Hi all thanks for looking at this post.im new to using forums etc but hope you will bare with me… Im looking for some ideas suggestions for an upgrade to the graphics part of my rig please.
Below you will find my set up as it is at the moment >>>>>

Intel Pentium D 3Ghz Processor Dual Core 2mb Cache
4 GB Ram DDR2 667MHz
2 x 36.7GB 10.000 RPM SATA H/DRIVES 36GB Western Digital Raptor in RAID Level 0 setup for windows only PARTITIONED 20GBsystem/50GBstorage
http://www.cclonline.com/product-info.asp?product_id=68...r_id=0&tid=wd360adfd
2 x 250gb SATA western digital h/drives as storage only
Graphics card = NVIDIA GeForce 7800 GT GV-NX78T256V-B PCI-EXPRESS
http://www.giga-byte.co.uk/Products/VGA/Products_Overview.aspx?ProductID=1271
Motherboard GA-G1975X
http://www.giga-byte.co.uk/Products/Motherboard/Product....aspx?ProductID=1955
Thermaltake Water Cooled VB5001SNA Tai-Chi Super Midi Tower - Aluminium
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CA-003-TT
500W Power supply

The system was built for and still is used for photography/video editing etc. I just recently purchased a sony bravia 42 lcd TV and after borrowing a Xbox 360 was so impressed by the gaming + Xbox it is responsible for rekindling my gaming interest . But instead of buying an Xbox to reduce extra stuff under the TV, decided to link pc to my 42 LCD, via the correct video/audio cables (this part im ok with).
The card ive been using as worked perfectly for what ive been doin, and been the same when ive played pc games that ive used in the past XPAND RALLY and have just got Blazing Angels Squadrons of WWII and love the game so far hence the upgrade. As this is a one off upgrade and wanted to get it right 1st time if I can…What I was looking to do is upgrade the graphics card from a 256MB to X 2=256MB OR X 2 = 512MB cards & linking them re SLI connection as the m/board supports this function.
MY CONSIDERATIONS.
The card I have is fan cooled. I do understand the higher spec cards generate heat etc etc but I would like to cut down the noise if possible…are there any of the silentpipe card type that do the job ? I will consider extra cooling kits for the new cards if it means getting a reduction in noise…what are my options? Have I missed anything that needs looking at ?
QUESTIONS
1…what cards do the job?
2…what extra cooling kits go with the cards mentioned
3…ideally I want ideas for kit that people are using that will go into my system.
4…256MB OR 512MB Cards….which is the better long term solution

I hope it all makes sense and I have explained it clearly enough for you guys and gals to help….thanks for the help and look forward to the replies…and questions I’ll get no doubt.
Where possible can replies please include links to the kit that’s mentioned in the replies please.

A big thank you….regards…..Neil

Not sure what to tell you. that sounds like a pretty high end rig already.

You might even be able to pilto a fly-by-wire real life fighter jet with that.

I googled "sony bravia 42 lcd" and couldn't find a 42 Bravia LCD.
It pretty much boils down to which native resolution you have:
720 = 1280 x 720
1080 = 1920 x 1080

At 1280x720 a 256MB video card will do fine. For 1920x1080 resolution you want a 512MB GPU. As you can imagine it also takes a lot more GPU power to push around over 2 million pixels (1920 x 1080) compared to 921,000 pixels (1280x720).

Your 975X motherboard doesn't support SLI (Nvidida) but does support Crossfire (ATI). No chance of slipping a 2nd 7800GT into your system. However the conventional wisdom is that you are better off taking the same amount of money you'd spend on 2 video cards and using that to buy a more powerful single card. Also with your 500Watt power supply you'd need to get a PSU upgrade for a 2xGPU Crossfire setup.

Right now the best ATI solution would be a HD 3870/512MB video card for about $250.

