What is my best option for a new video card?

[Seidhkona]

<p>My video card is probably on its last legs. In-game I occasionally have everything go black, then the PC reports that the graphics driver has hung and been restarted. (Error shown below).</p><p>I've simultaneously noticed that my video performance is slowly degrading. I use Profit UI, which has a video settings tool that has four settings, RAID, PERFORMANCE, QUALITY, and SCREENSHOTS.</p><p>A year ago I could solo quest or group using the QUALITY settings with no issues, and raid in PERFORMANCE.  Now I HAVE to raid in the RAID setting (or, as I call it, Claymation), soloing I can get away with PERFORMANCE, and grouping is a tossup, sometimes I can use PERFORMANCE but more often I have to drop down to RAID settings.</p><p>So, given the system data below, what would be your recommendation for my new graphics card?  I don't need to be running in the highest possible quality setting, but I do want to be able to solo in a reasonably beautiful resolution again!</p><p>------------------System Information------------------Time of this report: 8/16/2012, 12:46:35Operating System: Windows Vista™ Home Premium (6.0, Build 6002) Service Pack 2 (6002.vistasp2_gdr.120402-0336)Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Quad  CPU   Q8200  @ 2.33GHz (4 CPUs), ~2.3GHzMemory: 4094MB RAMPage File: 4640MB used, 3761MB available---------------Display Devices---------------Card name: NVIDIA GeForce 9500 GTChip type: GeForce 9500 GTDAC type: Integrated RAMDACDisplay Memory: 2797 MBDedicated Memory: 1005 MBShared Memory: 1791 MBCurrent Mode: 1920 x 1080 (32 bit) (60Hz)Monitor: SyncMaster 2494SW(Digital)Driver Name: nvd3dumx.dll,nvwgf2umx.dll,nvwgf2umx.dll,nvd3dum,n vwgf2um,nvwgf2umDriver Version: 8.17.0013.0142 (English)Driver Date/Size: 5/15/2012 05:48:00, 18044224 bytes</p><p><img src="http://fc03.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2012/229/5/8/nvidia_geforce_9500_gt_driver_error_by_sigrdrifa1-d5bfkeh.jpg" width="686" height="832" /></p>

[Morgania434]

I picked up an eVGA Nvidia card the GeForce GT610 2GB PCI Express Video Card. It was 65 bucks, but they lowered the price. using the default ui i can use the highest graphics settings in game now without crashing, and the Storm tower isle is no longer a strobe light show. I have no idea if that helps you out or not, as i'm not a techie by any stretch of the imagination. But I am very happy with the card.

[NrthnStar5]

<p>I would definitely recommend Nvidia over ATI. Nvidia's cards generally perform better, and their drivers have a better reputation too.</p><p>It would really depend on your price point. I got the GeForce 670 and Love it, but that is a $400 card. </p>

[jabbu]

<p>As a counter-point to the nVidia recomendation, I upgraded from a Radeon 4850 512mb to a Geforce GTX 560 2gb. Performance is fantastic, BUT I get random freezes for 10-15 seconds (but retain mouse control, with in-game mouse cursor). Still looking into the whys and hows. I have never had a driver issue with ATI video cards, and all of em except some ATI Rage thing years ago performed very well.</p>

[deadcrickets2]

<p><cite>jabbu wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>As a counter-point to the nVidia recomendation, I upgraded from a Radeon 4850 512mb to a Geforce GTX 560 2gb. Performance is fantastic, BUT I get random freezes for 10-15 seconds (but retain mouse control, with in-game mouse cursor). Still looking into the whys and hows. I have never had a driver issue with ATI video cards, and all of em except some ATI Rage thing years ago performed very well.</p></blockquote><p>Did you uninstall the prior drivers for AMD?</p>

[Wingrider01]

<p><cite>deadcrickets2 wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>jabbu wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>As a counter-point to the nVidia recomendation, I upgraded from a Radeon 4850 512mb to a Geforce GTX 560 2gb. Performance is fantastic, BUT I get random freezes for 10-15 seconds (but retain mouse control, with in-game mouse cursor). Still looking into the whys and hows. I have never had a driver issue with ATI video cards, and all of em except some ATI Rage thing years ago performed very well.</p></blockquote><p>Did you uninstall the prior drivers for AMD?</p></blockquote><p>+1 here, falure to uninstall the old drivers will cause a lot of wierd issues to occur, would go as far to say get the driver cleaner for ati and run that. Ran the 560 for a long time with no issues till I upgrade to the new 690</p>

[deadcrickets2]

<p>Personally I've found AMD cards to run better in EQ2 (not necessarily in other games).  I've had both on several systems (got five around the house) and it's been this case since release of the game.  You can actually get a lot of great cards cheap.  I picked up my current Radeon HD 6850 for a mere $65.  I'd look around at sites like Newegg and Pricewatch.  Also, don't be afraid to go with refurbished.  I wouldn't recommend refurbished or used for other hardware like HDD, SSD, Flash, Bluray, etc but for a video card it's perfectly fine.</p>

[TSR-AlexS]

