Recommend a video card plz

[Harncw]

make, manufacturer, even where to buy it...

Need a replacement video card...
I had geforce 8800GTS 640mb

My mobo is : http://www.gigabyte.us/Products/Moth...e=GA-G33M-DS2R

PCI Express x16

I run 2 monitors:

1650X1080 DVI
1280x1024 VGA

VISTA 32 4 mb ram

I would like a card that has a little room to grow but I doubt I would go much past 1900Xwhatever

DirectX10 support I guess is neccessary.

thanks for your input!

[Harncw]

ok help narrow down my search...
getting more info...


DDR2 because my mobo is DDR2... I guess

dont plan on SLI

really only play this game and watch videos (yeah videos really, no not those kinda videos)

I'm thinking nvidia because the drivers seem more stable less issues...

[dasungeheuer]

I recommend Tom's Hardware's "Best Graphics cards for the money" series. March edition is here: http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/...card,2569.html

If your 8800 still runs and you don't need DX11, I'd stick with it, btw.

What you'll do is match your target resolution to a card. 1900x1200 is what you say you're shooting for. What you're looking for is something that has "Great 1900x1200 performance". DX11 is an option if you want that eye-candy when DDO adds it.

Your motherboard memory doesn't matter to the graphics card, btw.

The ATI 5770 would be an option there, at around $160. ATI has gotten much better with driver support lately, though after seeing the "ATI and DDO" thread in this here forum, I understand your reluctance.

NVidia is about to release their high-end DX11 cards, which means we'll see some price drops soon, though it may not trickle down to the mid range until much later this year, when NVidia starts competing in the DX11 mid range.

Avoid the 5830 like the plague, btw. Overpriced and underpowered. Barely faster than a 5770, sadly, yet much more expensive.

The next step up is a 5850, which is an expensive card indeed, around $320. If you're playing in that league, then you can wait until April 6th and take a look at the NVidia 470GTX, which will be out then, and have an MSRP of $350.

I don't know what to recommend from NVidia in the mid-range. They have a lot of renamed parts that are basically your 8800 in disguise, such as the 9800 and the GTS250. If you just need an inexpensive card to tide you over until there's true competition in the DX11 mid-range, I'd recommend picking up a 9800GT on EBay for $40-50. That's essentially your 8800, just renamed and possibly shrunk to 55nm (depending on exact card). It'll run DDO at 1680x1050 at maximum detail settings, and do so fluidly. When you're ready to go 1900x1200, look around at what the graphics card market does then.

Buying a card now to play DDO exclusively and not have it support DX11 when DDO will gain DX11 features this year seems to me to be giving up on potential eye candy. One can always use more eye candy. At the same time, paying $350 for a graphics card is crazy talk. You can get (almost) two current-gen consoles for that kind of money.

[Harncw]

Thx for the advice.

The 8800GTS in question is dead, I got another one in my box at the office as well,
After giving this some thought I will yank that and take it home, as my home rig is slightly better than my office. (monitors are larger, cpu and memory specs are slightly better too)

Called EVGA and everything, they will fix/replace it, but only if I was the original buyer (I got it off or craiglist and am trying to contact the original buyer to say hey it's here they will fix it if you contact them)

I went to best buy and picked up a 9400GT which was like 95$, well at least it let me play last night...
I'm now gonna return that as it sux and was way overpriced it looks like... after whatever I order from newegg comes in.

I really want this: (50 bucks!!@#!@)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814143118
But don't want to wait 2 weeks to maybe get a shot at ordering one...

May just pony up and buy this one instead: (85$)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814133246

Or should really just go cheaper (this is a recession after all and hardware is not really much of an investment it all ends up breaking at somepoint anyway)

[Missing_Minds]

The ATI 5770 would be an option there, at around $160. ATI has gotten much better with driver support lately, though after seeing the "ATI and DDO" thread in this here forum, I understand your reluctance.

I've been using a 4890 for about a year and NONE of the issues people were talking about. *shrug*

[Eladiun]

Look at www.pricewatch.com for card deals... What do you do at the office that requires a high end 3D card?

[Harncw]

What do you do at the office that requires a high end 3D card?

play DDO!?!?

ok well sometimes at least

[Harncw]

I've been using a 4890 for about a year and NONE of the issues people were talking about. *shrug*

I just dont trust ATI... drivers, heat etc. my understanding is that it's a mess.
I would rather just stick with NVidia that I know and trust.
By stikcing with nvidia it is easier for me to compare apples as well.

Me looking to spend between 50-100$ has me thinking so far that Nvidia has the better prices... (but what the heck do I really know!)
EDIT: that isnt correct it seems after looking at Tom's Hardware's "Best Graphics cards for the money" series ATI is cheaper... but I still dont trust them.

I cant seem to find any 9800GT around 50$ though more like 75-100

[dasungeheuer]

I cant seem to find any 9800GT around 50$ though more like 75-100

New, you're right. Used is the ticket: http://shop.ebay.com/?_from=R40&_trk...All-Categories

As far as trust goes: Look up "Bumpgate". That's what killed your existing 8800, dollars to donuts. It's what killed my 8800. I was lucky in that I could get an RMA, though it took 2.5 months to get it all straightened out. Now I'm on a 9800GT and playing again.

I think on balance, ATI and NVidia make equally good cards. ATI has been ahead of NVidia lately in the price-to-performance ratio, mainly because NVidia is delayed with their next-gen parts. When the 8800 series was still new, it was the other way around. It'll flip again, no doubt.

That's really interesting about EVGA. You are right, they require "copy of the invoice" and "registration within 30 days from purchase". Warranty handling from company to company is so varied that I think with my next GPU purchase, I'm going to make warranty my #1 factor in choosing a vendor to buy from.

[Harncw]

"Bumpgate"

Yeah it failed while I was trying to add a video capture card (hence powering on and off the PC a number of times that the video card failed)

I'm gonna try to avoid a used card just like you warranty seems to be a very large issue.
EVGA's limited lifetime warranty seems nice, maybe even worth the premium that EVGA seems to garner

seems like most of the big boys are offering relatively stout warranties as long as you jump through their loops:
http://www.evga.com/support/warranty/
http://www.bfgtech.com/warranty.aspx
http://www.xfxforce.com/en-us/Help/S...formation.aspx

[Harncw]

to put this thread to bed... I went with:
PNY VCG98GTXPXPB GeForce 9800 GTX+ 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814133246

($84.99 after $30.00 Mail-In Rebate)
Free Shipping

[dasungeheuer]

to put this thread to bed... I went with:
PNY VCG98GTXPXPB GeForce 9800 GTX+

Cool. Make sure to register it, so you get the full 3 years warranty - otherwise it's only 1 year.

I've created an overview of warranty terms by what seem to be the major manufacturers in the US. Might come in handy for others when they comparison-shop: http://yorickdowne.wordpress.com/201...raphics-cards/