EggXpert

I am going crazy trying to find a very good graphics card!!  I see almost every card has a max. res. of 2560X1600 and some say that they do not support 1080P!!  How is that possible?

I need a new video card & case.  I am look at MSI's N250GTS-2D512-OCv2 ($110) or Gigabyte's GV-R575D5-1GD ATI's 5750($145),   but it seems to me that NVIDIA Cards are somewhat better than ATI, but the ATI's specs are more up-to-date than NVIDIA.           

Cooler Master's Centurion 5 is the case I think I want.  Cooler Masters seem to have a very good rep. plus I could get Gigabyte's Motherboard model GA-EP43-UD3L for $120.  Which my CPU, a Intel Core 2 Quad 6700, & my DDR2 Memory sticks will work just right.

I know I am throw a ton of questions on a simple post, but I am so confused.  

Please Help!!

Thank You

Ok, so first off: 1080p is a mater of resolution.  The 1080 part refers to the resolution (1920x1080), and the second part "p" refers to the fact that the picture displayed is "progressive", meaning that, unlike the "interlaced" standard you get with 1080i, the image in every frame is the whole image, not half an image.  In 1080i, each frame that is shown on the TV is really half an image (every other line is removed), but the picture changes so much that the human eye can't really tell.

Bottom line: 1080p refers to the resolution and the fact that each frame is the whole picture.  Any graphics card that supports a higher resolution than 1920x1080 (and 2560x1600 certainly is) will support 1080p.

Now, as far as which card to get, it kinda depends on what you are trying to do.  If you want to make a HTPC (Home Theater PC) or want to hook this graphics card up to a TV, I would suggest the Gigabyte card, as it supports HDMI right on the card.  If you are looking to just game on it, I would also suggest the Gigabyte card (if you have the money), as it has more memory and more stream processors.  If you are looking to save a bit of money for an internet/mild gaming PC, then go for the MSI card.  It will game perfectly well in most cases and you can save yourself some money.

I own a Cooler Master HAF 932 right now and it works perfectly.  I really like their cases, and would recommend almost any one they make. 

Oh, and one other thing you should consider re: your new graphics card is what you plan on plugging that card into.  If it's a TV that does not support full 1080p, then you aren't going to get full 1080p.  Your graphics card will always default to the native resolution of the LCD you plug into it.  I personally have a Samsung T240 24" flat panel monitor.  Because of its size, I can get resolutions up to 1920x1200 (higher than 1080p), but flat panel monitors that are only 22" or smaller will not be able to display resolutions at or above 1080 (my 22" Samsung 226BW only supports resolutions up to 1680x1050).  Just something to keep in mind. 

to build onto that....

If a video card does not have an HDMI port, and gives you a dvi to Hdmi adapter, is this going to still be true 1080p at 1920x1080?

 i got a GTS250 because it has a HDMI port and i use my 42" 1080p lcd, top end nvidias arent coming with hdmi ports and that makes me wonder