8800 GT overkill for 19" CRT?

[SteveBlack]

I have an old computer having 3. GHz P4 with 6600 GT AGP. Thinking of going for a new computer (C2D 4400, 2 GHZ Ram) etc. I was considering the graphic cards.

I game occasionally only. I have a Samsung 19" CRT which run at 1024x768 or 1152x864 @70 Hz. I intend to keep it as I use my computer mainly for photoshop/indesign/illustrator work. I was originally planning to get a XFX 8500 GT. But now with Crysis out (which I intend to play), I am thinking of getting 8800 GT. Is it worth it given my resolutions?

Also since I use XP Sp2, do getting a DX10 card make any difference? Does it make a difference if I were to goto Vista later?

Thanks in advance

 

[NickelPlate]

I would say go for it. But I would wait a few more weeks to see if the price of the 8800GT comes down closer to the MSRP of $200. That's a great buy for that much card and together with a C2D will run destroy your current system. Not sure about the DX10 situation, nor Vista.

NP

 

[Sunday Ironfoot]

Crysis stresses any card at just about any resolution, so yes I'd say go for a 8800GT, especially as it offers the most performance per dollar of any card on the market today.

As for DX10, yes it looks a little nicer, but you're not going to miss out in a big way. I think Crysis' DX10 mode brings any card to it's knees.

 

[sliderule]

I'd say it's currently the best card money can buy for a 19" monitor...seeing as how some reports show the 8800gt outperforming a gtx at 1280x1024. Also ditto what Nickelplate said, wait a week or two for price drop.

 

[RussianSensation]

If you are an occasional gamer only, there is no need to spend $250 on a graphics card, especially for 1 game. Crysis is a graphical galore but the demo didn't really offer anything groundbreaking. To me it certainly looks like the type of game you play once and that's it.

There are a lot of budget cards which will provide good gameplay at 1024x768.

X1800XT 256mb is a good card for $110 for example.

X1900XT 256mb with aftermarket cooler for $140

Of course 8800GT 512mb will be a lot faster if you are willing to spend the $.

 

[Dkcode]

And if your willing to spend the money then its a great solution. It will certainly last you a few generation cycles if you stick to that resolution.

 

[JBT]

Originally posted by: Dkcode
And if your willing to spend the money then its a great solution. It will certainly last you a few generation cycles if you stick to that resolution.

Agreed.

Its leaps and bounds faster than the two cards Russian linked. While they will be cheaper, this card tears them apart performance wise, and runs cooler IMO. If you you are going to get a C2D rig a 8800GT makes perfect sense.

You may want to pick up a new monitor at some point though... monitor upgrades for me have always been the most noticable and most enjoyable...

 

[fleshconsumed]

Seems about right if you want to play Crysis at high settings, should give you stable 30fps minimum at that resolution. Everything else will fly of course.

 

[taltamir]

at that resolution a gt will STILL lag a little in crisys under max settings... so no, it isn't overkill.

 

[Arkaign]

It's overkill for what you're describing, but a good value nonetheless for what you get. Crysis is the only thing that would stress that setup, and it's a good thing you'll be playing at that lower resolution, as the 8800GT should be relatively smooth at that level.

If you can skip Crysis or hold off for a while, grabbing something like an X1950GT ($100ish), will have excellent results in almost any game at that resolution, and will buy you time to wait for better cards to come down the line in 6 months or so. The 8800GT is a great card, but it's difficult for me to recommend it for someone who's only an occassional gamer, and buying it for one game at this time.

Basically, what I'd recommend is waiting for the next high-end launch, then waiting for the performance midrange ($199-$249) refresh card to come out, so maybe 6-9 months away. The pluses are that you'll probably see excellent DX 10 performance, full 10.1 capability, better drivers, more stable Vista performance, and so on.

Crysis is just one game, if you're not going to play it over and over, or join an online league, maybe you should look at other excellent games (that will work on the 1950 @ 1024x768)

 

[SteveBlack]

Thanks for all of you who chipped in...and regret delayed reply.

I can see 8800 GT is mostly an overkill, but for Crysis. Since I don't upgrade my rig often (once in 3 years or so), I was thinking if it is worthwhile. If I skip 8800 GT for now, which card would be the best for the resolution I work with? AMD or NVidia? How does 8500 GT compare with say X19XXGT? Is AMD the best bang for money in this segment?

Thanks again.

 

[beatle]

My 8800GT has very few problems with Crysis running 1280x960, no AA, all other settings "high." I think I actually need more ram, however!

 

[newschool]

Dont you get it? NOTHING can play Cysis maxed out. And what is the point of crysis? It is the graphics. So just get a X1950PRO for hellgate,cOh, whatever and wait for the next gen that will run crysis. Anyways crysis is very SP oriented so you wont be missing anything compared to, for example, cod4.

