| Guide | Link | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| General Buying Tips | Here | General buying tips. Written in May 2007, includes all major components |
| DirectX 10.0 Information | Here | A full information thread and card recommendations on DirectX 10.0 |
| Cooling | Here | A very informative cooling guide for your PC |
| Firefox Customization | Here | My Firefox is better than yours! A comprehensive customization guide and recommended plugins |
| Power Supply Guide | Here | A guide on understanding power supplies and recommendations for certain budgets |
DirectX 10.0 is only fully compatible with Windows Vista
The X2900 is out, the 8800 Ultra is out, and prices are getting lower everywhere. And a lot of people, coming up to summer, will be upgrading. With this guide, you can guarantee you'll get the best bang for buck! All prices are in $USD and £GBP
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There is no short answer as to what card you need, because you need to take a lot of things into consideration. If you are even entering the world of DirectX 10.0 graphics, you should have a system that is at least:
Processor: Core 2 Duo, AMD Athlon 64 X2, AMD Athlon AM2
Motherboard: Ability of speed 8x on PCI-Express Slot, for SLi or Crossfire 16x16 Dual PCI-Express
RAM: Minimum 2GB, otherwise DX10 is a serious overkill to your system
Operating System: Windows Vista
Power Supply: Wattage listed per card - AT LEAST 36A on +12V RAIL(s) {combined}*
*I cannot stress the power supply amperage (A) enough.
If you specifications are under this, I would seriously consider upgrading those core parts before entering the world of DirectX 10.0C - think of how long DX9 lasted, that'll be the same, if not more, with DX10. Okay, moving onto the actual cards now! I'll go through each of them, so if you are solely interested in one, you should find it here along with pictures (for easy reading):
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nVidia 8500GT : $85 - £50
The 8500GT is primarily aimed for non-heavy graphics users (casual+ gamers, graphics design) who use Windows Vista and what to get the best use of translucent windows and the raved Aero theme. Recommended solely to non-heavy graphics users.
Review #1 (Phoronix)
Recommended Power Supply (Single): 400W
Recommended Power Supply (SLi): 500W
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nVidia 8600GT : $150 - £85*
The 8600GT is a low-range gaming card, similar standard to today's 7400-7600 in both pricing and performance. Although many DirectX 10.0 games will be dominated at high-end cards, the 8600GT can just about cope! Recommended to budget casual DirectX 10.0 gamers.
* £85 stated because although on OcUK it is the cheapest, generally speaking, the cards will not perform as well and/or not last as long as others.
Review #1 (XS Reviews)
Recommended Power Supply (Single): 440W
Recommended Power Supply (SLi): 520W
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nVidia 8600GTS : $170 - £125*
The 8600GTS is the next step to DirectX 10.0 Gaming. It has the ability to keep up to date with current DirectX 10.0 Games and Vista for quite a while. Definetely, on a budget, this card is recommended to gamers with a slightly higher budget. This card will perform well for many months, and will have the ability to play a lot of DirectX 10.0 games smoothly on designated (recommended) settings.
* £125 stated because although on OcUK it is the cheapest, generally speaking, the cards will not perform as well and/or not last as long as others.
Review #1 (Hexus)
Recommended Power Supply (Single): 470W
Recommended Power Supply (SLi): 550W
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nVidia 8800GTS (320MB) : $285 - £185
Now we are onto a strong contender for gaming. Onto 8800s, these cards will perform well on DirectX 10.0 gaming - if you have the cash, I would recommend just squeezing it into the 640MB Edition (see below) to ensure that you can play them at good levels! Highly recommended to gamers on a good budget, and to those who don't want to upgrade for a while.
Review #1 (Trusted Reviews)
Recommended Power Supply (Single): 580W
Recommended Power Supply (SLi): 650W
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nVidia 8800GTS (640MB) : $380 - £230
Preferred over the 320MB edition solely for the higher memory, this card should perform better at resolutions of over 1600x1200 compared to the 320MB edition. Highly recommended!
Review #1 (Driver Heaven)
Recommended Power Supply (Single): 585W
Recommended Power Supply (SLi): 660W
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nVidia 8800GTX : $550 - £360
Now, it's time for the queen. The 8800GTX will keep you in high level DirectX 10.0 gaming for quite a while yet! It's high price is, well, yes, high. Performance is only beaten by its older brother, which I'll get to in a minute. This card is highly recommended for any enthusiast.
Review #1 (VR-Zone)
Review #2 (XS Reviews)
Review #3 (Neoseeker)
Recommended Power Supply (Single): 620W
Recommended Power Supply (SLi): 750W
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nVidia 8800 Ultra : $670 - £450
The King. It's insanely pricey, it's insanely powerful, it is, insane. Boasting unbeatable architecture and performance, if you have this much cash and you really want to blow it all on a card, this is it. It is, in fact "god-like!"
Review #1 (Guru3D)
Review #2 (Hexus)
Recommended Power Supply (Single): 750W
Recommended Power Supply (SLi): 1200W
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ATi HD Radeon X2900XT : $410 - £250
The X2900 really shouldn't be bought. I had high expectations but it just doesn't beat even the 8800GTS 640MB, and it is more expensive. So, if you are in any way smart, and not a total die-hard fanboy, go with nVidia.
Review #1 (VR-Zone)
Recommended Power Supply (Single): 750W
Recommended Power Supply (SLi): 1200W
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.. so, that's about it! Do take this into consideration when purchasing a new card - I hope you enjoy reading it and finding out what card is best for you, be it price or performance!
- kyle.
Things you need to know:
I am in no way favouring either companies personally. As much as I love ATi, all of my reviews will be completely non-biased. Prices listed may not be the cheapest, it is just that 'newegg' and 'OcUK' are the easiest to navigate through! USD and GBP only. These reviews should be taken into consideration when buying a new card, but I hold no responsiblity for any errors in purchasing your graphics, and/or any type of failure.
This review may not be used without my authorization. Any stealers will be dealt with accordingly.
Last edited by leetkyle (2007-06-28 07:59:43)