What video card for Fallout 3?

[aceshigh23]

I'm building a new system and the number one new game I'm wanting to make sure looks great is Fallout 3, which I believe is built off the same engine that Oblivion used. So, what video card(s) should I put in the system? If it's relevant, I'm going with a Q9550, 4 GB system and already have a 24" 1920x1200 monitor.

Mostly, I'm trying to decide between a 4870x2, 260 SLI, or a single 280. Cost isn't a factor, but I'd prefer it quiet. The 1950xt in my current system sounds like a dustbuster under load, and I hate that.

 

[BenSkywalker]

Hard to say before we see the game, I assume you already have a SLI mobo? If so, I would lean towards the 260 SLI setup, it's cheaper then the other two and in terms of performance per dollar I would imagine it would spank either of them. That is simply a guess based on general performance trends, particularly when looking at Oblivion.

 

[derdrache]

Here's part of your answer.

If you have sensitive hearing you may want to look the other way instead of buying this card. While it is not s loud as the GTX 280 cards we have had in our possession, the HD4870 X2 does make its presence known if your game audio isn?t turned up to medium. It isn?t an annoying sound but it is rather a loud ?whoosh? which is accompanied by a blast of hot air. Since the air within the heatsink needs to move over two separate fin assemblies while maintaining its speed, the single fan naturally has to spin up to some pretty high RPMs. If you have a case with a perforated side panel (the Gigabyte Aurora 570 I use is a perfect example of this) you may want to think about blocking it off if you insist on absolute silence.

From: Here

And here is my recommendation which is the GTX260 core 216 Card (the second revision of them with more cores). Heck, they even mention that it is no where near the sound of a Dust Buster =P.

Coupled with quite good temperatures, this card did not noticeably ramp up its fan speed throughout testing so it did not become overly loud at all. This is quite unlike the GTX 280 cards we have tested in the past whose fan speed profile was more akin to a Dust Buster than a graphics card. There were the occasional ?blip? now and then when the fan did increase for a short period of time but it was not enough for the sound to carry above the rest of the fans in the case.

Source: Same site as above. different page.

 

[Compddd]

GTX 280 with a Thermalright HR-03 GTX heatsink and Scythe Slipstream 120MM fan on it. You won't have to worry about noise at all.

 

[udneekgnim]

I don't know if this has changed with the latest generation of video cards, but didn't ATI's 38XX series cards beat out Nvidia's 8 and 9 series cards in Oblivion? I think it was really the only game ATI's 38XX series beat out Nvidia's, but the trend might be the same with the 48XX series versus Nvidia's 260s and 280s.

might be something to look into or think about if you're looking into best performance

 

[myocardia]

Originally posted by: udneekgnim
I don't know if this has changed with the latest generation of video cards, but didn't ATI's 38XX series cards beat out Nvidia's 8 and 9 series cards in Oblivion? I think it was really the only game ATI's 38XX series beat out Nvidia's, but the trend might be the same with the 48XX series versus Nvidia's 260s and 280s.

might be something to look into or think about if you're looking into best performance

If you're looking for the best performance in Oblivion, look no farther than the GTX series, as has already been mentioned in this thread.

 

[taltamir]

by the time fallout3 actually arrives you might be comparing the HD 5800 to the GTX380...
So don't upgrade for games you can't actually buy.

if you are building the system right now anyways... get a generally good card, with a good bang / buck.

And focus on the CPU, as the oblivion engine is very CPU hungry.

 

[myocardia]

Originally posted by: taltamir
by the time fallout3 actually arrives you might be comparing the HD 5800 to the GTX380...
So don't upgrade for games you can't actually buy.

if you are building the system right now anyways... get a generally good card, with a good bang / buck.

And focus on the CPU, as the oblivion engine is very CPU hungry.

October 28th isn't very far away, man. I agree with what you're saying, though, especially since the game is about to be released. In a week, there will be reviews, showing how it performs with the different cards. I say wait until you've read a few reviews, before deciding on which card is better for you.

 

[Tempered81]

Originally posted by: myocardia
wait until you've read a few reviews, before deciding on which card is better for you.

 

[taltamir]

oh sweet, only 8 days. well, in that case it would not be a GTX380 vs HD5800 , but it will be best to see reviews as you said.