So I think I already need to upgrade my 9600 GT :(

[kyzen]

I got a 9600 GT, one of the 700mhz OC'd ones, for about $200 recently. Unfortunately I wasn't thinking about the fact that I run games at 1920x1200. I've been playing Neverwinter Nights 2 lately, and I still can't run it anywher near max settings at my native resolution without horrendous slowdowns

Is it worth it to upgrade now, or should I hold off for the next big thing?

 

[Jax Omen]

hold off for the next big thing.

 

[IL2SturmovikPilot]

Neverwinter Nights 2 is Poorly Optimized,not even Quad-SLIed 9800GX2's can max it.

 

[ajaidevsingh]

I dont thing even the "next big thing" can run NN2 at 1920x1200... The game suffers lot of problems when i come's to performance at high resolution!!!

 

[jordanclock]

NWN2 is ridiculous. I have a HD3850 512MB and I run games at 1280x1024. NWN2 is one of the very few games that it ever has problems with, and it's not even consistent with that. Sometimes I can run everything maxed. But then another time, I'll start up the game and run through the same area again, but I'll get single digit FPS. Without rebooting, I've opened other games: Nothing skips a beat. Runs perfectly normal. The game is just a great example of poor design. Even Jade Empire has similar issues: Why should a game that was originally on the Xbox at a lower frame rate than UT3 at the same resolution and everything turned up?

Using NWN2 as a basis for why your purchase was a bad decision is a very poor metric. Buying NWN2 itself was probably the actual bad decision.

 

[Schadenfroh]

NWN2 is a good game, I am one chapter into NWN2's expansion pack and it is an even better game. The trick with NWN2 is shadows. Disable ALL shadows and your performance will greatly increase. I am running max on everything else (except for FSAA and shadows being completely off) @ 1600 x 1200 and the frame rate is acceptable on my x1950 Pro 512mb / Athlon64 4000.

Be sure you are running the latest patch for NWN2, they help the performance.

 

[error8]

Yes, don't upgrade your videocard just because of one game that is poorly optimized too.

 

[taltamir]

Originally posted by: kyzen
I got a 9600 GT, one of the 700mhz OC'd ones, for about $200 recently. Unfortunately I wasn't thinking about the fact that I run games at 1920x1200. I've been playing Neverwinter Nights 2 lately, and I still can't run it anywher near max settings at my native resolution without horrendous slowdowns

Is it worth it to upgrade now, or should I hold off for the next big thing?

How can you even stomach the load times on NWN2 at max settings? I play on the lowest graphical settings because it reduces the level load time (every 3-5 minutes when you switch zones). Which are a poorly optimized single thread extraction of a 300+MB compressed file (bigger files for higher settings).

Anyways, nothing can max NWN2 because it is too buggy, at least the fixed the infiniate loop bug in 8800 cards when using shiny water... that would give you under 5fps... but there are other bugs and issues they need to resolve before the game is playable at high graphic settings. which they probably never will solve.

 

[Buck Armstrong]

Don't listen to these guys.

I just finished Crysis and Call of Juarez on an 8800GTS 512, and trust me, NWN aside, you need a fast card to play anything relatively recent at 1920x1200. COD4 performed surprisingly well at max settings, but everything else has required a bit of tweaking to play at that res at max settings.

In Crysis, I had to settle for everything on High at 1920x1200, but it was still the most beautiful thing I've ever seen...

 

[Jax Omen]

The point was, he's got a fast card. The 9600GT will max out most DX9 games at 1920x1200. The only games it won't, it'll still run very nicely at 1920x1200. The only exceptions are games like NWN2 that are just optimized like crap.

It's not worth the money to upgrade right now if you're already that far up the food chain, wait for the next gen cards.

 

[Jakeisbest]

I say if you have the mobo to support it just pick up another 9600. They are getting so cheap now days! If you can get a second 9600 for $150 I would for sure run SLI. If you can't find another 9600 to SLI with yours just wait. Supposedly Nvidia is just holding its next gen card until AMD catches up, and again supposedly AMD is ahead of schedule with its next card. I am hoping to see them late may or early june.

 

[Dream Operator]

Same boat as you!! I recently picked up a 42" 1080p plasma. I then bought a 9600GT. Not too many games can be played at 1920x1080 with that card. Audiosurf, HL2 and Flatout 2 come to mind. 1600x900 for most others. I picked up another 9600GT, which should hit the spot until GT200. Except that my mobo won't post after adding the card, but that's a whole different topic!

If you're hurting for performance now, SLI if you can or sell the 9600GT and grab the 8800GTS 512MB or similar. If you can can hang for now, GT200 is probably a better way to spend your dough.