Best GPU to Get with SLI MOBO

[Sittler27]

I have one of the Nvidia SLI motherboards, and have one 8800GT (OC) in it right now.

rest of my rig is a Q9450, 4GB DDR2, etc.

It's great for playing World of Warcraft, etc., but I want to get into playing Dragon Age, Mass Effect2, etc.

I was wondering what video card (or cards, in the case of SLI config) I should get? My price range is about $300, but obviously the less I spend the better.

Should I just try and find another 8800GT? Or should I sell the 8800GT I have and get an ATI 5850 (5870 is to rich for me)? Or since I have SLI, is it better that I get a newer Nvidia card like a GTX 280 (so I can get another one down the road for SLI)?

Also, recommendations on the actual brand name would be great.

 

[Upendra09]

the 8800 in sli won't help

get a 5xxx series and then get another in corssfire if you want absolute eye candy

 

[sabot00]

A GTX 280 is outclassed by the 5850 in everyway.
The only tricky part is deciding between another 8800GT in SLI or 5850.
8800GT's are EOL'd, replaced by 9800GT's (I don't believe they can inter-SLI). You could try to find one on EBay, but some are bricked/warranty-less.

I would get a 5850 - only $289
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125300&cm_re=5850-_-14-125-300-_-Product
Then if you want PhysX you can use hacked drivers or Win 7/XP and plug the 8800GT in (assuming the PSU supports it).

The Q9450 at 2.66GHz will probably bottleneck the 5850 slightly because games are mostly dual-threaded at best, OCing to 3GHz is quick, easy, and effective (probably doable even on stock cooler).
The latest games will use all the cores (Crysis, MW2, Far Cry 2, etc)

 

[Sittler27]

the 8800 in sli won't help

get a 5xxx series and then get another in corssfire if you want absolute eye candy

Problem is I don't have a crossfire mobo. I have an SLI one

 

[Sittler27]

A GTX 280 is outclassed by the 5850 in everyway.
The only tricky part is deciding between another 8800GT in SLI or 5850.
8800GT's are EOL'd, replaced by 9800GT's (I don't believe they can inter-SLI). You could try to find one on EBay, but some are bricked/warranty-less.

I would get a 5850 - only $289
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125300&cm_re=5850-_-14-125-300-_-Product
Then if you want PhysX you can use hacked drivers or Win 7/XP and plug the 8800GT in (assuming the PSU supports it).

The Q9450 at 2.66GHz will probably bottleneck the 5850 slightly because games are mostly dual-threaded at best, OCing to 3GHz is quick, easy, and effective (probably doable even on stock cooler).
The latest games will use all the cores (Crysis, MW2, Far Cry 2, etc)

Thx for the advice. I think I'm going to do that.

So are you saying that new games that will use all four cores will mean, in effect, I wouldn't need to o/c the CPU with those new games, but have to o/c it now because games out now only use 2 cores and 2.66 isn't fast enough, but it will be for the new games?

 

[sabot00]

A 5850 is plenty, quite more powerful than 8800GT's in SLI.
You won't need Crossfire for quite a while.

 

[Sittler27]

I do mainly play World of Warcraft. I find on my current rig that when I enter some areas I get a big of jaggedy pans/lag. This is with all the graphics settings maxed.

Would moving to the 5850 improve this? Or is this more a product of network lag then anything else?