I went with an MSI NX6600GT-TD128E which is their PCI-E card. I've combined it with a MSI K8N Neo4 Platinum/SLI, so that I can add another when I'm ready for SLI goodness.
If you already have a motherboard and proc that supports AGP, you would be best to get the 6600GT AGP board as it will not be too expensive and stretch your existing computer for a while longer.
Then when budget permits, and dual-core procs abound, you can upgrade to something better than what all of us have currently. Biostar, and soon others, already has a nForce4 Ultra motherboard that supports both AGP and PCI-E, so you may be able to upgrade even sooner and still reuse your card. I would make sure that anything you do purchase provides a forward looking buss technology like PCI-E. Sure AGP is probably not going to fade out right away, but it is seeing the begining of the end (kinda like a first start at a sunset).
SLI based boards will cost more and not support AGP, so thats another reason to get a 6600GT, it performs well, but won't drain your budget and make you resistant to a future upgrade. |
