Widescreen Gaming Forum

Hi all,
I would like to change my 8800GTS 320Mo in order to play without lags with full details to FSX, and GTR2 principally.
I use TH2Go with 3 * 1280 *1204 19" screens.
I have multiple choice:
Radeon HD4850
Radeon HD4870
GTX 260
GTX 280
Which card do you advise for my configuration and how many RAM capicty embeded on the card?
Thanks in advance!

I would say the best NVIDIA you can buy. That leaves the new widescreen resolutions as a future option.

Basically, you need something with a hefty amount of video ram, ideally. The GTX260 would be the minimum choice for me, but if you can afford a GTX280 or even the 4870X2, then go for it.

As Ibrin said, the best NVidia you can afford is a good choice, as although the 4870 is a beast, you want loads of VRAM.

As Ibrin said, the best NVidia you can afford is a good choice, as although the 4870 is a beast, you want loads of VRAM.

Why do you prefer nvidia compared to ATI cards? Just for resolution capicity?
The price difference between ATI and nvidia make me think about it...

NVIDIA has always had better support of the high end resolutions in TH. For the longest time ATI hardware couldn't support 3840x1024, and now they can't support 5040x1050.

NVIDIA hardware/drivers have long supported pillarboxing, which is crucial when a game doesn't support widescreen. I believe ATI now has that fixed, but it's taken forever. Also, NVIDIA lets you set custom resolutions in the control panel. I used this to set a custom res of 1600x1024, for games that didn't support TH. Finally, NVIDIA has been a longtime supporter of the WSGF.

In my mind, performance between the two companies runs either neck-and-neck, or leapfrogs each six months or so. They both make good performing cards, and poor performing cards. I recommend NVIDIA, as I think they have been more widescreen and TH friendly.

I agree with that. For the time being they have the performance crown, because of the great price to performance ratio of the 4850 and 4870 cards, but if you are going super high end NVidia is still the winner in say Crysis, with 3 x 280 gtx. I may be waiting until they release the 212 series card early next year to replace my 8800GTX, unless ATI has a better alternative.

I'm sure no specs out there can max out FSX on busy airports and cities with 30+ framerates on very high resolutions. I'm not saying just ultra high settings; but all the sliders all the way to the right. If you have the money, then by all means get the fastest (4870 x2). You also need the fastest CPU.

As an on-the-cheap alternative (if your motherboard supports it), consider grabbing a matching 8800 and SLi... the increased resolution of triple-heading makes probably the best use of double cards, IMO. I doubled my framerates in WoW and F.E.A.R. by adding the other card (even after de-overclocking my original back to stock to match the new one).

My current understanding of the way triple-heading affects your current system vs. SLi is that if your one video card can push 1600*1200 with all the sliders up, linking a second will allow you to keep the same settings at 3x 1280*1024.

ATI Radeon HD 4870 X2 for the 3840x1024. If that's too expensive I would say the 4870 1GB when they come out.

I had a 2x8800GTS 640MB previously and I am getting pretty much double performance.

I have two cards that I've tried 3840x1024 with.

Both have 1GB of RAM.

The first one cost me £90 and is a 9600 GT.

The second is a GTX280 and cost me £330.

Damned if I can see the difference. They both run Crysis on max settings with no complaint.