How "much" video card will I need to get good performance at 1920x1200 resolutions...

[Jessica69]

I've got an ATI 4850 card and, while currently using a 22" widescreen monitor (1680x1050 resolution), am buying a new monitor next week (24" or 26") with a 1920x1200 resolution.

Question is.......how much more video card do I need to get "good" performance.....will adding another 4850 in Crossfire do it or would a single 4870 1GB suffice? Or, as one suggested to me, I'd have to spend the $500 to get the 4870 x2 card....

Gaming for me is more RTS-type games.....God games, Red Alert, etc., but am toying with buying Fallout 3, which will be the first FPS-type game I'll have played in years and years.

 

[ExcaliburMM]

Would you be looking to play future RTSs such as Starcraft II or are you sticking to older/classic games?

 

[theAnimal]

HD4870 1GB

 

[will889]

I would say if you have the mobo nab another 4850, or if you really like single GPU nab a 4870 1GB or 260GTX 216. If you are OCD about AA-AF get at least a 280GTX/4870X2.

 

[Cuular]

If you plan on turning on all high settings, including textures and 8xAA 16xAF, then the 1GB 4870 would be needed, on newer games like FallOut3. If you are playing older games and not setting all the eye candy on extreme, then dual 4850's will suffice.

Look for reviews that compare the 1GB 4870 to 512MB versions to see what games start to make the 1GB needed.

 

[Arkaign]

SLI GTX 280 or above.

 

[Jessica69]

OK.....rest of system, which could make a difference (No SLI.....)

Asus X38 Maximus Formula motherboard, Asus HD4850 vid. card, 4 x 2GB Mushkin Redline DDR2 RAM, 1TB Western Digital Black hd (OS), 1TB WD Green hd for storage, Vista Ultimate x64, watercooling (GTZ cpu block, EK S-Max NB block, DDC2 pump w/XSPC top, Feser 240 rad.....the new video card, whatever it turns out to be, will be watercooled in its---or their---own loop)

Help any?

Originally posted by: ExcaliburMM
Would you be looking to play future RTSs such as Starcraft II or are you sticking to older/classic games?

Yes, and not exactly......while I do play older ones, always looking at newer ones....

Games......Civ4, Company of Heroes, Galactic Civ., Sins of a Solar Empire....this type is my primary game choice. Fallout3, though, just looks so cool and the game play sounds great, just want to try it..........

 

[will889]

The most cost effective would be to CF 4850's. If it were me I would sell the 4850 and go GTX280 for the simplicity of no stuttering and no CF issues. But that's me. If it's a $$ issue then I would CF 2X 4850's.