Will ATI X1950PRO meet my need?

[pkkevin]

Hello, I am new to this forum and I have a few questions in mind that I hope somebody can help me decide.

I am planning to build a new rig, main purpose to gaming, and primarily RTS. So I am looking at supreme commander, world in conflict, war hammer 40K( this is a older game) and some MMORPG. Not really into FPS. But I am also on a budget around $1000 and can not exceed $1200

I have been reading extensively on the hardware reviews and post, and so far this will be my build. I will over clock a little but I don’t think I will be pushing the limit

What I will be getting:
Intel E6750….195
Abit IP-35 pro….167
22in LCD at 1680X1050….245(maybe wait until black Friday)
Corsair HX620….125
HD….70

So I have a budget for video card for $180-200 ($1100+ in total now)

What I already bought:
2gb crucial ballistixs tracer….55 AR
cooler master hyper TX2 cpu cooler….10 AR
Cooler Master CM-690….40 AR

But these are not what my real problem is, I can’t decide on the video card, I am currently looking at X1950PRO and I don’t know if this card will be good enough to play the games I mentioned at 1680X1050 with medium to high setting? What would X1950PRO give me in terms of resolution and visual effects? Should I look at some other cards? Or should I consider changing my other computer parts?

The reason I am thinking X1950PRO is because I read that it is a good budget card and I previously own a ATI 9600 mobile on my laptop and I am happy with it

I am also not in a hurry to get this done, the earliest would be around thanksgiving.

Thanks in advance for any advise.

 

[honestjohn]

How's it going PK, f you have a budget of $200 for a video card, I would wait until the 8800GT comes out and see what that does to the price structure of the other cards in the 8800 series.

You could also substitute some parts and put the savings into getting an even better video card. For example, the Corsair HX620 is a great power supply, but so is the Corsair VX550 which has 41a on it's +12v rail .....

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139004&Tpk=corsair+550vx

This one is $99 or $79 after rebate. So you just saved $25-$45 and your video card budget is now $225-$245.

Now regarding your motherboard, that Abit you picked out also looks like a good one, but so is this Gigabyte which also uses the P35 Chipset which will be compatible with the new Intel 45nm processors and it's also a great overclocker. Cost $130, so you save another $37. So you can now get a $260-$275 video card.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128050

Here's a great price on the Acer 22" AL2216. It's a very good but at Buy.com for 235.99 with Free Shipping. I couldn't find the one at NewEgg masterPain was referring to. This will save you another $10.

http://www.buy.com/prod/acer-al2216...-1680x-1050-5-ms-dvi/q/loc/101/202892776.html


At this rate we're gonna have you gaming with an 8800 Ultra.

 

[Digital Viper-X-]

If you have a budget of $200 for a video card, I would wait until the 8800GT comes out and see what that does to the prices of the other cards in the 8800 series.

You could also substitute some parts and put the savings into getting a better video card. For example, the Corsair HX620 is a great power supply, but so is the Corsair VX550 which has 41a on it's +12v rail .....

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139004&Tpk=corsair+550vx

This one is $99 or $79 after rebate. So you just saved $25-$45 and your video card budget is now $225-$245.

this man speaks the truth! get a cheaper PSU like the VX, even a 4xx watt psu will do to give u an idea

*nvm the 550/450 are same price after rebate currently

C2D @ 2.8
4gb of ram
680i
3 led 120mm fans
1 200m fan
1dvdrw
3x500gb sata ii
1x400gb sata ii
2x8800gts 640 in sli
all run fine on my liberty 500w (though i guess its close to its limit)

wait on the 8800GT it looks promising if not to buy, to get a cheap 8800gts 640 out of someone else buying it

 

[Master_Pain]

yes, an x1950pro would suffice for you as long as you get the 512mb edition. I currently have it and I play WIC at about medium settings on either 1680x1050 or 1440x900, I can't remember which resolution I have it set at currently. The only time it dips below 30FPS is during a nuke. It also runs Tiberium Wars pretty decently as well. I might also be selling mine in a couple of weeks depending on the price of the new ATI card that is coming out, PM me about it.

As far as the monitor goes, Newegg has a 22" Acer for $210 right now, which is a pretty good price.

 

[pkkevin]

First of all, thanks for all your input and advice.

How's it going PK, f you have a budget of $200 for a video card, I would wait until the 8800GT comes out and see what that does to the price structure of the other cards in the 8800 series.


At this rate we're gonna have you gaming with an 8800 Ultra.

I think it would make sense to rethink the PSU and the motherboard. I don't really think I would need 600W at all, it's just that I think it is more future proofed. I will definitely look into another PSU.

As for mobo, the reason I choose Abit IP-35 pro is because it has almost everything, I need 1394 and would like to have RAID. in addition I like to have an extra PCI-e to maybe run crossfire since it is natively supported by P35(although I would admit it is not very likely to happen). I think I will also rethink the mother board, may be go just Abit IP-35 or maybe Gigabyte. Not thinking ASUS because I read that it takes 40W more during idle and it could add up to some electricity bill.

I am not too worried about monitor, I will probably just go with a cheapest good brand monitor.

this man speaks the truth! get a cheaper PSU like the VX, even a 4xx watt psu will do to give u an idea

wait on the 8800GT it looks promising if not to buy, to get a cheap 8800gts 640 out of someone else buying it

Thanks for the info, I honestly don’t know 500W can go that far… I guess I should be set with HX520 or VX550 then.

yes, an x1950pro would suffice for you as long as you get the 512mb edition. I currently have it and I play WIC at about medium settings on either 1680x1050 or 1440x900, I can't remember which resolution I have it set at currently. The only time it dips below 30FPS is during a nuke. It also runs Tiberium Wars pretty decently as well. I might also be selling mine in a couple of weeks depending on the price of the new ATI card that is coming out, PM me about it.

As far as the monitor goes, Newegg has a 22" Acer for $210 right now, which is a pretty good price.

Again thanks for the info.
It is good to hear that X1950 pro is able to run WIC at my desired resolution and still with medium setting, But it sounds like the game is pushing the limit of the card.

I think the best thing for me is to do more research on PSU and mobo, and wait a little bit to see what effects will new card that’s coming out at Oct, 29 have on my decision.

Thanks again everyone.