GPU recommendations needed

[Steely Glint]

So, I turned my PC on the other day, only to discover: no picture. So, that's probably the graphics card then. Assuming it is (I am having this looked into), I'd like some recommendations for a mid-range type replacement.

Specs on the rest of the PC are quad-core 2.4 or possibly 2.6 (I don't actually remember and now I can't check) CPU and 2 gig of ram. I don't really want to spend more than, say, £150.

My last one was a nVidia 9[something]00 (I don't remember this, either) and annoyed me by being a) very noisy when you played something graphically intensive and b) Collecting dust like a motherfucker and then overheating (these two facts may be connected). If I had one that did not do this, that would be good.

I haven't paid the slightest bit of attention to PC hardware for about 2 years, so I have no idea what the current state of the market is.

[Wraith]

Good news: While you weren't looking, hardware capabilities in this area went screaming past software needs. So you can't really go too wrong with whatever you grab, and it doesn't matter if you want to go cheap.

Do you know what kind of slot you have on your motherboard for this?

I've got the nVidia GTX 260 currently, and that appears to be just within your price range if you can fit it. I've never been able to fully tap it (even running 3D occasionally), and I get the impression you're tastes in games are no more graphically intensive than mine. I've never noticed much noise with my evga version. You can probably go lower than that and grab something in nVidia's 9xxx series again and be fine, but it seems like support for that is starting to drop. The 8800(not sure) I had in my old computer until late last year was still able to handle everything I threw at it, though I never tried to make it run Crisis or anything like that.

Haven't paid much attention to the ATI cards, so I'm no help there. Got burned once by them like a decade ago and held a grudge.

edit: Also, what OS?

[Ominous Gamer]

If you don't have any Physx games, I'd go for an ATI card right now. They are so hot that AMD is reducing their production of desktop chips to keep up with the GPU demand.

What resolution you pushing? How up to date are your gaming habits?

Over here you could get a 4890 (Dx10) for under $200 if your computer has the power for it, or you could go green (and save a little) with a 5770 (DX11) if you're doing HD resolutions or lower.

[Steely Glint]

Do you know what kind of slot you have on your motherboard for this?

Not right now.

The 8800(not sure) I had in my old computer until late last year was still able to handle everything I threw at it, though I never tried to make it run Crisis or anything like that.

As an aside, you'd be surprised about Crysis. It's not as system intensive as everyone makes out; I've run out without any trouble on my current system. It's very scalable.

It's also not very good, so you might want to not bother

edit: Also, what OS?

XP.

What resolution you pushing?

1680x1024 or something like that

How up to date are your gaming habits?

My most recent purchases were Dragon Age, Dawn of War 2: Chaos Rising and Stalker: Call of Pripyat.

[Ominous Gamer]

Alright, so you're not pushing an insane amount of pixels, but you still want DX 11 features. XP does not currently support DirectX 11, but your card will be ready if you ever move up to 7.

I think a 5770 would suit you nicely, and there are plenty of fan cooler options to pick from. If you want dead silence you could pay the same price for a fanless 5750.
HardOcp did a launch review of the 2 cards.

*I think Dragon Age supports PhysX, which can provide some nice eye candy if the card is beefy enough. If you want to keep PhysX go with Wraith. I gave up on nVidia after I got burned with the shit support nVidia put behind the 5800 Ultra and 7950GX2.

[Wraith]

Are you planning on upgrading your OS in the forseeable future? If not, there's even less reason to go higher up the video card ladder.

I'll leave ATI evangelism to OG, but on the nVidia side of things, the 260GTX is probably a good card for you if you're looking to get as future-proof as possible within your budget. It's got all the features you'll need, but it's probably more than you need if you don't care as much about future-proofing. Anything in that series (like the 250 GTS) will do great as well.

For a couple steps down from that, something like the 9800 GT is probably a good choice. Something like this will be well under your price range. You'd probably be alright stepping down even further than that, though I wouldn't recommend going below the 9xxx line with nVidia. The hardware has really outpaced the software lately, so even with a card like this you'll probably still be able to run most games at the highest settings. Something like this 9500 GT would probably even be fine.

I wouldn't worry too much about PhysX. It's starting to catch on, but most games still don't really support it, there's a good chance you won't notice even if they do (Dragon Age is one, did you notice it with your last card?), and I can only think of one game that has ever required it from what I remember. I don't think it's too likely that tons of games are going to start appearing that require the thing. Any nVidia after Series 8 supports it if you do want it, though.

