PCI-E 2.0 help

[Thresh25]

You should OC your cpu if your going to replace your gpu. If you don't OC your cpu when you get the 9600gt/8800gt then you will have a tiny bit of bottleneck.

I recommend you get a 4850 and forget about SLI. It's a pain in the ***, expensive even now, and when it's time to sell your just going to be stuck with 2 outdated cards to sell instead of 1.

I've done SLI, I've done single cards, I've upgraded just like your about to. Trust me, save yourself the trouble and just get a single 4850. And it WILL work on your motherboard, you don't need an "ATI" mobo.

If you don't listen to me, have fun with a generation or so old sli.

edit: Also this is a slightly different situation then people who ALREADY OWN an 8800 gt/9600gt. If you are REALLY an nvidia fan boy, get a gtx 260. Thats more power then most people need.

Haha, don't have the cash for the 260. I don't want to spend over 160 right now. The 8800s wont be told for awhile I don't think? MY 8600 runs UT3, BF2, and M2TW all on the highest graphics still, and an 8800 is an upgrade. My plan was to get an 8800 now, and then around October get a 2nd one after price reductions and as new games are coming out. You still think the same?

edit: no idea how to OC my cpu, otherwise I'd like to get it to like 2.4 ghz.

 

[Drizzt]

I still think the same. soon there will be cheap die shrinks of the gtx 280 and 260 that might JUST out perform your 8800 gt sli, and with 4850 prices so low and they are such a powerful card I think the choice is easy, It fits right in your price range of $160.

It's up to you, really though, your cpu is going to bottleneck sli anyways unless you OC it... **** it will bottleneck a single 8800gt a little bit.

To OC you can read up here http://www.techist.com/forums/f10/official-amd-overclocking-thread-162493/ and ask questions there also.

It should be as simple as raise the multiplier/fsb up a little bit slowly. And then raise the voltage when needed. But just read about it first before doing it.

 

[Thresh25]

Ya I've read through that thread a little bit already, and it's mostly just posting what you did. Not how to do it. I can get the 9600 for bout 130, and the lowest 4850 I can find is 164 with a mail-in rebate that you have to lose an arm and a leg to do on tigerdirect. and without that it's close to 200 bucks. I'm assuming a 9600 will bottleneck too? I think I'd be more inclined to go that route than the 8800s now. Though I am not opposed to ATI just yet.

EDIT: I've got an XFX now and I really like it. Though I found an EVGA 9600 a little bit cheaper than an XFX 9600. Anybody have a preference or know if there's much of a difference?

 

[Luke]

are u in canada?

 

[Thresh25]

I am not, though I am 50% french canadian! lol why?

 

[Luke]

then order from newegg, no reason to order from tigerdirect when u have newegg.

 

[Thresh25]

I've always bought from tigerdirect, sides my processor. I think we've got a warehouse pretty close to where I live. Why buy from newegg? But all right, noticed your specs, you run the 9600. Do you think if I OC cpu to 2.4 it will run fine? And do you personally like it a lot?

 

[Luke]

because newegg has cheaper prices and cheaper shipping. My 9600gt isn't bad, it has a great cooler, so i have oced it even past 8800gt performance, if u oc ur cpu then it will be fine. I do not personally like the 9600gt a lot, i just didn't have the cash at the time to afford a better gpu. But it has worked out well for me, i don't need to play crysis maxed out.

 

[Thresh25]

hmm, not what i was hoping for lol. I'm looking at the 9600 xxx alpha dog edition right now. do you think if I had two of those, would I be able to play crysis on at least high? Sorry if I'm being annoying asking all these questions. I just like to get a lot of opinions on variables before I buy.

 

[dario03]

Newegg is typically cheaper. Also I myself had a problem with tigerdirect. They never sent me most of my rebates and then just ignore any complaints about it.

Don't pay extra for any factory overclocked cards (unless its only a tiny tiny bit more or comes with a better cooler). You can simply buy the regular versions and overclock yourself.