What to look in a video card?

you should double check the memory speeds on those cards. The 512 mb card should be available in ddr2 800mhz while the 256 mb card comes in both ddr2 800 and ddr3 1400mhz and also has a faster core clock. I would probably go with the faster memory over memory size as size won't matter if it bottlenecks because of speed. other than core clock difference and memory configurations the cards are pretty much equal.

probably go with the 256 mb card if you get the ddr3 one

You have to look for everything in a card.

The memory is good for gaming, so the higher the better. In your case though, the XT is supposed to be for the higher-end card use such as gaming. You might want to look at the amount of pipelines and GPU speed instead of just the memory. But also don't just let the amount of memory fool you. There are different types of speeds for the memory too. If you get a GDDR2 memory speed with 512MB but skip out on the GDDR3 memory speed with 256MB, it might be slower.

The pipelines are what feed the data through the card. If you have more pipelines, data can move through the card faster, enabling for a smoother experience in game play.

The GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) should be a faster clock speed than something else you compare it to.

And last but not least, the cooling. If the card is not cooled by a fan now, don't ever get it. These babies get hot like crazy.

u should choose a ATI radeon, the lowest mb's u should look for is 256mb.... depends how many games you play or put on, u should also consider 512 mb... i say go with a 512mb... over that is kinda useless, the 512 will last at least 3-4 years before you need upgradeing..

don't go with G-force video cards, there not as good..

any ATI video card is the way to go...

i got a ATI radeon 9250 256mb... it's great...

goodluck:P

For you, the ATI FireGL or NVidia Quadro would probably be better but they are hard to find. A good high end gaming card would also be good for what your looking for. ATIs new 4800 series are good, and the X2s are good for your 2 card situation, as are the 3800s. The NVidia 8800GT and the GTS 512 are also good if you are looking for an NVidia Card, as are the 9800s or the new 200 series.

There is no huge difference between ATI and Nvidia, its pretty much your personal choice, kinda like Coke and Pepsi. What to look for: More ram is better obviously, but it isn't the endall beat all. Also look for GPU speed, and bus type(AGP or PCI express) make sure you buy whichever your motherboard supports. Lookup graphics cards at www.newegg.com and read the reviews, the people on there usually have decent reveiws of each card.

nvidia is more preferable !