Please help me select a budget Graphics Card for EQ2!

[Janken]

<p>Hello all currently I am using onboard video and I am looking to buy a new budget graphics card for use with EQ2. I have narrowed it down to 3 choices. Can you please help me pick the best graphics card out of the 3. Here are the links to the cards ATI <a href="http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102703" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">2600XT</a>  <a href="http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102726" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">ATI 3650HD</a> and <a href="http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814134039" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Nvidia 8600GT</a>.  Which of the 3 would be the better video card and what graphics setting can I expect to run using one of these cards. Thanks in advance!</p><p>P.S. the PC is a AMD 4800X2 with 2GB of ram and a 160GB hard drive with onboard video and sound.</p>

[Openedge]

<cite>Janken wrote:</cite><blockquote><p>Hello all currently I am using onboard video and I am looking to buy a new budget graphics card for use with EQ2. I have narrowed it down to 3 choices. Can you please help me pick the best graphics card out of the 3. Here are the links to the cards ATI <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102703" target="_blank">2600XT</a>  <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102726" target="_blank">ATI 3650HD</a> and <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814134039" target="_blank">Nvidia 8600GT</a>.  Which of the 3 would be the better video card and what graphics setting can I expect to run using one of these cards. Thanks in advance!</p><p>P.S. the PC is a AMD 4800X2 with 2GB of ram and a 160GB hard drive with onboard video and sound.</p></blockquote>Definitely the 3850. The 2600 is underpowered and the 8600...well, I am on a anti-nvidia kick seeing how they perform in EQ2...I have 2 8800's that run worse than my less expensive 2900pro and 3870..(Of course if you plan to look at other games...you may want an 8600..just do not buy the ECS model tho'<img src="/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />Good luck

[BobbyTheRobot]

he posted the 3650, I know that the 3850 performs well in EQ2, but the 3650.. i'd really rather go with like a 7800GT if you can find one new (or even used if that's down your alley).

[Janken]

Guys I am on a limited budget, I can not afford more than $85 which is why I picked those 3 cards. And I do not want to put a Used video card in my PC. So if you had to pick out of the 3 graphic cards that I picked out. Which would be the best one?

[ScottAdams]

<p>The 8660 would perform the best. There is a known problem that effects some users of the 8xxx cards in EQ2. So I would get the card from a place that allows returns. If it works then great! Otherwise then return it and get one of the others.</p>

[Lantis]

A very decent, affordable video card for EQ2 is the ATI X1950 Pro.  With your CPU, this card won't be your bottleneck.  I recently upgraded from a 2.3 GHz AMD X2 to a Core 2 Duo 3.5 GHz (these are my overclocked clock rates if anyone's wondering), and saw a tremedous FPS increase (like nearly double while in Qeynos Harbour during daytime) while still using that same X1950 PRo card.Anything over that would be great for other games, but probably won't make any real difference with EQ2.  So if the budget is the issue, I would consider this card.