Upgrading video card

[ThatGuy]

The question is which one?

This is my current setup...

amd athlon64 3400+
1GB DRR RAM
Asus a8v deluxe mobo
Ati Radeon 9600xt gpu

Im looking to upgrade my motherboard to PCIe and get a bit better GPU
Problem is i dont know whether to go for nvidia or Asus cards. I was looking at the x1600 and 6800 and i want the motherboard to be SLI/Crossfire compatible. I play games like CS:source/1.6 and WoW. Im just looking for some input seeing as im very split between the two different chips. For the GPU i only want to spend around $150-200 and motherboard no more than $150 if possible. Sorry for rambling on, its not very organized but heres my situation lol. Thanks in advance.

[blue60007]

SLI/CF isn't really an effective option with your budget. SLI/CF requires some serious dough, expensive cards, motherboards, not to mention the SLI certified power supply. Speaking of which, what brand and wattage is your power supply now?

You might be better off sticking with AGP cards. You are also looking at a new CPU. I don't think there are any decent Socket 754's and PCI-E boards out there. nVidia just came out with the 7800GS which I've heard is a pretty good contender.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814130275

$300 - Needs at least a 350W power supply. I think it's the OC version too

Benchies:
http://www.tomshardware.com/2006/02/...uy/page11.html

Looks like it's even topping out a bit over the X850 XT PE

[ThatGuy]

My PSU is an Ultra 450w

I dont think i need to upgrade my CPU its socket 939 and i saw a few mobos for SLI/CF. I only want the SLI/CF for future purposes not for now im only into buying 1 GPU right now.

[blue60007]

Oops, that's one of those Skt 939 and AGP boards, my bad. Most AGP boards are Socket 754... That certainly helps some. Keep in mind you'll need to replace that power supply should you want to do dual cards. 450W isn't enough for two cards. That tacks on another $90 to the SLI/CF cost. Just keep that in mind.

Otherwise you could get an ASUS A8N-E or A8N5X (A8N-SLI if you want to go the SLI route)...

With a sudden barrage of new cards coming out, I've gotta catch up on some of the mid-level cards... Here's a 7600GT for $230. I'm not really sure how it ranks up against other cards, so that might be something to look into.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814130284

Wait, I don't think there are any Socket 939 3400+'s?

EDIT:
http://www.tomshardware.com/2006/03/...em/page11.html

There's some benchmarks, doesn't look too shabby.

[ThatGuy]

Originally Posted by blue60007 Wait, I don't think there are any Socket 939 3400+'s?

As of right now i dont see any, this was built over a year ago and i got the board and the CPU as a combo so im thinkin its a 939. can you give me input on the x1600xt (dunno if its xt but its x1600) its around $150 and it looks pretty good for what i need now. I think I need to add im only 15 and my budget is a bit tight lol. Thanks for all the help!!

[blue60007]

Ah, yeah, I do believe there were some bundles like that. Also, I think that was a CPU for OEMs only (Dell, Compaq, etc).

Looks like the X1600XT ranks in pretty decently, but I haven't heard too much on it - I don't think it was a big hit.

Here's the slightly cheaper, standard speed version of the 7600GT.
Or, the 6800GS. I'd recommend that one. It's a very good bang for the buck card to begin with and it's even on sale plus a rebate right now ending up at $155. Not bad...