Hey there. Woud anyone happen to know of the best ATI graphics card that is out on the market right now ($200-$250 or so) that does not require an X16 PCI Express expansion slot? I ended up buying a Radeon X1600 Pro graphics card at Best Buy yesterday, but realize I do not have the appropriate expansion slot on my motherboard to use it. Therefore, rather than having to go out and buy a new motherboard that's compatible with it, etc., I figured I would just but a new graphics card that is set up for a standard computer?

The smart thing to do is tell us what kind of expansion slots you do have, chet.

But assuming you mean that you have AGP 8x, which is pretty much over the hill, and I would suggest upgrading anyway. Then let's search Newegg...

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?...N82E16814102678

There you go.

The best you can get for $200-250 would be an AGP nVidia 7800GS such as http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?...N82E16814143046 or http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?...N82E16814130269

don't restrict yourself to ATI cards and their horrible drivers

+1

I am in ATI driver hell with a Radeon All In Wonder x600.

I've been there too. The AIWs are a PITA!

I'm not sure which brand is better, ATI with their drivers that aparrently still aren't any good, or nVidia with decient drivers but bad DVI chips (many of us have had a lot of trouble getting their nVidia cards to work at 1080p).

I guess you got the PCI express version of that card? I almost got that(and made the same mistake), but got the one that was quoted above in the newegg link (AGP). I got is free because my 9600pro was under the bestbuy exchange warranty thing and it somehow failed It works pretty well and I've never had any issues with ATI drivers or cards in general. It runs all the games really sweet, BF2 and HL2 at high settings and Frame rates. IMO I don't think it's any good to spend much more than $200 on an old technology. That card will probably do me for another 2 years or so before I end up scrapping the whole computer and starting over. If you get it on sale or something, it should serve you pretty well.

I think ATI makes X850 XTs for APG bus correct? those should be faster than the x1600 yes?

I don't know, maybe. But whatever he ends up choosing, it probably would be a waste to spend alot on a card that is already obsolete due to PCI express. He'll have to eventually upgrade the mobo anyways like I will, my choice was to wait it out a while longer on an AGP card and get my full bang out of my AGP motherboard. As long as the card is half decent, you'll be fine with it, as you'll be able to run probably all the games that come out in the next 2 yrs or so on a 1900, even if it gets dicey at the end, then when you do upgrad, it will be really neccesary and noticed.