Returning to WoW boxing. GPU upgrade?

Hello multiboxers.

I'm returning to multiboxing WoW after about 2 years away and I think I need a graphics card upgrade to handle the heavier graphics burden that Cataclysm imposed.

My current card is an NVIDIA GTX285, which used to be quite adequate before Cataclysm for running five clients simultaneously, one fullscreen at 1920x1200 and four at 960x600 in each quarter of my second screen. Cataclysm is a lot harder on graphics cards though, especially non-DirectX11 capable ones and I'm not sure the '285 will cut it any more.

So I'm looking at replacing it with a GTX4xx or newer and am asking for recommendations for good models to go for in terms of price/performance ratio. I don't want to pay bleeding edge prices for the top model in each range though. I do want to stick with NVIDIA though, due to better driver support for UNIX/Linux/FreeBSD for those rare times I'm not playing.

CPU is an i7-920 with 12GB RAM.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

Ozbert

I am running a 9800 gtx+ with one on 1920x and the rest super low. All my gfx are on low, and i usually play dubstep through itunes (No in game sounds except ambient).

I only have issues in 25 man raids. Still pull 36k dps with the lag(which i think is from Recount) on main char, and in pvp gear on shamans.

I think if i went up a card would prob be a 580. I know pretzl told me to run a 6850, but i have never touched ATI. I hate to leave my EVGA stuffs...i've never had a prob with anything they have made.

i've got a machine i still use to box on that has 2 gtx 280's in it and it does fine atm. i would reccomend a 560 Ti as a cheap upgrade, you can pick one up for less than $200 since the 6xx release

I played the majority of the Cata expansion with:

i7 920 (stock speed)
8GB DDR3, 1600MHz
GTX 275, 1GB.
Patriot SSD, 64GB



I've upgraded to:

i7 2600K (overclocked on air to 4.5GHz)
8GB DDR3, 1600MHz.
GTX 570, 1GB
Patriot SSD, 64GB (gaming folder)

With an OCZ Vertex 3 as the OS folder.



The processor upgrade makes a huge difference.
8GB of ram is plenty for 5-boxing, but ram is dirt cheap so 16/32GB isn't a bad choice if your motherboard supports it.

The video card was a replacement, because the fan went in the old one...
Did not need to upgrade it at all, for the gameplay.
I run the master on medium-low, the slaves on low.
View distance is maxed on the main, medium on the slaves.
FPS is capped at 60 master, 20 slaves.