SLI 7600 GT's or a new video card?

[alisbin]

hey everybody,
i'm currently running an xfx 7600 gt XXX, and i'm at the point where i'd like to upgrade, however i'm unsure as to whether i'm better off getting another 7600 gt and setting them up in SLI, or getting a new vid card and ebaying this one.
when i have time and money i'm a heavy gamer, current games i'm looking at getting are bioshock and maybe crysis if i like the demo when it comes out, maybe s.t.a.l.k.e.r. too. current games i'm playing are oblivion, supreme commander, GRAW and a few other games of similar specs.
if possible i'd like to spend less then $250 but i'm not averse to $300-350 if whatever that gets me will perform well for a few years. my current system runs well, for what i've got, but it can't handle maxed settings. minimum i'd like in an upgrade is to be able to max oblivion at 1280 x 1024, including shadows, which my system can't handle at all. anyway i'd appreciate thoughts.
oh, i don't do any real overclocking and don't want to, i move around and i don't always have access to a place with temperature control. the most OCing i do is what the NForce control panel will do for you (the 3 hour settings thingy)

my comp specs: ECS nForce 570 SLIT-A Socket 775, Intel Core2 Duo E6300 1.86Ghz, 3 gig Corsair TWINX PC5400 DDR2 667MHz (1 set of 1gig, 1 set of 2 gig), 1 XFX GeForce 7600 GT XXX PCIe, OCZ 700w GameXStream Power Supply, 2 WD SATA HDs (total of 400 gig or so one is storage the other is system), Creative Labs Sound Blaster Audigy SE (not great i know...), running winXP SP 2

edited: fixed error in my specs

 

[Cinders]

Off the bat I'm gonna say get a HD2900Pro or an 8800GTS 640MB version if you like, but I need to lookup some reviews to be able to argue my point. See ya later.

 

[Rayss523]

8800 for 300$ you can get the 320MB version ez.

I have 7600GT in SLI(look down) and I can run Supreme commander at almost max settings (no 4x AA),but I have no more upgrade room for the video cards, 6 months from now I wont be able to run max settings on new games. but the 8800 will do it all for you and a few months from now you can get another one if you want, and then a few months later you can get yet another one. (3-way SLI O yeah!)

 

[alisbin]

ok, so 8800 gts 640mb sounds good, now, which manufacturer makes the most worthwhile one? i've got an xfx 7600gt right now and i like it, but i'm not averse to switching manufacturers if someone else makes a better 8800gts
discussion on which card isnt closed btw, i'm just starting to focus

 

[kpo6969]

If you can wait till Oct 29th see what Nvidia has comming out.
Google G92 for info

 

[Cinders]

MSI NX8800GTS-T2D640E $367.00

http://hardwarezone.com/articles/view.php?cid=3&id=2109

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127280

If that is to much then go for a 8800GTS 320MB with a good warranty.

 

[Rage_3K_Moiz]

For about $360 with shipping, this is an unbeatable deal. OC it to XT speeds and you've got all the power of the HD 2900XT at your fingertips. It easily outperforms an 8800GTS 640MB and will last a long time down the road. Good luck and let us know how it goes.

 

[alisbin]

sounds nice, but as i mentioned, i don't do overclocking, don't have the time or patience for it.
also lots of reviews say its loud?

 

[Rage_3K_Moiz]

Modern graphics cards are loud anyways. In any case, the HD2900 PRO is a great deal at the price point. But if you'd need a slightly better card, look no further than the 8800GTS 640MB. That 2900PRO's 1GB of VRAM would allow it much more performance at high resolutions like 1920x1200 and above, so do consider that. In any case, whatever you buy, I'm sure you'll be happy with it.

 

[alisbin]

i've heard from some sources that the 8800 gts was extremely quiet, was this inaccurate?

 

[beef_jerky4104]

eVGA is another good brand.