Monitor or another Graphics Card?

[the deceived]

I have recently just bought all my parts for a new computer, and I am just about to start constructing it this weekend, and well I've managed to get my hands on some more money (on top of the £1600 already spent ). I am currently deciding on what to get; either a Viewsonic VX924 19" TFT LCD 4ms Response Time, or add another XFX 7800 GTX (450/1250) to my rig. Here are the specs:

Athlon 64 X2 Dual Core 4200+ Socket 939 512KB
Gigabyte GA-K8N-XP Sli Motherboard
XFX nVidia GeForce 7800 GTX 256Mb
OCZ 2Gb (2 x 1Gb) Dual Channel Platinum Series DDR400
Maxtor Diamondmax 250Gb SATA 7200rpm 16Mb Cache
Enermax 600W Noisetaker
NEC ND-3540A Black Dual Layer DVD+/-RW
Sony 3.5" FDD
Black Coolermaster Aerogate 2 Fan Controller

Extreme Gaming Spider Case
Logitek MX518
Saitek Eclipse
Creative Inspire 5.1 P5800 Speakers
Windows XP Professional

Now I already have a 19" CRT monitor which is OK but it is a few years old. I was wondering if upgrading to a 19" TFT would show any major benefits at all? Or would buying another 7800 GTX benefit my gameplaying more?

Thanks very much!

 

[mammikoura]

Well if u feel the need to change the monitor then do so because with a single 7800GTX u can play the newest games for a while.
If u like the old monitor then get the 7800GTX, it should give u very high FPS in all current games.

Or then u could just save the money but if u want to spend it then it's ur choise.

 

[the deceived]

Yeah, I was thinking about sticking with the monitor as (in my opinion), CRT's are still much better at playing games than TFTs at the moment. Also, do you think I should save the money for the new ATI and nVidia cards coming out next year and upgrade to that?

Thanks!

 

[Space_Coyote]

I agreed with daemon, with that rig you'll own all games out there and anything released in the next six months. Wait until then to get a second card, it'll be cheaper too.

That LCD is very nice but if your CRT is okay then it's up to you if you want to upgrade.

 

[mammikoura]

Yeah, I was thinking about sticking with the monitor as (in my opinion), CRT's are still much better at playing games than TFTs at the moment. Also, do you think I should save the money for the new ATI and nVidia cards coming out next year and upgrade to that?

Thanks!

Well when u can't run games on the highest settings with one 7800GTX then u can buy another one. U don't really need it right now, so u might aswell buy it when u need coz then u will get it cheaper.

 

[the deceived]

Yeah, that was the whole reason behind me getting an SLi capable mobo. You may think my previous question was pointless as I only bought a mobo with SLi so I could run two 7800 GTXs, but by the time my system can't run the top end games at high quality, the new generation cards will be out, and by then I will probably have enough money to buy two of them. But that would seriously be overkill for most games, and a lot of people would think that I'm wasting money.

While we're on the subject of next generation cards, do you guys or anyone else have ANY info on them? In terms of specs, or release dates, or even preliminary test?

Thanks!

 

[mammikoura]

Well ati will release cards using the crossfire technology. Two cards being designed the R520 which I gues isn't still working well and the R580, which already seems to be working, though not at those speeds it's going to work at when released. The R580 shouldn't arrive to the shops in any close future. The R520 is supposed to be about as good as the 7800GTX. R580 is going to clearly beat 7800GTX. But nVidia is prolly getting their G70 ultra before atis R580 and my gues is that nVidia will kick atis butt over and over again with the G70 ultra.

 

[the deceived]

Ah, right. Well I heard that the new ATI cards would be about as good as the 7800GTX, if not better. But the thing that I want to know is are they going to be cost-effective? With all the new technology they're using on these cards, surely this is going to drive the prices up, and then only the people who save for ages, or who are just rich, are going to be the only ones buying them. ATI have done it yet again with creating a great top end card for those extreme, wealthy gamers, but they forgetting about the mid-range market!

Any nVidia mid-range will whoop any ATI card, and the mid-range is where the majority of the market is! I wish ATI would wake up to this fact and start looking at why they are losing out to nVidia in the long run! Then there is some healthy competition, and what comes after competition? A drop in prices to attract more sales!

And by the way, I agree with you, the G70 Ultra will beat ANYTHING ATI can produce in the same amount of time. You don't have any idea when that is coming out do you daemon? I'm guessing late 2006?

Thanks!

 

[Dishdog]

I would get a new monitor. a single 7800gtx will be able to play games on high for a long time still.

 

[mammikoura]

Yeah, I totally agree with nVidia being so much ahead of ati at producing cost-efficient cards.

And no I don't know anything about the release of G70 ultra, but I think that ur gues is a good one. I highly doubt that it's coming this year, though they would get lot's of money from the christmas sales, but I don't think that they can make it work to it's potential that fast. But they are going to have to release it soon after atis R520, so my gues is summer 2006.