In recent weeks I've been putting together a spec for my replacement system to run FS2004. In previous years choosing the graphics card hasn't been too difficult. However, this time round it's a flippin' nightmare.Here's what I've considered so far (chipsets only...)nVidia Ti4800 - very good 2 years ago but probably overtaken by better now.nVidia FX5600 - poor reviews, rejected.nVidia FX5700 - shortlisted; good reviews; relatively inexpensive.Radeon 9800 Pro - shortlisted; good reviews; quite expensive.nVidia FX5900/5950 - shortlisted; faster than 9800 Pro?; most expensive.The card will be fitted in a P4 3.0Ghz, 800Mhz FSB, 1Gb PC3200 system. I don't want to spend large sums unnecessarily but then again, I don't want to hold my system back with an under-performer.Do I need to consider the Ultra variants of some of these chipsets and is 128Mb of memory sufficient when I'll be running at 1280*960 on a CRT display? TFT to replace CRT in the future sometime.Thanks.

Ray,I just went through that myself and ordered the ATI Radeon 9800pro for my total new system build. I really could not find any drawbacks to the card. YES, you see a problem now and then but I think that is with ANY you could pick.I also got the "All-in-Wonder" style so that I can do more than just sims, as it has video/sound IN / out so it can be used for editing video and transfering them to DVD etc.Also, since it has TV cable input, (with remote)I will finally be able to have an auto race on and have live in car radio, cameras & stats from the internet at the same time on the screen. I was attracted to the 256mb of the 9800XT but cost was factor AND I decided that more memory on the MB was better. Anyway, that's the choice I made, hope you can narrow it down to ONE :-)Best,

Hi Tom,Thanks for your reply. That's one vote for the 9800. Without wishing to minimise your contribution I'm hoping to get a few replies that will help make my choice obvious.I don't have any plans to watch TV whilst using the PC so I'm hoping there is a non-AIW version. If not then so be it.How are the current drivers? Do you get any serious picture anomalies? This card has been out for several months now and driver quality should be improving all the time. When switching aerial views do the ground textures redraw instantaneously or can they be seen building more slowly?I think you're right about the memory being better on the mobo than the graphics card.Thanks,

Hi Ray,I'll throw my vote in the hat for the ATI 9800.The simple fact of the matter is that ATI has taken the upper hand in the GPU theater. nVidia has taken the reasonable stance of concentrating more of it's resources and efforts on developing MB chipsets (I own an nForce2 MB and am quite happy with it).ATI driver development has been very good this year. They have announced a plan to release a new driver set every month, and the latter half of 2003 has been very good. The earlier drivers (pre 3.9) brought problems to FS9 after it's release this summer, but the current drivers (3.9 and 3.10) work splendidly in FS9.Buy as much card now as you can afford. Certainly you will be happy with the ATI choice.Hope this helps,

Ray,Fully understand about wanting more input from others, I do that myself. Although many times out of 10 replies, there will be 5 for and 5 against! LOLSorry I am waiting on delivery of my new system parts at the moment so can't answer any of your last questions about drivers. YET.. will need to go there soon however.YES, indeed they do make the 9800pro 128mb without video IN but for only $77 more in retail package (at NewEgg.com)I gained the ability to convert all my VHS tapes I recorded over to DVD and keep them forever. Also edit my home movies on tape and get them on DVD. Well worth the extra money for me. And NO... I doubt I will just watch regular TV on the computer :-lolAlthough it DOES also work as a "Tivo" just in case my wife is watching something when I want to record on another channel.Just for an FYI, the other "ATI 9800pro 128mb" (retail package)is $298 there at the moment.Sorry, can't see your original post from here, but something to keep in mind is that these new cards want 300watts of power to run properly so make sure your power supply is enough for that and the rest of the system :-)BTW, I see that the ASUS brand of the 9800 card has the best heatsink of all. Of course you have to pay more for it. Might as well check it out though..Good luck,