<p><cite>Sigrdrifa@Lucan DLere wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>My video card is probably on its last legs. In-game I occasionally have everything go black, then the PC reports that the graphics driver has hung and been restarted. (Error shown below).</p><p>I've simultaneously noticed that my video performance is slowly degrading. I use Profit UI, which has a video settings tool that has four settings, RAID, PERFORMANCE, QUALITY, and SCREENSHOTS.</p><p>A year ago I could solo quest or group using the QUALITY settings with no issues, and raid in PERFORMANCE.  Now I HAVE to raid in the RAID setting (or, as I call it, Claymation), soloing I can get away with PERFORMANCE, and grouping is a tossup, sometimes I can use PERFORMANCE but more often I have to drop down to RAID settings.</p><p>So, given the system data below, what would be your recommendation for my new graphics card?  I don't need to be running in the highest possible quality setting, but I do want to be able to solo in a reasonably beautiful resolution again!</p><p>------------------System Information------------------Time of this report: 8/16/2012, 12:46:35Operating System: Windows Vista™ Home Premium (6.0, Build 6002) Service Pack 2 (6002.vistasp2_gdr.120402-0336)Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Quad  CPU   Q8200  @ 2.33GHz (4 CPUs), ~2.3GHzMemory: 4094MB RAMPage File: 4640MB used, 3761MB available---------------Display Devices---------------Card name: NVIDIA GeForce 9500 GTChip type: GeForce 9500 GTDAC type: Integrated RAMDACDisplay Memory: 2797 MBDedicated Memory: 1005 MBShared Memory: 1791 MBCurrent Mode: 1920 x 1080 (32 bit) (60Hz)Monitor: SyncMaster 2494SW(Digital)Driver Name: nvd3dumx.dll,nvwgf2umx.dll,nvwgf2umx.dll,nvd3dum,n vwgf2um,nvwgf2umDriver Version: 8.17.0013.0142 (English)Driver Date/Size: 5/15/2012 05:48:00, 18044224 bytes</p><p><img src="http://fc03.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2012/229/5/8/nvidia_geforce_9500_gt_driver_error_by_sigrdrifa1-d5bfkeh.jpg" width="686" height="832" /></p></blockquote><p>The recommend video cards to play this game would be a Nividia 8800 GTS; Pixel shader and Vertex shader compatible video card with 512MB of texture memoryAnything better than this will suffice <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" /></p><p><a href="http://help.clonewarsadventures.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/10562 " target="_blank">System Requirements for EverQuest II</a></p>

[deadcrickets2]

<p><cite>TSR-AlexS wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>Sigrdrifa@Lucan DLere wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>My video card is probably on its last legs. In-game I occasionally have everything go black, then the PC reports that the graphics driver has hung and been restarted. (Error shown below).</p><p>I've simultaneously noticed that my video performance is slowly degrading. I use Profit UI, which has a video settings tool that has four settings, RAID, PERFORMANCE, QUALITY, and SCREENSHOTS.</p><p>A year ago I could solo quest or group using the QUALITY settings with no issues, and raid in PERFORMANCE.  Now I HAVE to raid in the RAID setting (or, as I call it, Claymation), soloing I can get away with PERFORMANCE, and grouping is a tossup, sometimes I can use PERFORMANCE but more often I have to drop down to RAID settings.</p><p>So, given the system data below, what would be your recommendation for my new graphics card?  I don't need to be running in the highest possible quality setting, but I do want to be able to solo in a reasonably beautiful resolution again!</p><p>------------------System Information------------------Time of this report: 8/16/2012, 12:46:35Operating System: Windows Vista™ Home Premium (6.0, Build 6002) Service Pack 2 (6002.vistasp2_gdr.120402-0336)Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Quad  CPU   Q8200  @ 2.33GHz (4 CPUs), ~2.3GHzMemory: 4094MB RAMPage File: 4640MB used, 3761MB available---------------Display Devices---------------Card name: NVIDIA GeForce 9500 GTChip type: GeForce 9500 GTDAC type: Integrated RAMDACDisplay Memory: 2797 MBDedicated Memory: 1005 MBShared Memory: 1791 MBCurrent Mode: 1920 x 1080 (32 bit) (60Hz)Monitor: SyncMaster 2494SW(Digital)Driver Name: nvd3dumx.dll,nvwgf2umx.dll,nvwgf2umx.dll,nvd3dum,n vwgf2um,nvwgf2umDriver Version: 8.17.0013.0142 (English)Driver Date/Size: 5/15/2012 05:48:00, 18044224 bytes</p><p><img src="http://fc03.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2012/229/5/8/nvidia_geforce_9500_gt_driver_error_by_sigrdrifa1-d5bfkeh.jpg" width="686" height="832" /></p></blockquote><p>The recommend video cards to play this game would be a Nividia 8800 GTS; Pixel shader and Vertex shader compatible video card with 512MB of texture memoryAnything better than this will suffice <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" /></p><p><a href="http://help.clonewarsadventures.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/10562 " target="_blank">System Requirements for EverQuest II</a></p></blockquote><p>Isn't that the card that requires users to enable 'Reuse Vertex Shaders' for performance reasons?</p>