Need Help Deciding on New Graphics Card

[Deadalus]

So I want to upgrade my graphics card... but I can't decide whether to get a 8800 GTS or GTX:

My current system is:

AMD Athlon 64 X2 4600+
2GB RAM
XFX Nvidia Geforce 6800GT

The max res of my current monitor is 1280x1024 (although I do plan to upgrade to a new one in the future when I can afford it). I understand that a 8800 GTX may be overkill for current DirectX 9 games at this res... but I'm also looking to the future and thinking about DirectX 10 games that are just around the corner, like Crysis.

Essentially I can't decided whether the GTX is worth an extra £100 over the GTS... which one is the most 'future proof' for my system? I have no plans to upgrade my motherboard or processor any time soon, if at all.

Your thoughts are much appreciated!

Thanks for your help.

 

[happy medium]

Wait a few weeks till the new cards are released.

 

[sthaznpride17]

8600Ultra woulod be a good complement to your system, or an 8800GTS 320MB. If you know that you will upgrade to a 1920 x 1200 res panel, then spring for the GTX or wait for ATI's R600.

 

[Terabyte]

When will the new cards be released (in other words..when will the price drop for current cards? )

 

[nullpointerus]

Originally posted by: Terabyte
When will the new cards be released (in other words..when will the price drop for current cards? )

Last I heard the new stuff was coming in mid-April. Tack on an extra few weeks for the prices to stabilize, and it'll probably be at least a month 'til the 8500/8600 cards are at the right price/performance ratio. Of course, I could be completely wrong, and Nvidia could have a whole stockpile of 8500/8600 cards ready to replace the 7x00 lineup from launch day at competitive prices. Nothing's certain in the GPU wars...

 

[theprodigalrebel]

I would say go for an 8800GTS 640MB. It will push insane frames at your current res and will have some left if you move up to 1680x1050 or even 1920x1200 (maybe a few details lowered for a few insane games). Nobody knows yet how much horsepower Crysis/Alan Wake/BioShock etc. will require for smooth performance. But you can feel secure knowing you have the second-fastest solution on the market. Unless of course, you are also debating the merits of spending 8800GTS 640-cash. In that case, wait for the mid-range parts to come out.

The GTX is for someone who would hate life if he had to (gasp) drop a certain shadow/lighting/texture quality slider down from Ultra High to High (or Medium) while gaming on a 2.0+ MP display.

 

[Wags1974]

Your processor will be a bottleneck for either the gts or the gtx, I suggest the gts or a 1950xt.

 

[TheRyuu]

How much money you got is the question you should be asking yourself.

Do you have the extra $$$?
The GTX will perform better and IMO, I don't think the processor will bottleneck you when you run the game with all the eye candy up.

If you have absolutely no plans to upgrade then go ahead and splurge on the GTX

It's not like there's anything from the competitor

 

[evolucion8]

Originally posted by: Wags1974
Your processor will be a bottleneck for either the gts or the gtx, I suggest the gts or a 1950xt.

Nonsense, May be the Intel Core 2 Duo is the fastest gaming CPU in the market, doesn't mean that the Athlon X2 4600 is outdated or doesn't have the horsepower. You still have a very powerful gaming CPU, go for the 8800GTX and forget about upgrade for a while, or wait and check what can ATi offers, you have an Athlon X2 4600+, not a lowly Pentium 4 3.0GHz!! After all there's too few games which can take advantage of Dual Core CPU's.

 

[Deadalus]

Thanks for all the replies! I'm going to hold-on for a while, since hopefully ATI's new offerings should be out this month. I'm interested to see how they perform.

 

[Wags1974]

Originally posted by: evolucion8

Originally posted by: Wags1974
Your processor will be a bottleneck for either the gts or the gtx, I suggest the gts or a 1950xt.

Nonsense, May be the Intel Core 2 Duo is the fastest gaming CPU in the market, doesn't mean that the Athlon X2 4600 is outdated or doesn't have the horsepower.

You said this I didnt

You still have a very powerful gaming CPU, go for the 8800GTX and forget about upgrade for a while,

In my opinion the above is bad advice

or wait and check what can ATi offers, you have an Athlon X2 4600+, not a lowly Pentium 4 3.0GHz!!

