Gameace

If you want the ability to do Crossfire in the future, id go with a 5870,
but if you dont plan on upgrading in the future id buy 2 Gtx 260's now and sli them

Edit: oh btw if you got into folding 2 Gtx 260 would be great

metallicamaster3

The GT200/GT200b chips in scaling performance (when you pair two of them in SLI) can range anywhere between 30 and 50% -- which is good in some terms. But the G92/G92b chips can scale between 40 and 80%, and some cards even 100% scaling.

My two GTS 250s scale amazingly (G92b), nearly 80% boost from a single card; and beats a GTX 285.

Consider the SLI route as well; as two GTS 250s beat a single GTX 285, and costs ~$100 cheaper. The only real disadvange to either route is the lack of DirectX11, but for now DirectX 10 is still pretty kickass, and I don't see myself upgrading until the second generation Fermi (GT300) releases.

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Mudfrog

I have this one:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814102837

I chose this card for several reasons. I wanted a 1GB card to allow more AA / AF, I wanted onboard HDMI so I could quit using external audio cables and this card is significantly shorter than other 4800 series cards. It's actually about 3/4" shorter than the 8800GT that it replaced. The HTPC case that I intend on using does not have much room between the back and front mounted psu so a 4870 / 4890 was out of the question.

What type of games do you play? I'll see if I can get some benchmarks.

Don't overlook a 4890 either, it's a great card. I have one in my gaming rig which also uses 1080p and it's easily conquered anything I have thrown at it.

hubwub

Warranty is always a good thing. Thanks for your input. I was looking for information about RMA and warranty towards manufacturers.

I am looking into folding sometime in the future. Once, I mix some minimal things with my current setup such as my graphics card.

Linux is a plus as well. I currently have the latest version of Ubuntu sitting on my HDD and I'm thinking of partitioning one of my HDDs to have it running.

As for your response about intense 3D stuff, does that include or exclude using Maya, 3Ds Max, or RealFlow? If I were planning on doing something like that, would I need to run an SLI configuration or a single card?

Interesting. I'll look into that.

I'm fine with looking towards the present and the future. 5870 and SLI GTX 260s are fine recommendation. Thank you for the input about folding concerning the SLI GTX 260s.

I'd like to say that DX10 is at it's prime till actual games start supporting DX11. However, the implementation of DX11 on video games will take time and that was the same when DX10 first came out and all these cards started rolling in.

Right now, from what I am hearing I have deducted that I should look towards the following from both playing fields.

ATI
HD4890
HD5850
HD5870

NVIDIA
GTS 250
GTX 260
GTX 275/GTX 275 CO-OP FTW
GTX 285

Now, I am looking for recommendations on which card that has great cooling and warranty.

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candy_van

Wait until drivers mature a bit (9.12s supposedly will see big change)...
If this remains the case for the duration of the 58xx series I'd be very surprised. OCing alone should not make up for the difference in shaders.

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IEATFISH

I was talking about linux drivers for 3D. For windows, both will serve you just fine (probably more than you need). Single cards tend to have better support in games. Some games that don't support multi-GPU configurations will only use one and that will hurt performance. IF you are just using Linux for everyday things, you don't really need to worry.

I would drop the 250, 260, and 4890 from your list. For your budget, there is no reason to get a great card. The nVidia cards will get you better folding for right now. They will run hotter and consume more power. The ATI cards are more future proof, run cooler, run quieter, and will only get better with newer drivers. The nVidia offerings are pretty stagnant (driver-wise) now.

If you want Physx, the Co-Op is probably the way to go but it isn't a real advantage, more of a novelty at the moment. Many think that physics processing will move towards more open source alternatives. Only time will tell.

Out of all your choices, I'd recommend an XFX or Asus 5850 (). Sapphire has a 2 year warranty but I've had great experiences with their customer service.

For nVidia offerings, XFX again and BFG have always been highly recommended to me. I think EVGA is the only company with the 275 co-op.

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Infrabasse

Lots of people advise to wait for the next nvidia, yet I thought the first cards based on Fermi were not game orientated card, and that these would show up only later ...

Did I miss something somewhere ?

I'd definitely go 5850 or 5870, you'll probably save a lot on your electricity bill

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metallicamaster3

If that's the case, definitely go with BFG or XFX. They both have lifetime warranties (XFX has a double lifetime warranty, and switches over to a new owner if you decide to sell it, which increases its resale value). People have been RMAing dying 6600s and getting 9500GTs and 9600GT/GSOs back.

And do keep me updated on your resale price on that 9600GT

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hubwub

The games that I am currently playing are:

• COD4
• COD5
• Borderlands
• Team Fortress 2
• CS 1.6
• CS:S
• Empire: Total War
• GTA:IV
• The Sims 3
• GRID

Those are the games that I am currently rotating around and there are some other games but they are not graphics intensive such as Football Manager 2010.

I'm alright with the HD4890. I want to maximize my options as far as what my next graphics card is.

You recommended an XFX or ASUS 5850. Why not the 5870? There is a good 5870 out there is the Sapphire 5870 Vapor-X. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814102861

I am still waiting for the GTX 275 CO-OP to hit Newegg. There is still pre-order from the EVGA website. The other that I was looking at was this MSI GTX 275. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814127429

Not worried about the electricity bill. I will look into that.

I will look into XFX and BFG. Thank you very much for those recommendations.

I will keep you updated as to when I sell my 9600gt.

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XiZeL

for the games you play i would defenatly go for the 5870
with your budget its just the smartest thing to do.

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