DirectX11 support is completely unnecessary at this point, and even DX10 isn't really required yet. Most games still use or at least support DX9. You won't be able to use either 10 or 11 without upgrading your OS anyways, so don't worry about those if you won't upgrade.

I don't know much about all the different card manufacturers, but EVGA and BFG have been good to me so far. You can check reviews for anyone else.

[Ominous Gamer]

BFG pulled out of the GPU market, called it unprofitable. You can still find their cards, and they have claimed that warranty support won't change, but there is going to be a point where they simply won't have any left.

[Steely Glint]

Are you planning on upgrading your OS in the forseeable future?

I have no plans to do so currently, but I wouldn't rule it out. I don't exactly have a lot of money right now, and if I did I'd probably spend it on something cooler than Windows 7.

But bare in mind that other than components breaking and maybe adding another 2 gig of RAM I have no really intention of upgrading my current system for at least two years. I like to try and be relatively future proof, it saves me from having to memorize the random fucking words and numbers manufactures like to give their hardware.

(Dragon Age is one, did you notice it with your last card?)

I dunno what does PhysX actually do?

Anyway, thanks to both of you for your recommendations, I'll look at prices and what not and decide.

[Steely Glint]

So, here's the full specs. Turns out I had an 8800 not a 9[something]. Also, it's PCI.

CAS: Sigma Gaming Orca Case
CASUPGRADE: NONE
CS_FAN: Default Case Fan
CPU: (Quad-Core)Intel. CoreT 2 Quad Q6600 @ 2.4GHz 1066FSB 8MB L2 Cache 64-bit [+55]
CD: SONY DUAL FORMAT 18X DVD1R/1RW + CD-R/RW DRIVE DUAL LAYER (BLACK COLOR)
CD2: NONE
CABLE: None
FLOPPY: NONE
FLASHMEDIA: None
FAN: INTEL LGA775 CERTIFIED CPU FAN & HEATSINK
HDD: Single Hard Drive (500GB SATA-II 3.0Gb/s 16MB Cache 7200RPM HDD [+30])
HDD2: NONE
IEEE_CARD: NONE
KEYBOARD: NONE [-4]
MOUSE: NONE [-4]
MODEM: NONE
MONITOR: NONE
MONITOR2: NONE
MOTHERBOARD: (Quad-Core Supports) MSI P6N SLI-FV2 nForce 650i SLI Chipset LGA775 FSB1333
DDR2 Mainboard
MEMORY: (Req.DDR2 MainBoard)2GB (2x1GB) PC6400 DDR2/800 Dual Channel Memory (OCZ Value
Select or Major Brand)
NETWORK: ONBOARD 10/100 NETWORK CARD
OS: NONE - FORMAT HARD DRIVE ONLY
PPU: NONE
PRO_WIRING: None
POWERSUPPLY: 600 Watts Power Supplies [+80] (Enermax Noisetaker EG701AX-VE(W) SFMA 24P
(ALL IN ONE) SLI Supports 600Watt Power Supply)
RUSH: NONE
SOUND: HIGH DEFINITION ON-BOARD 7.1 AUDIO
SPEAKERS: NONE
TEMP: NONE (AS SHOWN)
TVRC: NONE
USB: Built-in USB 2.0 Ports
USBHD: NONE
UPS: None
VIDEO: NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GT 512MB 16X PCI Express Video Card [+91]

[Ominous Gamer]

PhysX currently mainly adds to the visual aspect of a game. Particle physics. Flags that wave in the wind, water that acts realistic, explosions that send hundreds of pieces into all directions instead of just a few. I think the only thing Mirror's Edge did right was the awesome use of PhysX in building decorations.

Example, Sacred 2 with and without PhysX

[Steely Glint]

Yeah, I think someone doesn't like you hotlinking there.

I think the last thing dragon age needs is more particle effects. You put on the most innocuous seeming passive ability and the character turns into some kind of font for space-pixie dust.

[Ominous Gamer]

Fixed. Since you already had an 8800, you may have already been experiencing PhysX. No idea if Dragon Age requires it to be enabled in the game, but I know the control panel enables it by default.

[Steely Glint]

yeah, well, it's too late for that now

[EmperorNorton]

Well, it appears my 9800GT has just about shit the bed today. It's not even two years old. I had forgotten to register with the manufacturer as my specific model qualified for a free limited lifetime warranty.

FUCK!