If his cpu bottlenecks an 8800 whats it gonna do with something faster?

After all there's too few games which can take advantage of Dual Core CPU's.

Again opinion, to you http://forumz.tomshardware.com/games/Dual-Core-supported-games-ftopict94969.html might be "too few" The link is a yr old and more come out every week , multicore isnt going away (also how is that a point? 4600x2 is dual core)

Given 2 Similiar systems with the same graphics card, one with a core 2 duo clocked to (x)ghz and one with a amd4600 . The core2 system will benchmark significantly higher.

This isnt speculation in almost every comparison there was a huge discrepency, if it isnt the cpu bottlenecking then why the difference in scores and fps?

Now I wouldnt go as far as calling what you wrote nonsense, I think its just opinion, While I offered facts (that I had not at the time substantiated). We dont accomplish anything by getting personal or tossing insults here.

http://enthusiast.hardocp.com/article.html?art=MTI2MiwxMCwsaGVudGh1c2lhc3Q=

http://www.tomshardware.com/2006/07/14/...2_duo_knocks_out_athlon_64/page12.html

In some cases the results are similiar but the fact remains that in almost every occasion the amd system is holding back the potential of the 8800

 

[5150Joker]

Originally posted by: Wags1974

Originally posted by: evolucion8

Originally posted by: Wags1974
Your processor will be a bottleneck for either the gts or the gtx, I suggest the gts or a 1950xt.

Nonsense, May be the Intel Core 2 Duo is the fastest gaming CPU in the market, doesn't mean that the Athlon X2 4600 is outdated or doesn't have the horsepower.

You said this I didnt

You still have a very powerful gaming CPU, go for the 8800GTX and forget about upgrade for a while,

In my opinion the above is bad advice

or wait and check what can ATi offers, you have an Athlon X2 4600+, not a lowly Pentium 4 3.0GHz!!

If his cpu bottlenecks an 8800 whats it gonna do with something faster?

After all there's too few games which can take advantage of Dual Core CPU's.

Again opinion, to you http://forumz.tomshardware.com/games/Dual-Core-supported-games-ftopict94969.html might be "too few" The link is a yr old and more come out every week , multicore isnt going away (also how is that a point? 4600x2 is dual core)

Given 2 Similiar systems with the same graphics card, one with a core 2 duo clocked to (x)ghz and one with a amd4600 . The core2 system will benchmark significantly higher.

This isnt speculation in almost every comparison there was a huge discrepency, if it isnt the cpu bottlenecking then why the difference in scores and fps?

Now I wouldnt go as far as calling what you wrote nonsense, I think its just opinion, While I offered facts (that I had not at the time substantiated). We dont accomplish anything by getting personal or tossing insults here.

http://enthusiast.hardocp.com/article.html?art=MTI2MiwxMCwsaGVudGh1c2lhc3Q=

http://www.tomshardware.com/2006/07/14/...2_duo_knocks_out_athlon_64/page12.html

In some cases the results are similiar but the fact remains that in almost every occasion the amd system is holding back the potential of the 8800

Those benchmarks are great and all but the first link only shows 1024x768 resolution which is useless for gamers and the second uses SLI 8800 GTX to take advantage of the Core 2 Duo. So as far as the OP is concerned, an 8800 GTS and X2 4600+ will give him a significant boost over his current video card. BTW I just "upgraded" from an X2 4400+@2.64 GHz to a Core 2 Duo@2.5 GHz and my fps gain was minimal.

 

[evolucion8]

Originally posted by: 5150Joker

Originally posted by: Wags1974

Originally posted by: evolucion8

Originally posted by: Wags1974
Your processor will be a bottleneck for either the gts or the gtx, I suggest the gts or a 1950xt.

Nonsense, May be the Intel Core 2 Duo is the fastest gaming CPU in the market, doesn't mean that the Athlon X2 4600 is outdated or doesn't have the horsepower.

