Best video card with no bottlenecks

[futari]

I recently built a system (for the first time, following TH's guidelines, thanks) with:

Phenom II x4 955BE C3 - OC 3.5GHz
2 x 2GB G.Skill Ripjaws DDR3 1333

Ignoring MB and PSU reqs, what is the best single-slot PCIe video card (gaming only) that will not cause or suffer from bottlenecking given that I will not upgrade CPU or RAM and never opt for SSD or SLI/CF?

I am asking ignorance of MB because I am not planning to purchase a video card soon, but would like a bottlenecking reference point for my current system, and the PSU is the only thing I'm willing to upgrade because of a video card, if the time comes.

Thanks.

 

[Maziar]

Your CPU is fine for all of current cards,so don't worry about the bottleneck issue.

 

[futari]

Thanks for your response, it's good to know; I'm hoping to stick with this setup for a while (my last CPU was Athlon64 3200+).

One more thing, though: I'm still using a 60Hz 1680x1050 monitor, so would there be a cutoff point then where a particular graphics card would be overkill for my monitor?

 

[jerreece]

With 1680x1050 you don't absolutely need anything more powerful than a GTX 460 or ATI 5830. Both of those would do very well at that resolution with just about any game you want to play.

If you intend on a monitor upgrade anytime soon, I'd go with a faster card. Or, if you want to buy one video card to last you for the next couple years, you can certainly go faster.

But otherwise, the GTX 460 1GB would be my preference, just because the 1GB of RAM is helpful with a few game titles, and may be more helpful in the future as textures get more detailed/higher res.

You can also look at the new ATI 6850 in the same price point for equivalent performance.

 

[futari]

Thanks a lot, I'll mark down GTX 460 as my "ceiling" card when I upgrade (I don't plan to change my monitor unless it breaks). I don't mind being behind the times, but this time around I wanted my components to match up better. It was a total waste to have an 8800GT paired with an Athlon64 3200+ / 2GB RAM for so long.

 

[futari]

Best answer selected by futari.

 

[Mousemonkey]

This topic has been closed by Mousemonkey