Windows 7: Graphics card MFG

So, I have had three BFG tech cards over the years, 0 problems until they shut down and are asses (pardon the language) about RMA's apparently, then my card breaks

But I digress. I have narrowed it down to a few companies, and wanted to hear some experiences and recommendations on ASUS graphics cards, Gigabyte, and MSI.



Also, how well will an NVIDIA card function on an AMD motherboard? I've heard about some incompatibilities.

Absolutely fine.

I have an ASUS M4A89GTD PRO/USB3 (AMD chipset 890GX) motherboard with a GIGABYTE GeForce GTX 460 1GB OC Edition installed. No problem whatsoever, ZERO. Not a single BSOD, etc.... Nothing.

Thanks for that, the cards I'm looking at are 450's and 5670's

Also, I'm curious if two older / lower model cards would be better than a single higher model.

Say, two 240 cards as opposed to a single 450

The whole AMD works better with ATI, etc is all bullshit.

On GPU makers:
EVGA is pretty awesome (have had many of their cards)
MSI makes some damn nice cards (using one now)
XFX is pretty solid, but they make more ATI (sorry, AMD)
No experience with the others listed, though my ASUS mobo has been solid (not sure I would buy again though).

~Lordbob

Hmm, I don't think those GT 240 can be SLI'd.

Either way, I think you'd be better off with a single new GPU. Like the GTS 450.

Thanks you two. I've decided on the MSI cyclone GTS450, I think. But if that doesn't work out, I've got my eye on the HIS Radeon 5770. Both with 1GB of GDDR5, and 850 mHz core clock, at a decent price

Newegg.com - MSI N450GTS CYCLONE 1GD5/OC GeForce GTS 450 (Fermi) 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card

Apparently, the cooling effect is amazing.

Nice. my 260GTX idles at around 40C and hits a max of 70C at 100% being burn tested.

~Lordbob

If you can afford a HD 5770.

Then by all means go for it.

HD 5770 > GTS 450.

They are actually the same price right now, the 5770 and the 450.

I went with this one first because my entire computer is under 30*C with 2 case fans and a CPU cooler, and I think I want to keep it that way lol.

But if I don't like it, I'm exchanging it for the 5770.

And if I don't like that one, I'm going with a 5670 from Gigabyte with a zalman heatsink and fan.

MSI makes very good video cards ATM and they've always made good motherboards. BFG was good about 3 years ago, but they've really gone down the tubes.. I built a gaming system in 07 had a pair of BFGtech 8800GTX cards, and far as I know, the person I sold that box to is still using them and has never had any problems, but I wouldn't go anywhere near anything BFG makes now..
EVGA has been hit or miss. Right now they're doing all right but about a year ago I had to RMA 2 gtx295s because of BSOD problems. I didn't ask for a third one. Right now.. they're doing pretty well with their mobos but I usually wait for a long time before giving a company another chance if I have to RMA something. I've found that for some reason, if you use the same manufacturer for the mobo and the graphics cards, more often than not, the build will go without a hitch.. provided everything else is compatible