What video card to get for gaming at 1900x1200

[nobodyknows]

Originally posted by: keysplayr2003

Originally posted by: nobodyknows

Originally posted by: Jester666

What do you think you should spend if you want to game at 1900x1200?

Since I have a Crossfire motherboard, if I had the bucks to blow I'd get the 4870 with 1 gig, but there $220 right now. Then I could pair it with another one next year.

But if I get the 9800GTX+ for $140 now that would get me by and I might be able to purchase 2 4870's with 1 gig in a year?

From the limited amount of reading I've done another possibility would be to pair the 9800GTX+ with a physics card and it might even be possible to get a 4870 as the main card and use the 9800GTX+ as a physics card??

Right now I have time to game for another 3 months so I want to get the most bang for the buck I can.

Since i haven't ordered a card yet I'm also considering what might be around for sales after Xmas?

Whoa, whoa whoaaaaa.... Dude, you are all over the map. I don't know what site you've been reading to get this information. If it's here on AT, please link to the thread so that we may commence massive spankage!!

LOL, I read an article over at guru3d I think?

At any rate:

At 1920x1200, I wouldn't recommend anything less than a GTX260 (192 or 216 shader) or a 4870 1GB.

Then you suggest you can't afford 220 for a card right now, but you'd buy a 9800GTX+ Plus a PhysX card. And then maybe later on, get a 48701GB and pair it up with the 9800GTX+ and use it for PhysX. Slow down a bit. First of all, as of right now, you cannot pair up a ATI card with a Nvidia card for PhysX. Only one driver allowed if using Vista.

I wasn't too clear, but I was talking about the possibilities a year down the road. For now I just need to get a card and get my system running.

You have a Crossfire mobo. It would make more sense for you to go with the 4870 1GB if you plan to go multicard later.

Yeah, I know, that's the route that leaves me with the most options on the table. It's definitely worth the chips if you have the chips to burn.

 

[yh125d]

Originally posted by: nobodyknows

Originally posted by: yh125d

Originally posted by: nobodyknows

Originally posted by: nosfe
for FSX nvidia cards rule so get a GTX 260 c216, preferably the 55nm version that should pop up any time now(if it hasn't already)

According to what I could glean from Tom'sHardware the 9800GTX+ actually had higher fps then the 4870 or the 260, although I;m sure that was the c192 version.

The particular 9800GTX+ I'm looking at is the Asus Darknight version and is locked to 740 core 1826 shader and 2200 mem. I found two reviews for it and both of them easily overclocked the core to 840 and the shader to 1926. Neither of then were able to OC the memory at all.

That sounds like a pretty good card for FSX.

I wouldn't necessarily trust that toms hardware benchmark. I can think of no conceivable reason why a single 9800GTX+ would outperform SLI GTX280's in ANY game

I'm fairly certain a GTX260(even the 192 shader version) would spank a 9800GTX+

I didn't say anything about SLI or about a 280. I said that the 9800GTX+ beat the 4870 and the 260 in Microsoft Flight Sim X according to the charts at Tom'sHardware.

I find it hard to believe also, that's why I'm asking questions.

I know you didn't mention a 280 or SLI, but the point I was trying to make was that in that benchmark, a 9800GTX+ "beat" SLI 280's, which makes no sense to me. Therefore, that benchmark seems pretty inaccurate, so you might nto want to base your purchase off of it

 

[nobodyknows]

http://www.tomshardware.com/ch...mulator-X-SP2,785.html

Check it out yourself. That 9800GFX+ card seems to be a pretty good card for $40 less then the 4870 and $20 more then the 4850. It uses less power and is cooler too.

One thing I've found in my reading is that FSX is heavily CPU dependant and I should have purchased a quad core CPU. One guy upgraded his CPU from dual core to quad core and he tested both cpu's at 2.8, 3.0, 3.2, 3.4, qnd 3.6GHz. and he said frames per second scaled 1:1 with speed and the quad core was giving him up to 80% improvment in frames per second.

 

[mentalcrisis00]

I wasn't too clear, but I was talking about the possibilities a year down the road. For now I just need to get a card and get my system running.

