8800gt vs? ........

[BAMFMF]

PLEASE READ THIS FIRST BEFORE THE TEMPLATE.

my power supply just failed. so i'm shopping for a new one. if i'm going to buy a new power supply i might as well buy a new videocard as well because although my motherboard and 8800gt(current) are SLI ready i've never actually used SLI before.

im almost 100% going to buy Corsair TX CMPSU-750TX ATX12V & EPS12V Power Supply because i need the juice for SLI

but my dilemma is THIS.

if i'm going to spend 100$ on a power supply should i bother finding another 8800gt 512mb OR should i scrap that idea and just buy a different videocard all together?


APPROXIMATE PURCHASE DATE: THIS WEEK(4/21 - 4/28) BUDGET RANGE: 100-200$ AFTER REBATES

USAGE FROM MOST TO LEAST IMPORTANT: GAMING (MAINLY I WANT TO RUN DIABLO 3 AND THE OLD REPUBLIC SMOOTHLY WHEN THEY ARE RELEASED LATER THIS YEAR)

CURRENT GPU AND POWER SUPPLY: 8800GT 512MB (idk exact model or make cant get to it because my pc wont turn on because the old power supply is dead but when i order the new one i'll be working with a Corsair TX CMPSU-750TX ATX12V & EPS12V )

OTHER RELEVANT SYSTEM SPECS: Cyberpower idk motherboard make or model either sorry guys

PREFERRED WEBSITE(S) FOR PARTS: newegg tomshardware but really i'll buy from anywhere as long as they're reputable

PARTS PREFERENCES: no preference

OVERCLOCKING: Maybe SLI OR CROSSFIRE: SLI

MONITOR RESOLUTION: i think max for that card is 2400x1600? i might be wrong tho. usually i'm running 1600x1200 but im interested eventually in buying a bigger monitor than the one i'm usuing or being able to hook up my PC to a HDTV with an hdmi cable or adapter

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: any suggestions appreciated!!!! I WANT TO FIX MY PC ASAP SO PLEASE HELP ME DO THIS AS FAST AS POSSIBLE I HATE THIS CRAPPY LAPTOP

 

[benski]

Buy a different video card. GTX 460 1gb and the 6850 are both pretty good buys under $200, there's even a 6870 under 200 bucks on newegg.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814161349
Since you have an SLI motherboard I would probably go with this though so you can get another one later if you so choose:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125352

 

[Mousemonkey]

A 750w PSU is overkill, I ran a pair of 8800GT's on a Corsair 620w for years and that PSU is currently running a pair of GTX560's.

 

[jers]

If I were you, I would sell the old 8800gt (still a great card =) to get some bucks more and buy an HD6950 or a GTX 560 ti. You can find them at around ~$245. It's likely to be less after rebates.
Most mid-high end cards consume a lot less power nowadays. with 650W and 60 amps on the +12V line you are really good to go. In Guru3d.com they usually put the power consumption of the cards they review. Look for reviews of the cards that could cover your budget.
And regarding SLI, well, I prefer to get all I can on a single card, SLI is a little bit of a PITA with drivers sometimes.

Have a nice upgrade

 

[Mousemonkey]

I've always found the drivers quite easy to deal with.

 

[unknown_13]

+1 on a new card. The HD 6850 would be quite an upgrade from the 8800GT.

 

[jers]

I've always found the drivers quite easy to deal with.

I just said sometimes

I think, however, that BAMFMF could get more performance out of a newer single card solution than from a 8800GT's SLI. DX11 is a bit of a gimmick but it is also a reason to get a new generation card over the SLI he is planning.

 

[BAMFMF]

THANKS A LOT GUYS REALLY APPRECIATE THE INPUT everyone seems to be telling me to get a single better card... but then idk what to do about this beastly PSU i just ordered.... lmao

 

[BAMFMF]

should i cancel the order on this beastly PSU and get something a little more moderate to run the single videocard or should i keep the PSU because eventually i want to be running SLI... answer one problem and you get a dozen more right.

 

[benski]

If saving some on the PSU would let you afford a better video card I would cancel the order and get something cheaper. A quality 600 watt power supply can run 2 mid range cards in SLI and might save you 30 or 40 bucks.

 

[BAMFMF]

getting this one for 100 flat with shipping idk since i already ordered it i might just keep it. gets great reviews and is 85% efficient. but im going to take the forums advice and just get a single better video card although honestly i dont have any trouble with any games using my 8800gt might just buy a used 8800gt online or something for the time being since im getting the better supply anyway. thanks for the advice forum.

 

[BAMFMF]

it's got a 5 year warranty so what the hell hahaha

 

[BAMFMF]

Best answer selected by BAMFMF.

 

[spentshells]

A 750w PSU is overkill, I ran a pair of 8800GT's on a Corsair 620w for years and that PSU is currently running a pair of GTX560's.

the 560's are running with the E8400 ? I remember you saying that was what you were going to do.

 

[Mousemonkey]

the 560's are running with the E8400 ? I remember you saying that was what you were going to do.

Yes, I have got all my SB bits but I had already started Crysis 2 so I thought that I'd better test the 560's out and get a baseline to compare to when they finally go into the SB rig.