[robertway]

Okay, I have read as many posts as I could find about this and have gotten a lot of information but just want to put the question out there straight.

I am ordering a PM 2.3, I only use the machine for audio/video/image editing, I do not game and do no 3D work of any kind. Is there any reason at all the ATI 9650 wouldn't serve my purpose and make it useful to go to the ATI X850 XT. I plan on holding this machine for 5 to 7 years in theory until the bugs are out of the Mactels.

Thanks in advance,

Robert

[a2daj]

If you do any Motion work, that relies heavily on the video card for real time playback. And as the OS takes more advantage of the vertex and pixel shader capabilties, a faster card may help when those features are used. However, one thing you could do is get the system with a Radeon 9650, and get the new price reduced retail Radeon X800 XT and ebay the 9650 once your positive your system is running fine with the X800. And you can do all that if you find out you need a more powerful video card.

[Abit667]

You don't need it at all, the 9650 is plenty for you.

[robertway]

I don't do any work in Motion so that is not an issue for me and the suggestion about the X800 is a good option in the next year or two. I was hoping the 9650 would be more than sufficient as I can now use that saved dought for memory or storage.

Thanks

[Leonard]

I agree with Abit667, the Radeon 9650 will be morethan enough for the work you're doing, since you're not doing any 3D work, gaming, or using Motion.

[robertway]

The one thing I haven't mentioned is that I'll be driving a 30in cinema display off the DDL port and a 20in viewsonic off the regular DVI.... I'm assuming all will still be sufficient.

[Leonard]

You should still be fine with the Radeon 9650. It can drive one 30" display with the dual-link DVI port and one other display with the other DVI port.

If you needed two 30" displays then you'd have to get the Nvidia Geforce 6800 GT.