What graphics card is best for me? How to upgrade for X3?

[Aladin]

Have a new computer coming this week:

Athlon XP 3400+
1 GB DDR 400 ram
200 GB HD
PCI Express motherboard with integrated graphics and sound
Windows XP media center
+usual bits and bobs

(BTW, $500 for this from Tiger Direct! Refurbished but that's one hell of a deal!)

What's a reasonable spec card that'll let me play X3 happily? I'm not fussed about having max settings on everything and still getting 60fps, but I would like to have at least medium detail and still have playable large battles (something I couldn't get in X2). Any suggestions?

With PCI-E, I'd go for X800XL or X850XT. Further, I'd buy a sound card. X3 hates integrated sound chips.

[vindicator]

i'd go with a 6800 GT or an x800xl. if ya got more money to spend, go with a 7800 GT

[Majestic12]

If it's to play this game, I'd say save your money - my 7800GT can't run X3 over 35FPS even when set to medium detail, which is pathetic. I'm hoping that a patch will seriously improve performance. From what I hear they ****** up on the alpha textures (which are used in teh HUD too).

[stew1901]

Thanks for the replies. I think I'm going to go with the Radeon X850XT linked above (thanks for that). It's only $70 more than the X800XL at the moment which seems pretty good value for the extra performance.

After an early bad experience with an nvidia card I have a (probably irrational) preference for ATI!

Getting pretty crazy nowadays though isn't it...the graphics card costs more than half as much as the computer!

[Mattrog]

Looking at a new system:

1 x AMD (Venice) Athlon 64 3500+
2 x Kingston 1GB DDR PC3200 400MHz Non-ECC CL3 (3-3-3) 184pin DIMM's (Kit of 2 x 512mb)
1 x Gigabyte GV-3D1 with GA-K8NXP-SLI. Geforce Dual 6600GT Chip 256MB Graphics Accelerator bundled with GA-K8NXP-SLI motherboard

Can get all of that with case drives etc for about £720 (no monitor)

any thoughts?

Curious about the Card - claims SLI on one card - would i be better off with a single 6800GT?

[crazygoldfish]

If your gonna spend that kinda of money on a good system like that, no point in getting the 6600, go for the 6800gt.

Ive played the game on my mates similar system with a 6600 card, and its crap compared to my X800Pro

[Mattrog]

hmm ok - was wondering if this 6600gt in SLI mode (which this card claims to be) has the edge over a single 6800gt .... anyone spesifically used this card?

[Limestone]

The goal-posts have moved again, so to Recap:-

a) Don't Go for the SLI option unless you already have one card already [e.g. a 6600GT]
b) and if you cant quite stretch to a 6800GT or equivalent ...

c) go for the all-new X1600XT beater at £150-160: the Geforce 6800GS...

http://www.hardocp.com/article.html?art=ODgyLDg

[Antilogic]

Ok, so 1.2.01 oh whatever is out, how will this affect my system?

Intel Celeron 2.53
512Mbs RAM
Nevida 256Mb GEForce 6600

pjknibbs, your system is about the same, how have things change for you? if its good, ill probally be getting X3 like next friday or something.

[Rapier]

Its running fine with everything on on my 6600. I do have an AMD 3000+ and a gig of ram to go with it. An extra 512Mb should only set you back about as much as the game though.

[pjknibbs]

I ran a FRAPS test in Argon Prime and got an average of 11 fps under patch 1.2.01. That sector is severely CPU-bound, I think, because it didn't seem to matter what graphics detail settings I chose, the average frame rate over the test barely changed, and disabling the HUD made hardly any difference either. I've just gone to the trouble of buying the only faster CPU I could find that'll fit in my existing motherboard (a 533MHz FSB 2.8GHz P4), just in the hope it gets OK in Argon Prime.

Note that most other sectors are fine; Argon Prime is the one that really sucks the performance out of your rig. I also had no FPS troubles in mission 2, which is more than some others can say.

