graphics cards information

[madLocust]

hi folks. i'd like to know all about the new pci graphics cards on the market but i cant find a website with all the information i need. plus some hints to help me choose and buy the best cards for me. i aprecciate any help given!

[michaels39]

It really depends on how much you want to spend,what your system can handle,and what you'll be using the card for.Sites like Anandtech.com and Tom's Hardware regularly do reviews and comparasions on graphics cards.The two main manufacturers are Nvidia and ATI.

[madLocust]

i wanna buy a really good graphics card for my system. my MoBo is a ASUS P5WD2 and i wanna use it for making 3D projects on 3DS MAX, cinema 4D, autocad 2007 and other similar programs. one thing i want to know is if there is any significant difference between a 256mb/64bit and 128mb/256bit ? and which is the best, ATI or Nvidia?

[michaels39]

I really can't speak for ATI,all my cards have been Nvidia,and I've never had trouble with them.The more memory a card has,the better it performs,but the price goes up accordingly.I wouldn't go lower than 256MB.The high powered,premium cards have 512MB.Nvidia just released the GeForce7 7950,which has 1GB of memory,but it cost about $650.I'd look up Nvidia's GeForce 7 line of cards,and choose which card fits your needs and wallet best.Also make sure your system has a power supply unit that can handle the card,some of them are real power hogs.

[madLocust]

nothing i read about graphics cards mentioned power supplies. my power supply has 480 watts. would it be enough for one of those Nvidia you mentioned? i noticed these cards have a different kind of plug with different shape and color...does it mean i will have to buy a new monitor as well?

[michaels39]

480 watts should be plenty,the mimimum usually required is 350 watts.The plugs are standard and should fit any monitor.