How powerful of a video card do I really need?

Nanosu · Nov 25, 2004

I've been reading a lot recently about SLI and all of the newer video cards etc. and have been giving a lot of thought about what kind of card to put in my new system. I'm currently using a geforce2 MX400 on my Athlon Thunderbird 1.4 ghz system, so I'm having a hard time imagining anyone actually needing dual geforce 6800 ultra, or even a single one for that matter (since it's such a huge leap from what I'm currently using). The games I am playing now are pretty much no more advanced than Morrowind (which I do experience an uncomfortable amount of choppiness in) and Star Wars: KOTOR, which runs alright, but not as smoothly as I'd like.

The basic projected components of my new computer are as follows:

Asus Nforce4 Ultra board (non-SLI)
A64 3200+ (winchester)
1GB OCZ Platinum rev 2 ram
WD Raptor 74gb
Seagate Barracuda 7200.8 250gb

That's pretty much what I've decided on for the main core of the system. It will probably change a little as I'm not planning on putting it together for a few months.

As for the video card, my first thought was to buy a 6800nu, but then I started looking at the 6600GTs as the performance seems to be very good, and also they have some encoding capabilities that the 6800s do not? Is this true or did I remember the information incorrectly?

I'm still debating however. I see most people like to run at 1600x1200. I personally prefer 1024x768. So, will I be able to play newer games with all of the visual effects turned on with a 6600GT at that resolution? Will I need to pick up something more powerful if I want to have everything turned on?

Another quick question, what difference does a good quality soundcard make over onboard sound? Will I notice any difference at all with a two speaker setup or headphones?

Thanks for reading this. Sorry the post was so long.

Mattman · Nov 25, 2004

I would definitely go with the 6800. I've read some things about encoding issues (overclockers.com), but I'm just looking for decent gaming myself. The 6800 is more powerful for that than the 6600 (try searching these forums - lots of info). You gotta decide what's more important to you.

As for a soundcard vs. onboard sound, if you don't have high quality speakers or headphones, you probably won't hear much of a difference. IMO, it's when you have Logitech, Klipsch, etc., speakers that an Audigy (for example) really shines.

Also keep in mind that some of the newest games don't take advantage of a soundcard's DSP. Doom and Half-Life 2, so I've read, depend on the CPU instead. So I would be looking for really good headphones/speakers before I coughed up for a new soundcard.

Hope this helps a bit.

Nanosu · Nov 25, 2004

Thanks a lot for the reply. I had been leaning towards a 6800 for a while but it seemed a lot of people were liking the 6600GT. I'll probably want this card to last me for a while too.

I also heard that when ATI releases the X850s there are going to be PCI-E X800s in the $250 price range. That might be worth looking into. I've used Nvidia for a while and have wanted to try ATI just to see how they are.

baberpervez · Nov 26, 2004

Those are pretty nice components you're using, being a gigantic leap in performance from your previous Thunderbird processor.

Both the 6800GT and the 6800 non ultra can reach ultra speeds, you're pick as to what you'd like... obviously the GT can go much higher.

Why not spend another $50 and get an SLI board?
Later on during the year you can upgrade by getting another 6800?
It's your pick though, either two 6800s or one X850XT, both are givining you phenomenal gaming performances...

although single 6800GT would be sufficient for pretty much everything.

Sevin7 · Nov 26, 2004

you need 2x 6800 ultra extremes in SLI.

madhatR · Nov 26, 2004

Sevin7 said:
you need 2x 6800 ultra extremes in SLI.

thats what im talking about lol

CandymanCan · Nov 26, 2004

baberpervez said:
Those are pretty nice components you're using, being a gigantic leap in performance from your previous Thunderbird processor.

Both the 6800GT and the 6800 non ultra can reach ultra speeds, you're pick as to what you'd like... obviously the GT can go much higher.

Why not spend another $50 and get an SLI board?
Later on during the year you can upgrade by getting another 6800?
It's your pick though, either two 6800s or one X850XT, both are givining you phenomenal gaming performances...

although single 6800GT would be sufficient for pretty much everything.

The 6800NU's can barely and like 80% never reach Ultra speeds. The core might be able to get that far but the memory craps out @ around 800-900mhz

deception`` · Nov 26, 2004

Nanosu said:
I've been reading a lot recently about SLI and all of the newer video cards etc. and have been giving a lot of thought about what kind of card to put in my new system. I'm currently using a geforce2 MX400 on my Athlon Thunderbird 1.4 ghz system, so I'm having a hard time imagining anyone actually needing dual geforce 6800 ultra, or even a single one for that matter (since it's such a huge leap from what I'm currently using). The games I am playing now are pretty much no more advanced than Morrowind (which I do experience an uncomfortable amount of choppiness in) and Star Wars: KOTOR, which runs alright, but not as smoothly as I'd like.

The basic projected components of my new computer are as follows:

Asus Nforce4 Ultra board (non-SLI)
A64 3200+ (winchester)
1GB OCZ Platinum rev 2 ram
WD Raptor 74gb
Seagate Barracuda 7200.8 250gb

That's pretty much what I've decided on for the main core of the system. It will probably change a little as I'm not planning on putting it together for a few months.

