Next up. Video Card. Best bang got Buck under $200

[DREDIOCK]

Ok Mother board (GIGABYTE GA-EP35-DS3L P35 RT)and Case are here.
Ordering the E8400 CPU as soon as this check clears.

Next up.

Video card.

Best for Under $200?

[BaldEagl]

I haven't looked at them lately to see where pricing is but I suspect it's still the 8800 GT.  Got to http://www.tomshardware.com They post a "best cards for" various price ranges updated monthly.

[Fulmar]

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/graphics-cards,1942-4.html

PCI-EXPRESS INTERFACE: $200 to $275
BEST PCI-E CARD FOR $210:

GeForce 8800 GTS 512MB
Codename:    G92
Process:    65 nm
Universal Shaders:    128
Texture Units:    56
ROPs:    16
Memory Bus:    256 bit
Core Speed MHz:    600
Memory Speed MHz:    900 (1800 effective)
DirectX / Shader Model    DX 10 / SM 4.0

The 8800 GTS is essentially an 8800 GT with a little more firepower; it sports 128 universal shaders compared to the GT’s 112. It bests its 8800 GT brother, but not by much—however, the dual-slot reference cooler on the 8800 GTS 512 MB is quieter than the reference cooler on the 8800 GT, and forces hot air out of the case. If silence and a cool case are important to you, the 8800 GTS 512 might be a better choice.

[Getback]

I use a VisionTek ATI Radeon 512 mb HD 3850 for gaming. It's pretty good. Tom's hardware recommended it. Be careful though. Not all HD 3850s are the same This came with 700 core speed and 875 memory. I overclocked it, or actually auto tuned, to 710 and 940.

I've seen the 3850 in a wide variance of speeds. So check the speeds before you buy. I think it's right around $150 right now.

[Tigger29]

Go for a 9600GT.  I hear they are about as fast as the 8800, but a bit cheaper.

I found many for under $175 on newegg...

[Gixer]

Easily the 8800GT/S 512Mb and when you have another $200 pick up a second one for SLI 

Assuming you have a good power supply of course..


<S>...-Gixer

[Anodizer]

Go for a 9600GT.  I hear they are about as fast as the 8800, but a bit cheaper.

I found many for under $175 on newegg...

Here here!!  I got my 9600GT for $139.00 from TigerDirect (it's an EGVA)...  It's better than the 320 meg version of the 8800GTS budget card..
It's on par pretty much with an 8800GT like you said..  I'm totally happy with it!!  Plays EVERYTHING at at EVERYTHING (16X AA, 16X AF, etc.)

[AirFlyer]

Here here!!  I got my 9600GT for $139.00 from TigerDirect (it's an EGVA)...  It's better than the 320 meg version of the 8800GTS budget card..
It's on par pretty much with an 8800GT like you said..  I'm totally happy with it!!  Plays EVERYTHING at at EVERYTHING (16X AA, 16X AF, etc.)

The 9600 only has 64 stream processors, it's a nice mid-ranged graphics card but for only about $30 - $40 more you can pick up an 8800GT with 112 stream processors. I use one myself and it runs Crysis on High no AA at 50FPS. It keeps AH at 75FPS all the time, it would be a lot higher but V-Sync won't let it go past my Refresh Rate(A good thing). So my advice would be to pick up an 8800GT, XFX and EVGA both are good manufactures of NVIDIA's graphics cards.

EDIT:

Just looked it up to be positive and the tests don't lie, the 8800GT outperforms the 9600GT.
http://www.tweaktown.com/reviews/1293/nvidia_geforce_9600gt_512mb_g94_tested/index.html

[BoilerDown]

The 8800GT is the best bang for buck and is more than what is needed for Aces High.  Just no DirectX 10 features with it.  That's not important except for other games, using Vista, some point in the possible future, maybe.

If you want to spend a little more, keep an eye on the 4850.  Just in from ATI.  http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=12157

[AirFlyer]

The 8800GT is the best bang for buck and is more than what is needed for Aces High.  Just no DirectX 10 features with it.  That's not important except for other games, using Vista, some point in the possible future, maybe.

If you want to spend a little more, keep an eye on the 4850.  Just in from ATI.  http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=12157

Actually the 8800GT is capable of using DX10, it was probably one of the first to do so. I haven't seen much of the difference from 9.0C to 10 yet myself though because I'm still to stubbron to use Vista. But if your worried about not having DX10 you don't have to with the 8800GT.

[BaldEagl]

I have to revise my recommendation.  I was just at Newegg and the 8800 GTS 512 (G92) is now $199.  It's what I have and I love mine.  It's a slightly better card than the 8800 GT and, as mentioned above it's a dual slot card that uses one slot to exhaust heat out the back of the PC.  The 8800 GT just blows the heat into the case.

That's strictly by your under $200 request.  At ~$150 now the 8800 GT is a great card for the price.

Regardless what you get, if it's NVidia, download RivaTuner and set your fan speed at a constant 65-70%.  It will keep your card temps <50C, otherwise they tend to run hot (60C idle, 70C load).

[Ack-Ack]

Ok Mother board (GIGABYTE GA-EP35-DS3L P35 RT)and Case are here.
Ordering the E8400 CPU as soon as this check clears.

Next up.

Video card.

Best for Under $200?

ATI 4850 out performs the Geforce 9800 GTX and the 8800GT and has a MSRP of $199 (USD) but can be found anywhere in the $150 to $200 range online.

Anandtech ATI 4850 review


ack-ack

[DREDIOCK]

so it looks like its narrowed down to the


(in no particular order of prefrence)

ATI 4850

8800 GTS 512

8800 GT

continuing arguements/opinions of one over the others?


BTW Ordered the E8400.

Anyone ordering from Newegg. dont bother with experess shipping. Your order usually arrives within 1-2 days anyway.

Least thats been my experience.

[Fulmar]

Anyone ordering from Newegg. dont bother with experess shipping. Your order usually arrives within 1-2 days anyway.

Least thats been my experience.

Depends on where you live.  They have two main warehouses IIRC.  One in CA and one in NJ.  3 day UPS has never failed to get there in more than 3 days.

[Getback]

I read up on that 4850. On newegg it gets 5 eggs or highly rated. However, they all said it runs HOT!