Graphics Card update recommendation for my HTPC

L31mr0d

Ok, I'm starting to feel my HTPC is beginning to drag. Playing Batman: AA on it really brought it to its knees in place (I just had to keep physx enabled :pac:)

It's currently running on an 8800GT 512MB which is heavily overclocked due to using a custom Thermalright heatsink (HR-03 GT)

My motherboard chipset (which I really don't plan to upgrade yet) is Q965, which supports PCIe x16 1.x (I think, I couldn't get an exact definition on what PCIe version it supports). The motherboard model is "Gigabyte 965QM-DS2"

The HTPC case takes an 8800GTX, but just barely. I was considering getting the 9800GTX as I could move my TR heatsink over to it.

My questions are:

1. As it's a PCIe 2.0 card will it be severly handicapped if running on a PCIe 1.x system?

2. Is it a lot larger and more power hungry than the 8800GTX?

cherryghost

L31mr0d wrote: »

My questions are:

1. As it's a PCIe 2.0 card will it be severly handicapped if running on a PCIe 1.x system?

2. Is it a lot larger and more power hungry than the 8800GTX?

1. You lose between 3-5% in performance with a PCIe 1.x slot, its not very noticable

2. The 8800gtx was notoriously power hungry at the time. Thankfully, power consumption has not rose that much since (bar the x2 cards). So if its the PSU you're worried about, upgrading to an Nvidia 2xx or ATI 4xxx/5xxx (bar the 4870x2 and 5970) is hassle free

lmimmfn

8800GT is a great card unless youre trying to game at 1920x1080 with it?, for games that struggle turn off AA, it doesnt have much vram, also for Batman AA, turn off physx