What do you recommend?

[Mirrim]

Okay, Newegg got my bad video card (XFX 7900GT). They said they are out of that model or discontinued it. My question is, what would you recommend in my range? I mostly play Everquest2 and plan to give Vanguard: Saga of Heroes a go when it is released end of the year. Here is my current system specs:

AMD 64 4000+
ASRock 939Dual-SATA2 mb (2.20 bios)
4 x 512mb OCZ PC3200 ram
WD 250 Gb SATA2 hard drive
Pioneer DVD burner
Enermax Libery 500 psu
Turtle Beach sound card

I'd like to keep using a PCI-e card instead of reverting to the AGP, which is what I had upgraded from. Generally lean toward nVidia (didn't like the 7000 series ATI and thereabouts... in fact hated them).

My budget for the card was around $300 and I plan to watercool the rig. Have the system ready to go in fact for when this is settled. If you recommend a more expensive card, give me your reasoning why (I might be able to stretch) ;P

Thanks for your help, guys!

[markkleb]

If its a around $300 card I would ask Newegg if you can wait till DX-10. I would use a X850 card in the meantime.

I have heard many bad stories about the 7900 cards, I use 2 of the 7600GS in SLI and one just died (thanks Newegg for the RMA)

I have never had a problem with HIS and if you wernt/cant wait I would get a X1900, Here is a great deal.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814161018R

Unless you are a EXTREME gamer this should be a great card. If you are leary about Refurb( I get them all the time) the retail one is about $264.

When you get the HIS IceQ cards the memory is better(more Overclockable) and there is a very good chance to open all the pipes. (if that matters)

[Bio-Hazard]

No real reason to wait for the DX10 cards as there's nothing out to support them roght now or even in the near future anyway.
I was reading today that the new 256 meg versions of the ATi 1900 series are supposed to be really great performers and should offer great bang for your buck ($300 or less).

Still, the X1900 XT 256MB is so good, it raises all sorts of interesting questions. If ATI and its board partners can deliver this thing at the promised $279 price point, we'll have a new favorite graphics card to recommend. In fact, given the performance we've seen out of the X1900 XT 256MB, one wonders why anyone should pay any more for a graphics card. Yes, the X1950 XTX is certainly faster, but it's not in an entirely different class or capable of offering playable framerates in many resolutions where the X1900 XT 256MB can't. But then you probably knew that the high-end card wasn't exactly at the sweet spot for price and performance.

http://www.techreport.com/reviews/2006q3/radeon-x1950xtx/index.x?pg=10

They should be showing up in stores shortly.

For that matter, the AITi X1900XT are going for less than $300 right now (512 meg version) and totally smoke the 7900GT's, and there's no reliablitly problems with them at all.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.asp?N=2000380048+1069609641+1305520549 +106790809+4018+1067919674&Submit=ENE&SubCategory=48

If you don't ming open box items.

[Miles]

As markkleb suggested I would look very closely at HIS, the make excellent very cool running GPUS!

[Mirrim]

This is great info, guys. I appreciate it. One thing I'm attempting to find out as well is the manufacturer's warranty policy. I'll be darned if they don't make it difficult to find on some of their sites.

Do you have any information/experience on warranties and service with ATI-based cards? Would like to find this out in particular since I want to watercool the video as well as the cpu.

Thanks again.

[werty316]

I suggest one of those new X1900XT 256MB as they perform the same if not better than the 7900GT for the same price or less.

[markkleb]

I have never had a HIS card failure. I have always believed that if you take care of your stuff it lasts a long time (not a lot of moving parts to fail)

I have a HIS X800GTO that has been in 10 different comps, I broke off caps several times(replaced them) and used H20 and 3 different coolers(the stock one worked the best) and it still works fine.

Many people have said its hard to tell the difference between 512mb and 256mb cards. And like I said in the other post for the average gamer it would be hard to tell the diff between the GT,GTO and XT versions. Why waste the money?

[Bio-Hazard]

I've got a HIS X800 and the cooler took a crap on me during the review period, HIS isn't the easiest company to work with for warranty work either. In the end it really didn't bother me much as I water cool everything anyway, it's just the point of the matter. HIS just uses Arctic Cooling components and they did have a bad batch of coolers out for a while that made a lot of static noise that also made for a bunch of warranty problems as well.

[markkleb]

Mabye it was operator error...

[harry18]

i have the x1900xt 512mb, it is very good, played obliv maxed out

[eko]

Try and see some benchmarks of Leadtek's cards. I would try to get my hands on a 7900 GT Extreme Edition from Leadtek, since I don't intend spending so much money on the video card.
The longer you wait, the better deals you get, that stands for the GPUs also!
Don't forget that the new video card generations are just around the corner, so...
What I think: get a mainstream card, but a good one, and then, in the next year, you can sell it for a good price, cover the difference and get a new generation mainstream.
The high end segment suffers the greatest cut-offs in prices. And if you consider the future also....

[Mirrim]

I have a Leadtek A6600GT TDH from my old computer. If I don't get the ATI X1950XTX, I may look for a Leadtek product again. Haven't had any problems with that one or the old GF3 TI-200 128mb that I used to have ;P

Been reading up on the X1950XTX reviews that all hit. Sounds like the plastic may be getting a work out when the card is released so I can go the extra $$.

Thank you all for your advice!

[werty316]

So you are not gonna wait for DX10 cards? By then the X1950XTX should be down a bit in price. Also for the extra $ I would go for teh X1950XT and OC it.

[Mirrim]

Not going to wait for the DX10 cards. My other computer is sitting there because I took the PCI-e card from it to run in this one temporarily. None of the games I play will be supporting DX10 for quite some time, nor do I plan on getting Vista in the forseeable future. So I'd like to get the best I can afford quite soon!

[Scott]

Mirrim

You could pick up a Leadtek 7800GTX from me for 150.00 if you live in the USA and save the rest of the money for a DX-10 card when they come out.

[tomato]

Whoa, that's a GREAT deal, Mirrim! You should jump all over that ;)

...any over "old" hardware you would be willing to part with, Scott? :P

[Vaerilis]

Now there's a bargain if I ever saw one.
I'd jump on that like a little child on a pogo stick.

[Mirrim]

Oh my... what a wonderful offer, Scott! I live in Denver, so shipping here isn't a problem. Now you've given me a lot to think about! Would you mind if I took a couple days to think about it?

[Scott]

No Problem.

[werty316]

It shouldn't be too hard to think about for $150USD unless you are strap for cash.

[Mirrim]

Well, I am strapped for cash (fixed income). It's going to have to be plastic I think. Thank you for the very kind offer, Scott, but I will have to decline. Can't see that I will be able to buy another card next year, so whatever one I get now will have to last.

And thanks again to all for your recommendations!