How much GPU for Vista?

GilmourD

GilmourD

[H]F Junkie
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I'm building a computer for my girlfriend next month, once she gets the money she's expecting. She wants the thing to last a few years and still be relatively powerful, so I figured that I'd go all out with an Athlon X2/Opteron, good solid motherboard, nice LCD, HUGE storage, etc. I'll also be gaming on this machine, since I have to do something when she's passed out and I can't sleep. :)

However, what I was really wondering... How much video card do you guys think Vista will REALLY need, since she wants it to be viable for so long. I was thinking of 7800GT.
 
If you are waiting for vista, then you will have to wait for a DX10/WGF2.0 (or whatever) card. Sure the 7800gt would still run games well, but if you are looking to "future proof", then wait until the next gen cards come out. If not, then the 7800gt is a solid choice.
 
I would expect that it would be possible to have it draw the desktop etc in software, so it wouldnt actually require powerful video hardware - you would just have less eye candy. However I havent been following it closely, so I may be wrong.
 
From what I heard, Windows Vista will be released with DX10 and will not have a compliance for backwards compatible hardware for its main "eye candy". Which means, if your card is not DX10 compliant, you will not get all of Vista's special GUI effects...Though it'll still work fine for it's regular GUI and DX8/9 cards...ect..
 
Can someone please explain to me how an operating system, geared for the masses, will require features that aren't yet available in today's top of the line video cards? That makes no sense. What possible effects can they use that can't be done with DX9/SM3.0?

And let me get something else straight, DX10 capable video cards are only due out at nearly the same time as the OS, and presumably only the midrange/top end ones will in fact support it at that time.

Anyone have the answers?

Adrian
 
im waiting for my big fat tax return for a new video card, but yeah , wait for a dx10 supported video card.
 
asmielia said:
Can someone please explain to me how an operating system, geared for the masses, will require features that aren't yet available in today's top of the line video cards? That makes no sense. What possible effects can they use that can't be done with DX9/SM3.0?

And let me get something else straight, DX10 capable video cards are only due out at nearly the same time as the OS, and presumably only the midrange/top end ones will in fact support it at that time.

Anyone have the answers?

Adrian
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What possible effects - who knows, but i'll go out on a limb and say that they're completely unnecessary, and will only increase power consumption and heat output of your computer because of constant GPU utilization.

All DX10 cards will support the Vista features when they're released - the flagships will probably be released before the mainstream/entry level ones though, kind of like a 6200 supports DX9 the same as a 6800U, and can produce all the same visual effects, though if a heavy load is thrown at it (eg. gaming) it'll perform much slower.
 
RoffleCopter said:
If you are waiting for vista, then you will have to wait for a DX10/WGF2.0 (or whatever) card. Sure the 7800gt would still run games well, but if you are looking to "future proof", then wait until the next gen cards come out. If not, then the 7800gt is a solid choice.
Click to expand...

Of course the OP is wondering about what can be purchased today that should last a while.

In answer to the OP's question, I believe the 7800GT is "Vista Ready", which isn't the same as "Vista Certified". The good news is that current PCI-E GPUS like the Geforce6, 7 and the ATI R520 will support Vista in the WGF 1.0 mode (currently "NO" WFG 2.0 cards exist). This will support:

1. 3d gamming, in fact all the current games when used on Vista will default to the WGF1.0 mode. Many game developers may support WGF2.0 but will have a WGF1.0 fall back to support the largest base possible.

2. Hi Def video (ala H.264 decoding) as both the GeForce series and ATI series above support HDCP a special encryption standard needed to decode HD encrypted material (i.e. commercial works) without being downconverted to a lower resolution. Of course it's the monitor that's important as a non HDCP capable monitor will still result in a downconverted picture (hence the agony of all including those Dell monitor owners, yep that several thousand montior doesn't support HDCP, a lot of users will be buying new monitors if this is important to them).

In fact, out of the starting gate, it looks like WGF2.0 is really only going to appeal to the 3DMAX, Solidworks and other high end 3d rendering/CAD users.

Hence the multiple versions of Vista that will be released as many of the extras won't be needed by home users. This of course only further confuses all as it looks like a total of four different "flavors" of Vista.
 
RoffleCopter said:
If you are waiting for vista, then you will have to wait for a DX10/WGF2.0 (or whatever) card. Sure the 7800gt would still run games well, but if you are looking to "future proof", then wait until the next gen cards come out. If not, then the 7800gt is a solid choice.
Click to expand...
Well, the machine would be mostly for her... And she's not a gamer by any means, so the latest and greatest wouldn't be necessary. But it would be nice to have something that Vista won't bog. :)
 
I have Vista running with a Radeon 9250SE and it doesn't have all the "pretty" effects but it runs great just no transparency.
 
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