Nividia Graphics card, but which one?

[mongoo13]

I'm thinking of getting a good graphics card for the computer I will build, but don't get what the difference between them. I'm leaning towards a Nividia Gforce card, with 256MB ram.

Can you tell me the difference between...

GeForce 6800 Ultra 256Mb and GeForce GT OC 256MB GDDR3


What about the difference between these manufactures...

eVGA, BFG, Apollo, Chaintech


I will want a card with dual monitor support. I See that some have DVI (out?) but don't know what that is. Will that work to do two seperate things on two seperate monitors?

I know this card will probably be overkill for video editing but I always was a doom fan growing up.

Thanks

Mongoo

[Cobra]

Ultra is clocked higher in both GPU and memory, resulting in a performance edge. The GT is technically the same, but running at a lower clock speed. Same as an AMD Athlon XP2500 is technically the same as an XP3200, but just running slower.

nVidia manufacture the GPU and allow board manufacturers to make the rest of the card. All GPUs are therefore born equally (as far as chips go) - some manufacturers may have a slight edge on performance or offer a better bundle.

DVI out is an interface that will connect the graphics card a TFT monitor using a digital connection (Digital Video Interface). However, I am yet to see a card that doesn't ship with a DVI --> VGA adapter. Using nVidia's nView software (comes with the driver) you may drive two monitors in mirror mode or use them as one wide desktop.

Both cards should run Doom 3 no bother.

Oh, and you lucky git..... :P

Cobra

[mongoo13]

Cobra, Maybe I don't understand, What is "Mirror mode"? and "one wide desk top"?

I am going to need to monitors, one for watching video in a video editor program and the other to watch an audio editing program that is apart of an outboard recorder unit.

Would this card be able to do that with the above modes mentioned? Could you go into more depth in defining these modes?

Also what is a TFT monitor? If you have a converter is it better or worse quality then direct vga, or maybe no difference at all?

Also is the TV out anygood on these? I had an ATI all in one wonder card and it's tv out competely sucked.


What manufactures have the slight preformance edge? Isn't the ultra card at risk of burning out? Isn't overclocking risky?


Thanks, I know its a lot of questions but I'm still trying to learn all of this.

Mongoo

[rallynavvie]

I'd get a 6800 Ultra from PNY. I wouldn't accept a free BFG card for any of my systems. Of those mentioned Chaintech is the least likely to turn your computer into an endtable.

The TV out res can vary by manufacturer I believe. I think some of these cards handle 1080i for HDTVs. Whatever it is it should be pretty good though.

As long as the apps you mentioned are windowed apps you shouldn't have a problem doing what you're describing. You set your multiple displays to be "spanned" so that you basically have one large desktop spanned between the two monitors. Helps if the monitors are running the same res.

[Vom]

I'm looking at getting a new video card, too, mongoo13...and I have just as many questions (if not more) than you do.

Does a better video card=faster effects rendering, or give you better looking finished videos?

[mongoo13]

It might give you better rendering times but I don't think it improves the quality of edited video.

[redwudz]

Vom: A video card has very little to do with encoding, it's just for playback of video on the computer (Unless it's a capture card, but that's a whole different subject.)

I use my DVI output from my Nvida card for a second monitor. One monitor has the menus and the other has the video or image file that I'm working with.