For about $350 the Nvidia 8800GTS (G92) 512MB is a current favorite of hard core gamers and people with high resolution (above 1600x1200) monitors. If you do have a 720 monitor there is also an 8800GT/512MB option for about $270 that is just a step above the HD 3870.

Both 3870 and 8800GTS(G92) have a decent cooling system to where I think you can get away without needing an after market cooler. Certainly its worth testing before you decide you want to modify your GPU and void the warranty.

hi guys,thanks for the replies..cheers havok thanks for the compliment...was my 1st attemp at building my own pc and at the time gaming wasnt really on my priority list....wish ide have put a bigger psu in now as whiskeyromeo points out.

hi whiskey...after i posted this thread i did realise i made a mistake with the terms re sli/crossfire and just in the proccess of putting it right in pcadvisor forum too re the terms ive used...yeh mobo is only suitable for crossfire not sli as you say...just got sort of sucked in coz i had an nvidia card and sorta missed mobo is cross fire only..:-)

yeh i also made the error in saying its a 42 when its a 40...model KDL-40S253 . ok now down to the card side of things..its the 2nd time ive seen that getting a more powerfull card would be a better choice...and the plus side to that is i wouldnt have to up my psu...that sounds good..so if i got this right a either of the 512mb cards you mentioned would be a good choice

The card I have is fan cooled. I do understand the higher spec cards generate heat etc etc but I would like to cut down the noise if possible…are there any of the silentpipe card type that do the job ? I will consider extra cooling kits for the new cards if it means getting a reduction in noise…what are my options? Have I missed anything that needs looking at ?....yeh got that with the waranty etc etc if i fit a cooler be it heatsink ( what type would be best? )or a water block that would fit the card then link into my water cooled system so as to cut down the noise....its the thing that stands out most...i can hear the gpu fan above anything else.

again guy,thanks for the feedback...and like the comments and options thats been mentioned...any more sugggestions re cooling for the new cards discussed...ie water blocks or heat sinks etc etc...very welcomed.

regards....neil

Hi Neil, since you have a crossfire mobo, I advice you to look into the option of getting two Radeon 3870's.

"In single card configurations, the Radeon 3870 doesn't hold up well compared to the Geforce 8800 GT. However, two 3870s in Crossfire mode seem to scale very well, and will give a pair of 8800 GTs a run for their money in this price range. In addition, dual 3870s should be notably cheaper than dual 8800 GTs, as availability increases. Finally, Crossfire supports a wider range of chipsets than SLI, so it's often an attractive option." (http://www.tomshardware.com/2008/01/03/the_best_gaming_...e_card_for_gt500_tie)

I couldn't find any HD3870's with quiet cooling though... But are you sure your GPU is making the most sound? My GPU fan, case fans and PSU fans are all making a lot more noise than my GPU...

hi pigeon, and thanks for the reply ..since i did this post things have moved on quite well...i made some choices re the kit i was looking at upgrading and have started putting the bits n pieces together. the sapphire radeon 3870 was on my short list of graphics cards and as you have suggested, i got 2 to use in a crossfire setup....they look nice bits of kit..well made etc.
the issue re noise was that the card i have in at the moment i can hear the fan from it and wanted to reduce this noise level as much as possible while doing the upgrade. so the way ive gone with this is to link it in with the water cooling system im using already. the water blocks are on the way and when they arrive i will have a few modifications to do to the cards i.e. removing the fan mechanism and fitting the thermaltake waterblocks....so all being well this will sort that out...and a plus side to this is a friend of mine had a watercooling system small radiator + fan going spare and thats going on the outside as an extra.

as i said in the post i thought i may have to up the PSU and thats been done also... i ended up getting a 1000w so should be ok with that.

yes im looking forward to putting these upgrades together and hopefully will see the benefits when im hooked up to the big TV...its all good fun lol.

again....thanks for the reply.....cheers.....neil

Good luck on putting things together, Neil. I hope it works out well! Gonna be fun to play on that big screen!

Let us know how things work out.