What card for me?

[FrozenDevl]

I am building a new SB pc and have decided on all my parts, except for the GFX card. I am just completely lost right now when it comes to these cards, the numbering schemes throw me off, and I keep hearing of "buy this card, don't buy that card."

The system
Mobo: Asus P67P8 Deluxe
Ram: 4x4GB Gskill DDR3 1333
CPU: 2600k
The monitor I have is an HP w2338h and the resolution is 1920x1080.

I am currently leaning towards an AMD card, would like to change it up from the nVidia card I have now (260SSC) and heard that the Radeon run a little cooler. I don't mind a used card, as far as budget I would like to keep it below $200 unless there is a good reason to go above, the cheaper the better. Keep in the mind, that in future I might Crossfire/SLI. So please, give me some suggestions as I am completely lost.

 

[Dr.GumbyM.D.]

If you can handle the $30-40 extra, the 6950 is great, and you can unlock the shaders separating it from the 6970, then clock it up to get almost up to 6970 performance. The XFX 5870 is 199 after MIR, a heck of a deal for a card, if you don't mind being a generation behind (though performance-wise, you won't really be missing much performance.

If you want to Crossfire, you'll be able to down the road if you can get another 5870 at that time. Be aware of the issues with P67 boards, as there is a recall with them, and it might be a while before they're shipping again.

 

[Korben Dallas]

Check out the image below. Just remember the 68xx is not meant to replace the 58xx, because the 69xx is the new high end offering from ATI. Just like the 58xx was. 6990 replaces 5970.
I don't remember their reasoning behind it, and it sure as hell confused a whole lot of people. Still confuses some.

Oh and as for a recommendation, research the 6870. Perfect for your resolution. If you are planning on getting a bigger LCD or three, try for the 6950 2gb now and a 2nd when you upgrade monitor(s). 6870 is available for $200. 6950 had 1gb and 2gb at $230. These are cheapest prices from the egg.

 

[samuelmorris]

Agreed, the 6870 is probably a better purchase for 1080p at this time due to the expiry of the good offers on the 6950s.

 

[FrozenDevl]

Thanks a lot, I'll be sure too look into those and hope for some deals.
EDIT: Btw, is there any difference or recommendations when it comes to card vendors?
Also how are the drivers? Any issues? If so, enough issues to warrant a change to nVidia?

 

[samuelmorris]

Not really. Any driver issues you might have with AMD, you're almost as likely to get issues with nvidia, so it's a moot point.
With vendors, if you get the reference design, not really, it's just a question of warranty. I typically recommend XFX on this basis.