I'd say if you want to plan for the future, spend the money NOW to get the top of the line card and LATER you won't have to pay extra bucks. The 4870 will give you the mileage you need to plan ahead for when you get a quad core, and at that point you'll already have the video card to match performance... Does that make any sense lol?

And about the physx, nvidia recently bought Ageia i think? And so all the new cards have integrated physx technology from what I've heard, at least my nvidia drivers for my 9800gt come packed with the physx software. So you graphics card acts as the physx processor also, and frankly there aren't many games yet that take full benefit from the physx engine, at least not that I'm aware. There is a freeware game out there that people use to demonstrate the technology.

Seeming you have a crossfire board you could buy another 4870 down the road when they get cheaper.

Finally, it's your money not ours. We can only offer opinions but you have to make the decision in the end.

 

[zerocool84]

See if you can sell your E8400 and get a quad. FSX loves quads.

 

[AndroidVageta]

I've read all over the internet that the ATi HD 4780 is the way to go. Faster than the Nvidia GTX 260 and 9800GTX, even faster than the GTX 280 in some benchmarks. And plus since you already have Crossfire your future proof!

http://www.tomshardware.com/re...deon-hd-4870,1964.html
http://www.techspot.com/review...rsus-radeon-4850-4870/

In these benchmarks you can see that the 4870 is faster than the GTX 260 in most games, being able to beat even the GTX 280 in some games!

Realistically though, both the 9800GTX, 4780, and GTX 260 are sick cards that can handle any game thrown at them. Just with your current hardware and needs, the 4780 is the way to go followed by the GTX 260. Avoid the 9800GTX if you can because although fast, you can find the latter 2 cards for roughly the same price.

 

[MalVeauX]

Heya,

You have a crossfire motherboard and you want to spend about $200 for a graphical gaming setup that can play 1900x1200 and actually use the system you've built. There is a clear answer here: two HD4830's in Crossfire. Cheap, extremely effective for their cost, and will game in ALL games at that resolution quite well.

Very best,

 

[AndroidVageta]

http://www.digital-daily.com/v...eon_hd_4870/index2.htm

MY GOD HE'S RIGHT!

However...even at its cheapest your looking at roughly $110-$120 a card, so $225+ for both. OR $200 for a 4870 albeit its a tad slower, but buying one card now means you can add another later. And honestly, a single 4870 is more than enough to play any game at max or near there settings with high resolutions.

Basic math:
2 x 4730 = faster than 4780 and more expensive
4870 = slightly slower than 2 x 4730 yet cheaper
2 x 4870 (later down the road) = blows socks off 2 x 4830 and more cost effective (how much you think a 4780 will be 4 months from now? ~$125)

In the end however, if you are one that upgrades your video card every 6 months making whatever decision you choose now meaningless so soon down the road, then the Crossfire 4730's without question are the way to go for the price/performance ratio.

 

[mentalcrisis00]

how bout an asus 4850 for $119 after rebates, buy one now and one for probably $20 cheaper a few months from now.

Asus 4850 512MB - $119 after rebate

The 4850 is SLIGHTLY faster than the 4830, but still it's basically the same price after rebates and you get a tad more performance. I bet two 4850's would blow away one 4870.

I think the 4830's are $90 on newegg now but they're in thin supply. ATI is probably phasing out the 4830's to make way for their new cards next year.

HIS 4830 - $89 after rebate

 

[bryanW1995]

Originally posted by: TidusZ

Originally posted by: aclim
you say that you cant justify spending $200 on a vid card when you bought DDR3 RAM that is a complete waste on that 775 tech??? That doesnt make any sense. You should have went DDR2, saved yourself money and got a a better vid card.

This man speaks truths. And as for that $120 figure for 4gb ddr3-1333 and an x48 motherboard, did you buy it from a guy outside or in a store? It might be stolen.

:laugh:

skt 775 is dead. everything on it should be cheap, and he could have gotten 1066 ddr3.

 

[AndroidVageta]

S775 is dying...I wouldn't say DEAD quite yet. I can see S775 being like Socket A with the Athlon XP's...being used for years passed due.

 

[Tempered81]

775 will live on considering the best chip for 1366 out for the next 15 months is the 965 XE

 

[vj8usa]

I wouldn't go with dual 4830s (or even 4850s) for gaming at 1920 and up - you'll fill up your framebuffer pretty quickly in some games.