

otherwise you have to consider the price differential. I'd personally go for the 2600xt if its £39 inc delivery.

I should also mention that if you do game a bit, a 2nd hand HD3850 might be a good option.

 

[AlmicheV]

Thats a good price. The closest nvidia have is the 8600gt and you wont find it at that price. HD video editing and photoshop are completely dependent on the CPU atm, and therefore, no point spending too much on a gpu.

edit: if the price you mentioned is £39 + delivery,

this is a better option http://www.ebuyer.com/product/127344 (free delivery)

otherwise you have to consider the price differential. I'd personally go for the 2600xt if its £39 inc delivery.

I should also mention that if you do game a bit, a 2nd hand HD3850 might be a good option.

It's £39 and just up the road from me - except they're out of stock for the moment.

http://www.novatech.co.uk/novatech/specpage.html?HIS-26XTZ

Thanks for the info. I would prefer the 3850 but £60ish is the limit, and the less the merrier.

 

[JrRacinFan]

Not a bad price. Not bad at all.

They dont have this one in stock tho?
http://www.novatech.co.uk/novatech/specpage.html?HIS-HD26XT

EDIT: I mean you could always pickup a new cooler later if needed.

 

[ghost101]

Thanks for the info. I would prefer the 3850 but £60ish is the limit, and the less the merrier.

I sold a 256mb HD3850 on here for £55 a couple of weeks ago. Thats about the price they go for. With the 4850 coming out, there may be a supply glut forcing the price below £50 on ebay if you look.

Keep an eye on this

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Sapphire-ATI-...oryZ3762QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Just the card so may fetch a low price. The seller has brilliant feedback as well.

Not a bad price. Not bad at all.

They dont have this one in stock tho?
http://www.novatech.co.uk/novatech/specpage.html?HIS-HD26XT

EDIT: I mean you could always pickup a new cooler later if needed.

Thats a much better price as well. The cooler on the 1st one hardly looked good anyway.

 

[AlmicheV]

I will try to be patient and wait for the new cards to come out, then see what happens to the prices. The 2600 gets some good reviews, and when I say light gaming I mean alien vs predator is the only game I own

In case the fan is bad on the cheaper one (I've heard it is), does anyone know of a silent cooler that can replace it?

Thanks for your replies folks.

 

[Mussels]

my reccomendations would the the ATI 3850, followed by the 9600GT.

Both are incredible value. The 9600GT can be had for well under $200, despite the fact it gives off high end performance. THey also pair up really nicely with the accelero S1 cooler, meaning that you can get high end performance from a silent, passive cooler