Help desiding what vid card is for me

[badATchaos]

Yeah right now I'm running a 8800 GTS 640MB. The other day at my local Best Buy I spotted a new Radeon HD 4850 (512MB) for something like 185 bucks. So i was thinking about get'in it.

The only problem i have is that i'm only running an air cooled system and i don't feel like upgrading fans either. Basically i want to know if the 4850 runs hotter than my 8800GTS (if more by how much) Also: how much of a difference in performance is there between the 4850 512MB, 1GB, and the 8800GTS 640MB.

THANKS in advance!

 

[aevm]

There are versions of the HD 4850 with a dual-slot cooler, which will run pretty cool.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814261027

You can also get a single-slot HD 4850 and add a cooler, getting it to 40..50 degrees at idle.
http://www.ncixus.com/products/32768/ACCELERO-TWINTURBO/Arctic Cooling/

However, I'm not sure if it's worth spending 185 bucks for the difference between 8800GTS 640 and HD 4850. The HD 4850 512 MB is a little faster than an 8800GTX, so it will beat your 8800GTS but not by that much. The HD 4850 1GB will be a little faster than the 512MB version at higher resolutions, that's about it. If I were you I'd keep using the 8800GTS for another year, or upgrade to HD 4870 or HD 4870X2, or add another 8800GTS (if the MB and PSU support SLI). It depends on your budget and current config, of course.

 

[dokk2]

well now,,that depends on what cpu that you are running,because according to Tom's here an 8800gt/512 needs a 2.6ghz cpu to keep it happy,you should check out the vga charts here on Tom's,because if you are going to upgrade it should be more than just one or two levels from where you are,after all if your 8800gts is giving you more that 24 fps[motion picture standard] in whatever you game??,and I mean if that's it's worst......