best video card for my processor

[aguy321]

i have an amd s939 x2 3800+. whats the best video card i can get without bottlenecking the video card? tell me whats the best for ati and whats the best for nvidia i can get without bottlenecking the card.

 

[osiris2k8]

hmmm maybe a 8800gt or even a 9800gt i would say 8800gt cos they're dirt cheap you have to give us more info though specifically your mobo/psu so we know what you can handle

 

[aguy321]

i can handle pci express 16x and i have a 520 corsair psu.

 

[doomsdaydave11]

First let me ask some questions:
[strike]1. You're using PCI-Express 16x I'm assuming?
2. What is the wattage/amperage on your power supply unit?[/strike]
3. What resolution are you gaming at?

Assuming that you are using PCI-E, have enough power to run any card, and are playing at a resolution of 1280x1024, I recommend a NVIDIA 9800GT or an ATI HD4830... and that's the maximum.

Here are some factors. If you're playing at a low resolution, such as 1024x768, then you will get severe bottlenecking, and taking the resolution up to 1280x1024 will not make much difference. If you are playing at a higher resolution, such as 1600x1200, then bottlenecking will not be as much of an issue (though certainly still present).
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127381
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102803

 

[rolli59]

Ati HD4830 or HD4850 if you overclock a bit. And the same with the green team 8800/9800GT or 9800GTX if you overclock. If you plan to upgrade the rest of the system within the next few months I would take the higher rated cards to move to the new system.