There have probably been a million other posts like this, so I apologize for the repitition of this question.
I am looking for a decent graphics card to pair with my new rig. I have looked long and hard at the 6600GT because it has SLI compatibility and is within my price range (about $230 CAN). However, I have heard that it is limited by its 8 pipeline archetecture and 128MB of VRAM, even in SLI. I like the idea of getting an SLI graphics card, mostely because I own an SLI mobo, but also because it means I can upgrade later for double the performance (I know, I know, it's actually like 1.5x the performance). However, I like the Radeon X800XL even though it is way out of my price range, but also the next reasonable step up. I am reluctant to buy the Radeon because it would be a waste of this mobo's ability for SLI and because I'm not sure what brand to buy it from. Connect 3D has the lowest price, but I've heard their cards are ****. So who should I buy the Radeon from, if that's the best option for me? I'm going to be playing BF2, Halo, and HL2 and I need good performance in these games.
My Specs:
Athlon 64 (s939) 3200+ Venice Core
Asus A8N-SLI Deluxe Mobo
1 GB OCZ Premier Dual Channel RAM
80GB SATA Seagate Barracuda HDD
I am looking for a decent graphics card to pair with my new rig. I have looked long and hard at the 6600GT because it has SLI compatibility and is within my price range (about $230 CAN). However, I have heard that it is limited by its 8 pipeline archetecture and 128MB of VRAM, even in SLI. I like the idea of getting an SLI graphics card, mostely because I own an SLI mobo, but also because it means I can upgrade later for double the performance (I know, I know, it's actually like 1.5x the performance). However, I like the Radeon X800XL even though it is way out of my price range, but also the next reasonable step up. I am reluctant to buy the Radeon because it would be a waste of this mobo's ability for SLI and because I'm not sure what brand to buy it from. Connect 3D has the lowest price, but I've heard their cards are ****. So who should I buy the Radeon from, if that's the best option for me? I'm going to be playing BF2, Halo, and HL2 and I need good performance in these games.
My Specs:
Athlon 64 (s939) 3200+ Venice Core
Asus A8N-SLI Deluxe Mobo
1 GB OCZ Premier Dual Channel RAM
80GB SATA Seagate Barracuda HDD