Can you tell me which cards are future proof?

[J.D]

But if you bough a GTS 640 for ~£100 less it would still last just as long. How much extra life will a GTX/Ultra really give over the GTS? There is only 15-20% difference in performance.

I see your point and it's pretty fair but there are too many variables to have an accurate answer on this one. 15-20% could mean a lot though so I think if the GTS struggled at lets say 1280x1024 with 4xAA and 16xAF then the GTX could make it quite playable at the exact same settings. It's nothing major, I know but it's this kind of variable that makes it hard to determine. Then we have an opinionated view on what we believe to be acceptable FPS which again makes it hard to make a proper judgement.

For a rough estimate then you are on the right lines.

 

[Shocky-FM]

If your lucky a high end card will last you a year, more if you don't mind playing with reduced settings, only cards available now that have any chance of lasting the next 6 months with high quality settings is the 8800GTX/Ultra, 8800GTS and 2900XT are starting to struggle now and anything below that is pretty useless.

Not really a good time to be buying a high end card..

 

[Amnesia]

i have a 8800gts 640mg .....it already struggles a bit on some games(core2duo cpu) its about a year old

the system next to it has a 7800gt....struggles plenty even with graphics options turned down in the latest games(amd 3700+ cpu) about 2 years old

the next system is a 6800gt....i wouldnt even bother installing any of the latest games on that...the most testing game on it is css(amd 3000 cpu) about 3 years old....<<< was a great card at its time.

i think the 8800gtx is a great card but cant see it doing too well in 2 years time.

 

[LabR@t]

LOL
That’s what always happens with pc hardware, unless its gonna be very soon its just better getting the best for your budget and enjoying it, instead of worrying about the next gen hardware coming out, (there will probably be guys who disagree with me), but it can be a very expensive hobby to always to keep up with the latest hardware, and for not much performance increase. (excuse any typos as I have been having a session tonight).

I know that but I can wait until november...

 

[Scougar]

Hi there, please can you help me to understand what I need to look for in a graphics card so that it can play the latest games for the next 2-3 years atleast?

There is no card that will be able to play the 'latest' games for 2-3 years at a decent level. For example, after about 1.5 years you will have to sacrifice some visuals in order to make games playable. If you like to play strategy games then sure, no problem you will be able to do that as frames per second can go pretty low without too much affect. If you play first person shooters however, then a drop in visuals may really upset you and ruin your playing experience.

The only way to get the longest time is to buy a card when the next gen cards come out, so you have the maximum time of that card for A) developers to get the best out of that card B) longest performance life from the card.

Unfortunately, this will mean probably buying the card just below 'the' best which at present often costs between £300-400 when brand new and first on the market. You can then sell that card before it comes to rubbish, and update to the next best card with the money from the sale and a little extra when the time comes.

Unfortunately PC gaming can be expensive if you want the best visuals, but that the price we pay for having them. Consoles cannot keep up with quality and variety, and the majority of the games are 'dumbed down', to a much more simplistic state.

Choice is up to you.

Of course you could do what a lot of peeps do and buy the best price/performance card you can afford and overclock it If the card for under £100 last you a year, you can then get the next 'price/performance' card after selling the other one. In the long run you'll save money doing this if you make timely sales, and stay more 'current', although you won't ever have the 'best' performance.

Matthew