Video card for 1280x1024 gaming?

psiu · Post by **psiu** » Tue Jan 13, 2009 8:07 am

Well, I *might* be able to get a fairly new system put together pretty soon, and am thinking of an AMD BE-class with a 780G motherboard. Probably be getting Vista x64 to go with the system.

Trying to figure out what video card would be a good match at 1280x1024, it seems most reviews nowadays go much higher, or much lower. I may end up getting another monitor further down the line, but it probably will stay in the 19-22" class, not higher. So I may need to have gameplay on 2 screens (if I can ever get the toys to go along with flight sim software).

I may be able to use my current PCIe card, an older X800 class card. I don't know since I don't have any working PCIe motherboards right now. Performance wise it's always been fine for me.

Looking at my motherboard options, I have a couple questions:

Would it be a good idea to go with a full ATX board to have an extra PCIe x16 slot open for future use?
Would the AMD Surroundview with the HD3200 onboard graphics be effective enough if I ever went multi-monitor with another higher power graphics card also (thus I could get by with a mATX board)?
Should I consider a Hybrid Crossfire setup with a 3450 and the onboard?
Or maybe one of the higher rated 4000-series cards. It seems that 4670 or 4650 might be, at the very least, the equal of my current card at the relatively low resolution I use. The 4830 seems like it would probably trounce my current card, but the price is creeping up there.

Hopefully there's some SPCRer's out there who game at this resolution.

notes:
1024x768 = 786432
1280x1024 = 1310720
1440x900 = 1296000
1600x1200 = 1920000

So if my math is right, just to compare, a 1600x1200 has 46% more pixels than 1280x1024, and 244% more than 1024x768. Which is why the higher resolutions don't really tell me if something will for me.

Thanks!

thejamppa · Post by **thejamppa** » Tue Jan 13, 2009 9:23 am

HD 4830 or HD 4670 would (either) be quite fine for that resolution. Also nVidia 9800 GT would be very fine. All depending your budget fo course.

lm · Post by lm » Tue Jan 13, 2009 9:31 am

Isn't that resolution considered small by todays standards even in gaming? Any card would do.

~El~Jefe~ · Post by **~El~Jefe~** » Tue Jan 13, 2009 9:35 am

eh well

dont say that

THere are many games he could tank on if he just uses any card.

he can crank eye candy up if uses 4830

he can use medium settings or high depending on game if he uses 4670.

these are for 08-09 titles

psiu · Post by **psiu** » Tue Jan 13, 2009 9:39 am

lm wrote:Isn't that resolution considered small by todays standards even in gaming? Any card would do.

Hey if you can convince my wife I need newer and bigger monitor(s) while my current one is working fine, you are a champion among men.

Pretty standard 19" LCD resolution. I guess among the enthusiast crowd it would definitely be pretty small.

psiu · Post by **psiu** » Tue Jan 13, 2009 9:42 am

That's another important point--probably not playing any current games...generally will wait a few years for price to drop.

So I would be looking at COD4 actually as the newest maybe, Company of Heroes, AOE3 series, maybe Supreme Commander, and probably finally try out that newfangled Steam thingy and start playing some other shooters again.

Oh and Starcraft: Brood War of course.

Probably the new one if it ever comes out as well.

So probably try to stick with my current one as long it a) works, and b) keeps up ingames.

~El~Jefe~ · Post by **~El~Jefe~** » Tue Jan 13, 2009 9:43 am

psiu wrote:
lm wrote:Isn't that resolution considered small by todays standards even in gaming? Any card would do.
Hey if you can convince my wife I need newer and bigger monitor(s) while my current one is working fine, you are a champion among men.

Pretty standard 19" LCD resolution. I guess among the enthusiast crowd it would definitely be pretty small.

yeah thats kinda small but fine i guess.

there really isnt a decent 1440x900 out there that i have heard of
then you go 24" youll get 1920x1200 and you need to get a 4830 card or if you want to crank gaming a 4870 or nvidia 260 newer version.

ex.treme · Post by **ex.treme** » Tue Jan 13, 2009 9:49 am

Hi!
I recommending HD4670 with some quite fan like Gainward or with heatsink AC-S2.

lm · Post by lm » Tue Jan 13, 2009 12:10 pm

psiu wrote: Hey if you can convince my wife I need newer and bigger monitor(s) while my current one is working fine, you are a champion among men.

You already managed to convince her that you need a new computer, but putting money to more inches on your monitor probably improves your user satisfaction much more than putting it to other computer parts.

psiu · Post by **psiu** » Tue Jan 13, 2009 1:01 pm

lm wrote:
psiu wrote: Hey if you can convince my wife I need newer and bigger monitor(s) while my current one is working fine, you are a champion among men.
You already managed to convince her that you need a new computer, but putting money to more inches on your monitor probably improves your user satisfaction much more than putting it to other computer parts.

Something in there sounds dirty. "....more inches....improves....satisfaction...".

Reads like the emails you find in the spam folder

Yes but right now, I don't have a working game computer at all. It's either buy this stuff or go back to my Athlon XP 1800 for gaming.

QuietOC · Post by **QuietOC** » Tue Jan 13, 2009 1:59 pm

My $50 eVGA Geforce 9600GSO 384MB was the best video card for 1280x1024 (except for Crysis, I guess), but it is now $105. My new $60 MSI Geforce 9600GT OC is a little slow for 16XCSAA. The 3850/3870 are horrible with AA. A 8800/9800GT or 4830 wouldn't be bad, if you can't wait for the RV740 Radeon HD 4670 replacement.

psiu · Post by **psiu** » Tue Jan 13, 2009 2:51 pm

It looks like I will look for either 4670 or 4830 if I need one sooner rather than later. Otherwise I will hold out for the next couple generations of hardware to release and see what I can get.

Thanks!