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Benefit of more expensive graphics cards @ a fixed resolutio

Last response: in Graphics & Displays
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Hey
I have a 19" Sony monitor, which I purchased recently, and I intend to upgrade my computer in the next month or so. However I dont intend to change my monitor - which has a maximum resolution of 1280x1024.

I am not particularly fussed about whether the new graphics card in the New PC will be nVidia or ATI, however since my monitor will not allow higher resolutions is it worth gettting a graphics cards which is at the top of the range?

I have (on my current PC) an ATI Radeon X800 Pro. Cards on the new computer could include :

512MB Geforce 7900 GTX £122
1024MB Gefore 7950 GX2 £268
Dual 256MB 7900 SLI £224
Dual 512MB 7900 GTX SLI £497 (!)

512MB Radeon X1900XT £205
512MB Radeon X1900XT crossfire £230
512MB Radeon X1900XTX £280

Second question, im not sure if this is the right place... Has anyone had much experience with either Alienware or Evesham - I am thinking of being lazy rather than try and build my own. I've a Dell in the past but im not impressed by the current XPS price/spec. I can make a very good Evesham PC for ~£1700 - but I only know they have been around for ages, the Alienware PC of similar spec is ~£2000 (but it has lights!) (i can post the specs if interested)

Any advice would be much appreciated :D 

More about : benefit expensive graphics cards fixed resolutio

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1. Are you upgrading from AGP to PCI-E?

2. What's your main use of the computer? Please more details on your current PC and eventually what you want to upgrade to... Intel, AMD, nVidia, ATi...

3. Alienware, Dell XPS are nice if you can afford them. Unless you have cash to blow then forget them.

4. I'd build my own.

where the hell are you getting a 512 7900gtx for 122 quid from???? linky please 8O

Build your own Alienware are are joke when it comes to prices , Evesham apparently are ok but still overpriced , honestly mate you could save hundreds doing it yourself and its fun..............especially when your new build wont boot :wink:

If you need any advice ask away , or PM someone , happy to help.

But if your loaded and really dont care............Alienware come in a mighty pretty case ;)  ;) 

Thanks for the replies...

Quote:
1. Are you upgrading from AGP to PCI-E?

2. What's your main use of the computer? Please more details on your current PC and eventually what you want to upgrade to... Intel, AMD, nVidia, ATi...

3. Alienware, Dell XPS are nice if you can afford them. Unless you have cash to blow then forget them.

4. I'd build my own.


In response to:
1. - yes I am upgrading from AGP to PCI-E
2. - main use of computer is gaming
- Its current spec is
3.06GHz P4 - one of the first iirc - bought it Jan 03/04 (i think) cant tell u exact MB as im at work.
1GB RAM
ATI Radeon X800 Pro 256MB

I was thinking of going for the Duo Core E6700, 2GB 800MHz RAM, either ATI or NVIDIA which would have the longest life on it...

Quote:
where the hell are you getting a 512 7900gtx for 122 quid from???? linky please


Ah sorry for misleading it was the 'upgrade' prices for all the graphics cards from the Alienware website.

In regards to the Building My Own, any useful starter guides out there that people would recommend?

Quote:
Alienware come in a mighty pretty case


Very true! always liked the look of the cases

Any thoughts on the resolution question... I guess the answer I am looking for is that the X1900XTX will increase fps/ have no benefit on a 1280x1024 compared to the X1900XT
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Quote:
where the hell are you getting a 512 7900gtx for 122 quid from???? linky please 8O

Build your own Alienware are are joke when it comes to prices , Evesham apparently are ok but still overpriced , honestly mate you could save hundreds doing it yourself and its fun..............especially when your new build wont boot :wink:

If you need any advice ask away , or PM someone , happy to help.

But if your loaded and really dont care............Alienware come in a mighty pretty case ;)  ;) 


I think 122 is the upgrade price, else i'm sending my GTO back...
Graphics card Master
Monitor Master

Quote:
Any thoughts on the resolution question... I guess the answer I am looking for is that the X1900XTX will increase fps/ have no benefit on a 1280x1024 compared to the X1900XT


You won't see much difference between the X1900XT and the XTX at such a low resolution. So for now it can be considered a waste. However, as more GPU demanding games come out, then you may see a benefit in the future. IIRC, the only difference between the XT/XTX is 25MHz. I would get the cheaper X1900XT.

I would have to say that even the X1900XT is a bit over the top for 1280x1024 resolution (except of games like Oblivion). You could even drop down to the X1900GT if you will not be upgrading your monitor. I recently bought the X1900XT 512mb for my rig with a 19" LCD, but I plan on buying a bigger LCD monitor in a year or so.

More expensice cards will give you two things:

1. The ability to use eye candy like Antialiasing

2. Longevity

A 7600 GT woukld be a great card for 1024x768. But an X1900 XT or 7900 GTO will give you the ability to play tougher games in the future, and to use eye candy now.

Quote:
Listen to me:

www.cyberpowersystem.co.uk - seriously- the customise your own from one of their base models! so cheap! even than building it yourself!


your joking right??? Ive just checked , their not as cheap as a home build , in fact , their not cheap at all

Their upgrade C2D price 6300>6600 for £84 (i think) is not bad, but every thing else is a bit pricey.

Contrary to all of the 'it doesn't work' posts, building is not that tough, just get it all from the same place at the same time, and preferably somewhere close to you if you can.
Graphics card Master
Monitor Expert

Listen to Cleeve, the benifit is turning things on and up (adding HDR+AA as an example) and the ability to still be at playable levels for future more stessful titles.

This is important due to LCDs not being able to interpolate. On a CRT the GF7600 could move to 80x600 to remain playable, but on an LCD that looks relatively blurry.

Also something to consider is minimum FPS which willl have far less drops and make them less severe on more powerful models. That to me makes a big diff in First Person games.

Also expect that the future physics portion will be better on the higher level models, and who knows what the GX2 adds to the equation as well.
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