You said this I didnt

You still have a very powerful gaming CPU, go for the 8800GTX and forget about upgrade for a while,

In my opinion the above is bad advice

or wait and check what can ATi offers, you have an Athlon X2 4600+, not a lowly Pentium 4 3.0GHz!!

If his cpu bottlenecks an 8800 whats it gonna do with something faster?

After all there's too few games which can take advantage of Dual Core CPU's.

Again opinion, to you http://forumz.tomshardware.com/games/Dual-Core-supported-games-ftopict94969.html might be "too few" The link is a yr old and more come out every week , multicore isnt going away (also how is that a point? 4600x2 is dual core)

Given 2 Similiar systems with the same graphics card, one with a core 2 duo clocked to (x)ghz and one with a amd4600 . The core2 system will benchmark significantly higher.

This isnt speculation in almost every comparison there was a huge discrepency, if it isnt the cpu bottlenecking then why the difference in scores and fps?

Now I wouldnt go as far as calling what you wrote nonsense, I think its just opinion, While I offered facts (that I had not at the time substantiated). We dont accomplish anything by getting personal or tossing insults here.

http://enthusiast.hardocp.com/article.html?art=MTI2MiwxMCwsaGVudGh1c2lhc3Q=

http://www.tomshardware.com/2006/07/14/...2_duo_knocks_out_athlon_64/page12.html

In some cases the results are similiar but the fact remains that in almost every occasion the amd system is holding back the potential of the 8800

Those benchmarks are great and all but the first link only shows 1024x768 resolution which is useless for gamers and the second uses SLI 8800 GTX to take advantage of the Core 2 Duo. So as far as the OP is concerned, an 8800 GTS and X2 4600+ will give him a significant boost over his current video card. BTW I just "upgraded" from an X2 4400+@2.64 GHz to a Core 2 Duo@2.5 GHz and my fps gain was minimal.

Kool, can you see it Wags1974, don't be so touchy, this is not a personal thing,
I don't have anything else to say about the performance numbers out there, next case please?

 

[Wags1974]

Originally posted by: evolucion8

Originally posted by: 5150Joker

Originally posted by: Wags1974

Originally posted by: evolucion8

Originally posted by: Wags1974
Your processor will be a bottleneck for either the gts or the gtx, I suggest the gts or a 1950xt.

Nonsense, May be the Intel Core 2 Duo is the fastest gaming CPU in the market, doesn't mean that the Athlon X2 4600 is outdated or doesn't have the horsepower.

You said this I didnt

You still have a very powerful gaming CPU, go for the 8800GTX and forget about upgrade for a while,

In my opinion the above is bad advice

or wait and check what can ATi offers, you have an Athlon X2 4600+, not a lowly Pentium 4 3.0GHz!!

If his cpu bottlenecks an 8800 whats it gonna do with something faster?

After all there's too few games which can take advantage of Dual Core CPU's.

Again opinion, to you http://forumz.tomshardware.com/games/Dual-Core-supported-games-ftopict94969.html might be "too few" The link is a yr old and more come out every week , multicore isnt going away (also how is that a point? 4600x2 is dual core)

Given 2 Similiar systems with the same graphics card, one with a core 2 duo clocked to (x)ghz and one with a amd4600 . The core2 system will benchmark significantly higher.

This isnt speculation in almost every comparison there was a huge discrepency, if it isnt the cpu bottlenecking then why the difference in scores and fps?

Now I wouldnt go as far as calling what you wrote nonsense, I think its just opinion, While I offered facts (that I had not at the time substantiated). We dont accomplish anything by getting personal or tossing insults here.

http://enthusiast.hardocp.com/article.html?art=MTI2MiwxMCwsaGVudGh1c2lhc3Q=

http://www.tomshardware.com/2006/07/14/...2_duo_knocks_out_athlon_64/page12.html

In some cases the results are similiar but the fact remains that in almost every occasion the amd system is holding back the potential of the 8800

Those benchmarks are great and all but the first link only shows 1024x768 resolution which is useless for gamers and the second uses SLI 8800 GTX to take advantage of the Core 2 Duo. So as far as the OP is concerned, an 8800 GTS and X2 4600+ will give him a significant boost over his current video card.

