I am stuck... Got a budget of $200 TOPS! I want a card that will run TR smoothly in 1680 * 1050. Want to use the High def. on the game, and like to have the card SLI compliant.. (so if the ship of cash sails by I can buy a new Mobo and a extra card and SLI it so I can go even FASTER!!!!

Now is the BIG question .. WHAT TO GET!

Nvidia or ATI...

8600GT ?

256 or 512 ??

arrggghhhhhhhh

man, i really wish i could help you out in this department, but i'm relatively new to the SLI and Crossfire technology. but you said you would like to have your new card "SLI compliant," which would mean your only choice is nVidia. but i am guessing you actually meant either SLI or Crossfire (either of the two-card bridging technologies).

i love nVidia's nForce chipsets (i just bought a 680i chipset mobo last week). i think nForce is the best. therefore, i think having SLI and an nForce chipset is the way to go. if it were my money, i would get an nForce chipset motherboard and a single 8xxx series nvidia card now (and buy a twin 8xxx series card later for SLI).

i'm sure you know that if you get a motherboard with an nForce chipset, then you can forget about having support for Crossfire technology. likewise, if you get a motherboard with an Intel chipset, you can forget about having SLI technology. i don't know where VIA is these days, so i couldn't comment on their support for either SLI or Crossfire.

i love ATI's chips - don't get me wrong. i'm sure that AMD's acquisition of ATI will only mean better things for the ATI graphics chips. but my choice for video cards has more to do with motherboard chipsets than it has to do with graphics cards - weird, huh?

i hear nVidia will be coming out with a 9xxx series card later this year, so maybe the 8800GTS will drop down to closer to $200 by then (i think it's still $300+ right now). i really don't know about the performance-for-price between a 256mb card vs a 512mb card. 512mb is more expensive, but you get a little better performance for double the RAM (check out anandtech's benchmark charts for proof). if you have the cash for it, then go 512mb. . . why not? the last card i bought came in a 256mb and 512mb version (both having GDDR3). the price difference between the 256mb and 512mb versions was only $30 . . . . so i bought the 512mb version. why not????

anyhow, all of this is totally subjective, because i am relatively new to all of this (i could be totally inaccurate). but i DID do a little bit of research before i purchased my last 680i motherboard (i knew this would determine what kind of video processing options i would have). also, keep in mind that two cards in SLI take a lot of juice. like getting a PSU with something like 22-24amps on the 12v rail is recommended - and make sure your PSU has an 8-pin cpu plug because newer motherboards these days that support core2duo and quadcore have 8-pin cpu plugs because of cpu manufacturer recommendations. the earlier core2duo's don't have as much power requirements, so can get away with plugging a 4-pin cpu plug into the 8-pin slots if your motherboard says it's okay - but they probably still would "recommend" you getting a PSU with an 8-pin plug.

i really complicated your question, didn't i? the point i'm trying to make is that making the leap to 2900 and 3800 ATI cards in Crossfire or the 8xxx nVidia cards in SLI requires some further analysis to the motherboard you're going to get, the power supply requirements, and the CPU. bahhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Not sure about the board, but NVidia is a very sweet card, and the results on my wifes rig is very good.

Most likely I will get a ASUS MB, with 680i chips. So 8600 or 8800 video card with be most likely the pick..

8800GTS looks very sweet but out of my price range for now, unless I hold back investments and wait buying the card. This is an option, painfull, but an option. 92 version of the 8800GTS unit is looking very nice with a 512MB on board. Better priced than a 800GTX and only a touch slower.

The mem is helping on the higher resolutions as far as I understand, especially regarding the fact I run on my native screen res of 1680 * 1050. Bit heavy for the lower end cards I tel you that (I have a 6600 and is barely able to run TR in 1680 * 1050 in low res mode) A 8600GTS 256MB is screaming in High mode, but don't crank it up, no good performance with that baby in higher screen res mode.

So, I am kinda split, do I pay a lot of cash ($250 to $300 dollar range) for a whoop ass video card on my P4 3000+ machine and later buy my Q6600 chip with the mainboard. Or buy a cheap 8600GT card and drop $140 for that...

Oh .. decicions decisions...

NVidia writes the Win drivers and are the bigger player, so that's what I always take when presented with the choice. Everytime I switch to another product I get screwed later with an incompatibility. Stay with the big fish in the pond.

yeah, and I think I might save my pennies for a 8800 GT unit.. maybe and S, but I have to see the price first... Hopefully I can get some cash freed up and get the card soon