highest performance PCI card?

[gangster]

is there a faster gaming choice than the ati 9100 128mb pci card? i can still get one that's 250/500mhz and retail.

i need one for my little brothers box which doesn't have agp nor can he upgrade the mb.

[rylan]

Fyi, odds are a better pci graphics card isn't going to do much if anything, since that system is going to be limited by the cpu and pci bus bandwidth.

[gangster]

yes, thanks, but its all he has to work with........................so...............

[UtwigMU]

There are FX5600/5700 PCI cards R9100/9000, GF4MX PCI and of course Parhelia PCI, which is the best but also most expensive by far.

[gangster]

thanks

[Ribbit]

I don't know where the FX cards fit in, but in terms of raw performance the 9100 is faster than the 9000 and about same as the 8500, which is a bit faster than the (original) Parhelia, and will be far faster than the GF4MX. Also, 9100s seem to be hard to come by these days, and PCI versions must be like hens' teeth, so my advice is grab that 9100 while you can.

re:rylan - perhaps you won't be able to cram more texture and geometry data down the bus, but a faster card should translate to higher-res textures, better framerates/resolution/FSAA, etc. so it should still be a benefit.

[gangster]

i found a retail 9100 128mb pci and ordered it, $69 delivered.

[rylan]

Oh duh.. for some reason I read this thread as you already had a 9100 and were looking for something better than that.

[Wombat]

Originally posted by Ribbit
I don't know where the FX cards fit in, but in terms of raw performance the 9100 is faster than the 9000 and about same as the 8500,

I thought a 9100 *was* an 8500, underclocked?

[Jon P. Inghram]

It is, just a different firmware flash.