Video cards for non-gamers
I’m planning on building a new pc in the next month or so. I usually build a budget box (think $500) to last for 2 years or so. A little while back I decided to see what the graphics card market was like. It’s problematic because most reviews are geared toward gamers and don’t address the best performance at low prices (< $100). The fall refresh of the video card lineup is happening now but I thought I'd share my results so far.
Links are to newegg.com for price reference and specifications. I Suggest supporting a locally owned business though prices may be 20% or so higher.
~ $50
- GeForce 6600 w/ 256MB such as this PNY card
- Radeon X1300 w/ 128MB such as this Gigabyte card (also fanless)
~ $75
- GeForce 7300GT w/ 256MB such as this eVGA card
- Radeon X1300XT w/ 256MB such as this Sapphire card
Fanless < $75
Since this computer will most likely be in my bedroom I’d prefer something quieter and that means looking at fanless video cards. It looks like Gigabyte is all about capturing this market for the time being. In addition to the X1300 above I found the following:
- GeForce 7300GS – Gigabyte w/ 256MB, Gigabyte w/ 128MB
- Radeon X1300PRO – Gigabyte w/ 256MB
Useful Links
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"Video cards for non-gamers" was written on October 18, 2006 and filed in all, hardware