Video Card - 8800 GTS

[Jive18]

For those who are pc-savvy:

I'm running on a GeForce 7300 right now, and clearly I need to upgrade so Oblivion will stop kicking my ass. The 8800 GTS looks optimal right now, the GTX seems to just be overkill. My only issue is deciding on what version to get, the 320 mb or 640?

I'm running on a 20" widescreen (1680x1050), which seems to be on the edge of needing the 640 mb version, from what I've read.

Suggestions are appreciated, thxmuch.

[Blitzkommando]

I have an 8800 GTX actually and am running, currently, on a 22" monitor at 1680x1050. Because my processor is rather 'old' compared to the card it pulls it down a bit in more CPU intensive games (like Half-Life 2 and other Source Engine (and Source Engine v2) games). So, it also depends on your processor and system memory as to which will bring the best performance for the price.

At 1680x1050 the extra memory will come in handy for the larger frame buffer. (The card can render more frames ahead and store them on the card) Newer games are becoming very hard on card's frame buffers (like GRAW and Rainbow Six Las Vegas). So, the futureproof choice would be the card with 640MB of memory.

I have some more questions though on your machine because depending on the rest of the components you might not see a difference between the 320 and 640 versions. I also want to make sure your power supply is up to handling the card.

Firstly what is the wattage on the power supply? If you have around 400-450 that should be fine. Secondly, and more importantly, how many amps are on the 12 volt rail (or rails)? It should really be 30 amps combined on all rails to be sure the power supply can handle the card and the rest of your components.

Secondly, just a brief list of your parts:
Processor (and if it is overclocked)
System memory (and speed if you wish but capacity generally is better than speed)
Motherboard

Finally your computer case. Most mid-tower cases should handle the 8800GTS but there are a few where the 8800 GTS is too long and even more cases that don't fit the 8800 GTX. You can check yourself if you wish by using a ruler or measuring tape to check where the card would be sitting and be sure there is at least 9 inches to be on the safe side. Also, the 8800s need good case cooling. Be sure your case has plenty of airflow into and out of the case as you don't want your computer overheating.

Again, if you've already checked these things that's excellent. But in case someone else on this board was considering one of those cards this is just to be helpful to anyone else who might be looking for similar information.

EDIT: For reference my processor is an Athlon 64 X2 4400+. It isn't overclocked and while it handles games very, very well I can see that it is showing its age at nearly 18 months old. Higher end Athlon (and Opteron) chips (or those that are overclocked) along with the Core 2 Duo line handle the 8800s better than the older Athlon single-core chips and leaps better than any of the Pentium, Celeron, Athlon XP, or Sempron chips.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Norvekh on 2007-03-16 22:32 ]</font>

[Jive18]

K, here's my specs:

- Dell XPS 410 case (dimensions are similar to an Antec 900, so midsize I'd say; it has enough room for that massive heatsink on the 8800, I measured already ^.^)
- Intel Core 2 Duo e6300 @ 1.8 ghz (would oc if not for my motherboard)
- 2 GB of G.Skill DDR2 800 ram (timings: 4-4-3-5)
- Mobo: Intel P965/G965 chipset
- Power supply: Antec NeoHE 500w (3 12v rails @ 17 amps each; buying this specifically for the GTS)

I really wish Dell wouldn't lock the goddamn FSB so I could take advantage of my Core 2 Duo, but oh well. I think it will handle everything fine regardless of the speed.

I've defintely spent time researching on the requirements for the GTS, and I must've looked at countless power supplies before I found that Antec. Its dimensions are smaller yet it still packs quite a wallop for just about everything you'd need. I originally wanted to go with a Mushkin, but it appeared to be too large.

[Blitzkommando]

It's great to see people researching their parts. Your parts are excellent choices in combination and I think, like you were, that a 640 card would be the best choice for future games with the increasing demands they are making. Another potential reason is that it is virtually impossible to figure out how the cards will behave under DirectX 10 and whether or not the extra memory will make even more of a difference or not.

[PrinceBrightstar]

A little off, but still related to Nvidia, the EVGA GTX8800 baby combined with the rest of my system CAN run PSU at 1280x1024 60 FPS @ all settings maxed (and windowed to boot)

[Blitzkommando]

On 2007-03-17 01:12, Jonathan_F wrote:
A little off, but still related to Nvidia, the EVGA GTX8800 baby combined with the rest of my system CAN run PSU at 1280x1024 60 FPS @ all settings maxed (and windowed to boot)


My 3GHz Pentium 4 (Prescott skt 478) system with a crippled 7600 GS with the crappy 512MB of DDR2 memory can do the same settings with no problems. PSU hardly needs an advanced system to run at full tilt and unless you're running a 7300 LE, 6200 vanilla, or Radeon 9250 you'll probably be able to run PSU maxed out so long as you have around 768MB of system memory (though preferably 1024MB).

[Jive18]

On 2007-03-16 23:25, Norvekh wrote:
It's great to see people researching their parts. Your parts are excellent choices in combination and I think, like you were, that a 640 card would be the best choice for future games with the increasing demands they are making. Another potential reason is that it is virtually impossible to figure out how the cards will behave under DirectX 10 and whether or not the extra memory will make even more of a difference or not.



Thanks man. I'm fairly new to pc's, but I've spent the last couple of weeks trying to learn as much as possible so I can make good choices when it comes to buying parts. I'll definitely go for the 640 now, but which brand/manufacturer seems optimal at the moment? Here's 2 that are well-known:

EVGA's superclocked version - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130080

BFG's -
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814143081

That EVGA defintely looks better considering specs (higher core and memory clock) and price. EVGA also has a stock GTS 640 for $389, but I think $20 more for an overclocked one is an easy choice.

Lmk what you think. Thanks a bunch Norvekh, you've been quite helpful.

[foamcup]

I'm partial to the BFGTech OC line myself, I say go with them. http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif

[Blitzkommando]

My past two cards have been EVGA cards mainly for the warranty (it's lifetime) and the step-up program they have. If you register the product with EVGA you have the option to 'step-up' to a higher model and just pay the difference in the price between the models. So, if say you decide you wanted the 8800 GTX within 90 days of purchase, you can essentially call up EVGA and they'll let you do the upgrade. They make solid cards and have worked well for me. My 7600 GS on the other hand is BFG. And it works fine as well and my mother has an XFX 7600 GS which works very well for her. Still, I really like EVGA's warranty as it covers everything including if you added a third-party cooler or blew the card from insane overclocking. Their warranty really is top notch and that overclock is guaranteed by them since they did the overclock. Plus you get a nice rebate on it as well right now.

[Jive18]

Just found this on Anandtech:

http://www.anandtech.com/printarticle.aspx?i=2926

Apparently Oblivion isn't affected by less memory, the fps difference between the 320 and 640 was negligible. Since this is the game that I will be playing most frequently, I'm leaning back to an oc'd version of an EVGA 320 GTS. Plus, Norvekh mentioned that EVGA has a Step Up program (which is amazing btw), so if I find that I really need the 640 I can pay the extra $90 later on.

I dunno, the 320 really seems to hold up well in comparison against the higher model (except with x4 AA). I don't think I can justify spending more on a card that is hardly better at performing on the particular game I'll be playing. Anyone else agree?



<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Jive18 on 2007-03-17 17:09 ]</font>