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Best value 8800 Series card to get now…

Snubber

Snubber

Snubber

Associate
Joined
9 Aug 2004
Posts
428
Location
Plymouth, UK
…with the intention of upgrading in 6 months time.

Hi all,

Looking to upgrade my gpu from an ATI x1800xt 256mb to a Nvidia 8800GTS or 8800GTX. I currently have an available budget of £350. The x1800XT card is really struggling on my new 24” monitor. I would like to hold off for 6 months but am finding it difficult with a number of current games, principally STALKER, World in Conflict, Bioshock.

Have been doing some crystal ball gazing to work out a sensible and cost effective upgrade path. Here’s what I reckon the new generation of Nvidia cards will cost and the consequent price reductions on the current generation plus approx resale value of second hand cards. What do you think?

New generation (9800?) out say 1st quarter 2008 ie 6 months time:

Top of range £350
Intermediate £275
Bottom £225

Consequent effect on current generation prices (retail new) on release of new gen:

8800GTX drops from £330 to £225
8800GTX OEM drops from £300 to £200
8800GTS 640 drops from £220 to £175
8800GTS 320 drops from £180 to £125

Second hand re-sale value of current generation cards on release of new gen:

8800GTX approx £150
8800GTX OEM approx £140
8800GTS 640 approx £120
8800GTS 320 approx £95

Therefore my ‘loss’ over the next 6 months if I buy a card now and upgrade again when the new generation cards are out is as follows:

8800GTX cost now £330 resale approx £150 = depreciation of £180
8800GTX OEM cost now £300 resale approx £140 = depreciation of £160
8800GTS 640 cost now £220 resale approx £120 = depreciation of £100
8800GTS 320 cost now £180 resale approx £95 = depreciation of £85

I reckon that the most sensible and cost effective way forward is to go for a 8800GTS 640 at the present time…and upgrade to the intermediate (or even top of range) next gen card in say 6 months. £100 depreciation in 6 months is OK’ish ie £16 per month.

What do you reckon? Sensible way forward?
 
If you're only looking for a card that will play the latest games pretty maxed out then you could consider one of ATis new 2900Pros. They will only be £170 so it will leave you with quite a chunk to build on for your future card. If indications are true then they should overclock nicely and bring you up to the 640mb/2900XT range of performance for much cheaper.

Even if they don't overclock massively well then they should still be able to play Crysis and Bioshock etc. without a problem on 1680x1050. It depends what size resolution you intend to play on though. For 1920x1200 resolution it may struggle so you'd probably have to make do with mid-high settings in Crysis.
 
Some flaws in your thinking as follows:

New intermediate (November) expected to be same price as 8800 GTS 320Mb now so £170-180. => 8800 GTS 320Mb and 640Mb will drop in price quickly as spec wise it looks faster (note I say looks and maybe it won't be)

New 2900 pro will put pressure on Nvidia to drop 8800 GTS 320 Mb price and maybe even 640Mb price very soon especially if can be had for £150 and be clocked to xt speeds (ie as fast as a 8800 GTS 640Mb with it beating it in some and not in others)

New bottom end card expected to be £100 - £120. A true mid range (price and performance) card finally and due out in November as well.

No competition for the GTX till February and they will still sell as the fastest cards until then so very little price drops until after February.

Expected new high end card hinted at being 2-3x the performance of a GTX.

Therefore, and with no competition from ATI and games like Crysis at very high res and candy even making a GTX struggle (not saying crysis will but they will be a game that will do so at ultra res), expect the new high card to be more money than the Ultra is now so £400+.

So that will leave us as follows:

New low end card - approx £100-£120
8800 GTS 320Mb - £120-£130 (needs to be less than the 2900 pro)
8800 GTS 640Mb - £150 -£160 (needs to compete with 2900 pro)
2900XT still around £180 (worth the premium for guaranteed speed)
New high end £400+

Now that just leaves the GTX/Ultra cards. Now these are massively more powerful than the 8800 GTS 640Mb and the new cards will equally be massively more powerful than the GTX.

So what price? I think that a GTX will still command £250 - £300. You have to have something in the middle and will still be worth it for the people who can't afford or don't need the power of the new gpu. They will sell enough to the people who always want the best/fastest.

On that basis, the least drop in money will be the GTX IMO. However the 2nd hand market might get flooded by all those people who must have the best and buy pairs of ultras atm with 30" screens etc.

On the other hand IF the new high end is 2 - 3x quicker than a GTX and they release it at £350 (a steal btw IMO) then a GTX isn't going to cost more than £150 - £200. That will make a 8800 GTS 640 about £100 new and a 320 GTS about £70.

Either way on that basis you will lose a packet on whaetever card you pick and you should just wait for the next gen cards in Feb if that bothers you.

I always find crystal ball guessing just don't work. The way to keep pc upgrades cost cheap is buy the best you can afford or need (no point having an ultra at 1280 x 1024 res ;)) and buy 2nd hand now (branded GTX can be had for £250, 8800 640 for under £200 and 8800 320 for £150). Have a spare old card for a stand in. Sell your 2nd hand card a week or two before the new ones come out. Buy a next gen card or buy a better 2nd hand old gen for a snip. Works for me :D
 
Oh and if I had a 24" screen and £350 to spend I wouldn't even ask on here, a GTX or Ultra would already be mine :D
 
If your looking at a cost saving exercise until the next gen just buy this ....

OcUK ATI Radeon X1950 Pro 512MB GDDR3 HDTV/Dual DVI (PCI-Express) - Retail £85 quidd and unless your paying at silly res you wont loose much money ...Thats gotta bhe bargain of the year .

Ok not a XTX but you cn flash it to those speeds i think ?
 
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