Video card brand

[bigdaveberg]

Okay i know it really is not a motherboard question but,  what video card brand is good, better, best?

[absic]

Well,

I personally think that ATI cards are better especially if you are running an AMD CPU. I currently have a Sapphire 4850X2 that has been running quite happily since I bought it and some of the newer 5*** models look really tempting! 

[Dark Mantis]

I would also agree with absic, go with the ATI series 5xxx. I am running an Intel i7 chip but I still think that these boards are better. I have the 4890 at the moment but as soon as funds(and wife) allow I will be getting a 5870. Especially with the eyefinity surroud display they are terrific.

[bigdaveberg]

Okay, my post may have been misleading. What ati card brand, xfx,sapphire, powercool... i may misunderstood you guys also

[Dark Mantis]

Okay, my post may have been misleading. What ati card brand, xfx,sapphire, powercool... i may misunderstood you guys also

Right bigdave I did misunderstand. Well I always like to buy Sapphire for two reasons. One they are very closely linked with ATI and two they come out with some of the better designed cards like the Vapor-X series. I have had a couple of these and they are so much better and quieter than the ordinary cooled cards. I must admit that I have removed this cooler on my present card to install a full block water cooler.

[bigdaveberg]

Okay, my post may have been misleading. What ati card brand, xfx,sapphire, powercool... i may misunderstood you guys also

Right bigdave I did misunderstand. Well I always like to buy Sapphire for two reasons. One they are very closely linked with ATI and two they come out with some of the better designed cards like the Vapor-X series. I have had a couple of these and they are so much better and quieter than the ordinary cooled cards. I must admit that I have removed this cooler on my present card to install a full block water cooler.

Okay thank you, like i said i misunderstood you. Alright so sapphire it is

[Dark Mantis]

No problem, we got there in the end

[bigdaveberg]

Okay so very last question i found for 199 and free shipping..SAPPHIRE 100297L Radeon HD 5830 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card w/ ATI Eyefinity Technology ....When i get around to calling verizon for refund money they owe me i may get this...what do you think. not a bad price, and it is a 256 bit, the passmarks are higher than the 5770. any xp on this card?

[Dark Mantis]

If you intend to do much gaming I would try and stretch your budget to the 5850 it will just make that bit of difference. If you are not intending to do any high powered gaming then the 5830 would be fine I'm sure.

[bigdaveberg]

K, so i may have to get the 5770, maybe the 5850, darn non rebate from verizon... , k anyways, i will post after i figure out my moolah  and what card i bought after testing it 

[Dark Mantis]

The 5830 is still a jump up from the 5770 for a start it is 256bit instead of 128bit.

[bigdaveberg]

