Graphics Upgrade - advice please

[Da Viksta]

Well, i just got some of my results back today in the UK (i did 2 AS levels on top of the gcses which i am getting next week), and i got top marks in them both so my parents have agreed to help me fund a graphics upgrade.

I have 2 8800GTS 320Mb sli-ed together, but i am building a HTPC and am going to lob on of them at that and another at my sister who is running on a geforce 6600. I have an nvidia 750i mobo, so i am ruling out ATI completely in this upgrade path (yes, yes, i know ATI rules with the 4870, yatta yatta and no im not an nvidia fanboy, i just dont see the point in ruling out multigpu upgrades by running an ATI on an nvidia mobo at this time..).

So, what nvidia card(s) would you recomend for me, assuming i have about £300 to spend right now on graphics

Overclockers UK sell GTX260s for about £140 so i could snatch two of them and SLI then together. Alternatively i could get a GTX280 now and get another later, or my last option is pick up a 9800GX2 now for about £200 (again, ocuk) and get another for my birthday next year.

What do you all think?

PS i would have liked to go ATI, but i cant afford a 4870X2, and i dont wanna get a 4870 and rule out chances of a multi-gpu system in hte future, since i cant get a new mobo anytime soon - i just got this 3 months ago...

I also run currently on 1440x900 but am getting a 24" soon, so will be 1920x1200 in hte near future. and yes, im on vista.

please advise

 

[meat_helmet]

Well apparently there are 55nm 260s and 280s coming out in september. You might want to wait until they come out.

 

[Thresh25]

Yea the die shrinked version of the 260s and 280 are coming out soon and are expected to be a lot cheaper. Also, take a look at the 9800GTX+. for the price of two of them it's about the same as a singel gtx280 and two is better than 1 in that situation. kind of a more bang for your buck thing

 

[aspire]

You cant afford a 4870x2?

Aren't they like exactly 300 quid? (600 usd)

 

[Thresh25]

600 USD is a lot of money lol

 

[Hussein19891]

300 pounds is 600$ So I don't see how you can't afford a 4870X2. The only reason you might be shying away is probably because you can't crossfire in the future.

 

[Da Viksta]

its just theres been a slight change in plan - im fitting a monitor and a ffx card into a £380ish budget, so really the single gtx260 is the only thing in my price range the 9800GTX+ is only £40 cheaper and is a lot slower...

Would the GTX260 55nm be faster and cheaper? if so i am willing to wait till september for that and get the monitor and everything else this week (im after an extra 2gb of ram too and a cheap homeplug systemcos my wireless is fubar....

 

[aspire]

Go for a 4870 then.

 

[Thresh25]

its just theres been a slight change in plan - im fitting a monitor and a ffx card into a £380ish budget, so really the single gtx260 is the only thing in my price range the 9800GTX+ is only £40 cheaper and is a lot slower...

Would the GTX260 55nm be faster and cheaper? if so i am willing to wait till september for that and get the monitor and everything else this week (im after an extra 2gb of ram too and a cheap homeplug systemcos my wireless is fubar....

Yep should be faster and cheaper. otherwise 9800GTX+ are good cards, and two of them together if u can afford that later are amazing.

 

[Hussein19891]

its just theres been a slight change in plan - im fitting a monitor and a ffx card into a £380ish budget

Post everything else your intending to get as well as the ram and see how much head room is left in your budget for a monitor and 4870. You should be able to afford 2 gigs of ram a 4870 and a new monitor. But that all depends on how much you spend on a new monitor.