As for the video card, my first thought was to buy a 6800nu, but then I started looking at the 6600GTs as the performance seems to be very good, and also they have some encoding capabilities that the 6800s do not? Is this true or did I remember the information incorrectly?

I'm still debating however. I see most people like to run at 1600x1200. I personally prefer 1024x768. So, will I be able to play newer games with all of the visual effects turned on with a 6600GT at that resolution? Will I need to pick up something more powerful if I want to have everything turned on?

Another quick question, what difference does a good quality soundcard make over onboard sound? Will I notice any difference at all with a two speaker setup or headphones?

Thanks for reading this. Sorry the post was so long.

Two 6600GT's would be your best option. In SLI mode, their performance surpasses that of a single 6800 or x800 card. Furthermore, the pairing of two cards would also allow you for the usage of more advanced IQ in certain games. However, take note that an effective SLI system is going to require a decent amount of power, so I would definitely recommend a good power supply before you consider it. Having said this, I think you'll need a good unit given your projected upgrade, anyway.

If I were you, I'd upgrade with one 6600GT for the time being. When you feel that it is no longer up to par (or feel like spending the extra cash), then I'd add a second 6600GT to run in SLI. This will allow for a much easier transition without having to shell out the big bucks on a 6800GT.

I'd also suggest against the Raptor. The performance of the Raptor simply does not justify it's price. Given the fact that you are going to jump to Nforce 4, I'd recommend a pair of 120gb Seagate SATA II HDs. You can find these on Newegg for less than $90 each, and they benefit from the effective 3gb/sec theoretical bandwidth of SATA II, as opposed to the 1.5gb/sec of the Raptor. Furthermore, the Seagates also support Native Command Queuing, which should also provide some nice gains. But the simple point is that you don't need such an expensive hard drive, as they honestly are not worth it.

The onboard sound of the NF3 250 is not bad at all. However, I still tend to be more partial to a more premium sound card. Despite this fact, I wouldn't even recommend any add-in card unless you had plans to couple it with a healthy speaker system. Then and only then will you ever realize the benefits of such a luxury item. If you're sticking to your guns with a 2.1 or budget 5.1 system, I'd say work with the onboard solution.

deception``

CandymanCan · Nov 26, 2004

deception`` said:
Two 6600GT's would be your best option. In SLI mode, their performance surpasses that of a single 6800 or x800 card. Furthermore, the pairing of two cards would also allow you for the usage of more advanced IQ in certain games. However, take note that an effective SLI system is going to require a decent amount of power, so I would definitely recommend a good power supply before you consider it. Having said this, I think you'll need a good unit given your projected upgrade, anyway.

If I were you, I'd upgrade with one 6600GT for the time being. When you feel that it is no longer up to par (or feel like spending the extra cash), then I'd add a second 6600GT to run in SLI. This will allow for a much easier transition without having to shell out the big bucks on a 6800GT.

I'd also suggest against the Raptor. The performance of the Raptor simply does not justify it's price. Given the fact that you are going to jump to Nforce 4, I'd recommend a pair of 120gb Seagate SATA II HDs. You can find these on Newegg for less than $90 each, and they benefit from the effective 3gb/sec theoretical bandwidth of SATA II, as opposed to the 1.5gb/sec of the Raptor. Furthermore, the Seagates also support Native Command Queuing, which should also provide some nice gains. But the simple point is that you don't need such an expensive hard drive, as they honestly are not worth it.

The onboard sound of the NF3 250 is not bad at all. However, I still tend to be more partial to a more premium sound card. Despite this fact, I wouldn't even recommend any add-in card unless you had plans to couple it with a healthy speaker system. Then and only then will you ever realize the benefits of such a luxury item. If you're sticking to your guns with a 2.1 or budget 5.1 system, I'd say work with the onboard solution.

deception``

6800NU right ? Cuss i saw a review of 2 SLI 6600's and the 6800GT still won. Onboard sound if its that AC97 on the Nforce3 it is horrible sound. SB LIVE 5.1 is better than it thats my opinion at least.

Nanosu · Nov 26, 2004

Thanks for all of the great feedback. I've been considering SLI recently, but I think I prefer a single card. I'm kind of worried about the heat and noise that it will cause, as well as the extra power consumption. Assuming I were to eventually run 2 6800GTs I'd probably want at least a 550 watt PSU right (I had pretty much decided on the Antec NeoPower 480 but nothing is completely certain yet)? Or would a high quality 480 be enough? I also have a suspicion that SLI is going to be really buggy and have some problems for a little while, but that's nothing more than speculation, and I'm not making any purchases for at least two months anyway so there will be plenty of time for things to be tested.

It was rumored that Asus might release an A8N-SLI Deluxe combo bundled with 2 GeForce 6600GTs. I haven't really found much on this, but this might be a good way to go if they sell it at a decent price.

How powerful of a video card do I really need?

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