Best card choice?

Akkuma

Member
Aug 16, 2005
38
0
61
Let me explain what I plan to do before the obvious choice, 7800 GT, is said by everyone. EVGA offers the Step-Up program, which allows you to trade a card within 90 days of purchase and receive a newer card, but you have to pay the price difference.

My ideas were as follows, to either get 6600GT SLI's (due to very comparable cost to a single 6800GT) then use the step up for when Nvidia releases a 7600 version of their cards, which I'd assume would be comparable to SLI'd 6800 Ultras or at worst 6800 GTs. The other idea was to get a 6800GT, wait for the price to come down more in 90 days then upgrade to a 7800GT or even possibly a 7800GTX (very unlikely the GTX would drop nearly $200 in 3 months). The last idea was to get the 7800GT packaged w/BF2, since I'd play the game and it technically drops the cost of the actual card to around $350 w/o the game. Additionally, in 3 months, I could potentially be able to upgrade to a 7800GTX without much of a problem.

Performance wise, I'd assume 7600 SLI would be the best, but I am also taking a risk that 7600s do indeed come out in 3 months. At worst, I'd probably then upgrade to 6800GT/Ultra's SLId, which still out does a single 7800GT/X at the cost of additional heat and noise. On top of this, I'd have to get a SLI board, which would add to the cost.

If I go with the 6800GT, it saves me the most money out of all the other choices, but will be the worst perfomance in the long run. I'd upgrade to a 7800GT/X in 3 months.

If I go with the 7800GT, I get BF2 spend the most initially, get the best performance initially, and will get the second best performance in the long run.

To simplify this I'll list it as Pros/Cons

6600GT SLI
Pros:
Best performance long term
Second best performance short term
Lies in the middle for cost

Cons:
Banking on the release of 7600s within 3 months
Produces the most noise and heat

6800GT
Pros:
Cheapest solution
Less heat/noise
Guaranteed to be able to upgrade to a 7800GT
Possibility of going for a 7800GTX
Doesn't rely on SLI

Cons:
Worst performance long term

7800GT
Pros:
Best initial performance
Comes with BF2, which "reduces the cost"
Able to upgrade to a GTX
Less heat/noise
Doesn't rely on SLI

Cons:
Highest initial cost
Second best performance long term

Odds are I would not go out and buy another video card, but then again, nowadays that tends to be the real bottleneck for future gaming while in the game. I'd keep this system for at least 2 years, but in that time I'd probably want to build an entire computer again with all the advances that occur rather than add an additional card.
 

Munky

Diamond Member
Feb 5, 2005
9,372
0
76
You're giving the 6600gt's SLI too much credit here. In most benches, the single 6800gt is as fast or faster than dual 6600gt's, especially when you enable AA+AF. Similarly, given that we know absolutely nothing about the 7600 (or whatever it's gonna be called), it could also turn out that the single 7800gtx is as fast or faster than dual 7600's.

In addition, a gpu with the speed of a 7800gtx could benefit from 512mb video mem in the near future, but the best you can hope for with 7600's is 256mb, or maybe even 128. But even with dual 256mb cards you still have 256mb effective mem, so that could turn out to be a bottleneck.

Add to this the fact that some games dont support SLI, and you have to spend more money for an SLI mobo, and the choices become more clear. IMO, if you can get the 7800gt now, then get it, otherwise get the single 6800gt (which can be OC'd to above ultra speeds if the need arises), and then get the 7800gt(x) when prices come down.
 

nRollo

Banned
Jan 11, 2002
10,460
0
0
Originally posted by: Sentry2
I agree...SLI can be a pain in the A$$ sometimes anyway.

How so? I've had four SLI sets, very few issues. 6600GT SLI probably is not the way to go for OP, unless he has great desire for cheap WMV9 acceleration. The 6800GT is a better overall pick.
 

Gamingphreek

Lifer
Mar 31, 2003
11,679
0
81
Originally posted by: KeepItRed
Wait for Crossfire.

Your ignorance is ridiculous..

Yes, you are giving the 6600GT's way to much credit. They probably perform the slowest out of those three choices. If you dont have a lot of money now, buy a 6800GT (EVGA) and then in 90 Days step up to a 7800GT or GTX.

-Kevin
 

Akkuma

Member
Aug 16, 2005
38
0
61
Maybe I missed something, but isn't Crossfire going to require crossfire capable cards? If there is an ATI vendor with a similar option as evga, then I'll consider it.

Hmm didn't realize 2 6600GTs were just barely as good as a 6800GT. I must have not recalled correctly the benchmarks 8|

Thanks for the advice so far
 

Gamingphreek

Lifer
Mar 31, 2003
11,679
0
81
Originally posted by: KeepItRed
Originally posted by: Gamingphreek
Originally posted by: KeepItRed
Wait for Crossfire.

