[SirCyber]

ok, before you guys start recommending things, a friend of mine is specifically looking at these two cards:
Newegg.com - XFX PVT84JUDD3 GeForce 8600GT 256MB 128-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 SLI Supported Video Card - Retail
Newegg.com - SAPPHIRE 100176L Radeon X1950PRO 256MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - Retail

his question is about the different size of the cards and the bus speed difference. which is more important? also, as a personal question, is there perhaps a different card you guys would recommend in that same price range? it's for a budget build. specifically, which of these two cards is better and why?

[SirCyber]

any help??

[phucng_10]

8600GT would perform better if overclocked. As for the x1950PRO, it's a better card if you left it stock. But then, I would say that the 8600GT would perform fairly well. Take note that you might not be able to run some games on high settings with this card.

[Jorsoft]

He's right, the 1950 Pro will perform better at stock. The 8600GT may gain a bit of an edge if overclocked. Both cards perform about the same. None of the benchmarks from VGA Charts show more than a 10% difference. If your friend has Vista he may as well buy the 8600GT so he can try and enjoy some DX10 features. I'm not sure how great they'll look given that it's a midrange card but at least they're available to you. If your friend doesn't use Vista, then it just depends on whether or not he wants to overclock.