Deciding on a gaming GPU

[MNaz24]

Hello, I am working on a new gaming rig and am deciding on a graphics card. I hope to run most games on max settings with a good frame-rate. I thought I found a decent card to fit my needs but then I saw it was 128-bit. Will this be a problem? What does it mean exactly? I found another that is 256-bit but is stretching my budget. If I needed the more expensive one to meet my goals I am willing to buy it but only if I have to.

Here are the cards:
Original idea: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121642

256-bit Idea: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814103208

Thanks in advance

 

[sam_p_lay]

Don't worry about bus width - it's irrelevant. It's one half of what calculates memory bandwidth, which is more important... but still a lot less important than end results. If the 7870 if a little too steep, maybe consider the GTX660. Interms of frames/second is less than 5% slower than the 7870, and has a number of other benefits you'll only get with nVidia cards.

EDIT: One third of the equation actually...

 

[austing]

Hello, I am working on a new gaming rig and am deciding on a graphics card. I hope to run most games on max settings with a good frame-rate. I thought I found a decent card to fit my needs but then I saw it was 128-bit. Will this be a problem? What does it mean exactly? I found another that is 256-bit but is stretching my budget. If I needed the more expensive one to meet my goals I am willing to buy it but only if I have to.

Here are the cards:
Original idea: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121642

256-bit Idea: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814103208

Thanks in advance

Heres what you got.

Diamond: More DRAM, but its going to run way hotter with the shroud design, and therefore will last shorter, and OC not aswell, also, its louder.
ASUS: Less DRAM, faster clocks, way lower temps, more OC headroom, and quiet'er

Its up to you man.