Should I buy a $250 card right now? (no directx 10)

[Imdmn04]

I don't really feel like paying 450 for a directx10 card. Yet I don't want to end up upgrading in a few month when Vista comes out.

Are non-directx10 vid cards gonna work for a while (like at least a year or two from now)?

 

[Arkaign]

Well, yes .. but I think you will end up in the same boat as people with nice DX8 cards (like the ti4x00 series a few years back), not being able to look at games like Far Cry in full DX9 glory.

How bad is your current card? What kind of monitor do you have? I am tempted to recommend either waiting altogether, or getting a budget card to hold you over until 4-6 months down the line when DX10 isn't a bank breaker.

 

[A5]

Depends on how often you upgrade cards. If you upgrade yearly (or more often than that), then just get one now - there will be 0 DX10 games this time next year (Crysis is not DX10, before anyone says it). If you hold on to cards for a long time, then wait until Feb-March, when rumor says the mid-range DX10 is coming.

 

[happy medium]

Your system rig says 9700 pro? The best upgrade for that system is a x1950 pro agp comming out in a week or so.

 

[Imdmn04]

Originally posted by: happy medium
Your system rig says 9700 pro? The best upgrade for that system is a x1950 pro agp comming out in a week or so.

I am building a new system from scratch.

I come from the AthlonXP/9700 Pro generation, I haven't upgraded for nearly 4 years.

 

[happy medium]

What's your new system gonna look like? What kind of resolutions do you play at or gonna play at. Unless you going to play at over 1600x 1200 just buy a 1950XT for 269.00$$. It's the 2nd fastest single direct x 9 GPU out there and at a real good price. Should last you till the 8800gtx (8900gtx) refresh,which will lower power consumtion and heat and be a little quicker and cheaper.

 

[Machine350]

I'm curious about this cause I'm in the exact same boat with a 6800. I certainly will not pay $450 for a GTS, too much for me. But I wonder if it would be a waste to go with a 7900 series now considering the midrange 8 series should be out soon. Maybe go EVGA and hope the midrange cards come out within the next 90 days and step up?

 

[theprodigalrebel]

If you are the type that upgrades once in a few years, might as well wait and get something that will not make you go, "Damn, should have waited just a little bit more". I'm guessing it will be a LOOOOOOONG time before DirectX 11 - might as well get something that will still be current and with-the-times.

 

[winste]

Will a P4 3.4 processor be enough to handle DirectX 11? Thats what I have and will have for about 2 years. I'm trying to decide between a 7900 GS OC or a 7950 GT. There's about $100 difference but if I'm going to have problems running DirectX11 and am going to have to scrap the whole system, I'll save the money.

 

[Dribble]

Originally posted by: winste
Will a P4 3.4 processor be enough to handle DirectX 11? Thats what I have and will have for about 2 years. I'm trying to decide between a 7900 GS OC or a 7950 GT. There's about $100 difference but if I'm going to have problems running DirectX11 and am going to have to scrap the whole system, I'll save the money.

1) a 7900/7950 is a DX9 card. The only DX10 cards are the 8800's. DX11 doesn't exist yet.
2) a single core P4 will not have the grunt to play next years games well, they will probably want a dual core A64 or better.

 

[winste]

Thanks Dribble. I got my DX versions mixed.

 

[Hauk]

Yea, if you can hold off another month, there's a $299.00 (8800series) DX10 mid-range due out before Christmas. That's all I can offer ya right now...

 

[tuteja1986]

If you can hold out till late jan ;*( then you will see a price war when R600 come out.

 

[Ranulf]

Meh. I'm tired of waiting to build my new system. I'm not keen to pay for a 8800 gts but I doubt I would be upgrading for at least two years if I got one. I currently game at 1280x1024 but I will be going with a 1600x1200 20'' widescreen within the next 6 months. Just can't decide myself if I want to fork over the cash for a 8800 or just get a 7950 (or a 1950xt). I don't play a lot of fps games but most of my current stuff is taxing my system. Supreme Commander/NWN2/CoH are not gonna look good on a 6600 but should be fine on a 7950. Will a 7950 etc. run WoW and those games at 1600x1200 ok?

