Recommendation on mid range bang for buck PCI-E Card

[Coops07]

For quite some time now I have been trying to decide what to do with my computer. I know I want a new video card, thats one thing for sure. I have been recently been debating on whether to upgrade my cpu now or wait for AM2. As you can see below I have a S754 and my current mobo does not support PCI-E. I think I have finally decided to go out and get myself a DFI XInfinity NF4. It's a S754 mobo that supports PCI-E and farily cheap, so i'm happy. Now I was ealier planning on getting a EVGA 7800GT and possibly OC'ing it but now it seems the 7800GT has been killed due to the new 7900GT. So heres my problem...
Should I....
a) Wait till the price of the 7900GT comes down (How long do you think it will take)?
b) Find a better bang for the buck card?
c) Stick with the card I have and wait for something new?

I am fairly anxious as Oblivion has been released and I want it to look pretty so any recommendations?

Specs:
AMD Athlon 3200+ 2.21 Ghz
Asus K8N-E Deluxe
2 x 512MB Corsair PC3200
ATI AIW 9800 Pro
OCZ Powerstream 420W
LG CD-RW/DVD-ROM Combo Drive

 

[TheGreatGrapeApe]

GF7600Gt is a strong middle-line card.

Other than that find a cheap GF7800/7900GT or X1800/X1900 (ie X1800XL/GTO or AIWX1900).

 

[mationman]

Ha Ha this is exactly what I'm about to do, Iv got the same ASUS 754 agp mobo (and Iv got exactly the same cpu and ram) and i'm looking to buy a PCI E mobo too. And Oblivion is my reason for a change. Only difference Iv got a XT instead of a pro and a different power supply, weird.

 

[jap0nes]

I would go for a 7600GT too

 

[TheGreatGrapeApe]

Just one thing to consider, Oblivion is playing a bit better on ATi cards than equivalent nVidia cards, so when comparing you might want to throw that into the equation. The GF7600GT IMO is still better than the X1600Pro, but they are far closer than in any other game. The X1900AIW would be a great choice if you can swing it. But that depends alot on prices in your area.

I'd agree with prozac about the GF6800GS and X800GTO for most other games, but the feedback in the forums about them isn't grand. I'd pick an X1600Pro over those two for bang/buck. If you can unlock those cards to their full potential (16pipe [only on AGP for GS]) then it might make things better, but this game has been very demanding on these cards. Different than most other situations.

Of course I'm playing it on my laptop with a Mobility Radeon X700 (running @ 400/400), so thes solutions will likely run much better, but it's just a question of what I would buy specifically for Oblivion, or even just buy new. Of course in just about every other game the X1600Pro sucks compared to the GF6800GS and X800GTO. something to consider, is the X1600Pro performance in Oblivion a sign of the future (also seen similarly in F.E.A.R.) or simply a specific game that plays to it's strengths. I'd be worried about the later if I was planning on holding on to this card for a long time and playing UT2K7 etc on it. Who knows though, it could go any way really.

 

[Coops07]

im pretty sure i know what im doin now, I'm gunna go all out and get the 7900gt
one last thing I am pondering tho....I have a buddy at school who is interested in purchasing my mobo and cpu if I will sell it... I have been wondering for a while now if I should just go S939 and stick with it or make a minor upgrade and wait for AM2. I am not sure if AM2 is even going to offer that much of a performance increase really...any thoughts? if am2 is not going to offer that much performance increase besides the ddr2 then why should I bother when I can go S939 for cheaper? hmmmm *ponder* :?

 

[pauldh]

EDIT: oops, Canada...forget my link. I'd still see what the X1800XT 256MB cost compared to the 7900GT.

I wouldn't wait. If you are in the USA you can buy a Sapphire X1800XT 256MB for about $290 at newegg now. It's easily on par with the 7900GT with both having certain games that favor them. Newegg has 11 7900GT's, 9 of which are out of stock. But the two in stock ones are $330-$355. Bang for buck I say X1800XT for $290ish, or X1800GTO and OC it for $230ish, or a sub $200 7600GT.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814102698

 

[Coops07]

cant find x1800gto at any of the places I use.... i think the evga 7900gt is a good choice. step up program + warranty bonus = cant go wrong