Dear xlr8s1v1ce,
The choice between the GeForce 6800 and 7800 lines is straightforward,
since the 7800 is the newer and better card. The 7800 architecture
contains more parallel pipes for delivering vertices and pixels, and
runs at a higher clock rate in both core and memory. In other words, a
7800 card pumps graphics to the screen significantly faster than any 6800
card. See the following page for a comparison chart of technical features.
AnandTech: NVIDIA GeForce 7800 GT: Specs
http://www.anandtech.com/video/showdoc.aspx?i=2496&p=2
If you were choosing between the two 6800 cards available for your
machine, it would be easy to see that the 6800 Ultra offers higher
performance than the 6800 GT, since "GT" is nVidia's designation for
their slower cards aimed at budget-minded consumers.
But never mind about the 6800 line. Which of the two 7800 cards is better,
the GTX KO ACS or the the GTX PCI-E? Let's look at their technical
specifications, as published by nVidia.
Dual NVIDIA® GeForce? 7800 GTX KO ACS PCI-E 256MB DDR3 with SLI
* GPU Speed 490 MHz *
Memory Size 256 MB
* Memory Speed 1300 MHz *
* Fill Rate 11.76 Gigapixel/s *
* Memory Bandwidth 41.6 GB/s *
Interface Type PCI Express x16
S-Video Out Support Yes
Digital Flat Panel Support Yes
Multiple Display Suppor 2
RAMDAC Speed 400Mhz
Dual NVIDIA® GeForce? 7800 GTX PCI-E 256MB DDR3 with SLI
* GPU Speed 430 MHz *
Memory Size 256 MB
* Memory Speed 1200 MHz *
* Fill Rate 6.88 Gigapixel/s *
* Memory Bandwidth 38.4 GB/s *
Interface Type PCI Express x16
S-Video Out Support Yes
Digital Flat Panel Support Yes
Multiple Display Support 2
RAMDAC Speed 400Mhz
The specs are similar in many respects, so I've marked with asterisks
the ones that differ. Observe that the GTX KO ACS has higher clock rates
in both core and memory, a slightly higher memory bandwidth, and almost
double the fill rate. For the best possible performance, then, you'll
want to choose the 7800 GTX KO ACS.
Real-world testing results show that the 7800 GTX is significantly faster
in both single and dual configurations than the 6800 Ultra. The following
page shows that the 7800 GTX reaches 100 fps on Doom 3 at 1600x1200
resolution. You can expect even better results with the KO ACS model,
but of course the frame rate will take a hit if you're playing at a
higher resolution.
AnandTech: NVIDIA GeForce 7800 GT: Doom 3 benchmarks
http://www.anandtech.com/video/showdoc.aspx?i=2496&p=4
Speaking of resolution, my favorite LCD monitor right now is the
Dell UltraSharp 2405FPW, with a 24" diagonal and 1920x1200 native
resolution. The contrast ratio of 1000:1 is ideal for watching movies,
and its 16ms response rate suits it well for gaming. Pricing is favorable,
too. It currently goes for $1,199.
CNet: Dell UltraSharp 2405FPW: Editor's Take
http://reviews.cnet.com/Dell_UltraSharp_2405FPW/4505-3174_7-31335738-2.html?tag=top
Dell: UltraSharp 2405FPW
http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/ProductDetail.aspx?TabPage=techspecs&sku=320-4221&spagenum=&category_id=6198&brandid=&k=&c=us&l=en&cs=19&mnf=&prst=&prEnd=&mnfsku=&orderby=&searchtype=&pageb4search=&page=productlisting.aspx&instock=&refurbished=
Finally, you were asking about sound cards. The most expensive option is
not the one you want for this machine. The Audigy 4 Pro costs as much
as it does because of the dual Firewire interface, which is important
only if you're running a professional music studio. The newest and best
sound card is actually the X-Fi, which has a tenfold higher transistor
count and is optimized for gaming. It makes the Audigy 2 ZS obsolete
and is a much better choice for your purposes than the Audigy 4 Pro.
ExtremeTech: Creative Labs X-Fi
http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,1697,1850381,00.asp
It has been a pleasure to address this question on your behalf.
Regards,
leapinglizard |
