Help with new video card please

[ultimaratio]

Hi all !

Well i have some money to spend and i will like to change my video card , my pc spec atm :

Motherboard: P5W DH deluxe
Bios version : ASUS 7000724
Memory: 2 gig DDR2 533 ( yep im changing this crap also )
CPU: Intel (R) Core(TM)2 CPU 6600 @ 2.40GHz ( not oc )
video: ati x1950xtx 512 meg
Keyboard: razer tarantula
Mouse: G9
Sound: Xfi platinum
Monitor: VX2255
OS: vista ultimate


I use my pc to do some 3dmax, zbrush and play FPS games ( mostly cod4 and crysis ) and lately was playing WoW or LOTRO, thinking of buying age of conan tho . So whats better now ? nvidia or ati, i use ati since the 90 i think, but i read that nvidia just bought physiqs also, so it is time to start to buy Nvidia ? and wich one ?

ps: new cards can handle dx10.1 right ?


Thanks in advance and sorry for my grammar.

 

[I.S.T.]

the newest ATI cards can do DX10.1, but it's not really a big enough feature to matter.

Your best bet is an 8800GT, which has very high performance but doesn't cost too much. If you want pure performance, get an 8800 GTX or Ultra, or possibly a Radeon 3870 X2.

The main problem with the X2 is that it is basically Crossfire on a card, and Crossfire does not work perfectly 100% of the time, and oftentimes will need updated drivers in order to perform at its' proper speed in just released games. The GTX or Ultra will be the simpler and easier choice, and just as fast if not faster in most cases as the X2.

The X2 is much cheaper than the Ultra, however. It sells for around 400.