Im looking for a good graphics card that will last a while.

[ChrisLSimpson]

The computer i got came with a pair of 8800GT cards in SLI one of them went bad so i switched to using only one and it has just gone bad also. It has only been ~ 2.5 years since i got the computer that has them. I think it might have gone bad from overheating but the card would mess up just after starting a game or not even when games were running at all so i dont really know if overheating was the cause or not.

This time around im not really looking for something as powerful (computer was a present and I'm on a budget now) but I am looking for something that is durable and will last a while. I also need it to be able to run 3D modeling programs without much lag . But im mainly looking for something thats durable.

The max i want to spend is probably 150. Maybe up to 200 if theres something really good but i would prefer to stay in the 100-150 range.

Oh also on a side note i have had graphics cards in my older computers and they have lasted much longer. But the graphics card i got in the computer as a present was in a dell. Im beginning to not trust Dell that much after things i heard about them. Could the fact that my computer is a dell be what made the cards go bad so fast?

If anyone has suggestions for what card i should get it would be greatly appreciated.

Note: Ive been to other sites (Im looking around alot before i get a card as i am new to this) Some sites said to get a NVIDIA GTX 460 but people on the NVIDIA site says that the 400 series don't work well with non game 3d applications. If that is true what other cards are there that are like it?

 

[cusideabelincoln]

If you don't game then you should probably get a FirePro or Quadro card.

 

[Flipped Gazelle]

This time around im not really looking for something as powerful (computer was a present and I'm on a budget now) but I am looking for something that is durable and will last a while. I also need it to be able to run 3D modeling programs without much lag . But im mainly looking for something thats durable.

The max i want to spend is probably 150. Maybe up to 200 if theres something really good but i would prefer to stay in the 100-150 range.

Oh also on a side note i have had graphics cards in my older computers and they have lasted much longer. But the graphics card i got in the computer as a present was in a dell. Im beginning to not trust Dell that much after things i heard about them. Could the fact that my computer is a dell be what made the cards go bad so fast?

If anyone has suggestions for what card i should get it would be greatly appreciated.

Note: Ive been to other sites (Im looking around alot before i get a card as i am new to this) Some sites said to get a NVIDIA GTX 460 but people on the NVIDIA site says that the 400 series don't work well with non game 3d applications. If that is true what other cards are there that are like it?

What 3D modeling applications? Some take advantage of the video card, and some are strictly CPU-bound.

Id bet the only correlation between your PC being a Dell and the video cards dying is that possibly the Dell did not have good enough air flow. Hard to tell exactly what went wrong with your cards without a more detailed description.

 

[iGas]

What 3D modeling applications? Some take advantage of the video card, and some are strictly CPU-bound.

Id bet the only correlation between your PC being a Dell and the video cards dying is that possibly the Dell did not have good enough air flow. Hard to tell exactly what went wrong with your cards without a more detailed description.

It could also be that the computer & cooling fins are full of dust. Some older houses are just dusty and then some houses have pets that shed hairs and they end up to be in the computer as well.

It is critical that the PS and cooling fins get dust off regularly.

Go for a GTX 460 768mb, and if you are lucky a 1GB version may be available for $200.

An HD 5770 or GTX 450 can be had for $140~150, but they are slightly slower than the GTX 460.

NewEgg have the Gigabit and Palit GTX 460 768 mb for $169.99 USD

And the lowest I found is $218.99 fhe Zotac 1gb version at SuperBiiz.

 

[Piotrsama]

The computer i got came with a pair of 8800GT cards in SLI one of them went bad so i switched to using only one and it has just gone bad also. It has only been ~ 2.5 years since i got the computer that has them. I think it might have gone bad from overheating but the card would mess up just after starting a game or not even when games were running at all so i dont really know if overheating was the cause or not.

Warranty is over I guess?

In that case, you might want to try and clean those cards and see if they revive.
As a last resort, you could try to "cook" them. http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1421792

 

[Cerb]

Oh also on a side note i have had graphics cards in my older computers and they have lasted much longer. But the graphics card i got in the computer as a present was in a dell. Im beginning to not trust Dell that much after things i heard about them. Could the fact that my computer is a dell be what made the cards go bad so fast?

Maybe, or not, but IME, Dell is #3 for very good reason.

What modeling apps, what games, what resolution, and what's your CPU & RAM?

 

[Viditor]

If you don't game then you should probably get a FirePro or Quadro card.

+1

I tend to use Quadro for 3D and video editing as they have fewer compatability issues with some of the software.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...=1&name=NVIDIA

 

[ChrisLSimpson]

The applications i am going to be using are 3dsMax Maya and Lightwave.

I have a Intel Core 2 Duo E6750 and 4GB or RAM
I tried cleaning it but it did nothing there is still the same issue.

I do game some but not much the most intensive games i have are half life portal etc.

 

[Will Robinson]

If your computer's tower is on the floor,put it on something to raise it up to your desktop level.
That will help a lot to stop it ingesting dust and dirt which may have contributed to your video card failures.

 

[ChrisLSimpson]

I have had multiple other people say that the 9800 was a good card to get. Would you agree with what they said?

 

[happy medium]

I have had multiple other people say that the 9800 was a good card to get. Would you agree with what they said?

I'm no expert with rendering, but I've heard that the amount of ram is important.
mabe a gtx460 2gb?

 

[Viditor]

I'm no expert with rendering, but I've heard that the amount of ram is important.
mabe a gtx460 2gb?

A video card doesn't help with rendering, the cpu does that. What a good graphics workstation uses a Quadro/Fire card for is to preview the render. Normal cards can't do that very well...
However, while a good graphics card can make an enourmous difference in your workflow, it really sucks for games...

BTW...Viditor stands for VIDeo edITOR. I have taught editing in 13 countries and on 4 continents...

 

[Flipped Gazelle]

I have had multiple other people say that the 9800 was a good card to get. Would you agree with what they said?

9800GT is a re-badge of the 8800GT.

If you're looking to spend $150-200, there is absolutely no reason to aim so low. You can get the vastly superior GTX 460 in that price range, or if you want to spend less, a GTS 450, Radeon 5750, Radeon 5770 for $100-130. All of which significantly outperform the 9800GT, and are DX11.

 

[Viditor]

Quadro FX 580 512MB 128-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 Workstation Video Card - $159