Top-End Video Cards

[PrISM506]

I've been trying to put together a new build and the video card option is driving me crazy. I'm about to hire a monkey with a dartboard and let HIM pick one for me. Originally I was going with 7900GTs in SLI, but the more I read and shop around, the more options I find. My absolute limit is $600 and I'd need a good arm twisting to spend that.

The options so far:
-7900GTs in SLI which can be had from $500-600 depending on manufacturer
-7900GTX...however an X1900XT(X) would be the better performer**
-7950GX2 which would be absolute best performer here and the most expensive**
-X1900XT is the cheapest of all the options and can be OCed to XTX speeds
-X1900XTX which is similar in price to the 7900GTX but performs better**

It should also be noted that a friend of mine is willing to sell me his Sapphire X1900XTX for $410.

** Please correct me on any of these. It's just what I've come up with so far and I could be wrong.

I don't need ZOMG TEH FASTEST EVAR card for this rig, but I do want high-end performance for a reasonable price. I want to be able to play current games like Oblivion, HL2 with the new episodes and AoE3 and still be able to run future games like Crysis, Huxley, Battlefield 2142 and Quake Wars without choking.

So can someone save me from this madness?

 

[Rage187]

7950GX2

 

[Ichigo]

7900GT > 7950GX2

 

[morgash]

7900gt's in SLI would actually perform better than anything on that list if ya voltmodded em and then ran em in SLI, effectively be runnin 2 7900gtx's or better. if ya dont feel like that get the 7950gx2.

Morgash

BTW the x1900xt/x would also put ya in greta stead. hell randomly pick one off that list and i promise u wont be dissapointed.

 

[Sunrise089]

-X1900XT is the cheapest of all the options and can be OCed to XTX speeds

 

[fierydemise]

X1900XT(X) for the IQ, if you play oblivion HDR+AA is great as is HQAF, but I doubt you'll be upset with any of those choices.

 

[Malfeas]

I was in the same predicament until this morning. I have an asrock 939dual-sata with a 6800gt. I was looking to upgrade soon, and had boiled down my options to:

1. buy a new sli mobo and get two 7900gt's, plus new power supply
2. buy a new 7950, but it turns out it doesn't seem to work with my board, so I would also have to buy a new mobo
3. just buy one highend card for now and save more money!

So I researched all the single highend cards and determined that this was the best bang for the buck:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814102025

325 with rebate, not too bad. And I can OC too if I feel the need later on.

 

[JBT]

Originally posted by: Malfeas

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814102025

325 with rebate, not too bad. And I can OC too if I feel the need later on.

Between all those options I would go for the SLI'ed GT's or the XT.
So it really depends on how much you want to spend.
And for the price of this 1900XT I think I would lean towards that...

 

[LittleNemoNES]

x1900xt can be easily OCed to XTX and costs $350...why, you'd be stupid NOT to buy it

 

[Malfeas]

P.S. I forgot to mention that I DID order the x1900xt this morning, and that is the option I recommend.

 

[CP5670]

Wow, that's an amazing price on that X1900XT. Just a month ago it was hard to find those under $400.

 

[LittleNemoNES]

Originally posted by: CP5670
Wow, that's an amazing price on that X1900XT. Just a month ago it was hard to find those under $400.

I bought mine as soon as they hit 450. Thought it was a great deal then -- even better now.

 

[Golgatha]

$325 for the X1900XT is hard to beat. I'd recommend an Accelero X2 to keep that sucker cool though.

 

[Malfeas]

Originally posted by: Golgatha
$325 for the X1900XT is hard to beat. I'd recommend an Accelero X2 to keep that sucker cool though.

Hey, not a bad recommendation. I'll basically be using the rebate for a better cooler. Thanks.

 

[JBT]

The Stock fan cools quite well but its just loud....

 

[Skott]

If you favor ATI choose the x1900XTX. If you favor nVidia choose the 7950GX2. They are the two top cards in each company. If cost is a major issue choose the cheaper of the two. if cost is still an issue choose the next card down in that particular line(7900GTX or 1900XT). Its not that difficult really. Read the professional reviews first and then read forums like here to see if the users back up what the professional reviewers have to say.

