Which Video Card Brand & Model?

[Reaper]

I am looking to upgrade my video card from an EVGA 7900GT KO Superclocked to a GTX 260 Core 216 (Damn you Bad Company 2 and Dragon Age!!). My problem is that I have always stuck with EVGA. That said I am looking at the EVGA GTX 260 Core 216 Superclocked (896-P3-1257-AR). I thought I had my mind made up until I see the Gigabyte GeForce GTX 260 Core 216 Super Overclock (GV-N26SO-896I).

EVGA is a slightly slower card (626MHZ 896MB 2.1GHZ DDR3) versus the Gigabyte (680MHZ 896MB 2.5GHZ GDDR3) but EVGA has the much better lifetime warranty. I have been happy with my Gigabyte mobo but I am having a hard time getting past their warranty on the card of only 3 years that starts effective the date of manufacturing, not on the date of purchase.

My question is what is everyone's opinion on the difference in speed? Will it make a noticeable difference? More importantly will it make a difference enough to sacrifice on warranty?

Thanks for your feedback!

[MrDiaz]

No it won't, if only 1-3 frames? I haven't look at the benches yet but usually the differences among these are always minor advantages. I am personally a HUGE fan of lifetime warranty...

[Kayen]

By the way, why the GTX260?
For similar price range you can snag some better cards like an HD5770 .

[Raserei408]

Agreed; unless you're folding there's not really a good reason to get an Nvidia card at this moment; they're more expensive, they use more power, they produce a LOT more heat, they lack DX11 and Eyefinity, and it's generally just not worth it.

If you want Nvidia, wait 'till the end of the month and pony up for a Fermi card. Regardless, though, you should wait until the end of the month, since there's likely to be a price drop in ATI's cards (and if you still want a 200 series card they might drop too...less likely though, it seems, since they're getting rarer)

[Oversized Rooster]

There is no point to buying an EVGA card - the cost is too high for what you get.

I recommend that the OP buy a 5770 card. There is absolutely no point in investing in the crippled GTX 260. That's an old design on the 55nm process and it doesn't support the latest feature set (e.g. DX11). Plus it costs too much for what it is.

[ipaine]

Possibly he would like to stick with eVGA, I know I like too. There are certain things like the ability to overclock and put on third party heatsinks without voiding warranty, that make eVGA appealing. If I recall, there still are no ATI brands that allow you to do that. Not to mention the community support they have is very good.

Now that said, I would still wait until after Fermi launches. I'm not necessarily saying get a fermi, but it there is a good chance that prices of cards will fluctuate after release so you might as well see. Also, as much as I like the 260 and would like one myself, I think you would be better off with something like the 275 or of course the 470 when it is out.

[Digikid]

Originally Posted by Kayen

By the way, why the GTX260?
For similar price range you can snag some better cards like an HD5770 .

Actually in benchmarks they are about the exact same.

DirectX11 is a moot point and not important.

That said.....if you want to stay with a top notch company for Nvidia then the best is EVGA first and XFX second.

I actually suggest a XFX Radeon 5850 series. Quite cool and low powered card and very nice.

[Raserei408]

It all depends on the resolution he's playing at. If it's at least 1920 x 1200 and he can afford a 5850, for sure that's a good choice. However, if it's less than that it's probably not worth it. A 5770 is at least adequate for 1920 x 1080, unless maxing out Crysis is a priority.

[Arinoth]

Go with the cheaper card and over clock it, i have 2 base model gtx 260s in sli over clocked to around gtx 275 stock speeds

[Reaper]

Wow...thanks for the great responses so far. Believe me, I was torn as to whether to stay with Nvidia or defect to ATI. I just read too many postings of driver issues with the 5770's (which was what I was considering) plus I don't know if there is something comparable to PhysX on ATI; if I am shelling out for a new card I might as well try and get the most eye candy for my $$$. Trust me though, DirectX 11 and the price is very enticing. I don't think the Fermi cards will come close in price when they release.

As for my setup, my mobo only has a single PCIe slot so SLI is not an option; that will be for my next rig!! Ultimately I am trying to get my games from running at low setting with my current card and also want to stay under the $250 range for price. I know my current card is choking my system because I think I have a decent setup otherwise:

Antec Sonata II
Gigabyte GA-EP45-UD3R
Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 3.0GHz Wolfdale
4GB Corsair XMS2 DHX DDR2-800 2x2GB
Corsair HX620W Modular PSU
Scythe Ninja 2 6-Heatpipe Heatsink w/ 120mm Slipstream Fan
2x500GB Seagate RAID[1] + Maxtor 200GB
eVGA 7900GT KO Superclocked
Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Platinum
Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit
Windows Experience Index: 5.9

To add to the problem, I don't think I can go too high end with the cards since my PSU wont support the power draw and I only have a mid-tower case with 10.5" clearance from the slot to the HDD cage. Bigger cards from both sides are maxing me out on dimensions (I already need to pull out my case fan). I think you can start to see my predicament!