Matching a Vidcard to a Mobo

[hsnopi]

I am currently running the following:
ASUS P5AD2E-Premium, 2gb DDR2, 2x7200 rpm hd's in raid0 (though I might swap back to raid 10), p4 3.4 and a nvidia 7800gt.
My Mobo
I got the nvidia card free, however, I am having issues with Warhammer Online and WoW. I need a new card but I am not buying a new system. I was wondering how I would best match a card to a mobo? I mean yeah I could go buy the uberest Palit 256 or whatever, but my machine is pcie, not pcie2 so does all that extra stuff just go to waste?

I was looking at the ati3870 or the 4870 but i am not sure my machine can handle the 4870 (size of the card aside). This is just an interim card I need to last a year roughly so I don't want to spend a ton. I am very much considering the 3870 but i am not sure how much difference the gddr2 vs gddr3 would make for my machine.

Thanks,
Me

 

[ilovebarny]

Since you need a graphics card to last about a year, i would suggest getting a 4850/4870. Your pciE bus not being 2.0 is not a big deal, your processor is probably going to be a bigger bottleneck than the pciE bus.

here is a link with some general price/performance suggestions. http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/best-graphics-card,2064-4.html

here is a good 4850. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814129112

 

[hsnopi]

i see. How does the cpu limit the vid card? If this requires too much explanation that is fine. I am jsut curious.

 

[ilovebarny]

well i dont know all the technical reasons why but maybe these links will help. take into consideration the graphical settings are different, along with the test builds used. http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/athlon-gaming-benchmark,2054-13.html
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/radeon-hd-4850,1957-14.html

 

[coozie7]

@HSNOPI
I`m sure someone else can provide more technical detail about bottlenecking but it goes basically like this; If a CPU can provide 1000 units of data per second to the graphics card but the card can process 2000 units a second it (the card) will be bottlenecked. The reverse is also true; If the CPU can produce 2000 units of data per second but the card can only process 1000 performance will also be bottlenecked. In both cases the result will be the same; reduced performance.

 

[hsnopi]

I see. Simple enough I suppose. so the question then is really this. in keeping the rest of my system the same will I see significant performance increase if I get an hd3850 pcie. I have the 7800gt right now. I do watercool but I do not overclock. so I would have to get a new cooler block as well for the gpu. I am running winxppro.

 

[rolli59]

yes

 

[Dekasav]

If you're looking at the HD 3850, I'd advise the HD 4670. Less power, better AA performance, and very similar performance across the board.

 

[coozie7]

^^^^Was going to post the same, but the lure of X3TC got the better of me...DAMN, I hate ELITE type games!

 

[hsnopi]

i went with the 1gb sapphire 4670. I'll try to remember to tell youhow it goes. Thanks for all the advice.