GPU Selection assistance please

[Huserx]

Hello All,

First thank you for taking the time to read my thread.

I need your assistance/guidance in selecting a GPU for my gaming system.
What I want is a system that will Be relatively fast, stable, and perform well for the MMO of my choice..
Eve Online 2 accounts at one time

I have a 22' HD Flat Screen Viewsonic Plasma Monitor
I use Windows XP Professional SP2

My brand preferences as you will see are Antec, Intel, Seagate, Kingstion, and Nvidia..

I have selected the following so far:

Case $69.95 Antec Three Hundred Black (stepped down from a 1200 originally)
Power Supply $109.99 CORSAIR 650TX (stepped daown from an Antec 1000w originally)
Processor $169.99 Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 Wolfdale 3.0GHz
Memory $69.99 Kingston 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) (Stepped down to 2x2g from 4x1g)
Hard Drive $64.99 Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 ST3320620AS (Perpendicular Recording Technology) 320GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s
Mainboard $239.99 EVGA 132-CK-NF78-A1 LGA 775 NVIDIA nForce 780i SLI ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail

I will not be overclocking
I will not be using more than 1 HDD, but prefer the flexibility to upgrade to use raid later
I will not be using SLI, but prefer the flexibility to upgrade to SLI later
I will not be using firewire devices

I plan on using the onboard audio
I plan on using the onbaord NIC

My budget is $1500 Max but the lower the better my current selections with a stock CPU cooler and no shipping is under $900

Given all of this information I was thinking about perhaps the:
Video Card $149.99 EVGA 512-P3-N801-AR GeForce 8800 GT 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16

Then someone suggested for my setup and budget to spend a little more $100-$200 to upgrade the single GPU selection

So I am left to wonder to what? a 9600, 9800, 260?

Your assistance, advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated thank you.

 

[Shiggity]

My vote is for either the 9800GTX+ (make sure its the one with a +) or the 260GTX. Both are solid cards that should play any MMO atm just fine, I'd go with whichever card you can get the best deal on.

Then doubling either one of those cards up for SLI will be a solid setup in the future.

Another option is that you could even get 2 of these right now for only ~280ish (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121266) and do SLI right away. But I personally prefer going with quality over quantity, there are just certain headaches and mishaps that can come along with SLI. I've always been a 1 card guy myself, but just something to think about.

 

[AsusLover]

I have to agree with Shiggity on this one, both of those cards do extremely well.

 

[jobrien2001]

I would get a 260GTX, since you arent gonna be overclocking I would completely scrap SLI and buy an $80 board.

 

[Huserx]

My vote is for either the 9800GTX+ (make sure its the one with a +) or the 260GTX. Both are solid cards that should play any MMO atm just fine, I'd go with whichever card you can get the best deal on.

Then doubling either one of those cards up for SLI will be a solid setup in the future.

Another option is that you could even get 2 of these right now for only ~280ish (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121266) and do SLI right away. But I personally prefer going with quality over quantity, there are just certain headaches and mishaps that can come along with SLI. I've always been a 1 card guy myself, but just something to think about.

Ok so..

$279.99 EVGA 896-P3-1260-AR GeForce GTX 260 896MB 448-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16
$199.99 EVGA 512-P3-N873-AR GeForce 9800 GTX+ 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16

Any reason to spend the extra $80.00?

....since you arent gonna be overclocking I would completely scrap SLI and buy an $80 board.

No

 

[repilce]

I would get a 260GTX, since you arent gonna be overclocking I would completely scrap SLI and buy an $80 board.

I couldn't disagree more, the fact that he's not overclocking IMO would play in SLI's favor, given he's not going to take a good/great card and make it better, so either upgrading cards or adding a second one to match his first later at a lower price and more than likely surpassing any single card he could upgrade to in performance wise in that same time frame for the $

edit/

Ok so..

$279.99 EVGA 896-P3-1260-AR GeForce GTX 260 896MB 448-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16
$199.99 EVGA 512-P3-N873-AR GeForce 9800 GTX+ 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16

Any reason to spend the extra $80.00?

My vote would be no, there will be a die shrink on the 200 series before too long(it's currently 65nm), so i'd grab a 9800+ for right now, you got 55nm with great performance that will run your game nicely as is on a lower power scheme, and once they release the die shrink on the 200 series the 9800+ will take another nice price drop i'm sure, so then you could grab a second card to match at even lower $

 

[th3]

9800GTX+ and GTX 260 arent in the same performance class, imo 9800GTX+ belongs somewhere between the 4850 and 260.

http://www.legionhardware.com/document.php?id=769&p=3

 

[Shiggity]

Keep shopping around, you can do better than those prices.

 

[AsusLover]

9800GTX+ and GTX 260 arent in the same performance class, imo 9800GTX+ belongs somewhere between the 4850 and 260.

http://www.legionhardware.com/document.php?id=769&p=3

No one said they were, we just stated that they're both solid cards.

 

[Rabidhilljack]

My only advice.... If you want to spend $1500 MAX, then spend about 1250 to 1300 initially.

You'll think of a few little things once you buy your parts, and then soon you'll have spent another $250. Happened to me, and I planned pretty damn thoroughly. I spent 1756 on a 1500 budget.