Ya, that was one thing that caught my attention, And how much more the pass mark score was..
PassMark - G3D Mark
High End Videocards - Updated 18th of July 2010
Videocard   PassMark G3D Score
GeForce GTX 480   3,455
GeForce GTX 470   2,941
Radeon HD 5870   2,619
Radeon HD 5970   2,537
Radeon HD 5850   2,408
GeForce GTX 460   2,308
GeForce GTX 465   2,281
GeForce GTX 285   2,026
Radeon HD 5830   1,992
Radeon HD 4890   1,947
GeForce GTX 280   1,928
ASUS EAH4890   1,917
GeForce GTX 275   1,863
Radeon HD 4870   1,743
RV790   1,728
GeForce GTX 260   1,705
GeForce GTX 295   1,683
FirePro V8700   1,659
Radeon HD4870 X2   1,641
Radeon HD 5770   1,566
Radeon HD 4870 X2   1,536
Quadro FX 5800   1,529
Radeon HD 4850 X2   1,447
ASUS EAH4870x2   1,446
Radeon HD 5750   1,416
Quadro FX 4800   1,346
Radeon HD 4850   1,334
Radeon HD 4830   1,256
Mobility Radeon HD 4870 X2   1,250
Radeon HD 4770   1,249
Mobility Radeon HD 5870   1,215
GF 9800 GX2   1,204
Mobility Radeon HD 4870   1,169
Radeon HD 5670   1,167
GeForce 8800 Ultra   1,156
GeForce 9800 GTX   1,154
GeForce 9800 GTX+   1,112
GeForce 9800 GTX/9800 GTX+   1,095
Quadro FX 5600   1,078
Mobility Radeon HD 4850   1,077
WinFast GTS 250   1,074
GeForce GTS 250   1,069
FirePro M7740   1,065
GeForce 8800 GTX   1,050
GeForce 8800 GTS 512   1,008
Quadro FX 3800   1,005
Radeon HD 3870 X2   989
GeForce 9800 GX2   980
GeForce GTS 240   979
Radeon HD 3870   961
FireGL V7350   951
GeForce 8800 GT   945
FireGL V7700   935
Quadro FX 3800M   932
GeForce GT 140   931
GeForce 9600 GT   927
Radeon X1900 CrossFire Edition   919
GeForce GTX 285M   917
GeForce 9800 GT   917
GeForce GTX 280M   912
WinFast PX9600 GT   911
Quadro FX 4600   885
WinFast PX9800 GT   880
WinFast PX8800 GTS TDH   878
Radeon HD 3850 X2   878
FireGL V7200   865
GeForce 8800 GTS   864
Quadro FX 2800M   862
Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2   850
Quadro FX 3700   848
GeForce GTS 360M   847
Radeon X1950 CrossFire Edition   844
Mobility Radeon HD 5850   834
FireGL V8600   827
Radeon X1950 Pro   816
Radeon HD 3850   810
GeForce GTS 160M   797
GeForce 9800M GTS   795
Radeon X1900 GT   792
Quadro FX 3700M   778
Radeon HD 4670   773
FirePro V7750   772
GeForce GT 240   768
Radeon X1950 GT   767
FirePro V5700   766
FireGL V7600   742
Radeon HD 5570   741
Radeon HD 2900 XT   739
GeForce 7900 GTX   734
Radeon HD4670   732
GeForce 9800M GTX   728
GeForce 9800M GT   720
RADEON X800 XT Platinum Edition   717
Radeon HD 3850 AGP   715
Quadro FX 1800   713
Radeon HD 2900 PRO   712
Radeon X1800 GTO   711
GeForce 8800 GS   707
GeForce GTX 260M   706
GeForce 9800M GS   698
All-in-Wonder X1900   697
Quadro FX 2700M   682
GeForce 8800M GTX   679
Mobility Radeon HD 5730   679
GeForce 7950 GT   675
RADEON X850 XT Platinum Edition   672
GeForce 9600 GSO 512   664
GeForce GT 320   661
FireGL V7100   660
GeForce GTS 250M   660
nForce 760i SLI   658
FireGL V8650   654
GeForce 8800M GTS   651
Quadro FX 3600M   646
RADEON X850 XT   641
Radeon Processor DM 1   639
GeForce GT 330   636
Quadro FX 1800M   629
All-in-Wonder X1800XL   628
RADEON X800 XT   625
GeForce 9700M GTS   623
ALL-IN-WONDER X800 XL   619
GeForce 7900 GT/GTO   618
VisionTek RADEON X1950 Pro XGE   615
GeForce GT 335M   612
FirePro V3750   612
GeForce 7900 GS   609
Quadro FX 5500   609
Mobility Radeon HD 5650   598
Quadro FX 3500   596
GeForce Go 7900 GTX   589
GeForce 9600 GSO   588
Mobility Radeon HD 4670   586
Mobility Radeon HD 5165   583
WinFast GT 220   581
GeForce GT 230   580
GeForce 7900 GT   572
RADEON X800 XL   571
Quadro FX 2500M   570
GeForce 7800 GTX   568
GeForce Go 7950 GTX   568
Radeon X800 CrossFire Edition   558
GeForce Go 7800 GTX   554
GeForce GT 130   551
MOBILITY RADEON X1800   548
Quadro FX 3500M   544
