Please note the card you linked to was PCI, NOT PCI-E...... hideously expensive, very low power. You won't like it.

Earlier in the thread, you stated you have a PCI-E slot, if so, then http://otvtech.com/catalogue.html?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage_stock.tpl&product_id=7607&category_id=355 would be far superior. If you don't have the pci-e slot, don't bother with upgrades, save your pennies, buy a new machine.

Actually, he stated earlier that he didn't have a PCI-E slot...but eh. The Radeon 4350 is way overpriced but that's what you get with PCI cards. I guess $80 is better to the OP than a few hundred.... :shrug:

Well, I have a choice here. At this point I'm pretty much convinced that I'll get a crappy-but-expensive pci card now, which can hold me over until I can afford a whole new 500$ system. So, I have 2 different cards I can get: http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814139046&Tpk=9500gt%20pci or http://otvtech.com/catalogue.html?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage_stock.tpl&product_id=4641&category_id=353. The 9500GT has twice as much ram, and is 128-bit memory as opposed to the 4350's 64-bit. I could have gotten a 9500GT with only 512mb for about 90$, but they don't stock them anymore. If someone could find THAT card for me, that would be amazing.

Anyhow, what do you guys think?

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=5771288&CatId=1603

EDIT : Oops forgot your in canada -- http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=5771288&sku=S15-9512

Only problem - TigerDirect.com doesn't ship to canada, and TigerDirect.ca doesn't have that card available.

Hm, alright, turns out TigerDirect doesn't charge for shipping (I'm on the checkout page, and they don't mention it at all). With thus, there's a 5 dollar difference between TigerDirect and Newegg. The one on Newegg is made by Jaton, while the Tiger one is made by Sparkle. I don't know too much about manufacturers, but I've heard Sparkle isn't that reliable. Also, the Newegg one has twice as much ram.

Thoughts?

Sparkle is going to be the better brand but in reality the card is the same. Tigerdirect.ca is going to be the correct site to buy from and the same card is not the same price:
http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=5771288&CatId=319


You can consider the 9400GT as well:
http://ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=39692&vpn=512%2DP1%2DN946%2DLR&manufacture=eVGA

Does it really matter that the jaton one has 1 gig while the sparkle one has only 512mb? I read somewhere that for oblivion it doesn't, unless you use somethign like "more than everything visible when distant" (which I don't plan to use anythin like).

Well, reality is that 1GB VRAM is wasted anyways especially on the 128-bit memory interface and GDDR2 memory chips. There's not enough bandwidth on the card to make use of 1GB of VRAM. The card will already be crippled well before it can reach a state where 1GB can be useful....so it really doesn't matter. This is a common marketing scheme used by video card vendors for the low-end sector to play off the common misconception that VRAM tells all. I'd personally stick with a 512MB version of this card because in older cases there were 1GB VRAM low-end cards that prerformed worse than 512MB counterparts due to using cheaper low-quality memory chips on the 1GB vresion.

Awesome, thanks Tig!

So, my choice is the 100$ 128-bit card, or the 80$ 64-bit one. I'm guessing the 128-bit one will run oblivion better, but how significant will the difference be?

You're going to get more memory bandwidth out of a card that uses a 128-bit bus-width. Performance drops are common with those weakling 64-bit bus-width cards....only really low-end cards get this treatment.

So, in your opinion, it's worth the extra 20$?

Alright, well after further inspection, I've found out tha after shipping and taxes, the 512mb sparkle and the 1gb jaton are exactly the same price (111.20$). The sparkle one from TigerDirect says that with the estimated shipping time, it'll show up here on the 19th, 11 days from now. For the jaton one at newegg, it's estimated 3-8 business days from the time I place the order.

What do you think?

I guess it doesn't really matter then. "Worth it" is kind of a hard saying for me to use here....I find PCI cards to be terribly overpriced, so by that logic I find neither of them "worth it" :laugh:

I'll go for the 128-bit. Does it matter if I get the 512 meg one or the 1 gig one?

+1 -- the thing is either card will probably work in your situation but it is at best a short term solution

Oh and FYI Newegg.ca just got more of the http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814187083&cm_re=9500gt_pci-_-14-187-083-_-Product so a bit cheaper than Tigerdirect !

I'd go for that one and call it a day ^^^^

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3ALwKeSEYs This calls for a celebration!

Thanks a ton for letting me know, you just saved me 20$

And thus, my quest is completed...