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  #1  
Old 11-26-2007, 06:44 PM
NL__Fool NL__Fool is offline
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Default Video Card Advice

I'm in the market for a new videocard. My current one is a little old and I would like to upgrade it.

As I understand it, I can have the best video card on the market today but it's no good to me if my computer can't keep up with it as it will only run as fast as my CPU. It will bottleneck somewhere along the way If I have an older CPU
Is this correct?

That being said I really don't want to shell out $600 for a Nvidia Gforce 8800 GT if I am only going to see a 5% difference between it and a $250 video card because of the speed of my CPU. On the other hand, if there is going to be a substantial difference $600 isn't out of the question.

Is there a way to calculate the performance increase? What would you guys recommend?

I currently am running an Intel P4 3.0 GHz cpu with hyper threading technology, & 2 Gigs of ram,

I purchased this back in May 2005.

My video card is a Nvidia gforce 6800 GT

How far should I upgrade my Video card before the price/performace ration becomes to expensive?
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  #2  
Old 11-26-2007, 07:02 PM
Freakin Freakin is offline
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Default Re: Video Card Advice

You should be able to find a Geforce 8800GT for $300 or less. You JUST missed one like two days ago that was on sale at dell home for $208.

At this point I would not bother upgrading to anything besides an 8800 or better. You're going to want DX10 going forward, and a 8600 wouldn't cut it.

I'm a guy who always just buys about a $250 video card. When my games get too slow, I figure out what I can afford; if the next step up is going to make a huge difference, then I wait 2 months for it to be $250.

Paying $600 for video cards is insane, IMO. With your setup, the bottleneck is likely to be RAM. I doubt you are even hitting that bottleneck with a 6800. You will likely hit it with an 8800, but you should still get GREAT performance increases.
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  #3  
Old 11-26-2007, 07:06 PM
Beavis68 Beavis68 is offline
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Default Re: Video Card Advice

what are you doing with it?

From what I know there isn't much point in using a 8xxx series card unless you are running Vista for the DX10 support.
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  #4  
Old 11-26-2007, 09:02 PM
NL__Fool NL__Fool is offline
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Default Re: Video Card Advice

I want the video card just for gaming, I plan on getting a new computer in the new year with vista so If I don't have Dx10 support right now that's Ok,
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  #5  
Old 11-26-2007, 10:16 PM
SirFelixCat SirFelixCat is offline
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Default Re: Video Card Advice

[ QUOTE ]
I want the video card just for gaming, I plan on getting a new computer in the new year with vista so If I don't have Dx10 support right now that's Ok,

[/ QUOTE ]

If you gaming, don't get anything LESS than an 8800GT.

There are new 8800GTS's coming in the next month that have upwards of 1Gig of onboard video RAM...food for thought.

There is currently 8800GTS's out, but those are not them..they are coming shortly.
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  #6  
Old 11-26-2007, 10:21 PM
Beavis68 Beavis68 is offline
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Default Re: Video Card Advice

what games are you planning on playing? The really good DX10 cards are outragously expensive right now and will probably be much cheaper when you buy in a year.

I would say to look at something in the nVidia 7600-7950 range.

Your current rig won't be much of a gamer anyway.
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  #7  
Old 11-27-2007, 07:36 AM
Thanir Thanir is offline
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Default Re: Video Card Advice

I would get one of the new 8800GT. Tom's Hardware tested them and they were better than a 8800GTS and slightly lower than the 8800GTX, and like half the price of a GTX.

http://www.tomshardware.com/2007/10/29/geforce_8800_gt/
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