dndhatcher :
I just wonder why you would spend that much on graphics cards that in 3 months wont be able to play the latest games at the best graphics levels? To spend that much and not have DX11 seems wasteful.
There are valid reasons why a person might go that way if their goals are different from yours. First depends on how long you keep a graphics card. If it's 12-24 months, DX11 ain't gonna matter for beans. Reading about DX11, the best things anyone has to say about it seem to be that it's DX10 hardware compatible and "may"actually get people to start programming games for it. If a person has the money to spend, I see no reason to criticize their choice in this regard if it's getting them what they want whether that be higher fps in the game they play, easier dealings w/ multiple monitors or PhysX). I'm still waiting for that article that says "DX11 will enable us to [insert game feature here]. Sure there will be more and faster of "the same" but I ahven't seen nothing "new" mentioned yet.
On the other hand, if you are more impressed with PhysX over DX11 (as I am at the moment) , the GTX 295 is a valid choice, though not one I'd make if I kept GFX cards for more than 2 years. The review here gives a lot of reasons to like PhysX.
http://www.firingsquad.com/hardware/batman_arkham_asylum_physx_performance/page2.asp
but again, if your the type of gamer who speeds through levels w/o taking the time to "stop and smell the roses" so to speak, this won't be of any appeal to you. However, cloth that tears, papers that move when you run by, smoke and steam that behaves well like smoke and steam, enemies that fall in unique ways, and walls that blow up when you hit them with a rocket launcher add a sense of realism otherwise absent in PC games w/o PhysX. Firing a rocket at a plaster board wall that just leaves a smudge on the wall when the smoke clears is a bit off putting. I wanna see a big majunga hole there.
There is currently an option for those that want the best of both worlds and ya can now add an nVidia card (i.e. 9800 GT) to say a pair of 5850's and get PhysX on your ATI box. THG has an article which can easily be found by searching on "PhysX plays nice ATI" that links to the place where you can get the "patch" that allows this but only on Win7. There's a lot of ATI owners now raving about the effects they are now able to enjoy on the patch site.
Personally, I never buy the 1st batch of a new generation of cards figuring to let those early adopters absorb the slings and arrows of the bleeding edge.....forgive me I had a shakespearean moment
...... If forced to buy now, I'd have to wrestle between the 295 GTX and twin 5850's combined with a 9800 GT. The risk there is however, what if nVidia comes back and breaks the patch ?
I like to build new boxes every 4 years or so with a GFX upgrade half way thru. I start planning those builds in February after the Intel price drops. So I generally wind up buying GFX cards between late February and July when the early hardware revisions are in the dumper, drivers are mature, non reference tweaked boards are available and the industry has a chance to shake out the deadbeat models. Of course by then, it will be a whole new landscape and guessing what will be most attractive then is more than I am willing to postulate. This year however, w/ nVidia being late to the starting gate, we are all really in no position to guess whether ATI will win this round or nVidia will repeat with a successor to the GTX 295. I for one, am looking forward to see how things shake out and making a decision on what card to buy after I know the answer. In the meantime, people's choices will depend on their goals and situations, and as these goals / situations may vary, their choices may vary.
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