Re: Shopping for a good cheap video card

[Joe Pluta <joepluta@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Adam Glauser wrote:
> Probably.  Video cards become obsolete at an astonishing pace when 
> you're talking about gaming, let alone the potential quality problems 
> with a budget-focused manufacturer.  Tom's Hardware has a useful tool 
> for comparing cards: 
> http://www.tomshardware.com/charts/graphics-cards/3dmark06-v1-0-2-hdr-sm3-0-score,538.html
>   
I love Tom's Hardware.  I use it all the time; I get custom built 
machines from various vendors and I use Tom's to help me compare 
components.  I just got an incredible Sager laptop (the old laptop is 
going to be the console for the new i).

But back to the video question, I've found that *every* time I tried a 
cheap, clever solution I've been burned.  Granted I do bizarre things 
(like try to put a high-end video card into an xSeries, or try adding a 
video to a motherboard with onboard graphics and then overclock it), but 
I've always had troubles with the cheap route.

Now, that being said, I've NEVER been able to force myself to spend $250 
for a video card.  So I usually end up with middle of the road 
graphics.  Perfectly fine for programming, not so for gaming.

Joe