Single 8800GTX for 2560x1600?

[darkstar782]

I'm looking at getting a HP LP3065 30" 2560x1600 monitor.

My current system is a Q6600 at 3.6GHz on a Gigabyte x38 DQ6 board, with my trusty 8800GTX which I have had since release - Nov 2006.

Being an early 8800GTX, its overclocking potential is severely limited.

Will a single 8800GTX be sufficient for running in 2560x1600 with decent levels of eye candy? I'd be willing to drop AA to x4 or x2 at this res, but I'd be wanting x16 AF still, and other options as close to max as possible.

Unfortunately SLi is not an easy option, as the x38 doesn't support it and nForce 680i sucks in comparison... so I'm reluctant to buy the monitor then find I struggle to play anything on it!

Also, with the monitor being a DVI-D Dual Link monitor, will I be still able to run a 2nd monitor?

 

[cleeve]

I betcha it'd be touch and go with no AA. You'd be on the virge in newer games, maybe having to lower eye candy.

You might want to avoid SLI, but at that res a 680i SLI system is going to do a hell of a lot better than a single-GPU x38 system if gaming is a priority.

 

[darkstar782]

**sigh** that's a shame, but I kinda figured as much.

I currently run in 1600x1200, which is just under half the amount of pixels, so I suppose it would be a fair guesstimate to say framerates will half when pushing double the pixels?

Switching to a 680i mobo, buying a 2nd 8800GTX at over a year since their release - hopefully we will see 9800GTX soon, AND probably needing a beefier PSU (Thermaltake 680W atm, but I have a hell of alot of hard disks etc) seems excessive....

I may get a 24" 1920x1200 panel instead.

 

[itotallybelieveyou]

Why do you want a 30" unless you are doing professional stuff. Gaming just get a 24" 1900x1200 it's plenty enough. But yea with everything to the max on some new games you may hit noticably low fps at times... but the 8800 GTX just runs and runs and runs on anything monitor don't worry about it.

 

[Hatman]

How does a 680i "suck" in comparison?

Id love to see your proof behind that statement.

 

[MagicPants]

I have a planar 26" panel it is a nice compromise. Same res as the 24" panels so it's blockier but I like larger text anyway.

 

[aevm]

Or get the Samsung 275T, it's fabulous. 27", 1920x1200, 178 degrees viewing angle. I just don't have $1000 yet but I want it.

 

[shrtyler81]

im running my 8800gtx on my 40" LCD @ 1920x1080 with no problems at all and great frame rates in games like crysis (granted its a beta demo) bioshock, GRAW2, and a few others that i play.. rest of my system is e6600 2gbs ram, 2 250gb HD's in raid 0... gaming is a beautiful thing on my screen and the card runs flawlessly...

 

[maverick7]

depends what game your running m8

but i would say you would need to go sli to play current games, escpecially Crysis

 

[darkstar782]

Why do you want a 30" unless you are doing professional stuff. Gaming just get a 24" 1900x1200 it's plenty enough. But yea with everything to the max on some new games you may hit noticably low fps at times... but the 8800 GTX just runs and runs and runs on anything monitor don't worry about it.

"Enough" is open to interpretation. The Dell/HP/Apple/etc 30" displays are about the best computer displays going, and I'd quite like one. It could be argued that anything is "enough", even a 14" CRT at 1024x768

How does a 680i "suck" in comparison?

Id love to see your proof behind that statement.

Proof? Well it was mostly opinion, but firstly, unreliable RAID/SATA subsystem, secondly poor quad core overclocking on some boards making it a bit of a minefield for me. I like my motherboard and have only just got it, I dont want to replace that too

im running my 8800gtx on my 40" LCD @ 1920x1080 with no problems at all and great frame rates

Yes, but that's barely any more pixels than my current 1600x1200 panel, I'd expect it to do fine.


I think I'm just going to get the 30" panel. A decent monitor should last me a good few years, and I can always upgrade my Gfx card at a later date. I suppose 2* x2900XT is possible with the X38.... but the x2900XT would seem like a downgrade from my current card

 

[geofelt]

I am running a samsung 305T 30" at 2560x1600 and a 244T on the same 8800gts-640. I play civ4 with full eye candy and some aa with no problems. I think you will be fine.
---good luck---

 

[spuddyt]

civ4 isn't exactly, a mighty beautiful game is it now is it?