Decisons Decisions

[DrAwesomePhD]

I am trying to upgrade my video card. I currently have an Nvidia TI 4200 128mb. It is direct x 8.1 compatible. I am hoping to upgrade to a video card which will be able to handle half life 2 flawlessly. Beyond that i can upgrade again, if need be. The choices i have mainly been looking at are:

Radeon 9800 Pro 128mb - $195
Radeon 9800 Pro 256mb - $350
Radeon x800 XT 256mb - $550
Nvidia 6800 Ultra - $600

These prices are roundabout of what i can get it for, just for a comparison of 'bang for the buck'. I was wondering what you guys would suggest to get for a video card with my specifications. I see lots of number differences , however i hear that the fact that the hardware can handle the direct x 9.0, the difference wont be noticable in HalfLife2. Note - I am getting a watercooling system and am planning on overclocking, whatever that will raise to. Please respond. Thanks

[HousERaT]

How much are you comfortable with spending?

and welcome to the forums......

[Mustanley]

Bang-for-the-buck champ is the 128mb 9800Pro, it should have no trouble playing HL2 and Doom3 at high quality, but if I had the money to spend, I'd definitely go for the X800.

[deathman20]

Well I got a Powercooler x800pro 256mb Vivo and that turned into a x800xt-pe card for $450ish. Thats another option for you but its a gamble (then again don't know many people that where unsuccessful with this card). It was a easy bios mod and bam XT-PE card :) Also you might want to check out the 6800GT, overall a great card right now and decently priced. Just another suggestion to throw in there for cards.

Anyways with tests that I've seen the 6800 Ultra will be better in Doom 3 and the x800xt-pe will be better in Half-Life 2. Just from the tests I've seen and how ID games tend to favor the Nvidia cards and Valve is teamed up with ATI on HL2.

If you decide on any of the high end cards you'll have no problem running the new games at all. Its more of a prefrence on cards really. I went from a 9800pro to my x800pro -> x800xt-pe and im damn happy. Can run anything I want at 1280x1024 (my max res on my LCD display) with things cranked and things play great so I'm really happy.

Personally I'd fight between a 6800GT and a x800Pro (and hope you can softmod it into a xt-pe). Saves a few bucks, and still can get near the same preformance as other cards when OC'ed and modded.

Hope this helps in some way and welcome to the boards.

[fl0w]

Like it was said before, matters how much your willing to spend. The 9800pro 128 is an amazing card, if you spend a couple of more bucks on it for some new cooling, you can get a hell of a lot of performance out of it for less then 210 bucks. But if you have the money and are willing to spend it, the x800 xt is the card you should get.

[WheaT]

Well there is another option there. You could by my 9800 Pro 256 which I successfully modded to an XT and has a stable core of 432 and mem of 380. Plus a vga silencer and ramsinks installed for 250 US. :) hehe. :-P

To what I was gonna say, It all depends on what you are willing to spend. The 9800 is gonna run doom iii pretty well, but of course the ultra and x800 pro and xts are gonna run it better.

WheaT

[DrAwesomePhD]

Alright. Its not about how much im comfortable on spending, because after HL2 i plan on upgrading. Its more on how much is needed to be spend. I am getting a watercooling setup so i will have aVGA cooler to put on the 9800pro 128. The thing is, i think id rather wait it out...by the time halflife 2 comes out anyway the x800 will be down to $350, so if the 9800 pro 128 doesnt satisfy me running the game, with the money saved i can get an x800 as well as have a 9800 pro 128 for my little brother or something :P . Im pretty sure thats what im going to do. Thanks for the help. I greatly appreciate it.