suggested video card

[GhoulScout]

Well it looks like my 7950 gx2 has fallen through, and I have just sold my 7600gt. So I'm looking for a new video card and was hoping for suggestions. I'd like to stay away from ATI, and am looking for the best bang for the buck. Thanks for any help!

 

[epk]

you should wait for the full g80 (geforce 8 series) to come out and then choose one of those... they're all really fast and directx10 compliant

if you can't wait, the 7900gs performs very well and it's cheap (~170-180 $ in the usa)

 

[Aprox]

I agree, just wait for the budget 8800 and or ATI offerings to come out.

 

[GhoulScout]

does anyone know when the new budget cards will be coming out? right now i'm having to use my laptop for everything because i'm without a video card.

 

[chastity]

GeForce 8800GTS 320MB of ram was just launched and has a price tag of 300USD if I remember right.

Otherwise wait a couple more months to see what cames to market

 

[LeeJend]

The GTS are not that new but the price has dropped from $370 when they came out to:

XFX 8800 GTS down to $299 at newegg (foxconn slightly cheaper).


The 8800 GTS is not much slower than the 7950GX2, faster in some cases since it doesn't have an SLI handicap in some game types like the 7950 GX2.

The budget 8xxx cards are not out yet. I think I read it was a March release plan.

The 8800 UL will be the sweet spot with hardware DX 10 and 7900 GTX class performance at $179.

 

[madmatt]

Just to be clear. There are two different versions of the GTS.

http://www.nvidia.com/page/geforce_8800.html

 

[LeeJend]

Ahh, missed that.

Not a great deal with the -640 selling at $350-360 after rebate. For $50 I'd really rather have the 640 mB of texture memory.

 

[Shamus MacNoob]

The 8800GTS 640mb is a monster of a card and I would buy another one tommorow.

 

[epk]

how much were you planning to spend?

 

[GhoulScout]

around 300 is what i was originally planning on spending, give or take.

 

[chastity]

So I would look at the link for the card I mentioned in my other post. Otherwise wait a bit and see what else comes to market.

Though depending on where you look you might be able to card with 640MB of ram onboard for the same price as the one with 320MB

 

[Shamus MacNoob]

The GTS are not that new but the price has dropped from $370 when they came out to:

XFX 8800 GTS down to $299 at newegg (foxconn slightly cheaper).


The 8800 GTS is not much slower than the 7950GX2, faster in some cases since it doesn't have an SLI handicap in some game types like the 7950 GX2.

The budget 8xxx cards are not out yet. I think I read it was a March release plan.

The 8800 UL will be the sweet spot with hardware DX 10 and 7900 GTX class performance at $179.

You keep claiming the 8800gts is slower then 7950GX2 show me where you get this info ?

 

[trainmaster77]

the slower speed might actually be true in some rare instance due to driver support ... but i really doubt it.

 

[Shamus MacNoob]

the slower speed might actually be true in some rare instance due to driver support ... but i really doubt it.

I cant find anything that show any other card cept the 8800gtx that poses a threat to the 8800GTS nothing from Nvidia thats for sure

 

[epk]

i've been looking at some reviews (comparing fear, oblivion, graw...) and perf is similar when details are low, but when they increase the 8800gts leads with no trouble

i think as graphics became more complex the difference is gonna get bigger... with rainbow six vegas g80 cards beat anything from the last generation and by a pretty big margin

 

[Shamus MacNoob]

i've been looking at some reviews (comparing fear, oblivion, graw...) and perf is similar when details are low, but when they increase the 8800gts leads with no trouble

i think as graphics became more complex the difference is gonna get bigger... with rainbow six vegas g80 cards beat anything from the last generation and by a pretty big margin

Exactly if you own a card like me at the time I paid $615.00 Can why would you run things at 1024 x 768 no AA no AF ? I mean come on lets crank up the res and eye candy and talk real performance like HDR and AA enabled ... oh wait the 7950's cant run HDR and AA ...

 

[LeeJend]

The res you run at depends on your eyesight and the capability of your monitor. I hate games at anything over 1024. I can't read the symbology on the HUDs. As for cranking the AA and AF to the max I personally don't like the effect it gives, the graphics look blurry.

The GX2 has a memory bandwidth of 76.8 GB/sec vs 64 GB/sec on the 8800 GTS due to its SLI config. Pixel fill rates are the same at 24 Billion per second. The 8800 GTS wins out on computational power since it has 96 vertex shaders vs only 16 on the GX2 which is what lets you max AA or AF if that's what you're into.

As for paying $615 for a card thats selling for $380 a few months later...
Well PT Barnum summed it up.

I like the 8800 GTS and will probably buy one when the -640 breaks $300 later this spring. Or I might wait until they start clearing inventory next fall and pick one up for $250.

 

[Shamus MacNoob]

I paid $615 Can anyways so where are the links to prove the 8800GTS is slower then the 7950GX2 because you keep saying it is slower so lets see it.

And where are the $380 8800GTS 640mb's ?

http://www.pricegrabber.com/p__BFG_Technologies_GeForce_8800_GTS_Video_Card,__31943599/search=BFG%252B8800%252BGTS

Cheapest I seen was $399.00 US plus taxes and I would think shipping .. And the fact is anybody that buys anything in computers will always get the same thing cheaper 3 months later , its the way it works difference is I have had the pleasusre of using it for 3 months :0)

 

[LeeJend]

I explained my rationale in the above post. It is based on raw processing capability of the card which comes directly off the nvidia web site.

Since I got ****ed by the BS benchmarks on 3dMark and ATI rhetoric I looked at how the benchies are constructed and compared various results. I concluded the benchmarks can not be trusted since drivers are optimised to play to them. All I use is raw performance ratings now. Those ratings, posted by nvidia, say the 7950GX2 has some superior capabilities (memory bandwidth specifically).

If you want to use tainted benchmarks go right ahead. Everyone is entitled to perform their own technical assessment of new products or accept published data. Don't assume that everyone will value the performance criteria and operational parameters that you value though.

The 7950GX2 can pull textures out of memory faster than the 8800 GTS can. That gives it an advantage in some situations. The 8800 GTS can blow the 7950GX2 away processing vertexes which makes it better at very high AA/AF settings.