NVIDIA GeForce GT 230, any good?

[rah66jr]

I purchased a new PC the other day and the specs are spectacular but I'm not sure about the card- the NVIDIA GeForce GT 230 (PCIE) is what came with the system and I'm not sure how good it is... if I should upgrade. I was using an ATI Radeon x1950PRO (HIS) on my old PC and I don't know if I should put my old card in or keep using the one that came with it. If I SHOULD replace my new card can you suggest a card (preferably dx10 compatible) that will cost me under $150.... must be a substantial upgrade from both the NVIDIA and ATI cards I already have and be PCIE x16... thanks!

[Zamamee]

Sell your GT 230 and buy a GTX 275. It costs a bit more than $150, but it should balance out with whatever you can get for that GT 230.

[kow_ciller]

well, if you're going to stay under $150 I'd suggest either a 4870 1gb or gtx260 216sp (whichever is cheaper since they perform the same)

[computernerd]

Yeah, don't get a GT 230. You'll be much happier with either card that Kow mentioned.

[kow_ciller]

Originally Posted by Zamamee

Sell your GT 230 and buy a GTX 275. It costs a bit more than $150, but it should balance out with whatever you can get for that GT 230.

Hate to say it, but the price premium over the gtx260 216sp isn't worth it at all.

I'd say go for either one of these Newegg.com - POWERCOLOR AX4870 1GBD5 Radeon HD 4870 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - Desktop Graphics / Video Cards
or one of these
Newegg.com - BFG Tech BFGEGTX260896OCE GeForce GTX 260 896MB 448-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Desktop Graphics / Video Cards

IMO though the 4870 1gb card would be the better buy since it is $20 cheaper (if they were the same price I'd give the nod to the gtx260, but the price is the deciding factor in this case)

[computernerd]

Yeah, the only difference is that the 260 wins in F.E.A.R. 2, but the 4870 wins in Fallout 3, every other game the only difference is like 1 fps. So definitely get the 4870.

[*The.Doctor]

The extra memory on the 4870 1GB can help it pull slightly ahead at high resolutions (think 1920x1080 and higher) in a lot of games.

[rah66jr]

Now would you say these two are upper end cards? Significantly better than my Radeon x1950PRO? What kind of performance can I expect out of these cards? Could I play Cyrsis or other graphically heavy games on higher settings with good FPS? If I have to go over $150 I can just not... a LOT over lol.

[kow_ciller]

well, if you're looking to go right over $150 a 4890 fits the bill. They are THE card to get right now. The difference between any of these cards and a 1950pro is like night and day. (I've owned everything from x1950xtx to 4890)

[Mr. Pedantic]

Now would you say these two are upper end cards? Significantly better than my Radeon x1950PRO? What kind of performance can I expect out of these cards? Could I play Cyrsis or other graphically heavy games on higher settings with good FPS? If I have to go over $150 I can just not... a LOT over lol.

They were definitely upper end cards up until a few months ago. Even now for the performance they offer they would be classed as 'mid-high enthusiast' cards.

If you can get an HD4890 for ~$170, which is a fairly reasonable price for such a card, it would be a very big difference between the 1950 PRO and the GT 230. The GTX275 is slightly more expensive, but it might be preferable to get that if you particularly like NVidia.