with $200?

I just found out today that I won a drawing at work for a $200 best buy gift card, and I'm trying to decide what I should buy with it. One of the options would be to upgrade my computer. Current computer specs:

Athalon XP 2500+
GeForce FX 5200
786MB DDR RAM
16x DVD
12X CD Burner

Now, I know the cd burner's slow as crap, but I'm ok with that. I'd like to buy something that will help the performance of my computer. One of the things I'm interested in is a new sound card (currently sound is integrated, and I have a lot of problems with it), or perhaps a better 3d card. (I'm willing to spend a bit beyond the $200, potentially.)

Anyway, make suggestions. If you had $200 dollars to spend at best buy, what would you buy?

More RAM wouldn't hurt either.

Definately get a new video card, that FX card is pathetically bad.

Or give me the card, so I can buy a new hard drive for myself with my employee discount bwahahahaha.

and what video card should I get?

(when I got the fx 5200, it was good. But then, that was like 2 or 3 years ago. :()

Well, technically speaking, the FX5200 NEVER was a good card. You should have gotten a Radeon back then, it would have like, double the performance for the same price :/

But that's history.

As for what you can get:

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=6949859&type=product&productCategoryId=cat01151&id=1099382222061

6600GT, not a GREAT card, but it'll at least run everything out right now.

You'll just need to pay tax.

Is there an AGP version? I don't have a PCI slot.

Also, thinking about a flatpanel moniter.

Yeah, there are AGP 6600s

I would think better than an AGP 6600GT would be to first get PCI-E capability...

And I paid $160 for my 6600GT almost a year ago.

But do they sell mobo's at best buy?

Get a new PS2 and Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence.

And God of War, and you will still have 10-20 bucks to spare. Helle wins

1) No. He needs a new video card, not a new computer.

2) 200 isn't bad for that card at an OEM (even though you can get a 6800GT for less than 200 on newegg)

3) I'd suggest either the video card, or the PS2/games combo

No, it wasn't. It's slightly better than a Geforce 2. The Ti4200 stomped it. You haven't seen good graphics or performance for years. Buy yourself a 6800Nu, or if they don't have that, a X800GTO. You'll thank yourself. The video card is the worst thing in your system by far.

EDIT: If you can try not to plunk 200$ on the 6600GT, that's twice it's fair price new. I know it's a gift card, but still. The cards I mentioned should OC really well.


EDIT2: http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=7678532&type=product&productCategoryId=cat01151&id=1134703131449 That's the best I can do on there unfortunately, Best Buy has incredibly crappy prices. Still it's a better brand and 50$ less. Use the extra 50$ to get yourself up to 1 GB of RAM.

There's a lot you could upgrade there. Aside from the video card, I'd recommend some decent DIMMs (2x512 OCZ, Corsair) - it's hard to say without knowing more about your system. A better cd burner (BenQ DW1655) would be good too.

Hmm. Just realized that you can only buy from Best Buy. I doubt you'll find decent parts there. Maybe you could buy something from BB and then sell it?

Yeh, well I'd prefer a Newegg gift card, but what are ya gonna do?

Punch old people in the face untill you get your way?

Trade the gift card to someone for a bag of crack, then put it in a can and hide it somewhere.

A place only one person would look :p