Looking for a new graphic card and monitor

[RATTY...]

I was looking around after a graphic card and monitor, but I get confused since I know nothing about computers.

So what I'm looking for is:

A high-end (the best) graphic card, price doesn't matter.

High-end 19 or 21 inch monitor, price doesn't matter.

And what are you supposed to look at when you look at a monitor's specs?

Any suggestions would be appreciated

[tahkis]

Ati Radeon X1900XTX or Geforce 7900GTX, preferably SLI

[RATTY...]

Ati Radeon X1900XTX or Geforce 7900GTX, preferably SLI

What does SLI mean?

[tahkis]

"Scalable Link Interface (SLI) is a method developed by NVIDIA for linking two (or more) video cards together to produce a single output."

Tho in Radeon that same thing is called Crossfire.

[winipcfg]

SLI is retarded. Don't waste your money. Yeah, SLI is great with games that support it, but if they don't, then you're spending money for nothing.

SLI works by using two graphics cards to draw graphics. The screen is split in half and each card is given a half to control. So, theoretically, your performance will double with an SLI system.

I'd recommend you read this: http://www.tech-forums.net/showthrea...threadid=79791

[Subjugation]

SLI is retarded. Don't waste your money. Yeah, SLI is great with games that support it, but if they don't, then you're spending money for nothing.

What he said. ^


It's basically a marketing gimmick, in my cynical opinion. As it is, the competition in the hardware market is out of control. Products are rushed to market, so the manufacturer can get some articles and reviews that say "Nvid is the best out there!" or "ATI comes back and beats Nvidia in our head-to-head review!" .....etc. However, oftentimes the products are not exactly ready, and you have to deal with a bunch of driver updates while their bugs are ironed out. Then 6-12 months down the road, a new wave of products hit the market and you feel compelled to upgrade your old shit or become a broke assed newb who missed the latest "must-have" product. It's fucked, and brilliant.

Ok, so with SLI, you buy TWO $200-500 dollar video cards that are going to be mediocre in a couple years? And for what? A 20%-40% performance increase---only if the game you are playing supports it? Not worth it unless you are rich, or can steal your hardware.

However, if you are a wealthy person and money is no big deal to you, why not buy two of the best gfx cards out there? Just make sure your system is SLI compatible. Basically, you want a mobo that supports the SLI/Crossfire setup in the first place (and SLI=Nvidia;Crossfire=ATI), and you should definitely make sure you have an quality PSU to handle the load---especially since the higher end cards tend to consume much more power than a typical low-mid range one.

[genocidal]

Sub you idiot, RATTY... isn't a poverty-stricken Mexican-American like you. He's Norwegian, the government pays for his graphics cards.

[Ewan]

For monitors, I assume you're looking to buy a flatscreen.

Firstly, if you're buying a high-end monitor, you shouldn't have to worry too much about the specs, but just a few things:

Make sure it's got:
8ms response time or less (<- most important spec if you're going to be gaming)
500:1 contrast ratio or higher (not that big-deal if it's only 450:1 or something)
16 bit colour support (16.7million colours, not 16.2, if it's 16.2 you'll get dithering (where gradients appear with lines)
These days you can get widescreen flatscreen monitors. I've heard great things about these. Some games support them naturally, some don't, for those that don't there is a great website http://www.widescreengamingforum.com...itle=Main_Page which will help you get the most of your monitor for most games.

[RATTY...]

Thanks for the replies guys.

It's kinda hard for someone like me to buy things, since I don't know what all the word means, and what they do.

I already bought the ATI Radeon X1900XTX, works pretty good, had to get my cousin to put it in for me .

Thanks for the tips Ewan, still looking for a monitor though, hard to find a good looking one with good specs.

[Zingy]

Thanks for the replies guys.

It's kinda hard for someone like me to buy things, since I don't know what all the word means, and what they do.

I already bought the ATI Radeon X1900XTX, works pretty good, had to get my cousin to put it in for me .

Thanks for the tips Ewan, still looking for a monitor though, hard to find a good looking one with good specs.

It would help if you said what your budget is.

Are you looking for flatpanel or a crt monitor? The new Dell flatpanels are pretty nice, and you can get them for dirtcheap if you find the right deal on the dell site.

[RATTY...]

Looking for a flatscreen, and my budget has no limits, price doesn't matter to me.

Link me to one of the best flatscreens you know of Zing . 19-21 inch.

[genocidal]

BLING BLING