I am agreeing with this "significant boost" statement. "

BTW I just "upgraded" from an X2 4400+@2.64 GHz to a Core 2 Duo@2.5 GHz and my fps gain was minimal.

I have to agree that he will see an improvement. I have never claimed he wouldnt. My claim was that his processor is a bottleneck combined with a 8800gt(x). Whether that bottleneck be large or slight the fact remains.

Kool, can you see it Wags1974, don't be so touchy, this is not a personal thing,
I don't have anything else to say about the performance numbers out there, next case please?
I didnt take what you wrote as an insult, I just think its important if we are going to call what someone said "non-sense" we support that supposition with some fact

To me I look at it like the 8800gts is a race horse and with a amd4600x2 as a jockey the horse will just never see its full potential. Not saying it wont be an improvement over your current system OP. Just saying to take full advantage your gonna have to go core2 or wait for amd's new thing.

 

[CaiNaM]

Originally posted by: Wags1974

Originally posted by: evolucion8

Originally posted by: Wags1974
Your processor will be a bottleneck for either the gts or the gtx, I suggest the gts or a 1950xt.

Nonsense, May be the Intel Core 2 Duo is the fastest gaming CPU in the market, doesn't mean that the Athlon X2 4600 is outdated or doesn't have the horsepower.

You said this I didnt

You still have a very powerful gaming CPU, go for the 8800GTX and forget about upgrade for a while,

In my opinion the above is bad advice

or wait and check what can ATi offers, you have an Athlon X2 4600+, not a lowly Pentium 4 3.0GHz!!

If his cpu bottlenecks an 8800 whats it gonna do with something faster?

After all there's too few games which can take advantage of Dual Core CPU's.

Again opinion, to you http://forumz.tomshardware.com/games/Dual-Core-supported-games-ftopict94969.html might be "too few" The link is a yr old and more come out every week , multicore isnt going away (also how is that a point? 4600x2 is dual core)

Given 2 Similiar systems with the same graphics card, one with a core 2 duo clocked to (x)ghz and one with a amd4600 . The core2 system will benchmark significantly higher.

This isnt speculation in almost every comparison there was a huge discrepency, if it isnt the cpu bottlenecking then why the difference in scores and fps?

Now I wouldnt go as far as calling what you wrote nonsense, I think its just opinion, While I offered facts (that I had not at the time substantiated). We dont accomplish anything by getting personal or tossing insults here.

http://enthusiast.hardocp.com/article.html?art=MTI2MiwxMCwsaGVudGh1c2lhc3Q=

http://www.tomshardware.com/2006/07/14/...2_duo_knocks_out_athlon_64/page12.html

In some cases the results are similiar but the fact remains that in almost every occasion the amd system is holding back the potential of the 8800

lol.. only 2 games had any performance/iq advantages due to having the c2d, and that was @ 2560 res.

yes, c2d has a better architecture than x2, no doubt, but the reality is current games are holding back the c2d and the realworld advantages in today's games are minor. perhaps this will change with games released in the future, but that may take some time. right now with higher end dual core cpus (c2d or x2), the gpu has a far greater impact on gaming performance than the cpu.

 

[s44]

Not to mention, isn't it worth something to have a card that'll last you through your next CPU upgrade?

 

[Captante]

If you need to upgrade now & future performance is very important to you, I'd suggest springing for the 8800GTS 640mb or the GTX, however the best advice is to hang in there for another 1 to 1.5 months to see what happens when the R600 & mid-range Nvidia GPU's hit the market.

Also although you would see higher framerates with a faster CPU with either of those GPU's, the newer the game & the higher resolution/detail setting the less difference it will make until at roughly 1920x1200 with details on high the difference between a 4200+ at default & an E6800 @ 4ghz is roughly 5-10% maximum with a GTX & barely noticable with a 640mb GTS... the one worry you'll have is that your 370 watt PSU isn't going to cut it with either card & you'll need to replace it.

 

[Deadalus]

Thanks again guys... I didn't know I would start such a debate!

Captante, my PSU is 600w, not sure where the 370w figure came from, but thanks for the advice. I will definitely hang-on for the R600 to see what it delivers.