Is this a good upgrade?

[barefootdan]

I currently have a XFX 9500gt with 1gb of memory. i recently got dual monitors and this isnt keeping up with my games and such. so its time for an upgrade! i was originally looking at the 9800gt with 1gb of memory. yet people say for the money get a ATI 4850. how do this compare? my price range is around $130 so i think i can afford either. Will these even be a good upgrade? i just felt safer going with a nvidia card since ive always used them. i have a hp a6110n with a 450W ps.
if anyone has a recommendation its appriciated.
thanks

 

[danz1156]

You should definitely go for the 4850 and yea it'll be a very good upgrade from the 9500gt.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814161245
This one here is $130 and your psu is sufficient for it.
I recently switched from nvidia to ati and i'm really happy with my 4890.

 

[barefootdan]

how is the brand HIS? is the warrenty good?
and is the dual slot ok with my tower? i hope it will fit

 

[danz1156]

actually my 4890 is an HIS and so far so good. You get 2 years of manufacturers warranty. The card should fit as long as the slot under it is empty.

 

[barefootdan]

how is it compared to asus

 

[Jaysin]

The card should fit and honestly most of the OEMs are a wash overall, just base it on price. There are a few exceptions. Few people like Sapphire's support, many people rave about XFX's double life time warranty and support. A lot of people love EVGA's trade up system. Other than that I kind of feel most of these guys aren't doing a whole lot different and you can just base it on looks, coolers and overclocks.

 

[reignsupreme11]

i've got a HIS 4850 1GB and it's done wonders for me. upgraded from a 9600GT and like you i wasn't sure about ATI, but this is an excellent card I haven't had a problem with it.

 

[carickw]

HIS has an IceQ cooler which people seem to like. EVGA is only nvidia. XFX has the double lifetime which means that if you sell the card, it is still under warranty for the new owner and i have heard that the warranty covers pretty much everything like aftermarket coolers and overclock. This seems weird and do not know first hand but that would be awesome if that is true.

 

[barefootdan]

k and is there a huge difference between the one he linked and
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121253

 

[danz1156]

k and is there a huge difference between the one he linked and
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121253

The main difference would be the memory. The one i linked has 1GB and that one has 512.
Other than that, the differences would be different brands, coolers, and looks of course.

 

[carickw]

also, the asus has a 3 yr warranty vs 2 yr for the HIS, which may or may not matter depending on how long you plan on having it. The HIS cooler will most likely preform better because of the casing. In another thread I asked about the casing and the response was pretty much that the case helps direct the air over the GPU and out the back, while the asus one will blow the air in all directions, most likely raising the internal temp of your case. The 1gb vs 512mb should not make a great deal of difference however.