Yeah, 1440 x 900 is perfect for most people's needs. The 9800GT is just a renamed 8800GT, and I would say it is an entry level GPU now. I mean, as of right now nvidia has two top of the line cards, the GTX 295 and the GTX 285, their mid level is covered by the GTX 260 and the soon-to-be-released GTX 275, and their entry level is the GTS 250 (renamed 9800 GTX+)... you still with me The performance difference between the 9800 GT and GTS 250 is very small, and actually the GTS 250 is cheaper than the 9800 GT but is a better card. Anything under a GTS 250 or 9800 GT (9600 GSO, 9500 GT, etc.) probably wouldn't be great for a PC whose main purpose is gaming, but would still produce acceptable results for people who aren't using wide screen displays. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150357 This GTS 250 is only $117, and it is essentially a 9800 GTX+, which is a pretty good deal seeing as most 9800 GTX+ cards are still selling for $160. Confused yet? I would consider a $117 GPU as entry level for a gaming PC. As for the PC graphics vs Console graphics, the main games I had in mind were Crysis, Crysis: Warhead, and STALKER CS as when each of them are played at their maximum settings they outshine anything to be seen on consoles today. Even multi-platform games like FarCry 2, Call of Duty 4, Fallout 3, and even Oblivion look way better on PC than they do on XBOX 360 and PS3. And I know some people will say "graphics aren't everything", but personally I think they are pretty important.
I totally agree with the graphics. They aren't everything BUT there is a reason there called VIDEO games! They are part of the game. Those are the games that are better on the PC, which is why I will always at least try to have a PC. Crysis Warhead was kind of boring in a way but the multi was pretty cool, but the graphics really are nice. Is Farcry 2 worth it? I almost got it in the Steam sale, I loved the first one. Hell, I played through the Instincts one on the Xbox, it was awesome. Something I did notice about the COD's. 4 is wayyyy nicer on the PC, but it actually plays a little different on a 360, and I think I like it more on there. Call me crazy but it works really well for the 360. I still want the PC one though. I totally didn't give that game a chance because the series annoyed me but, well, there really not that bad and 4 had really good multiplayer with good ideas. But yeah, on the 360 it actually plays very well and is a bit different vs. the PC one. I dunno how to explain it though!
FarCry 2 came bundled with my video card. It's pretty fun, but I've never played the original, so I want to get it and play through it before I dedicate and serious time to the sequel. The graphics aren't quite up to Crysis levels, but it still looks amazing while playing great on even mid level machines and performance actually improves with DX10 enabled (hard to believe, I know). If you can get it cheap, I'd say check it out.
