Should I add ram or video card??

2128 Views 13 Replies 9 Participants Last post by Samor, May 2, 2001

mecharmor23

Discussion Starter · Apr 25, 2001

First and formost my comp specs.

AMD athlon 800MHZ K7V
128MB RAM
50x Cd rom
Voodoo 3 16 MB
SoundBlaster Live Value

Basically I use epsxe to run Final Fantasy 9. I also use null's plugin and lewpy's glide. Both worked great. Most of the time the framerates stay constant but sometimes there are lags which consists a loss of 4 - 5 FPS in about a second during big spell effects. Here is were the discission comes in: Both RAM and Video Card increases speed. A GeForce2 ultra costs over $170 where as a 128 RAM costs $60. In my opinion GeForce is new, expensive and still buggy and I feel really discouraged by it and on the other hand 3dfx is goner.....
your reply would be appreciated
thank you

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Bgnome

· #2 · Apr 25, 2001

if its only a few fps, why drop all that cash?
try tweaking your system a bit..

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Zoomy222

· #3 · Apr 25, 2001

If you have money go ahead and get a Geforce 2 MX, I doubt that ram would really help unless your doing alot of multi-tasking. If you have extra money go for it but if you don't do like that other guy said and try tweaking it.

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bobotns

· #4 · Apr 25, 2001

Get definitely a new video card. I recommend a good thing like the GeForce 2 Pro. Today, Nvidia has fixed the new price to 199 $. So I recommend that you wait 2 or 3 weeks so that you can buy the card for that price.

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Cugel

· #5 · Apr 25, 2001 (Edited)

mecharmor 23,

I have a Geforce2 MX, 1000Mhz Athlon, 256mb RAM, based system and I still get framerate drops (particularly on the spells Mist and Fire - ones with particle effects). I found enabling a 60fps frameskip reduced it to almost nothing but the system literally crawled (5 or six fps) everytime those big insects cast mist on Beatrix and Steiner in Alexandria and Firega limped slightly. I just put it down to experience as the rest of the game ran perfectly (except the swirls, obviously)

Anyway, my point is that it may be better to live with it than shell out for a card you sound like you don't really want, or upgrade memory - it may not solve the problem anyway.

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SanDRocK

· #6 · Apr 25, 2001

If u where to get anything i'd recommend a vid card gforce2 probably, but like a buncha pplz sayed i'd recommend waiting a week or 2, cause the prices r gonna drop some

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mr2000jp

· #7 · Apr 27, 2001

the other guys where wright .
in my opinion the ram wont do any thing for you the only thing that might (i say might ) give a bitmore fps is the video card but as i think . the low fps isnt just happening for the reason of a weakness of the video card (but the voodoo 3 is out dated ) it might be be just some thing in the emulator .
but any way if you have a good pc out there except the video card .
so if you are willing to upgrade thie first thting to put in mind is a new video card
i like the nvidia products the best beacause i have one (geforce 2 mx)
but if you want the best choice for the price / performance for the moment its the radeon LE .
see ya

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· #8 · Apr 27, 2001

GEForce is not that new, it has been out for over a year now and, as far as I can tell, it is not buggy at all. I bought an Elsa Gladiac GEForce 2 GTS card last may When they first came out. I still have the card and it performs flawlessly. It always has and, as far as I can tell, it always will. I don't think you need to have any reservations if you try a GEForce card, they have been tried and proven.

sincerely,
sx/amiga

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tidus

· #9 · May 2, 2001

Hm, the Geforce 2 MX 64MB dropped to $75 today. I should get one soon.

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· #10 · May 2, 2001

yes, the vid. card is the part that increases speed, but for other tasks (loading etc.) ram can be handy...personally I would upgrade both...

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Rargh

· #11 · May 2, 2001

Well U must know that the Detonator drivers series are the most famous, and it s not buggy at all!(I ve a geforce 256 32MB)
Besides.....199$ a geforce 2 pro??????????????
WHERE THE HELL ARE U LIVING

????????

in france it s much more expensive!
that price is the geforce 2mX price!!

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Bgnome

· #12 · May 2, 2001

in the states, you can get a geforce 2 mx for under $100 easily

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Rargh

· #13 · May 2, 2001

ahhh wish I live in the states!

Damn those TAXES :mg: :laser: :rockets:

!!!!!!!!!!!

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· #14 · May 2, 2001

Originally posted by Bgnome
in the states, you can get a geforce 2 mx for under $100 easily

yes....I've heard that a lot

you know what a new psx game costs here in holland, like ff9 for example?
$70

and old games are still $30...

only the real old (REAL OLD) games are $20 now....

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