Is it Worth It? | Ge-Force FX 5200 Upgrade for AMD Athlon 1800+

  • Thread starter lavalamp
  • Start date
In summary: I'm not sure what that is, please could you explain it to me? I'm getting a bit lost here.In summary, Tom's Hardware recommends getting a GeForce FX 5900 if you're having problems running Unreal Tournament 2004. However, they also say that there is no clear 'better' card out there at the moment.
  • #1
lavalamp
279
1
Currently I have a bog standard Ge-Force 3. It's holding it's own, I can run Unreal Tournament 2003 with pretty much everything set to full. It falls down a little with Unreal II but I can let that go.
Now, Unreal Tournament 2004 will be coming out soon and I don't think that it will run properly on my machine, so I'm contemplating getting a new graphics card. The Ge-Force FX 5200 with 256Mb RAM.

My question is this, is it worth it? Will there be a bottleneck kind of problem, where the rest of the machine is too slow for the graphics card.

My spec is:

AMD Athlon 1800+ MP
512Mb RAM
Maxtor 40Gb HDD
QDI Motherboard (I'd never heard of them before either)

Thanks for even reading this far. By the way, if you do think I'll have a bottleneck, what type of graphics card would you recommend that I get instead. (Of course I'd really love to got on a shopping spree at alienware, but that's a little too pricey.)
 
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  • #2
Price per Performance I've heard that the only good FX card is the 5900. Personally I got a nice TI4200 for $100 and tweaked it to match a TI4600. That is your best bet.
 
  • #3
How do you tweak a graphics card? I have downloaded the latest XP drivers for the card but I can't really see how I can improve it's performance with those, although there was a driver a while back that would let you overclock your GPU.

There are three (well four really) Ge-Force FX card's that I know of, the 5200, the 5600 and the 5900. Originally the best one in this series was the 5800 but this turned out to be crap so they replaced it with the 5900.

Would it be worth my while upgrading to a Ge-Force 4 from a Ge-Force 3? That's the new question. Maybe I should just get a new PC.
I'm sure I won't have these problems when I'm a millionaire aerodynamics expert but right now it's frustrating. :frown:

By the way, when I am a millionaire, I'll be sure to donate to Physics Forums. :smile:
 
  • #4
I went from a Geforce 3 to Geforce 4 TI4200, when tweaked it makes a huge difference ans is worth it. You can download tweak programs for the geforce that can increase the memory and core speed.
 
  • #5
Where did you say I could download those from? Maybe I can tweak my GF3 before I get a new card.
 
  • #6
IMO you would be better off going with ATI cards at the moment. Dollar for dollar they are out performing the Nvidia cards.
 
  • #7
Another line of inquiries to pursue, I'd never even thought about getting an ATI before (well not since the FX came out).
 
  • #8
I recently purchased a Radeon 9800 Pro. Very satisfied. Before giving in and buying an ATI I did however buy a Geforce FX 5900 Gainward, which I had to RMA, twice. And now looking at current benchmarks in games I'm very much so grateful that the Nvidia cards came DOA. With the current 9800 XT's coming onto the market I can forsee the 9800 Pro's undergoing a price slashing(Pro's only being 10% slower then the XT's). I've also heard (assuming you can still find them) the 9500 Pro's are great cards, but may be replaced by the upcoming 9600 XT's. All things relative I would recommend an ATI. Six months ago I was die-hard pro-Nvidia.

By the way, the new 5950's were recently benchmarked and found to be lacking...

To further append my post, I saw your system specs, mine are lower and I get no huge fps drops in tech demos or games. 3500 in 3dMark2003, ect, ect.
 
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  • #9
By DOA, I assume that you mean Dead On Arrival, however I don't know what RMA means. It's only a small point but could you clear it up for me please?

I had heard that the 5950's had been released but I couldn't find anything much about them. It's a bit stupid of Nvidia to release another duff card so soon after the 5800, it's not like it's something they wouldn't notice.

I used to believe that AMD and ATI were the way forward, but I seem to have switched ends to Intel and Nvidia. I still get the feeling that the Intel's are a little sluggish but they are a lot safer (in the sense of clock throttling).
It might just be the publicity that surrounds Intel and Nvidia that is working it's magic on me but I suppose the only true way to find out would be to buy four PC's (one for each combination). That's just a distant dream right now. [zz)] Until it becomes a reality I'll just have to check out benchmark scores.
 
