Okay, this is pretty simple, I have 170$ to spend on a new video card. Here are some technicalities:

• Must be AGP (8x)
• Must be more powerful than a Radeon 9200 (my current card)
• Nvidia or ATI -powered (unless there are other good chipset brands out there)
• a TV tuner card, yet still have good graphics power
• have composite in (svideo or yellow RCA input)
• Max 170$, I would like to keep it around the 100-120$ range though
• (if within price range) a directx 9 card

I suppose one or two of the smaller specifications above can be broken if its a good deal. Thanks in advance.

8X AGP, and VIVO for that price?

NewEgg only has a few cards like that.

One is the 6600 for $135, and 6600GT for $166. A 9600XT is also in the list, but a 6600GT is the best performing of the bunch.

Also, take a look around for NewEgg refurb cards. I got my PCI-Express 6600GT for a sweet deal refurbed from the Egg. I got all the retail stuff with it aswell.

Thanks, but I really need it to be a tv-tuner card. Anyway, you are saying an nvidia 6600 is a good buy? What do the GT, XT, SE suffixes mean? Also, if I can get more performance for the same price with an ATI card I would much rather prefer one.

Those numbers refer to the ranked order of the products' stock performance expectations: GT > XT > SE. I'd have to agree with Spec' on this one, it should last you a good time coming from a 9200SE.. -Unless you opt for the lower-clocked 6600 that has twice the ram of the faster chip at 256MB, -in which case I'd reccomend an x700Pro 256MB over it any day due to it's nice OC'ed performance (not that the 6600GT doesn't OC the same or better in teh least)..
On the other hand, If you were willing to spend just (just) over $200, about any x800 would dust the rest of these and provide a better dollar-ratio deal (unless you'e getting the cheapest 6600) as you were describing taking interest in, no?

Doh! -Forgot all about the TV tuner req..

OK! -Here we are now.. I wouldn't give that 9600XT (compares to GeForce 5700FX or a 6200 at best; 6600GT compared with Radeon 9800XT, I think) a glimpse with a card 3x faster for only $10 more: MSI 6600GT

Quote: Originally Posted by anoncompboy Thanks, but I really need it to be a tv-tuner card. Anyway, you are saying an nvidia 6600 is a good buy? What do the GT, XT, SE suffixes mean? Also, if I can get more performance for the same price with an ATI card I would much rather prefer one.

Hmm. The only video card I see at newegg that pretty much meets your requirements and has an integrated T.V. tuner is this:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814102352

I honestly do not know how this compares to 6600GT, but I'm pretty positive the performance is similar.

As to your question about the suffixes, they identify different versions of the same class of video cards, depending on it's price and performance. for example, if we are talking about the GeForce 6800s, it starts with, in order of least to most performance, the 6800SE, 6800, 6800GT, and 6800 Ultra. Quite recently, Nvidia introduced two additional cards to the 6800 family: the 6800GS, and the 6800XT. The 6800GS is a very slightly less powerful version of the GT, and the XT is geared toward the lower end; I believe it is on par with the 6800, in terms of performance.

http://www.pricewatch.com/prc.aspx?i=37&a=740354

The cheap one is a 9800SE, but I think they'll flash to 9800 Pro without a problem. I'm not too sure though. Turbopsi should be able to tell you, i'll ask him to post really quick.

*EDIT* Yes, it'll unlock to an 8-pipe Pro.

Thanks everyone, im learning a lot and ive done some research: okay, here is my pricewatch page and here is my froogle page.

From the pricewatch page the first listing with a good seller is #5 - an AiW 2006 - it has a 9600 gpu and 256mb memory for 160$.

I am overwhelmed by my froogle search (what is with that 9.99$ card?) And I also do not know which is better, the XT, pro, or XT DG?

I also like the 166$ card you found Chris2001, thanks.

Anyway, I am about to do my homework and google the product suffixes... *edit* got a straightforward answer at this page on ati.com the order from least powerful to most is SE, plain 9600, pro, XT

Okay, heres the deal folks. I didnt even know VIVO cards existed, I thought I had to get a tv tuner card. Well, I have my own tv tuner so I dont need a tuner card! So, a good Pricewatch search gives me the best choice: an Nvidia 6600. For 139$ at the good ol 'egg!

Okay, here is the new egg site. Here is the manufacturer's site (MSI). I was about to post asking what the "NX" means, but I found out that MSI names all their Nvidia cards prefixed with NX.

So you guys think its a good deal?

Since your inital price cap was $170, you might want to consider upgrading to the GT version of the 6600