Your ignorance is ridiculous..

Ok, so I want Crossfire and I'm sure lots of other people are waiting for it too. Your point?

My point is, how can you recommend that someone wait and not get a mature released product, while instead get the product that isn't even out... nor do we have a concrete release date.

Dont listen to Red's advice... just trolling again.

-Kevin
 

blckgrffn

Diamond Member
May 1, 2003
9,661
4,270
136
www.teamjuchems.com
Why not go for the 7800GT right now? If you are going to buy one and stick with it for awhile, that would be the way I would go. Even if you keep it past the trade up point, they should still bring decent money in the FS/FT forums for some time to come.

Kind of a waste to pay $300+ for the 6800GT when for just $100 more you get a 7800 w/BF2 to boot. If you are going to buy that game anyway, that means that going from a 6800GT to a 7800GT would only cost about $50-$60 dollars. Just go for it

Nat
 

Marsumane

Golden Member
Mar 9, 2004
1,171
0
0
Think of it this way:
You are buying from evga and they currently offer a free sli motherboard if you buy a 7800gt or gtx card. The card is phenominal, you wont have to deal with extra shipping charges, you wont have to deal with taking a chance that prices will drop that much in 90 days and you can start off at the higher res/filtering/whatever-u-like now rather then waiting 90 days and putting up with all of that crap. Also u could even sell the board and that would reduce the cost of the card even more. Then its like a diff of $50 or less (diff of $100 initially on evga site) between the 6800gt and the 7800gt in cost and u STILL have to cover shipping costs to trade em up and take that risk that the price diff will be worth it.

-id shoot myself if i didnt consider the point above first and went with one of the lesser solutions
 

deadseasquirrel

Golden Member
Nov 20, 2001
1,736
0
0
Please list your system specs... including PSU, and monitor. Also, what type of games do you play? What is your preferred resolution and graphics settings?
 

Hacp

Lifer
Jun 8, 2005
13,923
2
81
7800GT..... Right now going with the 6800 series is not in anyones best intrest, unless its a 6800Vanilla that costs around 180 dollars.... Also SLI 6600GT is just a waste....
 

Akkuma

Member
Aug 16, 2005
38
0
61
Originally posted by: blckgrffn
Kind of a waste to pay $300+ for the 6800GT when for just $100 more you get a 7800 w/BF2 to boot. If you are going to buy that game anyway, that means that going from a 6800GT to a 7800GT would only cost about $50-$60 dollars. Just go for it

Nat
I wasn't planning on buying BF2 really, although I know I would play it if I did get it, which is one big incentive for me to get it 8P


Originally posted by: deadseasquirrel
Please list your system specs... including PSU, and monitor. Also, what type of games do you play? What is your preferred resolution and graphics settings?
Right now I have none, since I am building a completely new system. Ironically, you asked me the two components I am unsure about. I mostly play MMOs, but play CS:S as well and did like BF2 just as much if not more than CS:S. I'd play on whatever max settings my build could handle. Currently, I am stuck at 1280 x 1024 due to using a lcd.
 

blckgrffn

Diamond Member
May 1, 2003
9,661
4,270
136
www.teamjuchems.com
Well, that 7800GT will rock your LCD for a long time, and should you upgrade, it should still do pretty well on current games and one released in the near future (ie, native resolution + a little AA/AF to make it easier on the eyes )
 

deadseasquirrel

Golden Member
Nov 20, 2001
1,736
0
0
I'd go with the 7800GT. It may be a bit overkill for that resolution on today's games, but the next generation of games should allow it to stretch its legs a bit more. If you are really set on doing the "step-up" program, you could always upgrade to a GTX, or if the Ultra does see the light of day in 90 days, that too. But I feel both of those, being more powerful than the GT, would be overkill for your LCD for quite some time and probably not worth the money to upgrade to.
 

Sirgap

Junior Member
Aug 25, 2005
5
0
0
I would get a 7800 gt and get another one in two year to make it into SLI. That time it would be cheap and capable of new game. Such as the 6600GT example, still faster than 6800 ultra in Doom 3 @1280*1024. Anyway, most new game will support SLI
 

Waylay00

Golden Member
Nov 15, 2004
1,793
0
71
Originally posted by: jiffylube1024
Originally posted by: Waylay00
7800GT smokes even two 6800GT's in SLI.

I think you're thinking of the GTX.

No, I'm thinking of the 7800GT. A 7800GTX beats a 6800 Ultra's in SLI, and a the 7800GT beats two 6800GT's in SLI.
 
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