  • #10
Tom's Hardware is good for checking benchmarks and what have you. RMA basically means return for refund + redtape. As far as cpu's are concerned, four months ago I would have recommended a p4/ddr500 combo, but as of right now who knows.

I used to believe that AMD and ATI were the way forward, but I seem to have switched ends to Intel and Nvidia.

I don't really go for the Intel is to Nvidia as AMD is to ATI line of thought myself. I tend to just go with what combos work for what is available.
 
  • #11
Originally posted by lavalamp
By DOA, I assume that you mean Dead On Arrival, however I don't know what RMA means. It's only a small point but could you clear it up for me please?
Return Merchandise Authorization. Its something you get from the company that allows you to return something.
 
  • #12
I was under the impression that you could return stuff to them even when they say no refunds (as long as you can prove it wasn't working when you got it home or something).
Thanks for the explanation all the same though.
 
  • #13
IM happy with my GeForce FX 5200
 
  • #14
Other than the fact that the Ge-Force FX 5200 is power hungry and I had to buy a new power supply just because of it, I'm pretty happy with mine as well.
 
  • #15
Thanks again guys.

I need a new PSU anyway, I've filled 4/5 of my PCI slots and I've got power hungry fans on my CPU and Graphics card. Oh yeah, and the fan in my PSU is running slow (broken, dust... I don't know why).
 
  • #16
I think that your computer will be able to handle this game

mine is able to handle it and my specs are:

cpu: 1.7ghz
HD:80gb
DDR RAM:512mb
Videocard:Geforce4 w/128mb DDR RAM


Yes the new videocard is DEFINATELY a good way to go... then you don't have to worry about the lag or bad graphics of other videocards

fust make sure that you get a agp card NOT a pci card... believe me agp is the way to go
 
  • #17
Windows update fails to install FX 5200 update

I hope someone can help me.
I recently installed a Ge Force FX 5200 graphics card.
Windows update showed that an update is available for the card.
I downloaded it but before the installation could complete, I got a message saying installation failed.

I thought I should go to the manufacturers site to download it from there, or, get an explanation as to what is wrong, but I cannot find the site with google.

Is there anyone who can help me find a location to download the update or to explain what the problem is?

I will be extremely grateful for the help :smile:
 
  • #18
http://www.nvidia.com/page/home you need the unified video drivers for you operating system.
 
  • #19
Do not buy a 5200 is it is possible, they are slow, and on par with a geforceti4200 128MB
go for a 9600pro, or a geforce Ti 4600 128MB
 
  • #20
windows update fails to install FX 5200 update

My sincere and grateful thanks for your help. :smile:
 

1. Is upgrading to a Ge-Force FX 5200 worth it for an AMD Athlon 1800+ processor?

The answer to this question depends on your individual needs and preferences. The Ge-Force FX 5200 is an older graphics card, so it may not be able to handle newer and more demanding games or applications. However, if you are primarily using your computer for basic tasks such as web browsing, streaming, and document editing, the upgrade may not be necessary.

2. What are the benefits of upgrading to a Ge-Force FX 5200?

The Ge-Force FX 5200 offers improved graphics performance compared to the previous graphics card in the AMD Athlon 1800+ system. This can result in smoother and more visually appealing gameplay for older games and applications. It may also allow for better multitasking and overall system performance.

3. Are there any drawbacks to upgrading to a Ge-Force FX 5200?

One potential drawback is that the Ge-Force FX 5200 is an older and less powerful graphics card compared to newer models on the market. This means it may not be able to handle the latest and most demanding games and applications. Additionally, the upgrade may require additional costs for purchasing the graphics card and potentially upgrading other components in your system to accommodate it.

4. How do I know if my AMD Athlon 1800+ is compatible with a Ge-Force FX 5200?

You can check the specifications of your AMD Athlon 1800+ processor to see if it meets the minimum requirements for the Ge-Force FX 5200. Generally, the processor should have a minimum of 1.3 GHz clock speed and a PCI Express x16 slot for the graphics card to be compatible.

5. Is upgrading to a Ge-Force FX 5200 necessary for gaming?

It depends on the specific games you want to play. If you primarily play older or less demanding games, the upgrade may not be necessary. However, if you want to play newer and more graphics-intensive games, a more powerful graphics card may be required for a smooth gaming experience. It's best to research the recommended system requirements for the games you want to play to determine if the Ge-Force FX 5200 will suffice.

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