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Which Card Is The "Best Bang For The Buck"?

  • eVGA E-GEFORCE 8600GTS Superclocked / 256MB -------$249

    Votes: 1 1.6%

  • XFX GeForce 8600 GTS Extreme / 256MB -------------------$265

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • XFX GeForce 8600 GTS XXX / 256MB ------------------------$312

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • eVGA GeForce 8800 GTS / 320MB ----------------------------$329

    Votes: 24 37.5%

  • eVGA GeForce 8800 GTS / 640MB ----------------------------$379

    Votes: 25 39.1%

  • eVGA GeForce 8800 GTS Superclocked / 320MB ----------$398

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • eVGA GeForce 8800 GTS Superclocked / 640MB ----------$399

    Votes: 14 21.9%
  • Total voters
    64

Purchasing New 8xxx Series Card?

1641 Views 50 Replies 18 Participants Last post by  Mosquito, 
Mosquito
Alright so I am looking to buy a new 8600GTS or 8800GTS.

Prices:

eVGA E-GEFORCE 8600GTS Superclocked $249 http://www.ncix.com/products/index.p...nufacture=eVGA
XFX GeForce 8600 GTS Extreme $265.99 http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applicatio...547&CatId=1560
XFX GeForce 8600 GTS XXX $312 http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applicatio...550&CatId=1560
eVGA GeForce 8800 GTS $329 http://www.ncix.com/products/index.p...nufacture=eVGA

Stats:

Core Speeds:

eVGA E-GEFORCE 8600GTS Superclocked = 720MHz
XFX GeForce 8600 GTS Extreme = 720MHz
XFX GeForce 8600 GTS XXX = 730MHz
eVGA GeForce 8800 GTS = 500MHz

Stream Processors:

eVGA E-GEFORCE 8600GTS Superclocked = 32
XFX GeForce 8600 GTS Extreme = 32
XFX GeForce 8600 GTS XXX = 32
eVGA GeForce 8800 GTS = 96

Memory:

eVGA E-GEFORCE 8600GTS Superclocked = 256MB
XFX GeForce 8600 GTS Extreme = 256MB
XFX GeForce 8600 GTS XXX = 256MB
eVGA GeForce 8800 GTS = 320MB

Memory Bandwidth:

eVGA E-GEFORCE 8600GTS Superclocked = 33.6GB/s
XFX GeForce 8600 GTS Extreme = 32GB/s
XFX GeForce 8600 GTS XXX = 32GB/s
eVGA GeForce 8800 GTS = 64GB/s

Memory Bus:

eVGA E-GEFORCE 8600GTS Superclocked = 128bit
XFX GeForce 8600 GTS Extreme = 128bit
XFX GeForce 8600 GTS XXX = 128bit
eVGA GeForce 8800 GTS = 320bit

Memory Clock:

eVGA E-GEFORCE 8600GTS Superclocked = 2100MHz
XFX GeForce 8600 GTS Extreme = 2180MHz
XFX GeForce 8600 GTS XXX = 2260MHz
eVGA GeForce 8800 GTS = 1600MHz

Shader Clock:

eVGA E-GEFORCE 8600GTS Superclocked = ????MHz
XFX GeForce 8600 GTS Extreme = 1450MHz
XFX GeForce 8600 GTS XXX = 1450MHz
eVGA GeForce 8800 GTS = 1200MHz

Which of these cards would be the best "bang for the buck"?
Now with my system specs will the 8800 just bottleneck and not be worth the money?
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IcedEarth
Yes your system will bottleneck it slighty, but don't worry about it.

The 8800 is the best bang for buck

TBH the 8600 will be useless in future games, no point in investing in it at all.
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Mosquito
Will all of these cards be a huge leap from my Powercolor X-700?
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IcedEarth
Absolutely

the 8600 is still a good card, but it will be useless for DX10 apps

Well not useless, just pointless for the amount you pay


but yes even the 8600 will run most DX9 games on medium
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A
Yes definitly go for the 8800gts. as performance of top end cards in dx10 doesnt look too hot at the moment, this will improve with newer drivers i would imagine but its not a certainty. Also if you are playing through a 17" or 19" i wouldnt worry about the bottle neck too much
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kemo6600
Your best bet should be a used 8800GTS 320MB
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D
2
Quote:

Originally Posted by IcedEarth View Post
but yes even the 8600 will run most DX9 games on medium
8600GTS will play almost all DX9 games on high at 1024x1280.


8800GTS is better for the price and it should not bottleneck your system if you turn up the eye candy. You may want to get more RAM though.
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IcedEarth
3
Quote:

Originally Posted by DuckieHo View Post
8600GTS will play almost all DX9 games on high at 1024x1280.

seriously?

Most things i have seen the 8600 hasn'tfaired too well, compared to as the 7600 of the DX10 generation.
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Mosquito
Right now on BF2 I have everything on HIGH graphics except the Antiliasing is shut right off and it runs great. I plan on purchasing a LG 22" Widescreen monitor located here for $299. Also I am looking at buying some OCZ ram DDR400 2x 1GB sticks for my computer which will greatly improve the performance of my games.
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A
if you can stump up the dollars for the 8800. go for that, you will get significantly better performance overall. and whan new games come out you'll still be able to play them at half decent settings
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A
what resolution?
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Penicilyn
Definatly the 8800GTS 320mb, was worth every penny.
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Mosquito
2
Quote:

Originally Posted by allanmonaghan View Post
half decent settings
Now you are starting to make me worried when I am about to spend $329 and you are saying future games at half decent settings.
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Mosquito
Quote:

Originally Posted by allanmonaghan View Post
what resolution?
1280x1024
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A
i just looked at the link of the monitor. 1680 x 1050
with that resolution go for the 8800 for sure otherwise id imagine fps would suck with the 8600
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D
2
Quote:

Originally Posted by IcedEarth View Post
seriously?

Most things i have seen the 8600 hasn'tfaired too well, compared to as the 7600 of the DX10 generation.
8600GTS compares to the 7950GT from everything I have seen. The 7950GT can play any game currently at decent to high settings.
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i just got colin mcrae dirt couple of days ago and i experience a stutter or too and im running a phillips 19" widscreen monitor. settings were on ultra but still i paid £300 when my card came out. so if you had the 8600 performance would take a hit definitly
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Nevaziah
8800gts 320MB. there is no way you should even think about buying an 8600 at the SAME price of an 8800. it's like comparing an x800 to an x1900.

just look at reviews here

the really little fps one is the 8600gts.
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A
also to be noted of the review that neviziah posted above is the fps the card acheves in some of the tests at 1600x1200, the nearest resolution to the monitor you intend to buy. just gets 30 fps which isnt really a comfortable margin when you compare it to the 8800
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Mosquito
Here are 3 other cards which I have stumbled upon...
eVGA GeForce 8800 GTS / 640MB $379.97 http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applicatio...918&CatId=1558
eVGA GeForce 8800 GTS Superclocked / 320MB $398.99 http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applicatio...230&CatId=1558
eVGA GeForce 8800 GTS Superclocked / 640MB $399.97 http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applicatio...836&CatId=1558

Now the price between the 320 and 640MB versions of the 8800 GTS superclocked are a litttle strange but are these a lot better?

Thw only thing is that these are becoming out of my price range. But if they are definitely worth the extar $80 than I just may consider. The eVGA GeForce 8800 GTS Superclocked / 640MB is currently looking the most appealing out of all of these.
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