I am planning on building a new gaming rig as my current is outdated.
I want to purchase everything with the exception of my graphics card first. My reason being is that I want to wait for a better graphics solution before splashing out on one.

What I wanted to know is what mobo has the best integrated graphics at the moment. Please remember I want to use an Intel E8400 CPU with it so an AMD solution is out of the question.

I also wanted to know, with these integrated graphics, what kind of framerates in CS:S should I expect if used in conjunction with the CPU and 2GB of 1066MHz Ballistix ram.


Thanks,
- Maroc.

I can see why you're waiting for a new generation of graphics cards, but the choice isn't really IGP or $400+ graphics card. Even a $69 3470 will do better than Intel IGP for light gaming. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6814102728

So just spend $50 or so for a 3450 or 3470 and you can use it for an HTPC down the line when you get a nice 4870 or whatever Nvidia comes out with after the 9800gtx.

If you're set on just integrated graphics, then Nvidia's is coming out with an IGP that's almost as good as AMD's 780G for light gaming. Edited to add, there will be an Intel version:

http://www.hexus.net/content/item.php?item=12121

If you get an Nvidia card in the same range as the ATI example above, it's supposed to support hybrid SLI.

Thanks for the response, do you by any chance know the name of this IGP?

I edited the post above with a link to it. It looks like it's not coming out until April, I'd thought it was late March. Here's an in depth article from January:

http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/po [...] 00-gt.html

Anandtech discusses it in comparison with the 780G:

http://www.anandtech.com/showdoc.aspx?i=3258&p=8

Not very high. I'd layout $100 for a mid-line card during the wait. Maybe an Nvidia 8600 GTS?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bottl [...] neering%29

One more question. Do you think the 780G Intergrated Graphics would perform better than a 7300 GT?

the best way is to get a midrange gfx card.probaly nvidias 7 or 6 geforce series will do.I can tell you IGP's are the worst thing invented in this world,I can tell you that cause i have a lot of experience with IGP's all the computers i have have Igp's hopefully ill get a real gfx card soon though.Intel Igp's??Dont even think about it.ATI Igp Solution???Nop.Nvidia Igp???Not working.Among these three Igp producers Intel is the worst.So dont bother getting and intel.If You do have to wait for a High-end gfx card thats alright but right now a midrange GPU sounds great compared to a cheap IGP solution.

The review of the HD3200 (780G Integrated graphics chipset) showed it outperforming the X1300XT. A quick look at Tom's VGA charts shows the X1300XT consistently outperforming the 7300GT. So yeah. The 780G should perform better than the 7300GT

-Wolf sends

My 7300GT is PCI lol but thanks anyways. Does the same apply?

I think he meant the 7300GT in PCI. So, it goes like this 780G>1300XT(PCI)>7300GT(PCI)

No good graphics solutions?? This is a great time for good graphics solutions! 8800 GT, 8800 GTS 512MB! 9600 GT!! A lot better then 2006 or 2007.

newegg.com has a 8800GS for $120 USD after MIR...

we probably arent going to see a huge jump in graphic cards for a while, id take whats out there, most cards do a great job and they will be around for a while. Id rather shoot myself in the head then use integrated graphics, and you will more then likely be dissappointed in anything you get if you go that route.