 

[Cabages]

Dont know if anyone answered the DX10 and Vista thing. XP doesnt have DX10, so in order to use your DX10 features, you will need to get Vista.

Also, I say go for the 8800GT. Wish you luck finding one for a good price.

 

[Tempered81]

for the money heres the setup you were talking about steve -

2gb DDR2 RAM - $40 http://www.ewiz.com/detail.php...ed47e5f20e97640e80b6d4

c2d 4400 - $117
http://www.ewiz.com/detail.php...75555d552320cbd56165ed

8800gt - $234
http://www.pcsuperdeals.com/Pr...-0a0e10968507&Refer=11

 

[shaolin95]

Based on your specs I say go for it.
I play Crysis with my system at 1280x1024 running everything in Very High except shadows and post (both set to High) using XP and to give you a reference my average is 39fps in the built in GPU test.
It looks stunning and plays great as well. Its not a 60fps but with crysis its very playable and if you lower res it will be even smoother of course.
I say, go for it!

 

[TheMagnificentCheese]

Originally posted by: newschool
Dont you get it? NOTHING can play Cysis maxed out. And what is the point of crysis? It is the graphics. So just get a X1950PRO for hellgate,cOh, whatever and wait for the next gen that will run crysis. Anyways crysis is very SP oriented so you wont be missing anything compared to, for example, cod4.

Not trying to hijack the thread, but... Considering I almost bought one yesterday, what is all the fuss about the x1950pro? According to Tom's Hardware's VGA charts a lot of last-gen Nvidia cards are smoking it in the benchmarks. Was hoping someone could defend the card in some tangible way and justify my pending purchase

 

[theprodigalrebel]

what is all the fuss about the x1950pro?

Cheaper AND faster than the 2600XT/8600GTS that were supposed to replace it. It was the only rational choice in the sub-$200 price segment. I dunno about Tom's Hardware VGA charts but only the 7900GTX/7950GX2 (from prev. gen) are faster than the X1950Pro and they were priced way out of its league.

As for the OP, since you managed to get such great mileage out of your last card, I'd say go for the 8800GT. You sound like me - maybe play three new games every year (probably willing to compromise a little on IQ). If you are fine with dropping the money, go for it. You should easily get two years out of it.

Having said that, don't pay the current gouged prices. Wait for prices to settle down close to MSRP - by the time that happens, the 3870 will be in stores and we'll look forward to your next thread - 3870 or 8800GT?

 

[Arkaign]

Originally posted by: SteveBlack
Thanks for all of you who chipped in...and regret delayed reply.

I can see 8800 GT is mostly an overkill, but for Crysis. Since I don't upgrade my rig often (once in 3 years or so), I was thinking if it is worthwhile. If I skip 8800 GT for now, which card would be the best for the resolution I work with? AMD or NVidia? How does 8500 GT compare with say X19XXGT? Is AMD the best bang for money in this segment?

Thanks again.

If you skip the 8800GT, you can get the $100ish X1950GT. It is an excellent card that will game very well at your stated resolution goals, and save you a ton of $$$, as well as buy time for really good DX10.1 cards to come down the pipe.

The 8500GT is dramatically slower than the X1950GT.

Basically : 8500GT > 8600GT > 8600GTS > X1950GT > X1950Pro > X1950XT > 8800GT

 

[AzN]

It's more like 8500GT > 8600GT > X1950GT > 8600GTS = X1950Pro > X1950XT > 8800GT

With latest drivers 8600gts neck and neck with 1950pro. 1950pro wins usually with AA and higher resolution and 8600gts usually wins lower resolutions and no AA. Beating at higher resolutions are useless since 1950pro just isn't powerful enough to run newer games at high resolutions.

OP you can't get go wrong with 8600gts or 1950pro at the resolution you are playing. You won't be disappointed with either card.

If you are on a budget 1950gt is probably the best card for the money in it's price range.

 

[i7weenie]

newschool...two 8800 Ultra's will easily run Crysis fully maxed out...duh. But that is a about a 1000$ investment just for your graphic cards, and no, I dont thing the 8800GT will be any sort of problem for a CRT monitor...buy it and tell us how it goes.

 

[bryanW1995]

wait a few weeks and get an 8800gt 256 or an hd 3850 256mb. those should both settle in the $150-$180 price range. They should dominate any game you throw at that crt other than crysis for the foreseeable future, but they won't break the bank at $280-$300 like the current 8800gt 512's do. Before the flaming begins, please keep in mind that *I* don't consider $280 breaking the bank for an 8800gt, but the OP is a "casual gamer" who might not want to spend that much.

 

[SteveBlack]

Thanks everybody..

Depending on how soon I build the rig, I will go with X1950GT (if I build it say in a week's time) or go with 8800 GT (if my rig takes say 2-3 weeks more). Hope 8800 GT prices continue to drop. Thanks again