I run full synthetics in anything I care about. It's really whatever you think you want to run. All of the brands are excellent. Some people say don't waste your money. If you look on the web, there are several tests that show synthectics are much stronger and have superior lube qualities.
I run Mobil-1 10-30 in my dually (7400 Vortec) and in the boat (496HO). I always ran Valvoline 10-40 and changed it at 3000-3500. It was normal black. After changing the first load (years ago) of Mobil-1 in the same motor at 3500, it was almost perfectly clear. I have since upped that to 5-6000 with a filter change in between. It is just "dark brown" at that.
You don't need to run so thick with Synthetic. If you feel you want to, that's fine too. One of the reasons for synthetic use is to gain horsepower from a thinner film. The lube qualities are so superior, that you can run a grade or two lighter and still have awesome surface. It takes a lot more temp to break down than conventional.
I would suggest to pick a brand and thickness and try a few loads of it. See how the motor responds and how it looks at drain time compared to your other oil.