Graphics Recommendations
If you already own a decent system and are looking to upgrade, the options available for a moderate to high performance graphics card are quite abundant. AGP and PCIe are both viable, although we'd hesitate to spend more than $250 on an AGP card. If you don't have an Athlon 64 system, we wouldn't bother with purchasing any AGP cards, since that's the only AGP platform (socket 754/939) that we still feel offers sufficient CPU performance to warrant a faster graphics card. Our recommendations will be limited to PCIe parts, but you can find similar options for AGP if you look.One option that isn't available for PCIe right now is the X800XT All-In-Wonder from ATI. Currently going for $386 with a $50 mail-in rebate (sometimes less), it's a very sweet deal for any AGP hold-outs looking for a final upgrade before they move on. Those of you who want a good computer system that won't be used for any gaming can always drop down to a less expensive graphics card - that's all that really separates a "Gaming PC" from an "Office PC" anymore. We like the ability to run two DVI LCDs with an office/work PC, so that does eliminate the cheapest cards. There are some Radeon 9600 cards with dual DVI for around $125, and Matrox offers the G650 for $150. Both of those are AGP options, however, and the cheapest PCIe card with dual DVI that we're aware of is the GeForce 6600GT line. The XFX 6600GT isn't the quietest card around, but it still managed to win our Silver Editor's Choice award back in the December 6600GT PCIe Roundup.
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PCIe GPU: Powercolor X800XL OEM
Price: $279 Shipped
While you certainly could go with a lesser card like the 6600GT or X700 Pro, we figure that most people in the market for a Mid-Range or higher computer are going to want at least an X800XL. Performance is comparable to the 6800GT in most games (Doom 3 being the exception), and the price is actually under the $299 MSRP that ATI suggested at the X800XL launch. It's worth noting that this is an OEM model, so extra software is not included, but most people don't care too much for the software bundles. As far as the card itself, it's basically a reference design, and it includes VGA and DVI connectors, as well as a socket that can be used with S-VIDEO, Composite, or Component out. Overclocking of X800XL cards is also decent, as we've heard of quite a few people able to reach 450 to 500 MHz core speeds without trouble.
If you want a retail card, several options are available for about $300. Of those, we'd go with the MSI, which includes dual DVI ports as well as VIVO - certainly worth the extra $20, provided that you plan on using the features. The X800 is also an option, with the Sapphire X800 currently available for around $225. If you don't like ATI or if you simply want another alternative, you can pick up one of the 6800GT cards below and forget about SLI, or perhaps even pick up one card now and plan for the second in the future. Doom 3 addicts - the expansion is out, you know - might also prefer the 6800GT over the X800XL, although it's still difficult to justify the nearly $100 price increase for one game.
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PCIe SLI GPU: 2 x 6800GT - eVGA, MSI, or XFX (pictured)
Price: $690 Shipped
Sometimes, it's really difficult to pick a single manufacturer for a given item, and such is the case here. The differences between the eVGA, MSI, and XFX cards are difficult to spot, as all include dual DVI connections. They all appear to stick to the reference design exactly - in fact, you could probably buy two cards from different manufacturers and still run them in SLI, although we wouldn't actually recommend taking that risk. The important thing is that you end up with a system that has SLI with two of the fastest cards available. Sure, you could try using 6800 Ultra cards, but even we can't justify spending over $1000 just on video cards. You also have to deal with the dual-slot design of the Ultra, and the close quarters on all SLI boards (other than the ASUS A8N) give us cause for concern.
Other than switching to the 6800 Ultra, it's currently impossible to beat the performance offered by 6800GT cards in SLI. The one drawback is that games have to be supported by the drivers, so not all applications will make use of both cards currently. The price is probably the biggest drawback, though. Anyway, until the next generation ATI and NVIDIA cards come out, we don't expect to see anything dethrone SLI as the performance king. As a cheaper option, don't forget about the 6800 PCIe cards. They include 256MB of RAM, and though the default clock speed is 325/600, many have been able to push the RAM to 700 MHz and beyond. You can also run them in SLI, which results in performance somewhere between the SLI'ed 6600GT and the SLI'ed 6800GT. Two 6800 PCIe cards will run around $580, which is only slightly more than a single 6800 Ultra PCIe card while providing more performance.
One final note on graphics cards is that the fans can often be one of the noisiest components in a system. In an SLI setup, it becomes even more difficult to remove the noise generated by the GPUs. If you're not averse to modifying your graphics card (and voiding the warranty), coolers such as the Arctic Cooling Silencer are available for most GPUs and will cut out a lot of the fan noise. You can also find some cards with a Silencer from the manufacturer, and while those will often cost more, it's something that your ears will appreciate over time. Since the larger coolers are a two-slot design, you might want to pick up the ASUS A8N SLI motherboard in order to provide better air flow.
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