Which video card to get?

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freakaccident

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I am looking to upgrade from my 9800gt. I am displeased with the 9800gt since I can't seem to find a way to control the fan speed properly. Something internal to the card overrides RivaTuner and after 70*c it goes into auto mode and doesn't ramp up to 100% until 92*c. I could get another cooler for it but would rather just go with a better card.

My mobo is a Gigabyte EP45-UD3P and it supports X-fire. What would be the best bang for my buck in the $300 range? I am not stuck on Nvidia. I'm almost thinking ATI if I decide to go xfire in the future. Suggestions on cards in my price range?

Edit - I would also like a card that is fully configurable. No auto low level stuff where it stays in 2d mode and something I can accurately control the fans on without the card taking over.

Thanks,
Aaron
 
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freakaccident

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So just buy two of those and run them Xfire and I should be a lot better off than my crappy 9800gt? What about fan control and stuff? Does the ATI software manage that?

Oh and I run 1680x1050 res

EDIT - and this will be running on W7 64

Thanks a lot for all of the help
 
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shadow187

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Yes, CCC (Catalyst control center) manages everything. There are additional programs that can assist you in overclocking/voltage/fan control, though CCC does the basics (OC/Fan).

One of those already offers more than 35% increase in performance, and since they're some of the better-scaling cards, two'd offer much more.
 
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freakaccident

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And W7 64 compatibility is there?

Is Furmark a good benchmark program to use so I can see the b4 and after?
 
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shadow187

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Yes, ATI is only bad with Linux.

Furmark is the ultimate stressing system. It's like trying to test how fast a hamster can run by torturing it until it can't run no more. It stresses your video card like nothing else can, and is only used to discover max GPU temps at load, and max GPU power draw.

Use something like 3DMark Vantage.
 
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freakaccident

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Ok. I will get 3DMark Vantage and those two cards and see what happens. Thanks again for the help!
 
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freakaccident

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Here is what I got with RivaTuner off and no OC.

3dmark-1.jpg
 
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shadow187

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I'm not exactly sure how 3dMark works. I know it's a great tool for benchmarks, that's about it, :).

As for JohnieReb; DoubleLifeTimeWarranty simply means that at any point in your life you can return the card for a replacement. Now if you sell the card, the person you sold it to will also have warranty, which is a very good deal.
 
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jyjjy

jyjjy

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Overclocking an HD5850 is a better call than 2 HD5770s. If you bump up the voltage the card can OC an insane amount, usually over 40%. It also has a full 256-bit memory bus while the 128-bit bus of the HD5770s tends to be an issue when you put that card in crossfire, affecting minimum frame rates which is important for smooth game play. With the HD5850 it will also leave the other slot free as an upgrade path and you will have no crossfire scaling/compatibility issues. It will also use less power and give off less heat plus your case will have better airflow with just one card.
That said for your resolution a single HD5770 should be quite good so you may want to just get one and perhaps add another at some point in the future. If you are going to buy 2 upfront though the HD5850 is a better choice.
 
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