 

[Arkaign]

Originally posted by: Ranulf
Meh. I'm tired of waiting to build my new system. I'm not keen to pay for a 8800 gts but I doubt I would be upgrading for at least two years if I got one. I currently game at 1280x1024 but I will be going with a 1600x1200 20'' widescreen within the next 6 months. Just can't decide myself if I want to fork over the cash for a 8800 or just get a 7950 (or a 1950xt). I don't play a lot of fps games but most of my current stuff is taxing my system. Supreme Commander/NWN2/CoH are not gonna look good on a 6600 but should be fine on a 7950. Will a 7950 etc. run WoW and those games at 1600x1200 ok?

1600x1200 is a 4x3 resolution.

your 20"+ Widescreens will be most likely 1600x1050

Look into the budget 1950 card, can't name it right now, but it should definitely hold you over for a $200ish cost, and play 1280x1024 and 1600x1050 REALLY WELL. Then next year you can probably grab a DX10 refresh midrange performance part for $200ish that will bring you into full speed, and you can recoup $100+ from the 1950.

Cheers :beer:

 

[ronnn]

I would wait for the dx10 games, to find out if current cards can actually play them. Mind you likely a 2 year wait before we see dx10 really used. Should be a crop of dx9 games that use some dx10 coding, with a bit of fancy fog or whatever. In other words, best to buy for todays games.

 

[Ranulf]

Originally posted by: Arkaign


1600x1200 is a 4x3 resolution.

your 20"+ Widescreens will be most likely 1600x1050

Look into the budget 1950 card, can't name it right now, but it should definitely hold you over for a $200ish cost, and play 1280x1024 and 1600x1050 REALLY WELL. Then next year you can probably grab a DX10 refresh midrange performance part for $200ish that will bring you into full speed, and you can recoup $100+ from the 1950.

Cheers :beer:

Yeah, I'm leaning towards the ati or 7950 (silent xfx version is tempting) and duh on the resolution heh.

Side question, would a 20'' widescreen scale better with lower resolutions than a 19'' at 1440x900?

 

[hans007]

isnt there going to be a an 8600 type card in february or so?

also there will be dx10 games next year. eve online's dx10 renderer is supposed toc ome out in the spring.

you probably might want to just hold out until then with whatever you have. i personally am waiting for the 8600 type cards and am going to use integrated video until then (and just play xbox 360 games in the meantime).

 

[Arkaign]

Originally posted by: Ranulf

Originally posted by: Arkaign


1600x1200 is a 4x3 resolution.

your 20"+ Widescreens will be most likely 1600x1050

Look into the budget 1950 card, can't name it right now, but it should definitely hold you over for a $200ish cost, and play 1280x1024 and 1600x1050 REALLY WELL. Then next year you can probably grab a DX10 refresh midrange performance part for $200ish that will bring you into full speed, and you can recoup $100+ from the 1950.

Cheers :beer:

Yeah, I'm leaning towards the ati or 7950 (silent xfx version is tempting) and duh on the resolution heh.

Side question, would a 20'' widescreen scale better with lower resolutions than a 19'' at 1440x900?

The short answer is yes. Almost all of the time the higher pixel count helps in making the interpolation of the lower resolution appear more natural. Some brands and models of the same native resolution do a better job of this interpolation, however, due to a number of other factors. I have a 19" 1440x900 Viewsonic monitor that is excellent at displaying lower resolutions (however 4:3 still looks stretched on the widescreen), and also a 19" Proview 1440x900 that is horrible at the exact same non-native resolutions.

Any of the current 1650x1050 20-22" Panels will look amazing with almost anything you throw at them, the technology has come a very long way in the past 3 years. With the 19" 1440x900, you can get burned with some of the off-brands. I recommend the Viewsonic Q19WB (under $200), or the Samsung 941BW ($215ish), both great 19 wides. Or if you have the cash, you won't buying the Samsung 225BW @ $379.

 

[Ranulf]

Thanks for the info Arkaign. The 225BW and the 205BW look pretty good.

 

[littlezipp]

I was in the same boat as you, I went with a 7900GS and won't look back till March for 2nd generation DX10.