Video Card Question

**MotoZ** · 09-09-07, 03:37 PM

I second that emotion.

**sacredsarcasm** · 09-09-07, 03:38 PM

thats the question. i can get both for around 50$. so which would be best, the 2 6800 with combined 512 ram or the 8500 with 256. im leaning toward the 2, but i wanted some advice about which would be more powerful.

**MotoZ** · 09-09-07, 03:54 PM

Sacred,

If you want more video throughput then you only have one option - SLI. A single 6800 is faster than the 8500, so two 6800s will be even faster. Make sure the two 6800s are identical or you will have two 6800s - one in your machine and the other in a closet.

**sacredsarcasm** · 09-09-07, 03:57 PM

lol, i am almost certain the one i am looking at is the same.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814130285
I am now looking higher up, would having this one card for 80 after mail-in be better than my two or

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814130085
for 100 after rebate be better.

compared to two 6800s and i will be getting the second one for 30 tops

so money wise what do yall think

**Mcstrange** · 09-10-07, 09:10 AM

That is a firm negative on good money. Do not buy a 8500, your 6800 is faster. The 8600gt is only slightly faster than a single 6800 so thats not a good buy either.

I am firmly in the save up more money side of this fence.
Buying another 6800 is not worth it though, but for 30$ I will say maybe.

You will get some improvement, in some cases nearly double the performance, but in Bioshock I would not expect that you would be able to dial it up much, Bioshock uses a lot of current tech graphics wizbangs, which the 6800 doesnt handle all that well. It is a 3 year old graphics technology and would equate roughly to buying a bigger black and white TV, sure its bigger, but there is much better technology available.

For a a gamer, the first video card I would recommend buying is last years technology, an ATI 1950pro or nvidia 7900gs line. Both of which could be had for around 120$ - 140, less with rebates:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814102061
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814133186

The first current gen card I would recommend is the 8600GTS, which start around 150:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814127302

If you can put off and save up another 100$ youll be far happier IMHO. You will almost have to upgrade to newer cards in the next 6 months so I would start planning that now and just live with the current single 6800.