Hi Greg,Two out of two so far! Hmmm, do I detect a trend ;-)Thanks for your recommendation. I've had nVidia cards for as long as I can remember so making this logical switch is quite hard. BUT, I have to accept that nothing stays the same for ever. The driver news is reassuring.Many years ago when I was a member of CompuServe FS Forum I ran a Frame Rate Test routine. A standard "flight" and configuration file was sent to users and they were asked to submit their frame rates and details of their systems. This was invaluable in determining the best hardware. Processor choice was easy - buy the fastest - but it also showed which graphics cards gave the best performance. Totally objective!Whilst I'm not suggesting for a minute that anyone here is biased seeing 25fps against card 1 and 30fps against card 2 with all other system details equal made decision-making so easy for everyone. And in those days the STB Velocity 128 costs about 40 UKP! Showing my age eh? :-)Thanks very much - I'm edging closer to a logical decision.

Hi Tom,Although many times out of 10 replies, there will be 5 for and 5 against! LOLHow true! The nightmare scenario }(I live in the UK so the NewEgg.com option is probably not worth it to me with import duty etc. The TV option seems to be mandatory in the Hercules 3D Prophet 9800 Pro. The Asus 9800 is only available in XT format - far too expensive I'm afraid.However, I'm buying the Antec Sonata case which has a quality 380Watt power supply - more than sufficient I would hope.Thanks once again.Cheers,

>However, I'm buying the Antec Sonata case which has a quality 380Watt power supply - more than sufficient I would hope.Depends on what else you are running at the same time I guess.. I'm going to 550 watts just to be sure and have "clean" full power at all times. I'm not sure how much the power supply drops in output over time and figure if I start big I can afford to lose a bit over time and still be okay. Hmmm... might make a good post on it's own to see who has what running on how much power etc.I run lots of extra fans even now, but I power them from direct AC voltage rather than DC through the system so no added drain. They turn them on with the same power switch as my monitor and a few other accessories. Lots of airflow with large 5" running but I like that I can turn the system off and then delay on the fan shutdown to bring the temps down quicker. Should have checked what country you were in first...sorry, I know better than that :-) Never thought I'd be paying more for a video card than I am for a new CPU !! Best,

I'd go with the ATI ;)even though there's been a history of ATI making faulty drivers the 9800 is still better than the rest of them...

Hi Tom,Depends on what else you are running at the same time I guess.. It's my flying machine so probably nothing apart from FS2004. Supporting programs such as Project Magenta, FS Meteo, Radar Contact will run on my second machine. Never thought I'd be paying more for a video card than I am for a new CPU !!Same here. The graphics card scene is becoming silly.Cheers,

Buzzard34,Any particular reason? Better frame rates than an nVidia FX5700 or FX5900? Better visuals?Cheers,

I just built a upgraded system and went with the 9800XT, it was close to $450, but man is it a sweet card. The colors are beautiful, I can run at 1600x1200 at 20FPS in congested areas, with a 3.2GHZ P4 and 2 GB of 3200 RAM. Plus the ATI version comes with a coupon for a free half life 2 game, if that interests you. Before I had the GF 4600ti, which is a good card but is getting long in the tooth and has no DX9 support.Good LuckJim

Hi Jim,Thanks for your comments. Unfortunately the XT version is way too expensive. Over here 450USD equates to 450UKP - not exactly a bargain.Did you consider any nVidia cards before choosing the 9800?Cheers,

I read somewhere (i think it was PCWorld or PCGamer) that the ATI had better framerates at 1600*1200 and 1024*768 on stuff like Return to Castle Wolfenstein (which uses Quake 3 engine) and 3DMark Pro.something like 15% better FPS than the nvidia cards...

Buzzard34,Thanks for that. I really do wish the games magazines would use FS as a benchmark instead of these games. I've seen enough recommendations now to be convinced the 9800 is probably the best way to go.Cheers,