Buying new graphics card

**Jtsou** · 11-21-2008, 11:22 AM

i currently have a asus p5k-e motherboard with a evga 8800gt in it. i am getting a $500 bonus to spend on graphics cards and motherboards.

Should i use the money to buy a sli motherboard and another 8800gt?

or should i buy a single gtx 260, 9800gx2 or 9800gtx?

**Jtsou** · 11-21-2008, 06:45 PM

There is also the possibility of a high end ATi card.

lazareth1 · 11-21-2008, 08:54 PM

Well you could save a bit of money and get a Ati 4850 which is comparible to the GTX260but cheaper.

Try to go for a single card solution if you have the choice. SLi can be troublesome on a minority of games and using 2 cards doesn't scale to double the performance.

**emosun** · 11-22-2008, 02:57 AM

I think a sli configuration helps alot compared to a single card. Its the tri sli that doesn't scale well. Tri sli is almost the exact same as regular sli. Same with ati as there quad gpu setup is somtimes slower then 3 gpu setup.

I think you could easily do a gtx 280 sli setup. You would only be able to get one gtx280 and the motherboard , but will be a little better then the 260.

**emosun** · 11-22-2008, 03:10 AM

You know I forgot about the 9800 gx2. It does pretty well for only 300$ , slightly better then the gtx280. You could probably use your same motherboard too.

**Jtsou** · 11-22-2008, 03:54 AM

The gtx 280 is $450 average, no way.

Newegg only has 1 Gx2 listed, so i dont know about that yet. So after what Laz said i think i will stick with a single card for now.

I will be looking at the 4750s. Thank you all.

**emosun** · 11-22-2008, 05:46 AM

Tigerdirects got a gtx 280 for 350$. They also got a few 9800 gx2's.

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...709&CatId=3669

**Jtsou** · 11-23-2008, 05:00 PM

Well what do you think is the best choice?

lazareth1 · 11-24-2008, 02:17 AM

Well outta the 3 that u listed in your Opening post I would say the 9800GX2. By far the best performing one there.

**emosun** · 11-24-2008, 04:32 AM

yea , best price to performance ratio is the 9800 gx2

**Jtsou** · 11-24-2008, 11:11 AM

The only thing that scares me is newegg only has one. They usually have many models of a "good" product.

**emosun** · 11-24-2008, 05:55 PM

You can get other models on ebay or tiger direct or somthing.

11-21-2008, 11:22 AM	#1 (permalink)
Jtsou Hardware Specialist Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Louisburg, NC Posts: 1,200 OS: Vista Home Premium SP1 My System	Buying new graphics card i currently have a asus p5k-e motherboard with a evga 8800gt in it. i am getting a $500 bonus to spend on graphics cards and motherboards. Should i use the money to buy a sli motherboard and another 8800gt? or should i buy a single gtx 260, 9800gx2 or 9800gtx? __________________ CPU-Z-----GPU-Z-----CoreTemp-----Speedfan

11-21-2008, 06:45 PM	#2 (permalink)
Jtsou Hardware Specialist Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Louisburg, NC Posts: 1,200 OS: Vista Home Premium SP1 My System	Re: Buying new graphics card There is also the possibility of a high end ATi card. __________________ CPU-Z-----GPU-Z-----CoreTemp-----Speedfan

11-21-2008, 08:54 PM	#3 (permalink)
lazareth1 Tech Hardware Team Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Hong Kong, previously Fife in Bonnie Scotland Posts: 1,289 OS: Vista SP1, Ultimate My System	Re: Buying new graphics card Well you could save a bit of money and get a Ati 4850 which is comparible to the GTX260but cheaper. Try to go for a single card solution if you have the choice. SLi can be troublesome on a minority of games and using 2 cards doesn't scale to double the performance. __________________ Prime95\|Everest Ultimate Edition\|How to do a repair install of XP\|Bench Testing "Nothing is True, Everything is Permitted"

11-22-2008, 02:57 AM	#4 (permalink)
emosun Moderator Hardware Team Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: usa Posts: 5,535 OS: xp pro sp2 My System	Re: Buying new graphics card I think a sli configuration helps alot compared to a single card. Its the tri sli that doesn't scale well. Tri sli is almost the exact same as regular sli. Same with ati as there quad gpu setup is somtimes slower then 3 gpu setup. I think you could easily do a gtx 280 sli setup. You would only be able to get one gtx280 and the motherboard , but will be a little better then the 260. __________________ Speedfan Everest Gpu Benchmarks How to install a power supply How to install a video card

11-22-2008, 03:10 AM	#5 (permalink)
emosun Moderator Hardware Team Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: usa Posts: 5,535 OS: xp pro sp2 My System	Re: Buying new graphics card You know I forgot about the 9800 gx2. It does pretty well for only 300$ , slightly better then the gtx280. You could probably use your same motherboard too. __________________ Speedfan Everest Gpu Benchmarks How to install a power supply How to install a video card

11-22-2008, 03:54 AM	#6 (permalink)
Jtsou Hardware Specialist Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Louisburg, NC Posts: 1,200 OS: Vista Home Premium SP1 My System	Re: Buying new graphics card The gtx 280 is $450 average, no way. Newegg only has 1 Gx2 listed, so i dont know about that yet. So after what Laz said i think i will stick with a single card for now. I will be looking at the 4750s. Thank you all. __________________ CPU-Z-----GPU-Z-----CoreTemp-----Speedfan

11-22-2008, 05:46 AM	#7 (permalink)
emosun Moderator Hardware Team Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: usa Posts: 5,535 OS: xp pro sp2 My System	Re: Buying new graphics card Tigerdirects got a gtx 280 for 350$. They also got a few 9800 gx2's. http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...709&CatId=3669 __________________ Speedfan Everest Gpu Benchmarks How to install a power supply How to install a video card

11-23-2008, 05:00 PM	#8 (permalink)
Jtsou Hardware Specialist Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Louisburg, NC Posts: 1,200 OS: Vista Home Premium SP1 My System	Re: Buying new graphics card Well what do you think is the best choice? __________________ CPU-Z-----GPU-Z-----CoreTemp-----Speedfan

11-24-2008, 02:17 AM	#9 (permalink)
lazareth1 Tech Hardware Team Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Hong Kong, previously Fife in Bonnie Scotland Posts: 1,289 OS: Vista SP1, Ultimate My System	Re: Buying new graphics card Well outta the 3 that u listed in your Opening post I would say the 9800GX2. By far the best performing one there. __________________ Prime95\|Everest Ultimate Edition\|How to do a repair install of XP\|Bench Testing "Nothing is True, Everything is Permitted"

11-24-2008, 04:32 AM	#10 (permalink)
emosun Moderator Hardware Team Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: usa Posts: 5,535 OS: xp pro sp2 My System	Re: Buying new graphics card yea , best price to performance ratio is the 9800 gx2 __________________ Speedfan Everest Gpu Benchmarks How to install a power supply How to install a video card

11-24-2008, 11:11 AM	#11 (permalink)
Jtsou Hardware Specialist Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Louisburg, NC Posts: 1,200 OS: Vista Home Premium SP1 My System	Re: Buying new graphics card The only thing that scares me is newegg only has one. They usually have many models of a "good" product. __________________ CPU-Z-----GPU-Z-----CoreTemp-----Speedfan

11-24-2008, 05:55 PM	#12 (permalink)
emosun Moderator Hardware Team Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: usa Posts: 5,535 OS: xp pro sp2 My System	Re: Buying new graphics card You can get other models on ebay or tiger direct or somthing. __________________ Speedfan Everest Gpu Benchmarks How to install a power supply How to install a video card