Video card suggestions

Ladies and Gents,

I currently own an ATI X1300 video card, PCI Express x16. For some time now my system has been crashing whilst playing DM with the traditional looping sound then back to desktop with error. 90% of the time when it crashes back to desktop it will be completely pixelated to where I can't make out any of my desktop icons, then after a few seconds it goes back to normal. Sometimes in game my health and armor count will turn all pixely to where I can't make out what it says - ammo count will do the same, then eventually it crashes. I'm starting to wonder if I have a video card problem! Or could it be the game itself is causing it? I'm assuming it's video related at this point.

Any suggestions as to a good replacement card?

4850 Done and set. Cheap and kickass.

drivers?

eat my lead wrote:drivers?

Been there done that, updated drivers, reloaded drivers you name it I've tried it. I just re-installed my OS, Steam, HL2...the whole works and I continue to have the problems. I'm hearing the 4850 runs very hot!

k well i jst run a 8800 bfg gts oc and its solid m8

4850 runs hot until you turn the fan up :] xml profile there is an option to change fan to manual control and set percentage it runs at @ 60% of fan power you get around 40 C - 50 C idle, 70 - 80 load i think.

Thanks guys, I appreciate the feedback. Are you all in agreement that I may have a video card problem or do you suspect it's a typical Valve/Steam/HL2DM bug?

Also, who's a trustworthy manufacturer of the Nvidia cards? EVGA, XFX, ZOTAC...etc..

I have an HIS x1950 Pro and its got a kickass cooliong fan on it. No problems with it whats-o-ever.

Got it at a decent price at the time, too. I'm sure you'll get a better deal on it now.

That card runs everything I throw at it and right now my only limitation is my CPU which isn't dual core. =/

Thanks ninja and holy!! I do all my computer shopping at Newegg, I'll look into these cards further. Once again last night I was playing then all of a sudden my health and armor count changed to a bunch of random pixels. Then I shot an orb and I couldn't even see it, only hear it. So then I shot another orb and caught it right away with my ggun and it was just a black box instead of an orb!!!! Never had this happen before! About 5 seconds after that the game crashed! Things are getting worse.