Most "bang" for the buck?

[bigmjh]

Doing my first home-build and need some advice for the GPU. I am NOT into heavy gaming ... will be used mostly for MS Office apps ... Photoshop ... web design ... video editing and networked with home theater (receiver, plasma, PS3, Tivo, etc.). Will be running an Intel Q9550 on an Asus P5QSE/R.

New egg has a couple nice combo deals (with DIMMS) on these -

HIS Hightech H485F512P Radeon HD 4850 - $125 + combo savings - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...lickDeals-_-NA-_-NA-_-NA&Item=N82E16814161235

EVGA 512-P3-N980-AR GeForce 9800 GT Hybrid Power - $105 + combo savings - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...lickDeals-_-NA-_-NA-_-NA&Item=N82E16814130384

Any suggestions? Recommendations? BTW - need dual DVI outputs.

 

[dirtmountain]

I'd go with the HD4850, worth the $20 especially with your applications.

 

[rawsteel]

the Radeon for the better image quality and AVIVO

 

[teh_boxzor]

4850


says the guy who owns 2 9800gt's

 

[englandr753]

I have to go with the masses. What can I say?

 

[zodiacfml]

nah, his 9800GT can hold it against the 4850.
its only in crysis where there is a significant/useful beating of 9800GT, around 4 to 5 fps on 1280x1024. i guess, 20 dollars additional cost is worth it if you always play crysis.
in other games, the battle ground of above 30 to 60 fps where beating a 9800GT is unnoticeable.

 

[aznguy0028]

4850 for sure.

 

[geckoar]

If your not in to gaming then check out the 4670...

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127383

Its one of the greener GPUs out there.

 

[bobbknight]

I would look for something that also has the capability to do HDCP HDMI, along with s video out put.
Here is my short list.
http://preview.tinyurl.com/5pcoed

 

[Onus]

+1 @geckoar, perhaps the only one who noticed the OP is "NOT into heavy gaming." The only reason to get a 4850 (perhaps any from bobknight's list EXCEPT Diamond) would be to get additional connectors where adapters might not work properly.

 

[teh_boxzor]

and free AVIVO on the ati cards

 

[aeiouandxyz]

+1 for 4850 over the 9800gt. Hasn't Nvidia made their GPUs to work with CS3 so it offloads the work from the CPU to the GPU.

 

[dagger]

If you don't game, both are far more expensive than you need. Get something cheaper. If you must choose one of the two, get 9800gt, simply because it's cheaper. Still more expensive than you need, of course.

4670 is a good alternative, another is 9600gso. Performs slightly better (not that it matters though), at a cheaper price.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&Description=9600gso&bop=And&Order=PRICE
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Powercolor/HD_4670/26.html

 

[xnem3s1sx]

Theres a sticky about this...
You should have checked that first. but I would say HIS IceQ4 4850, (the regular coolers get hot enough to cook with)