I'm not sure if I am stepping on forum ethics or culture here with this inquiry but I'll post it anyway. It has been a while since I have posted here but I remember always getting an intelligent response. Please bear with me if I'm out of line.
I recently bought an Nvida (EVGA) 7800 GT video card ($430.00) and am quite impressed with the gaming capabilities but I bought the board primarily for video editing. I have also had the opportunity to install a borrowed Nvidia Quadro FX 3400 on the same PC to do a comparison to see what an extra $600.00 would get me in performance. I have noticed that while playing (not sure if 'playing' is a good word with all of the carnage) Doom 3, the 7800 seems to do better than the Quadro. I have not had the opportunity to compare video editing quality. The reason I have not done the video editing comparison relates directly to my request for advice here:
Considering what is available for both boards; clocking, add-on software such as Nvidia Gelato with Sorbetto, etc; what is the true benefit of the Quadro over the 7800 for video editing considering my hardware setup. I have heard that the Quadro gives up rendering speed for image quality, thus the less-than-7800 gaming performance.
Here is the question: Ignore the $600.00 difference for now, is the video editing quality of the Quadro a noticeable difference over the 7800 in that I shold consider upgrading to the Quadro? You're probably asking yourself why don't I answer that question myself since I'm the one with access to both boards. I am not a hard core professional and don't know all of the details that some of you possess so my research may be flawed in that I may miss something in my setup that may be obvious to you that may tip the scales.
Intel Dual Core 2.8Ghz (820) processor
Intel D955XBK motherboard (w/PCIE slot)
1GB DDR2 memory
250GB 7200rpm Maxtor IDE HD (storage)
80GB 7200rpm Western Digital IDE HD (primary w/OS)
HP DVD burner with Lightscribe (IDE)
Creative Labs Soundblaster Live 5.1
550 Watt PS
Xeon case with fans that have green LED's to impress everyone with
Window XP Pro
Premiere Pro
Encore
Home Studio
Latest BIOS and Drivers for everything
Any feedback and/or suggestions would be most appreciated.
Thanks - Joe