Jay28 wrote:
John007 wrote:I'd argue that the post is very baised towards ATI cards.
I've been very dissappointed by ATi thus far, I had a terrible experiance with an overheating 1950Pro from them months ago and their Customer service refused to honour the warranty.
When I switched over to the 8800GT from Nvidia, it was an incredible difference for a very similar card to the 1950pro.
Now I have 2 8800GTs in SLi (dual GPU for those who don't know), and the performance is unbelievable, I have it coupled with a QX6850 CPU which as far as I'm concerned is more speed than I'll ever need. (300-550 FPS on Call of duty 4)
Not to mention, most game publishers are contracted with Nvidia over ATi to streamline support and optimization for Nvidia products, on top of that, SLi if you plan on having more than 1 GPU is far superior to Ati Dual to Quad GPU CrossFire for gaming under nearly every possible circumstance.
The only ATi card I'd consider if I had the money is the 4870X2, but the 9800GTX from Nvidia is my clear choice over the 4850 from ATi any day.
If you have the cash, the Geforce 280, 285 and 295 are the three most powerful Nvidia cards on the market, and arguble most powerful over all other GPUs, the 280 sells for less than the ATi 4870X2.
For Nvidia cards, I'd recommend BFG, EVGA and XFX manufacturers.
Thought some people might appreciate another take on GPUs.
- John
Side Note: OP said XFX offered the best industry warranty, I agree they are great, but EVGA is much better, they offer full replacement with brand new not refurb cards, and when you send your card back for repair, they simultaneously send you a new card before they even get your defective one. They also trade you up on the card if your old one is no longer available. Excellent service from both these manufacturers.
But I'd recommend a service plan on any GPU (ATi or Nvidia) over 250 dollars, hands down, GPUs are the most suspectible device to power surge, inconsistent power, static discharge, faulty motherboard PCI-E slots and damage from heat in the long term. Thats my 2 cents.
I agree with Morfano's your the one whos looking more bias here to me. Do you not see what Nvidia is doing? They sell a last generation gpu and put this generations name on it. Shame on them really for trying to make customers think they are buying into new and better technology for a good price. They did it with the 8800GT and repackaged it as a 9800GT and they did it with the 9800GTX+ and repackaged it as a GTX 250. There aiming at consumers who do not read product reviews and who do not really know what there buying and just thinking GTX 250 thats the newest stuff out it must be good. Its kinda sad that the card is labeled as a GTX 2** card but it doesn't have a GT200 GPU Instead you get a G92B witch is the same GPU used in the 8800GT just a smaller die 55nm i believe.
Anyway I was reading an ATI pricedrop maybe on its way to fairly soon if my sources are right. Nvidia's gonna be in a real tight spot if they do. Am I a little bias against Nvidia? Sure this generation I am but only from choices they made. I dont curently own an ATI card as well I own a single XFX 8800GT 512mb at the time of purchase that little beast was a huge headache to ATI. But today I would say if your looking for a video card go for Nvidia's nightmare the ATI 4850 or the 4870.
If you ask me, the worst they've done this month(or generation) isn't the GTS 250. No, that's nothing compare to the whole new GTX 280M mobile GPU series. They're ALL based on the G92b so they have NOTHING to do with the actual GT200 core. Talk about making fun of your customers
...
NVIDIA's GTX 280M Uses Same G92 Chip as 9800 GTX+
On the bright side, I can still say I have a top of the line video card configuration with my two 8800 GT in SLI...err, I meant 9800 GT... or is it GTS 250 
From what I've been able to find, your computer will support a HD 4850 with no problem, aside maybe from the size of that card since I wasn't able find anything specific concerning your computer's case size. So there's a possibility the HD 4850 will be too long for your case. If that happen, I will recommend going for a 9800GT.
Now for the cards:
For $244.99
ATI Radeon HD4850 512MB GDDR3 Video Card
Or for $204.99
Carte vidéo GeForce GeForce 9800 GT OC 512 Mo PCI Express de BFG
Sadly, as you can see, price have risen since I made my guide in November. It's mainly related to the CAD value vs. the USD.
For the power supply, you can buy that one:
Dynex 500W ATX PC Power Supply (DX-PS500W)For $99.99.
For a total of $344.98 without the taxes.
Also, yes Future Shop can do the installation for you but sadly, I don't know what are the fees for that (I don't work for FS).
EDIT: I suggest you bump that 2GB of RAM to 3GB or 4GB because Vista can be painfully slow with only 2GB, especially in games.
Just a little update for those looking into this little guide for guidance.
This year has been pretty boring so far when it comes to new video cards. There's the new HD 4890 and GTX 275 (both are pretty much equal) but aside from that, not much has changed(well, aside from pricing). Because of that, I'll hold down my "new" guide for later on this year (between October and December) when new exciting product should be available from both ATI and nVIDIA.
Until then, I still stand by the recommendation I first gave for this guide.
. I'll see what I can do about it.
