Please help!

[Deegod490]

Alright boys and girls.

I'm in the process of building a computer.

My videocard purchase has been a big question for me.

9800 GTX
4850
4870
GTX 260

Please rate them from best to worst, and why. Also, if you have them or can guess how much fps I would get from playing counterstrike source.

 

[orangeble]

Performance: HD4870 < GTX260 < HD4850/9800GTX

If you're buying the card just to play source engine games like Counterstrike, then all of those cards would be overkill. I have a 9800GTX, the lowest end card of the ones listed, and I can run source engine games at 1920x1200, max settings, 16xAA with stable 60fps (I enable vsync, would be much higher otherwise). Unless you want to run more demanding games (cough Crysis cough), you could save some money and go with an 8800GT for around $150 or a 9600GT for around $100. But if you really want to go with one of the original choices, the HD4870 is the best by far (only about 10-20% slower than a GTX280 before overclocking), and a great value at $300.

 

[JVC]

shouldn't this be: gtx280 >= hd4870 > gtx260 > hd4850/9800gtx

 

[Kowan]

What resolution do you plan on playing at?
As orangeble stated, if all you're going to play is source engine games the card doesn't need to be a top end/upper midrange card.

 

[Deegod490]

I want it to be future friendly

 

[cybereality]

Any of those cards will max out CS:S with like 100fps to spare. Thats not a problem.

 

[WiLLiSTER]

All of those cards are going to give you a shit load of fps in source. With high settings, 16x af, 8xaa on my 8600gts i still manage ~200fps...

As for your original question from "worst" to best: 9800gtx, gtx260, 4850, 4870