Best 2 gfx cards under $500 ?

[jbianconi05]

I'm looking to buy two new gfx cards. Right now atm I have an EN7900 GT TOP but they dont sell anymore of those. Therefore I can not put a 2nd in my comp. I was told its best to get two new gfx cards. I'm not sure what exactly to get though.

I recently bought the new Call of Duty and just want it to run smooth.

my specs are

mbo - M2N32-SLI Deluxe/Wireless Edition
mbo specs -
- Support AMD Socket AM2+/AM2 CPU
- NVIDIA nForce® 590 SLI™ MCP
- NVIDIA LinkBoost™ Technology
- 2 x PCI Express x16 slot with NVIDIA® SLI™ support, at full x16, x16 speed
- Dual-channel DDR2 800/667/533
- ASUS 8-Phase Power Design
- WiFi-AP Solo™ supports IEEE802.11b/g
- AMD Live!™ Ready
- Bundled ASUS Array Mic

ram - 2gigs

 

[alanhalls]

newegg has 275gtx two cost under 500

 

[ill b ben]

what cpu do you have
what psu
monitor max res?

No use in recommending such sli setups on a 1280x1024 monitor

 

[jbianconi05]

I have an AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual Core Processor 5000+ 2.81 ghz.
2gig ram

my max monitor res is 1680x1050

im using a sceptre series monitor. LCD 20"

 

[ill b ben]

5750 sounds like something for you , i dont know how the poer consumption is of that card, but i reckon it wont b much different from this card.

That card would give you a major boost in games for far less then 500 bucks, and imo the max you should get with that cpu.

You could go for a 4870 gtx260 but pretty sure that they draw a bit more power, while not giving that much more performance compared to the 5750.

Altho if your psu is up for it , and the price is right 4870 or gtx 260 would serve you more then fine. Just dont forget to properly erase the old drivers, by using driver sweeper for example

 

[pepperman]

You may want to consider a ram upgrade as well; especially if your running a modern OS (as much as I love XP, its still considered outdated). This is optional, as it won't provide nearly as much of a boost as the new gfx card will.

 

[jbianconi05]

i'm planning on installing windows 7 on my comp soon aswell.. so ill consider getting more ram.

ill b ben thanks for the help. Could you also support links? I googled the 512 and the 1g cards but ppl are saying that theres 1-2 fps difference. (btw i plan on buying 2)

I'm not very good with computers so I appreciate everyones help!

One more thing -edit-
I noticed i'm loading slow atm when loading maps. Friend of myn said its prob my processor and i'm looking to get a new proc aswell.

I was also thinking about just buying an entire new comp... off http://www.cyberpowerpc.com/ - they seem like they have good deals - confirm/deny?

 

[JackNaylorPE]

Are you committed to installing two separate GFX cards or perhaps would twin graphics processors factory preassembled on a single card be in consideration ?

The fastest twin GPU card right now is the 5970 ($625 last time I looked) which is well above your budget limit. The fastest twin GPU card below or at your limit is the GTX 295 which THG says:

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/best-graphics-card,2464-7.html

"Essentially two conjoined GeForce GTX 275s, the GeForce GTX 295 offers very notable gains over the Radeon HD 5870 in the great majority of game titles, although the Radeon will use far less power doing so."

The 295 was like $460 2 weeks ago but with cards getting scarce, proces have climbed to $490 - $509 w/ some goinga s high as $550 for superclocked ones.
Whether this makes sense for you depends on how often you update your GFX cards. If you will be upgrading again before 2012, I'd say get the 295 and take the performance and PhysX over DX11. If keeping the card longer, I'd future proof it w/ a DX11 card like the 5870....or twin 5850's. If you don't know whether you want PhysX read:

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/batman-arkham-asylum,2465-11.html
http://www.firingsquad.com/hardware/batman_arkham_asylum_physx_performance/page2.asp

 

[ill b ben]

Are you committed to installing two separate GFX cards or perhaps would twin graphics processors factory preassembled on a single card be in consideration ?

The fastest twin GPU card right now is the 5970 ($625 last time I looked) which is well above your budget limit. The fastest twin GPU card below or at your limit is the GTX 295 which THG says:

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/best-graphics-card,2464-7.html

"Essentially two conjoined GeForce GTX 275s, the GeForce GTX 295 offers very notable gains over the Radeon HD 5870 in the great majority of game titles, although the Radeon will use far less power doing so."

The 295 was like $460 2 weeks ago but with cards getting scarce, proces have climbed to $490 - $509 w/ some goinga s high as $550 for superclocked ones.
Whether this makes sense for you depends on how often you update your GFX cards. If you will be upgrading again before 2012, I'd say get the 295 and take the performance and PhysX over DX11. If keeping the card longer, I'd future proof it w/ a DX11 card like the 5870....or twin 5850's. If you don't know whether you want PhysX read:

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/batman-arkham-asylum,2465-11.html
http://www.firingsquad.com/hardware/batman_arkham_asylum_physx_performance/page2.asp

Sorry but have you actually read this post, check what cpu hes using.. both the 5970 and 295 are massive overkill, and i wont even begin with the res.
Besides you should recommend a 295, not when there are both the 5850/70, wich imo would still b a bit to much but granted that those 2 would cost a lot less and still suit him a bit better

 

[jbianconi05]

I just want a computer that will last me another 5 years. if that means getting a new proc/ 2 gfx cards/ram ill do that. my mbo is still great( so i hear ) m2n32 sli deluxe. Trying to find a proc under 200 atleast and gfx around 500 (for both)

 

[OvrClkr]

Get a single 275 and 2 more GB's of the SAME ram. No need for a dual card setup at that resolution, specially for MW2. I have a single 260 and a cheap dual core and I can max out the game with x4 AA and still manage to get 75 frames at 1680x1050....

 

[JackNaylorPE]

Sorry but have you actually read this post, check what cpu hes using.. both the 5970 and 295 are massive overkill, and i wont even begin with the res.
Besides you should recommend a 295, not when there are both the 5850/70, wich imo would still b a bit to much but granted that those 2 would cost a lot less and still suit him a bit better

As he clarified in the following message, I inferred from his post that had a future build in mind....otherwise I just couldn't figure the 2 card angle.

The only thing that beats a 295 is the 5970. The following preadtes the 5970, so consider the quote accordingly. It also predates the 5870's price increase.

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/best-graphics-card,2464-7.html

Despite ATI's new Radeon HD 5800-series, Nvidia's GeForce GTX 295 (with SLI-on-a-board) is the most powerful single graphics card on the planet. Essentially two conjoined GeForce GTX 275s, the GeForce GTX 295 offers very notable gains over the Radeon HD 5870 in the great majority of game titles, although the Radeon will use far less power doing so.

To get more performance than what Nvidia's GeForce GTX 295 brings to the table, you'd have to look at more expensive solutions costing over $500, say a couple of Radeon HD 5850s in CrossFire. But unless you have a 30" monitor, that would be a gratuitous waste of cash considering the small performance gains you'd get for spending a whole lot more money.