Upgrade from a x800xl to 7900GT for 1280x720...

[swamyg1]

Do you think I would see any noticeable improvements in graphics? I'll be gaming at the same resolution on my 42" HDTV (1080i) which is 1280x720, but I guess I just want to know if I will see a big boost in level of detail, FPS, and stuff like that... I've kind of out of the loop for a while. I do plan on overclocking and would consider other cards in the same price range, just to let you know.

would be great to hear your opinions!

 

[SonicIce]

x1950pro is nice. i think you would notice nice improvements if you have a good eye for graphics

 

[BDawg]

How is it 1080i if it's max resolution is 720p?

My 800xt powers 1280x1024 pretty easily, so I think you'd be okay.

 

[swamyg1]

yeah 720p is what I meant, so you guys are saying that I probably won't see drastic improvements no matter how much I step up my graphics card?

I was also considering waiting until DX10 cards come down in price, games will probably be a bit more power hungry by then too, would that be a good decision?

 

[mooncancook]

I upgraded from x800xl to x1950pro for my htpc and yeah it's worth it coz I play quite a few demanding pc games at 1366x768. Now they are smoother while looking better. I think it should last for a while for a 720p screen.

 

[Captante]

At that resolution I would think you could squeeze some more life out of your X800XL, but if you do want to upgrade I also suggest the X1950 Pro over any of the mid-range Nvidia cards because in the vast majority of benchmarks its considerably faster & has somwhat better image quality.

The other upside of upgrading now is that you can still get somwhere in the area of $100 for your XL to offset the cost of the new card.

 

[akshayt]

You will notice a day and night difference in new games and even the 7900GT might struggle in many games to give you 4x AA at 1280x720. You wouldn't go wrong even with a 1900xtx/1950xtx or even 8800GTS.

 

[imported_Finny]

Yeah, I'd sell the X800XL for ~$100, and pick up a X1950PRO, setting you back just a bit over $100, giving you plenty of extra life & eye candy without breaking the bank.

 

[Roguestar]

X1950Pro is definitely the way to go for that resolution without breaking the bank.

 

[40sTheme]

Well, let's see, does your PCIe slot allow for dual slot cooling? If so, definitely get an X1900/X1950XT. If not, either the X1950Pro or the 7950GT. As far as the latter two go, get the X1950Pro for better image quality and the 7950GT for better performance.

 

[swamyg1]

Wow great call on the x1950Pro that looks like an awesome card... there a store near my house selling the Asus version for $190.

However, I could wait until more DX10 cards hit the market... any thoughts on that? Hmmmm

 

[LOUISSSSS]

Originally posted by: akshayt
You will notice a day and night difference in new games and even the 7900GT might struggle in many games to give you 4x AA at 1280x720. You wouldn't go wrong even with a 1900xtx/1950xtx or even 8800GTS.

why the hell are you recommending a x1950xtx or 8800gts for 1280x720 resolution?

 

[kylebisme]

I use 1280x720 for many games on my x1950xtx instead of getting lower framerate by running higher resolutions like 1360x768. Heck in Fear I still drop down to 1088x612 just to keep the framerate respectable with everything else cranked.

 

[swamyg1]

Man I wish I would have done more planning when shopping around for a HDTV (something with more resolution), but the max resolution on my tv set is only 1280x720... I think I'll be pretty happy with that Asus x1950Pro... thanks for all your suggestions guys, are there any more?

 

[BDawg]

Does the x1950Pro do HDMI? If not, I'd try to get one that does.

 

[Munky]

I wouldnt go with anything above x1950pro for that resolution. Also dont think about DX10 cards until some DX10 games come out that would justify the upgrade to DX10 hardware and Vista.

 

[Captante]

Performance-wise, the X1950XT (256mb) is the fastest option by a fairly wide margin plus is available at Newegg for $249, but as noted it has a two-slot cooling fan that is also quite noisy & it runs hot too.. next in performance is the X1950 Pro which is a single-slot solution & bringing up the rear in the majority of benchmarks is the 7950GT for the same price or more.

The only reason to go with the 7950GT in this case would be to snag the fanless XFX model for a truly silent gaming/HTPC, or if you had an high resolution LCD moniter that wasn't capable of 1:1 pixel resolution, because Nvida drivers do a much better job then ATI's in handeling aspect ratio issues.

 

[swamyg1]

I just picked up a x1950PRO, the Asus version with the big cooler... that thing is wicked awesome, I haven't run any benches yet but my framerates have doubled and detail is everything I want for now and hopefully for some time to come. Thanks for all your suggestions!