Graphics Cards

[Bad_Rabbit]

OK, this weekend, I start shopping for components for the new computer.
Have pretty much decided on the Intel i7-930 with an ASUS P6T motherboard, which I'll load up with as much RAM as I can.
My question is though Graphics cards...

flipping through the websites though, I'm just getting more and more confused.
What's a good graphics card to run with Terragen 2 especially for the Animation renders?

[piggy]

Far as I know _any_ GC on the market is compatible with TG2.

[PG]

Yep, as far as rendering goes it has no impact, it's all done on the CPU. Only the GUI would be affected and then only in the same way any window is.

[neuspadrin]

Yep TG doesn't really  need a graphics card as the only graphics it uses really is for the user interface.  The rendering is all done by CPU.

But if you like gaming etc and like high end graphics cards I like ATI's 5850, and the 5870 is good too.  I didn't really care too much for the Nvidia fermi (400 line) so far.

[Zairyn Arsyn]

But if you like gaming etc and like high end graphics cards I like ATI's 5850, and the 5870 is good too.  I didn't really care too much for the Nvidia fermi (400 line) so far.

also those high end graphics cards would be good for 3d modeling too, 

[Henry Blewer]

I have an ATI 4350. It is not too expensive and does a very nice job with 3D games. It is designed to handle video. (I watch movies and stuff on my computer; the card decodes DVD/BlueRay itself. This takes the load off the CPU)

[PabloMack]

I like the EVGA nVidia GeForce 9800 GT 1 GB as it only takes up one card slot.  Costs about $139.

[Zairyn Arsyn]

I'm a little cautious about using ATi's cards, I've often heard Lightwave 3d has problems & conflicts with their graphics drivers, in most cases,
don't get me wrong, besides that i think their good, that's my only problem with them.

[Kadri]

I'm a little cautious about using ATi's cards, I've often heard Lightwave 3d has problems & conflicts with their graphics drivers, in most cases,
don't get me wrong, besides that i think their good, that's my only problem with them.

I think the drivers are better now.

[neuspadrin]

One thing in general I've noticed recently is Nvidia has been falling behind the ball on their old being known for reliability and making good products.  ATI seems to be stepping up to the table recently and has made some great improvements in being compatible etc.  I don't have lightwave so I can't check for you though specifically.  

I used to dislike ATI's due to compatibility issues they had, but after getting my one 2000 something model a few years back, and now upgraded to my 5850 I have just been impressed by features, price, and stability.  Especially since it took Nvidia over a year of delays to release fermi (directx 11 support), while ATI had their line out wayyy ahead and its drivers wern't the best to begin with, but they have definitely been stabilized.  From what I know Nvidia's arn't quite as good yet since it just now released.

Definitely try a few google searches though when you pick out a few cards you like, and see how they perform with various programs you like benchmark wise.

[PabloMack]

Lightwave uses OpenGL, not DirectX for its 3D API.  For a long time, the ATI OpenGL drivers either did not support OpenGL or were very buggy.  So it doesn't matter what DX version you have, LW doesn't use it.  At this time I would only consider an ATI card if: 

1) You are a gamer. 
2) You want to do some GPGPU programming on an ATI card.
3) You have software that can make use of the ATI-Stream/IL environment.

If you want to do CUDA programming, you have to have an nVidia card.  However, I have also read that ATI drivers are doing a better job at supporting OpenGL.  But I didn't want to take a chance and I also didn't want to buy an expensive board that was double-wide (wasting a PCI-E slot) and not using the extra power that the board has.  I am not a gamer.