[Antilogic]

sounds ok, through i might wait for 1.3, if for money then anything else if i have enough, i might shell out for 1 gig of RAM also.

[Gracie]

Pentium 4 1.8 Ghz processor
1Gb Rimms
Radeon 6000 xt 256 MB gfx ( new)
XPSP2

I have specially upgraded to these specs to play X3, but it isn't enough to get the game to run smoothly, and from what I have read here, even machines with a lot more poke are having problems, so it seems I will have to dig deep into the piggybank and look for a new machine before I can enjoy the new X-Universe.

Can anyone advise as to what 'specs' I should aim for? Egosoft's recommended specs don't seem to be high enough.

I do not need the fastest bestest ( and most expensive) machine out there, but of course I want to be able to enjoy this game when all the bugs and wrinkles are ironed out.

I shall look to buy a barebones case and build it up myself, probably, so advise on the best mobo and processor fo the job would be much appreciated.

[Gracie]

oops, sorry - forgot I was in the techy forum.

[Apocholypse]

I just bought X800 XT, runs really fast, and gets 110,000 on Aqua Mark highest settings, and plays X3 really well. But this is on my Dads computer. On mine (which is alot more powerful) it goes really slow. At first it was crashing, but after downloading the latest NForce drivers it doesn't. But goes slower than my 9800 pro.

I either have the choice to buy a new mother board or get another graphics card and send this one back.

So - couple of questions:

How well does the Nvidea 6800 GT run X3.
Where would you get them from

and if not that card what Nvidia card would you recommend?

[Aragosta]

Hi All,

My pc is an Athlon 3200 with 1gig of DDR200 memory and an FX5600 graphics card. Seeing as the 2.0 performance of the FX is very poor I'm planning on upgrading.

My budget is about £120, which can either buy a card only, or a card and another gig of memory.

What would people recommend? Apart from X3 the game I play most is Total Annihilation (yes it's old, but it's still good fun), so the X3 performance is really the only thing that matters.

Is there much difference between equivalent cards made by different manufacturers? The prices vary a lot, I can't imagine the performance does though?

[Apocholypse]

120 pounds. You'll just be buying rubbish which will rapidly need replacing, and will not do X3 if thats what your thinking. Try 180 and you should be ok.

I just bought an ATI X800 XT, the speed is fantastic and does X3 fine, but it keeps crashing as it's not compatible with the bloody NForce drivers!!!

[Aragosta]

I don't think I'll be buying an X800 for a while - that's definitely over budget.

Fair point about having to replace the card soon with that budget. If there's something good for a reasonable amount extra I could go to about £180, but I figure whatever card I buy now will be half the price a year from now.

So far the best deal I've found is a 6600GT 256Mb card for £127.

[CocA]

I got 3.0ghz, 1gig of ram and a x700 se.
Currently turned every setting to low, 1xxx/7xx resolution, even used the ATI control panel to turn everything to max performance least quality. Yet still the game is choppy as hell.
Problem may be that I bought the PC on sale and the parts probably aren't brand but some cheap stuff, yet from what I read here with my specs it should run at least somewhat, yet my mouse cursor skips everywhere and flying is like swimming in a thick fluid while being drunk.

Aside from the stuff mentioned in the tips and tweaks thread is there anything that's so obvious to do that it wasn't mentioned there, which I haven't done because I don't know alot about PCs?

At the moment all I can think about is upgrading since all my other options are exhausted. I really loved X2 and was looking forward to playing X3 alot.
What would give me a drastic boost in performance? Another gig of ram, new graphic card?
Would like a few suggestions (price doesn't matter aslong as it's something that is top notch and will last me a while, making X3 enjoyable).

[Chips]

Whatever you decide, check your power supply output - especially on the 12v, and then check what the requirements are as well for your expectant new card.

Same goes for you Apocholypse.