Need help on vid card

[argoldst]

Well, I just got my new viewsonic vp912b (love it with a native screen of 1280 x 1024) but can't run my games well enough on the vid card I have (ati 9800 pro).

My current system is amd 3400 (64), 1 gig memory, 2 72gig raptor drives, 530 power supply gigabyte k8n pro mb... etc. Its a decent system.

However, my ati just doesn't cut it.

Currently I have AGP with a good posibilty I will probaly upgrade my system in about 6-8 months.

What should I do? I know pci e is new and probally will be in my next system (hence making my $500 vid card I buy now worthless). AM I wrong to assume this?

So, the question is, do I upgrade cpu/mb now to get pci and then buy new vid card (which seems like a waste because amd 3400 is not bad) or do I just buy new agp card?

I want a top of the line card. I play a lot of bf vietnam and will probaly play a lot of bf2 when it comes out. (i'm in a clan so I do not play many games outside that although I did get farcry and doom 3 and might get half life2).

I cannot go 6-8 months playing at such poor framerates.

I was looking at x800xt platinum, 6800 ultra oc and ultra extreme. Any other thoughts? Please give manufacturer also (since you guys problaly know the good ones).

Finally, and probaly most important, if you know, please let me know a good place to buy it that has it in stock (seems like the only ones that do are raping us on price).

Thanks in advance for all your help! 😀

 

[McArra]

Buy a new AGP card, AGP will be with us a year or 2 more. Go with a 6800GT (I like ASUS, just great manufacturer) and enjoy.

 

[argoldst]

Thanks for the reply. I heard (not sure if it is true) that nvida does extremely poor with battlefield vietnam. Is there any truth to this?

 

[McArra]

No, they aren't as good as X800series but they play it fairly well. Look

 

[knyghtbyte]

any of the new generation cards will run significantly faster than your 9800Pro, i had a 9800XT and my Dell 6800 GTO makes it look like a Voodoo3.....lol

get a GT, o/c it a bit, cheaper than an ultra and more available.

or get an X800Pro and o/c it....mind u, some X800Xts are getting fairly cheap now...

 

[SneakyStuff]

Originally posted by: argoldst
Thanks for the reply. I heard (not sure if it is true) that nvida does extremely poor with battlefield vietnam. Is there any truth to this?

They obviously run it, but ATI does better in some games, and nVidia does better in others, it's all about finding your "golden mean" so to speak. I just switched over to ATI a little while ago, and I really like it, it's just something different. If I were you though i'd be looking into a 6800 GT. That seems to be the best bang for the buck high end card right now. HERE is a pretty good one, for a pretty good price. BFV benchies, FarCry benchies

 

[McArra]

Originally posted by: SneakyStuff

Originally posted by: argoldst
Thanks for the reply. I heard (not sure if it is true) that nvida does extremely poor with battlefield vietnam. Is there any truth to this?

They obviously run it, but ATI does better in some games, and nVidia does better in others, it's all about finding your "golden mean" so to speak. I just switched over to ATI a little while ago, and I really like it, it's just something different. If I were you though i'd be looking into a 6800 GT. That seems to be the best bang for the buck high end card right now. HERE is a pretty good one, for a pretty good price. BFV benchies, FarCry benchies

Using my link Sneaky?? 😛

 

[argoldst]

Thanks everyone.. you have all been VERY helpful.

Should I stay with BFG to get the lifetime warrenty or spend a little less and get the evga?

Oh and last thing, should I spring for the oc model? Apparnetly you can overclock it to 6800 ultra? Is it worth the few extra bucks?
Thoughts?

 

[argoldst]

Anyone??? is the gt oc worth $40 more?

Also, evga or BFG?

 

[SneakyStuff]

Originally posted by: McArra

Originally posted by: SneakyStuff

Originally posted by: argoldst
Thanks for the reply. I heard (not sure if it is true) that nvida does extremely poor with battlefield vietnam. Is there any truth to this?

They obviously run it, but ATI does better in some games, and nVidia does better in others, it's all about finding your "golden mean" so to speak. I just switched over to ATI a little while ago, and I really like it, it's just something different. If I were you though i'd be looking into a 6800 GT. That seems to be the best bang for the buck high end card right now. HERE is a pretty good one, for a pretty good price. BFV benchies, FarCry benchies

Using my link Sneaky?? 😛

haha whoops, I guess it'd help if i read the post before posting benchmarks huh 😱 well he gets to see it twice now 😛

 

[nitromullet]

Originally posted by: argoldst
Anyone??? is the gt oc worth $40 more?

Also, evga or BFG?

Generally, both the BFG and eVGA GT's will OC to 400/1000, but your warrantee would be voided in either case. So, I'd opt for the cheaper one and replace the stock cooling with an NV5 Silencer.