[Bob-san]

I'm still holding out for the 8600... i like the combo between price and preformance that was delivered in previous gen GeForce x600's. As of now, anything is a big upgrade over my crappy FX5200 on APG 4.0.

My crappy PC...

Intel Celeron 2.0ghz (the 128K L2 cache isn't recognized) on Socket 478
Intel D845PESV (DDR DIMM 1 is burnt out due to three problems... 1) RAM that was unstable at high temperatures (didn't exceed any temperature max), 2) crappy design on Intel's part... the APG slot was placed to high, putting pressure on DIMM 1 that could damage it... (as I found out and then read up on), 3) the RAM burnt out about 6 months after it was upgraded in the middle of summer; I was still watching the thermal sensors, turning off when it started to overheat a little bit. No throttling alerted me, and the RAM burnt out after I shut down smoothly. I turned it back on and the uncle (who built the PC and was repairing it) tried to convince me that the RAM burnt out because I let it overheat.)
512MB DDR RAM, PC2100, on DDR DIMM 0. (I originally started with 256MB, upgrade to 1024MB, and then DIMM 1 burnt out leaving me with a damaged stick and a good 512MB stick)
PNY nVidia GeForce FX 5200, 128MB on APG 2.0
Western Digital? E-IDE Hard Drive, 80GB, 8MB Cache, 7200RPM

Well that's about it... the PC sucks because it's damaged. It's still running after four years 8 months... after 3 complete OS reinstalls in the first 3 years. It's fine since... I guess...

[Descenterace]

Check out the motherboard reviews Anandtech did with the ASRock 775Dual-VSTA board; specifically, this one: http://www.anandtech.com/mb/showdoc.aspx?i=2810

DDR2 isn't much faster at all.

I've seen evidence and heard arguments for both side of the argument.

Personally I doubt there'll be a huge improvement until DDR3 arrives.

[Taristin]

So, nuke, how is it?

[Dark RevenantX]

Use the money to get one 8800GTX, a good and big case, a bunch of fans, good power connector cords, and even more ram.  Plus LED lights (neon optional).

[Nuke]

So, nuke, how is it?

its in the mail, i doubt il get it till friday.

[Nix]

I never understood what was so cool about LED lights and all.... 
If you want your fans to last a lifetime, grab Panasonic Panaflo fans.  I've been using mine since 2001 and none of them have died.  Just an interesting side note.

That, and getting a GTX right now would be silly.  I mean, man, if that's the card you have your heart set on, wait six months and you'll be able to get it at half the cost.  GTS would have more than enough power to do anything you can throw at it untill vista comes along and some big developer releases the next big DirectX10 game (prob. Valve, or Monolith)

[Ulala]

Personally I doubt there'll be a huge improvement until DDR3 arrives.

When's that supposed to happen?

[Sandwich]

That, and getting a GTX right now would be silly.

Actually, getting the GTS is sillier. Its performance boost over the Radeon X1900XTX cards isn't ginormous (and is even beaten by them in certain specific tests), and yet the cost is the same. The GTX merely adds $100 to that already-high $500 price (list; it's selling for closer to $650-690 currently), and yet has a tremendous %25 performance boost over the GTS.

[CP5670]

Well, the difference is bigger than that, but it's still worth it as far as I can see. The GTS does overclock well and you can usually get it to perform at about the level of a stock GTX, but the GTX can be pushed almost as far up too.

By the way, if you're getting one right now, Dell SB currently has a very nice deal on these cards, with 15% automatically taken off the standard price. If you have signed up for their mailing list, you will have another 10% coupon code on top of that (can also be gotten for a few dollars off ebay), so the prices in the end come out to about $530 for the GTX and $380 for the GTS. Although they will probably become heavily backordered soon once the word starts to get out, like the last such deal a few months ago.

As I said earlier though, there is hardly anything to play on these cards.

[IceFire]

Still think I'll get a 7950 GT and enjoy the increasingly lower price points with the next gen coming onto the market.

[Ulala]

Yeah, I can't wait to see prices drop (hopefully like rocks).

[Sandwich]

Yeah, I'm torn too. My venerable Radeon 9800 Pro burnt out a couple of days ago - fan stopped working and I was out all day, so the thing overheated but the computer never shut off. I'm running off my brother's old 9500 Pro now, but itching to upgrade. Problem is, the best price for an 8800 GTX is $900 USD here (including VAT, but still...). It makes paying a mere $600 for one seem like a dream.

Anyway, I think I'll force myself to wait for 2 things: One, ATI's DX10 cards. And two, DX10 cards that cost about half the price of the 8800 GTX.

[Taristin]

Im not sure what to do. I want to keep DX10 because I run vista, but I dont want to spend that much money at all... and Im getting close to needing a video card, as the integrated thing is only good enough to run vista aero.

[IceFire]

Yeah, I'm torn too. My venerable Radeon 9800 Pro burnt out a couple of days ago - fan stopped working and I was out all day, so the thing overheated but the computer never shut off. I'm running off my brother's old 9500 Pro now, but itching to upgrade. Problem is, the best price for an 8800 GTX is $900 USD here (including VAT, but still...). It makes paying a mere $600 for one seem like a dream.

Anyway, I think I'll force myself to wait for 2 things: One, ATI's DX10 cards. And two, DX10 cards that cost about half the price of the 8800 GTX.

If the rumors are anything to go by...G80 based chips in the mid and low end markets are due early in 2007.

[Sandwich]

Actually, I just realized something. I'd been mentally looking at the 2000 shekel (price in Israel - it actually meant ~$300-$350 US-priced cards) price range for a GFX card upgrade for many months now. Back when I first started looking into things, the best card for that kind of money was the GeForce 7900 GT. When the X1900 XT  came out, it took the 7900 GT's spot handily.

But now, looking at NewEgg.com, I can get an 8800 GTS for $460, which is 2000 shekels! The only problem is, NewEgg doesn't ship inter-freakin-nationally!

Who wants to drop-ship a VGA card overseas for me?

[Taristin]

I'd ship it if you let me test it out a little first! ;}

[Sandwich]

I'd ship it if you let me test it out a little first! ;}

Heh.... hehehe.... I'm so very tempted to take you up on that offer...

Actually, I just discovered that Frys.com ships internationally. They want to charge $45 to ship the dinky little 8800 GTX to my front door. Humph!

[CP5670]

Look on ebay. If you have some patience, you may be able to get it cheaper there. That's where my current card came from (brand new) and it was a good $100 less than the going retail price at the time.

If you want your fans to last a lifetime, grab Panasonic Panaflo fans.  I've been using mine since 2001 and none of them have died.  Just an interesting side note.

Those aren't that great anymore, basically ever since they moved their factories to China in 2004. I have some older ones that work very well and a newer one that is obnoxiously loud.

[Taristin]

I think I've decided on an x1950pro. They're coming down in price, and one can be had for under 200.00... (well. at or about 200.00)

Anyone any opinions?

[Fury]

X1950 Pro offers the best price/performance ratio at the moment. The only downside is that it is a DX9 card, but given the situation it is a better buy than any high-end DX9-card. IMHO of course.

Still, it is entirely possible we will be seeing mid-range DX10 cards sometime next march.