Opinion on Graphics Card

[Elimar]

If i was thinking about forming a computer and having my parents help me pay for it for a christmas gift ... would it make more sence just to wait for direct x 10 Graphics cards to come out insted of buying Directx 9 supported cards around christmas time?

 

[teradost]

If your parents are helping you pay for computer parts, I would just ask them for gift cards or cash which you can use later on.

If they insist on buying you something for christmas, I would put most of my money in the other core components and buy an OK video card right now, only to buy a DirectX10 video card later on in 2007. It is also good to give the technology time to mature, so bugs can be fixed and capabilities can be tested by others with money to spend.

 

[Sharkfood]

I think building a new PC would be an excellent Christmas gift as it'll be a gift you will use for the next few years, plus the knowledge and learning you will experience will last a lifetime.

I agree with the previous poster- if you focus on getting quality, high-end components yet skimp a bit on the videocard, this would be the best option. That way, when DirectX 10 comes out, you'll still have a decent/moderate videocard and upgrading next year will be less painful financially.

What kind of budget are you looking at? I'd say build a really nice Core 2 Duo system with dual-channel DDR2 memory and say a middle-range 3d card (like a 7800GT or even 7600GT/X1650 Pro). You'll have good game performance, medium to high settings, and save 100-200 on the videocard rather than "cutting edge" that will be obsolete in 5 months to a year.

 

[vegasgmc]

It will be over a year before DX10 takes off so I wouldnt worry about a DX10 card right now.