Quadro NVS 510M   531
GeForce 7800 GT   531
GeForce 7950 GX2   529
Mobility Radeon X1900   529
GeForce 9600 GS   528
GeForce 8600 GTS   526
Mobility Radeon HD 4650   522
Quadro FX 4500   520
RADEON X800 PRO/GTO   513
GIGABYTE Radeon X1650   508
Radeon HD 2900 GT   507
RADEON X800 PRO   506
Mobility Radeon HD 3850   503
Quadro FX 1500M   498
Quadro FX 880M   496
GeForce 7800 GS   495
NVS 5100M   491
FirePro V3800   490
RADEON X800 GTO   487
Quadro FX 1500   485
GeForce GT 330M   479
FireGL V5100   472
Quadro FX 3450   467
GeForce 6800 Ultra   462
Radeon HD 4650   459
Sapphire RADEON X1600 XT   459
Quadro FX 580   457
WinFast PX7600 GT   455
GeForce GT 230M   452
GeForce GT 220   452
Sapphire RADEON X800   446
Quadro FX 3450/4000 SDI   444
Sapphire RADEON X800 GT   443
GeForce Go 7900 GS   442
GeForce 6800 GS   442
GeForce GT 240M   436
Quadro FX 770M   433
Quadro FX 1700M   433
RADEON X800GT   430
WinFast PX9500 GT   429
FireGL V5600   427
FireGL V5200   425
GeForce 9700M GT   420
G96-950-GL   414
Quadro FX 3400   408
GeForce 6800 GT   405
Quadro FX 1600M   399
GeForce 9400   399
GeForce 7600 GT   398
RADEON X800 GT   397
GeForce 8600 GT   390
GeForce 6800 GTO   389
GeForce GT 120   389
Quadro NVS 320M   386
GeForce 8700M GT   385
GeForce GT 130M   378
Radeon HD 2600 XT   375
GeForce Go 6800 Ultra   373
GeForce 6800 GS/XT   371
Mobility Radeon HD 4550   368
WinFast PX8600 GT   367
GeForce 9650M GS   363
GeForce GT 320M   362
GeForce 9500 GT   358
GeForce 9500 GS   356
Radeon HD 4550   354
VMware SVGA 3D   351
Quadro FX 3400/4400   351
Quadro FX 570M   351
FireGL V3400   346
Radeon HD 2600 XT AGP   341
128MB DDR Radeon 9800 Pro   335
GeForce 9600M GT   334
VisionTek Radeon X1650 Pro   331
Quadro FX 380   331
WinFast PX9400 GT   330
RADEON 9800 XT   330
MOBILITY RADEON HD 4530 / 4570   330
Intel HD   328
GeForce 9400M G   327
RADEON 9800 PRO   326
Intel Media Accelerator HD   325
Radeon HD 5450   325
GeForce 6800 XT   325
Mobility Radeon HD 5450   324
Mobility FireGL V5725   322
GeForce Go 7800   318
AMD M880G with Mobility Radeon HD 4250   318
GeForce Go 7600 GT   318
GeForce GT 120M   315
GeForce 320M   313
Quadro FX 560   313
GeForce GT 220M   313
GeForce 9600M GS   312
GeForce 315   309
Mobility Radeon HD 5470   308
RADEON X800 SE   308
Mobility Radeon HD 2600 XT   307
Quadro FX 1700   305
Sapphire RADEON X700 PRO   304
Radeon HD 3670   304
Mobility Radeon HD 3670   302
MEDION RADEON X740XL   301
GeForce 6800   301
GeForce 9650M GT   300
Mobility Radeon HD 5145   297
GeForce 6700 XL   293
Quadro FX 380 LP   292
Quadro FX 1400   291
Sapphire RADEON X1600 PRO   290
MSI NX7600 GS   286
GIGABYTE Radeon X1600 PRO   286
RADEON 9700 PRO   285
FireGL X1   284
Mobility Radeon HD 5430   284
Quadro FX 380M   284
GeForce 310M   283
Mobility Radeon HD 4570   283
GeForce Go 6800   283
NVS 3100M   283
GeForce 8600M GT   283
Copyright Passmark 2010

[Dark Mantis]

That's a pretty good score to be fair. Mind you I don't think that any of the 57xx series and beyond are a letdown.

[bigdaveberg]

Okay i Narrowed it down to 4 sapphire cards. One a apor-x has eyfinity, here is the link to compare them all.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Productcompare.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=100007709%2050001561%20600030349%20600007320%20600007603&IsNodeId=1&bop=And&CompareItemList=48%7C14-102-898%5E14-102-898-TS%2C14-102-868%5E14-102-868-TS%2C14-102-873%5E14-102-873-TS%2C14-102-858%5E14-102-858-TS
Take a look and see what i should get. I am thinking that 174.00 vapor-x, but only 7 reviews?

[Dark Mantis]

I think that so long as you don't want to overclock it should be a fine choice. There's very little difference between the two VaporX models.