graphics card for a hard core gammer

I'm in the market for a new graphics card. I am willing to buy another laptop if need be to get it.
My question is this; what is the best graphics car for gaming on the current or very near future market? Is it made by nvidea or ati? How much is it?

I am trying not to spent more than $200 for the card but am willing to go to $500 if it's worth it. This may or may not buy me the ultimate gaming gard but I would still like to know the model and who makes it.

I await your replies and thank you in advance for your help.

ucb9999

 

If you're thinking of getting a graphics card for a notebook than you're out of luck as it practically impossible or extremely difficult or just not worth the hassle to swap out the gpu and replace with another. Unless you're some kind of leet modder with an MXM notebook.

Currently the most powerful mobile cards are the ATI Mobility Radeon X1800XT and Nvidia GeForce Go7900GTX. You should read this thread: http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=39568.

And if you're intent on absolute gaming and willing to buy another notebook for it, you might as well get a desktop-far better value than any notebook can offer in terms of sheer gaming prowess

 

I know that desktop graphics are fare superior, but I usually built my destops(tend to be much cheaper than name brand) and I am not experienced in dual graphics and accelerators. If anyone could assist me in this the I would gladly get a new desktop. If I don't build it I was considering dells new XPS line or alienware. Are there any other brand to look at if I decide to go the name brand route.

keep the replies coming

ucb9999

 

The best notebook card today is the Nvidia 512mb Geforce Go 7900GTX. They're only in 17"+ notebooks. The Dell XPS M1710 has it, the Alienware ALX notebook has it too. Its the most powerful single notebook card on the market, but its expensive. You'll be spending every extra penny of that $500 your willing to spend. But if graphics are really that important, a desktop would be best.

 

I may end up going the desktop route but I like being able to play anywhere with an electric outlet and occasionally on road trips.

ucb9999

 

Well, the best is still the 512MB 7900GTX as stated, but SLi is also an option. The only 17" that I know of with SLi though is the Alienware Aurora m9700 with either dual 256 7900GS' or 512MB 7900GS' (1GB of vRAM ). Unfortunately, it comes with an AMD Turion 64... a severe bottleneck for performance.

 

Alienware is not the only one with SLi, I recently came across another company that has it but unfortunatly I can't remember the name of the brand.

ucb9999

 

get a desktop

it will be much more powerful then a notebook and any notebook with an x1800 or 7900gtx will not have a very impressive battery life

i recommend the new radeon x1950xtx for $449
it will have more value performance wise unless you really wnat the best of the best then you get geforce 7950gtx2, which will run you into ~$1000

radeonx1950xtx will be the best card you can get for under $500 and it will seriously thrash that 7900gtx card

 

Thanks, I'll probably get that one just as soon as i can get the money for the rest of the system.

ucb9999

 

Yeah, Sager has a 19" SLi notebook w/ dual 7900GTX's (pretty crazy)... but I was speaking of 17" notebooks. 19" is just crazy IMO. There may be some other 17" SLi notebooks, but I can't think of any right now.

Anyways, I'd really recommend going for a desktop if you're a hardcore gamer. I consider myself a gamer, but not hardcore. Plus, I like to be able to game both at home and at college, so I got a notebook. But yeah, a desktop would be a cheaper solution for hardcore gaming. And the x1950xtx is pretty hardcore... I personally prefer nVidia cards, but I'm pretty sure the x1950 is stronger than the 7950 due to the GDDR4, and it's cheaper from what I've seen.

 

If you get one of those xps with a 7900gtx you will be fine with gaming for at least a couple of years, and I mean really fine running EVERYTHING at high!!
Maybe if you're not planing to spend much go for a desktop but if you want some mobility you should go with an 17" xps (or alienware) and you'll be set for a really long time.

 

Yeah, I'm in the same boat here, I want to take it home on the weekends after a hard week at college. That's why I opted for the laptop option in the first place. I am a serious gamer but I usually don't play the most intense games while at school. I tend to save that kind of stuff for the holidays.

ucb9999

 

Well, then I'll recommend the M90/XPSM1710/E1705. While these three machines are basically the same, there are things that distinctly separate them and apply to different users.

XPS: Powerful with a Core 2 Duo and 7900GTX, but quite expensive and pretty flashy. A good one with a 7900GTX and a high class processor/enough RAM it's going to cost over $3000 typically. Plus, the flashy colors and LED lights aren't for everyone.

M90: Same as the XPS and the Quadro cards perform equally as the 7900 cards (7900GS = 1500M, 7900GTX =2500M). This typically won't cost as much and the looks aren't as fancy. It's more subdued with black and grey/metallic finish and doesn't feature the lights of the XPS. But it features some things that you can't get with the E1705 such as Small Business service and a little bit more attention to quality detail (such as the very nice metal lid and better paint). Also, the Quadro cards can run into some problems with a few games, and the driver options aren't as plentiful.

E1705: A cheaper solution than the M90 or the XPS with a 7900GS. Unfortunately, you get Inspiron support which is outsourced to India, and there is no option for a 7900GTX or Quadro 2500M. Also, the looks aren't very appealing with the white bumpers, and the paint is a little cheap. But it's a fantastic budget gaming machine.

Also look at the Toshiba Satellite P100. $2k for a Core Duo, 7900GTX, and 1 gig of RAM... a fantastic deal.

 

I'll keep these in mind, notebook ftw. I'm not sure about the toshiba though, unless it has a C2D as an option and still stays around my buget price.

ucb9999

 

Ive been looking at the Sager NP5750/5760. Exact same case, although the 5760 has more power, with a 7900GTX in it. The 5750 has a 7800GTX in it however, holding its own in the graphics area, plus its quite a bit cheaper than similarly configured models.

 

Yeah, Sager makes some pretty good gaming notebooks. Decently priced too.

 

I agree about sager. I almost bought the 5750 but I ended up getting an E1505 because I got a discount through my university.

ucb9999