XFX Radeon HD 6950 on sale - advice?

[poguesquadron]

APPROXIMATE PURCHASE DATE: Within the next couple of weeks, hopefully sooner rather than later

USAGE FROM MOST TO LEAST IMPORTANT:
Photoshop/Illustrator/Gaming

CURRENT GPU AND POWER SUPPLY:
n/a (build in progress, was looking at a 500w power supply)

OTHER RELEVANT SYSTEM SPECS:
Intel Core i5 2400k
Gigabyte GA-P67A-UD3-B3 Motherboard
8GB 1600 Corsair Vengeance RAM (4x2GB)
Case - looking at the Antec 300

PREFERRED WEBSITE(S) FOR PARTS: Newegg, Micro Center (I have one very close by)

PARTS PREFERENCES: n/a

OVERCLOCKING: No

SLI OR CROSSFIRE: No (maybe really far down the line, like in a couple years)

MONITOR RESOLUTION: Hopefully 1920x1200...I have an IPS monitor that is 1920x1200 but it is not fast enough for gaming, so I'm looking into a similar size monitor with a faster response time (to have a dual monitor setup, one for gaming, one for artwork, as I am an illustrator)

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS:
There's a deal on Newegg for an XFX Radeon HD 6950 1GB right now, $210 after rebate.

I'm not familiar with XFX at all, but was thinking of picking it up. My budget is right around $200 so any thoughts would be appreciated. Have people had good experience with XFX? This is my first build, and I just want to make sure everything works okay.

Looking to get back into PC gaming (after this build, I'll practically have no incentive to get any single player games on 360 anymore, haha). I'm super excited about this. My budget is around $200, and the XFX Radeon 6950 at $210 is the best I've found for around that price range.

Also, my budget for the whole machine, minus monitor, is around $1000, and a $200ish graphics card fits into that perfectly.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Helltech]

The monitor you have is not "fast" enough for gaming? What do you mean? I'm sure it is...

That 6950 has been up for that price for a while. For a 200 dollar budget its a great card.

If you havn't put the computer together yet you can let me take a wack at it, I might be able to do better in a 1000 dollar budget range, or is it 1200 dollar budget?

 

[poguesquadron]

Thanks, though I should say I've already bought a good chunk of the components. I have not bought: the case, the power supply, the optical drive, the network adapter, and a copy of Windows 7 (just going with an OEM copy of Windows 7 Home Premium). I've been getting great deals on everything so far (got my mobo and CPU for $240 at Micro Center and have been keeping an eye on sales there and at Newegg).

The monitor is an IPS monitor that has a response time of something like 12ms (maybe more?). It's actually a little noticeable during day to day activities to be honest. I've tried playing a couple games on it and I constantly make characters jump too late, shoot too late, etc. It is a wide gamut monitor though and is still great for Photoshop work. I've even true hooking my 360 up to it, and it definitely even has a slower response time than my cheap LCD tv.

I'm going to worry about the monitor somewhere down the line but I will likely be getting a 22" or 24" at some point.

Edit:
Also regarding price, so far:
CPU and Motherboard Bundle: $240 after rebates
Intel 320 80GB SSD: $175 (I'm sure there are cheaper but I just got this because of reliability concerns, also comes with a free copy of Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood haha)
Seagate Barracuda 1TB: $63
Corsair Vengeance 8GB 1600 DDR3 RAM: $75 after instant $20 off promo code

So that puts me around $553 so far. With the other components I'm looking at, I should be landing between $1000 and $1100.

 

[aphamx]

You shouldn't have gotten the k ver of the i5 if you aren't overclocking. You should get a 650 watt or so certified psu just incase you crossfire in the future. And IPS panel with slow response time? Do you mean 5ms? IMO i wouldn't get rid of the ips just to get a 2ms panel.

 

[poguesquadron]

Arg, sorry for mistyping, but it is the 2500k, not the 2400k. I do not plan on overclocking now, as this is my first build, but maybe in a couple years I will feel comfortable trying it out. Right now I just want to make sure everything will work when I put it together, haha.

Regarding my monitor, I've looked online for help ever since I got it (I want to say maybe two years ago?), and apparently the monitor has always gotten mixed reviews regarding its response time and apparent input lag. Some tests have put the monitor at a response time that fluctuates between 11ms and 45ms (while I think a later revision of the monitor has a faster response time of 5ms or 6ms). Anyway, It's noticeable enough that games on it just feel different than on my old Macbook Pro's screen. I've also hooked up my 360 to it, and games do feel very different than on my TV which has a response time of 7ms. The monitor has always been connected with either DVI or HDMI.

(But I'm not worrying about it for now, as I'd like to invest in a quick 1080p monitor at some point in the future, while still keeping the IPS monitor for work).

Anywho, I'm pretty close to pulling the trigger on this card. Now that I'm not as worried about its reliability or brand, my main concern is size. Its length is 10.2 inches - should I have any problem fitting this into a mid sized case? I was looking at the Antec 300 or something of similar size/design (something around $60).

Really sorry if all of these questions sound really noobish. It's probably just because this is my first time doing this and with all the money I'm spending I just want to be extra careful.

Edit: Regarding the monitor..just, nevermind. I've been testing it out all day and I feel like an idiot. I guess it's either all in my head, or I must've had it hooked up some other way before. I mirrored my display, put on a stop watch, and took some photos at a crazy high shutter speed....the LP2475w actually comes in slightly quicker than my other displays. I feel like a crazy person. Sorry for all the fuss.