Thinking of Replaceing my PowerColor 1950Pro

Hello Everyone, I am thinking of replaceing my PowerColor 1950Pro 512mb Pci-E with a newer Model of Video card. I am useing a LG 20'1 1680x1080 5000:1 contrast 2ms Refresh. I have been looking at getting a new video card for the past few weeks now. And i am stuck on getting a new. because of the good choices. Now from my understanding ATI has better picture image over nvidia.

so here are my qestion's.

1.How much would the picture image change going from a Ati card to an nvidia card?
2.Would there be that big of a differnce, I would see performace as far as playing wow:bc/COH: OF/Cod2/Cod4/bf2?
3.Which video card would suit me best?

Here are my spec's

Thermaltake Armor Series 2x80mm 2x120mm 1x250mm
Intel Pentium D 920 2.8/2x2mb/800 cooled by Zalman 9500
Asus P5k-V G33
Cosair XMS 2x2gb DDR2 800
WD Raptor 74gb 10k 16mb/WD 160gb 7.2k/16mb
Thermaltake 700watt 4 12V @ 18amps
OS:Windows XP Pro

I will be upgradeing the Pentium D to a Q6600 or Q9300 dont know which yet.

so here are the 3 video cards i am looking at.

Also if i am going nvidia would Evga be best?

8800GS
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6814130332

9600GT
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6814130334

8800GT
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6814130318

if i go with ati i will use Powercolor

3850
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6814131075

3870
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6814131077


Thanks for your time.

The picture quality thing really only concerns the defaults these days its true that ATI did seem to have the better picture quality back with the X*** and 7*** series cards but there are so many settings these days that given time you could set up both cards to look near as makes no differance the same. Your monitor settings play a part also but i personally wouldnt put anyone off of buying Nvidia based on image quality. I personally prefer ATI but its more what im used to than anything else and i like their default settings better than Nvidia.
Performance wise the Nvidia cards do better with AA/AF enabled and with your monitor size you should be able to turn up some effects on most games using a 8800GT. This card is a personal favourite of mine and if i hadnt recently purchased a card just before it came out i would have one running now. Its Overclocked has a good third party cooling solution,but it will need two slots. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6814127329
Mactronix

Would i have any problems since its MSI and my mb is Asus? because i would like to get a warrenty with lifetime on it. i have never used MSI. and if it takes 2 slots thats fine because my Powercolor 1950Pro takes 2 as well because it has X2 cooler on it. my montior has the best picture i have ever seen a lcd have for computer.

Not sure where you're based but if you're in the U.s and go the Nvidia route go with eVGA. If you go the AMD route Sapphire are very good and then perhaps Powercolor / GeCube.

Almost all of the manufacturers have pretty poor customer support. Saphire is actually one of the worst companies for tech support. They ignore you. EVGA is decent on the Nvidia end and has a lifetime warranty. Visiontek Has a lifetime warranty on the ATI side, and they have English reps (and quick / good tech support)