OK, Now I'm confused

[sbjlsmtj]

I have an older system that I was going to replace (still might, but might as well get this one running tip top before giving it to the wife lol)

AMD 64x2 dual core processor 4400
2 gig ram
Asus A8N32-SLI Deluxe motherboard
Nvidia Geforce 7800gt cards (2 in SLI format)
SB Live 24 bit sound
Seagate HD 320 gig 7200
XP Op sys

Is my system I'm trying to revamp. I ordered 2 more gigs of ram and put them in and then found out I need to go to a 64 bit OP system to get the benefit, so looks like I'm going to buy my first Vista (scared thinking about it, heard so many bad things)...but as for the question I need help with in this forum...

There was a comment that one newer vid card like a 9800gt would have better performance than running the 2 7800gt in SLI. My question is...how does this work? I thought 2 of any card is better than one of any card due to the ability to get the performance out of both of them (like me, I play world of warcraft mostly, so need good vid response). If having one vid card that is more updated will out perform what I have...then would I just go buy like a GTX295? Is that the top card to get or will it be overkill in my system (I mean, will my system have enough to push the card to the upper limits of performance). Would a lesser card be better?
So if a single card is better and I the best card that my system can use is "fill in blank", then when shopping for that card on newegg...do I look at the highest clock speed from a maker or is a certain maker sold on newegg better than other ones? I'm going to order Vista soon, so any advice on the video situation would be great. Oh, also, just in case it makes a difference...I am using a Toshiba 40" LCD TV with 1920x1080 at 60 hertz.

Thanks for helping me on this, don't want to waste time and money if the performance of a single new card isn't much of a difference. Plus I need help knowing what is the best card for my system and what brand of that card.

Thanks again.

[Alathald]

To put it bluntly, a single 9800gt will blow two 7800gt cards in sli clean out of the water and a gtx295 is also that much better than a 9800gt. If you're a hardcore FPS junkie or play really demanding games go with the gtx295 (might also look into the gtx260 for a better bang for the buck). Otherwise you'll be more than happy with a single 9800 for some time to come.

[sbjlsmtj]

Bluntly is great...just what I was looking for...ok, so now I understand, but...

What brand from newegg should I look for? Any one better than the other? So I click on Nvidia in newegg...Then one of the things is Interface...Um most are PCI EXPRESS 2.0 now right? I mean my motherboard will work with that right?

I click on GTX200 and then click on GTX260, which is way cheaper than a 295...then I have a bunch of brands and even the same brand with different core clock speed. What is the better brand and what is the thing I'm looking for to get the best performance...is it core clock speed? Some of these brands I have never heard of like sparkle or galazy ot zotac.

Advice on this and I'll be set, thanks for the help.

[vicaphit]

Your motherboard has PCI-express slots, so yes, the GTX260 would work. What kind of gaming will your wife be doing on this machine? That may be way overboard if she only plans on playing 2-3 year old games. I have a 9600GT right now, and it runs like a champ up until Crysis, and Stalker Clear Sky. I get great framerates on all Source engine (Half Life 2) games with graphics maxed out and a 1650x1080 resolution.

You could probably get away with a less expensive card considering the applications. Now, if you want to max out the resolution on that TV on some recent games, you may want to go with the GTX260, but if this is just for your wife's email/casual gaming computer, you may not want to spend all of that money.

Also, post the specs for your PSU. That may also determine your limits for videocards. Amperage is more important that Wattage, and a cheap PSU will not run some of the more power-hungry graphics cards.

[pwcmed]

PCI-E 2.0 is backwards compatible with 1. With that video cards you will probably need a better power supply. What kind do you have? Personally for that older system I would go with 4670, 9600GT, 9800GT or a 3870. That 4670 should out perform your sli setup and sould not need a new power supply, maybe. I look for reviews, heatsinks and price to determine my choice. I would get a 4670.

[sbjlsmtj]

Ok, I'm getting closer now...didn't think about the PSU

It's a NZXT PSU PP500 model
MODEL NO: PP-500W

FEATURES:

•Power Protection: OVP/OPP/OCP/UVP/ SCP, OTP

INPUT:

AC Input Range
100 TO 132 Vac OR 200 TO 264 Vac USER SELECTABLE

Frequency
60/50 Hz

Inrush Current
40A/115Vac, 80A/230Vac


OUTPUT:

DC Output Voltage
Regulation
Min. Current
Max. Current
Total & Combined

+12V1DC
?5%
1.0A
16A
192W
396W
500W

+12V2DC
?5%
1.0A
17A
204W

+5VDC
?5%
0.3A
40A
200W
250W

?

+3.3VDC
?5%
0.5A
34A
112W

-12VDC
?10%
0.0A
0.8A
9.6W
9.6W

+5VSB
?5%
0.0A
2.5A
12.5W
12.5W


NOTE:
(1) The maximum continuous load on +5V and +3.3V outputs shall not exceed 250 W.
(3) The maximum continuous load on +5V and +3.3V and +12V outputs shall not exceed 480 W.

Efficiency
65% at full load, normal line

Hold Up Time
Minimum 14ms at full load, 115Vac

Rise Time
Maximum 20ms at full load, normal line

Power Good Signal
TTL compatible

MTBF
Minimum 100,000 Hours at 80% load, 25?C ambient, Fan Not Included


Differential Mode PARD (Ripple):

DC Output
Differential Mode PARD Requirement

+12V DC
≦ 120mv(pk-pk)

+5V DC
≦ 50mv(pk-pk)

+3.3V DC
≦ 50mv(pk-pk)

-12V DC
≦ 120mv(pk-pk)

+5V SB
≦ 50mv(pk-pk)

Wasn't sure what you needed to look at so I copied the spec and posted it.

Also, what do I look at to pick a card? Core clock, memory clock, stream processing cores? Not sure how to pick a card.
Thanks

[pwcmed]

You should be ok powering a 9600GT with that power supply. Definitely not a 260.

This one has a free game, 20 mail in rebate and is factory overclocked,

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6814127382

[wollyka]

For PSU, u want to buy a GT200 based card i recommend a branded 700W+ PSU