[jmystikcfl]

Alright, my 8600GTS finally bit the big one. I need a new card for my primary PC. I do mostly gaming, hence the need for a discrete video card, but I need a few recommendations. Price is a consideration in all this, but I think I have it narrowed down to 4 possible choices. What I'm looking for is sheer gaming performance. I need to stay nVidia because I want to use Hybrid power for when I'm just surfing the web, etc.


First choice (in no particular order): 2 9800GTX+ cards in SLi (if I go this route will Hybrid power still work?)


Second: A single 9800GX2


Third: Single GTX260 (216 core)


Forth: Single GTX280. I'm considering the 260 only because I can get a great deal on one, but the 280 is within my range with sales and such.


And of course, if anybody has any suggestions I'm certainly open to them. For what its worth, the M3N HT Deluxe has a 780a chipset. Power supply shouldn't be an issue either. I'm running a Corsair TX750 (or was it an 850, I don't remember off hand) PSU.


I am cross posting this in the HTPC area. Much more traffic there.

 

[Tinker]

9800GTX SLI is ok but better off with the 280. I found that one 280 ran about the same as two 8800GTX SLI (sim to the 9800GTX but 8800GTX has more mem and a bit slower). Stay away from the 9800CX2, Nvidia isn't really supporting it well in the newer drivers. The 280 is a great card but unless you can get it for ~the same price as the 260c216 then I would rec to to get the 260x216 and SLI them later. The 280 has the advantage at extreme hi rez's like 2560x1600 and the 260c216 is very close at any rez below that. Big plus for the 280 is the the 1gb mem. There is no reason at this pt in time to get any vid card with only 512 of mem for a gaming system IMHO.

 

[jmystikcfl]

That's the direction I was leaning towards. And as an added bonus, the single 260 is by far the cheapest option. I didn't know how much of a performance difference there was between the 260 and 280, but given the relatively small price difference (if I went retail) it would be silly to not go 280. The 295 interests me, and there's a few places that have them already, saw one last night as a matter of fact, but its a bit rich for my blood right now. So, do you think the prices on the 260/280 will drop with the release of the 285/295? If so, how long do you figure it'll take?

 

[Tinker]

the 280 is already being discounted with the pending release of the 285. The 260c216 will prob be pretty stable priced for the near future since they just released a new die shrunk version (sim performance as the older vers). The new 295 is the new fastest kid on the block for a single (?...actually takes two slots because of the sandwich design) slot card . But its not as fast as 280's SLI'd, but then two 295's when they get the drivers up to snuff would prob scream. All just conjecture on my part.

 

[jmystikcfl]

Well, if I go 260, this would be the card I would get. I wouldn't be buying it from Newegg, so disregard the price.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814143155


But, if I could get the 280 for about $50 more than the 260, would it be worth it?

 

[Tinker]



Quote:
Originally Posted by jmystikcfl /forum/post/15486825


Well, if I go 260, this would be the card I would get. I wouldn't be buying it from Newegg, so disregard the price.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814143155


But, if I could get the 280 for about $50 more than the 260, would it be worth it?

Just rem that the 280 is coming up to be end of line product. The 260c216 is still current. Unless you plan on running at 2560x1600, the 260c216 would be fine esp in SLI mode. I currently run 280's in SLI with i7/x58 and eventually TRI SLI with Win7. But if I was buying today and didn't need to support 25x16 I would get the 295 or SLI'd 295's or SLI or TRI SLI 260c216's. But again thats just IMO.