 

[Cookie Monster]

I would choose the 7950GX2. Its around 550~ in newegg.

However the XTXs are around 500 in general, while you have the ones after rebate which are around 430~. The GTXs are around 450~ in general.

I would choose the 7950GX2 since it offers good performance (20~50% faster than the XTX in most cases), comes with 512mb, less noise than the XTX, and the ability to go Quad if you want.

 

[kmmatney]

"I don't need ZOMG TEH FASTEST EVAR card for this rig, but I do want high-end performance for a reasonable price."

If you want high-end performance for a reasonable price, then you would want to buy the 2nd best card, the X1900XT or the 7900GTX. It also depends on your monitor and the resolutions you game at.

 

[aka1nas]

The x1900XT is probably the best way to go, though if you absolutely must have a dual card solution at some point then the master card situation will probably bite you in the butt.

Not much reason to go with a dual card solution and the potential hassles entailed by that if a single card offers about the same performance. The X1900XT is also somewhat reasonably priced for a high end card.

I am more of an upper mid-range card guy myself so the thought of spending much more than the x1900XTs cost for relatively little gain is painful to even contemplate.

 

[Nightmare225]

Originally posted by: aka1nas
The x1900XT is probably the best way to go, though if you absolutely must have a dual card solution at some point then the master card situation will probably bite you in the butt.

Not much reason to go with a dual card solution and the potential hassles entailed by that if a single card offers about the same performance. The X1900XT is also somewhat reasonably priced for a high end card.

I am more of an upper mid-range card guy myself so the thought of spending much more than the x1900XTs cost for relatively little gain is painful to even contemplate.

Funny, I have trouble resisting buying top-of-the-line stuff, regardless of bang-for-the-buck. Guess it's one of those tendencies I have to work on.

 

[Ulfhednar]

Originally posted by: PrISM506
X1900XT is the cheapest of all the options and can be OCed to XTX speeds

This option for sure. I thought I got an amazing deal on my X1800XT when they were £190, but now the X1900XT is £260 and I wish I'd waited. If you do get one of these, spend a little extra on a Zalman VF900-CU and watch the thing go nuts overclocking.

You should probably mention what the rest of your specifications are though, and what resolution you play in. They're the big deciders here.

 

[PrISM506]

Originally posted by: Ulfhednar
You should probably mention what the rest of your specifications are though, and what resolution you play in. They're the big deciders here.

See my post here. I'll probably be going with the AM2 system that I listed sans the 7900GTs SLI'd. As for the resolution I play in...it would be the highest I can go and still have good performance. Right now I've got a 19" CRT monitor and I don't think I'll be changing real soon.

 

[DetroitSportsFan]

I'm not an authority on this, but last I knew SLI didn't support ATI cards. If you intend to go SLI at any time in the future and you intend to use today's purchase as one of those cards in SLI, then you would be better off staying with nvidia.

If you choose to go with an ATI card, then you might want to consider a crossfire board. Like I said before, I'm not an authority on this ... but this is what I am hearing from some pretty reliable sources.

 

[Elfear]

Originally posted by: Cookie Monster
I would choose the 7950GX2. Its around 550~ in newegg.

However the XTXs are around 500 in general, while you have the ones after rebate which are around 430~. The GTXs are around 450~ in general.

I would choose the 7950GX2 since it offers good performance (20~50% faster than the XTX in most cases), comes with 512mb, less noise than the XTX, and the ability to go Quad if you want.

The 7950GX2 is a faster card, no doubt, but come on. Is it worth almost twice the cost (or at least $225 more)? IMO no. The cases where the 7950GX2 is 50% faster are very rare. Most of the time it's more like 20% and sometimes they are on par with each other. If you 've got money coming our your ears than go for it but otherwise, the X1900XT is a much better bargain.

 

[WaTaGuMp]

X1900XT but get the Zalman VF900 IMHO for cooling.