2nd video card / new video card for Crysis

[TheSalche]

Current system specs: AMD dual-core 4600+, 2 gigs of ram, X1950xt video card 256 mb, monitor is 22" widescreen with 1680x1050 res

From what I've heard, Crysis won't run well on my video card, and from when I played the demo I agree with this. At the very least, the game won't look as it is meant to. So I'm considering getting a second video card or a replacement card. Here's my questions:

1. How will an additional, cheaper video card similar to the one I own help my system?
2. If I get a more powerful video card (i.e. 8800) should I keep my old one?
3. How well do ATI and nVidia cards mix?

Oh, and my slots are PCI express 16x

[Bremen]

You'll need to get another video card (an 8800 like you mentioned).

As for whether you can use the cards together I honestly don't know. Theoretically if you have another pcie slot you should be able to just plug in the second card. However some mobos only allow you to plug graphics cards in specific pcie slots, and if its crossfire/sli compatible that might be an issue. In the past driver conflicts between cards have been an issue as well. Bottom line, you don't lose anything by sticking the second card in there and seeing if it'll work (although it won't speed up your games or anything, its only useful for running extra monitors if you're doing a 3-4 monitor setup)

[Beavis68]

DX10 is Vista only as far as I know, so I am not sure an 8xxx series card is called for. A 7900 series may be a cheaper alternative.

[funkyworms]

1) It won't improve your performance at all. You need an ATI gpu from the same series (i.e. x19xx) to run it in crossfire.

2) You can keep your old one if you have multiple PCIe x16 slots. It will increase your peformance over your current card but you won't be able to use them in SLI or crossfire.

3) They will probably work together as a multiple monitor setup. Driver conflicts are likely, or have been in the past. You will not be able to use them in SLI or crossfire.


My advice: Buy another x1950xt and run them in crossfire.

[Bremen]

[ QUOTE ]
My advice: Buy another x1950xt and run them in crossfire.

[/ QUOTE ] I think this is pretty bad advice. It's not guaranteed his board supports crossfire, or that he can even get an identical card (newegg doesn't have any x1950xt in stock). Also a single nvidia 8 series card will probably outperform the crossfire setup anyway.

[funkyworms]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
My advice: Buy another x1950xt and run them in crossfire.

[/ QUOTE ] I think this is pretty bad advice. It's not guaranteed his board supports crossfire, or that he can even get an identical card (newegg doesn't have any x1950xt in stock). Also a single nvidia 8 series card will probably outperform the crossfire setup anyway.

[/ QUOTE ]

Well both of those conditions were assumed in my advice. And only an 8800 has any chance of outperforming dual x1950xt.

OP: What kind of motherboard do you have ? What OS are you running?

[TheSalche]

mobo is an nvidia SLI ready one, i'm running XP

sadly when i bought the computer parts I was expecting that by now or within the next year my 2nd slot would be occupied by a physx card

I will add that I am willing to wait a few months for the 8800 prices to drop ... how good are the chances of that happening?

[TheSalche]

bump

[funkyworms]

So your board isn't Crossfire compatible. I don't about 8800 prices. The physx card is PCI not PCIe, and isn't supported by Crysis.