8800 GTS 640mb or 8800 GTX

[dagmar]

I have a few days left before my "step-up" window from eVga closes. I've been considering getting the 8800 GTX. Lately, however, I have been reading that it would be overkill for someone that has a Chimei 22" monitor (1680x1050).

So, would a 8800 GTS 640mb be able to play all my games at max settings and at the max resolution of my current monitor? I guess I'm trying to justify spending $200 more for the GTX.

As for the games I play currently, they are as follows: Oblivion, Company of Heroes, World of Warcraft, OOTP baseball 2007 (lol text), and Sims 2.

Oh yah, I'm stepping up from a eVga 7900 GS KO.

THANKS!

 

[leo2kp]

Get the GTX. At those resolutions you will see a difference, especially in games like Oblivion, plus it'll last you longer than the GTS as far as 'future-proofing' goes.

 

[JAYDEEJOHN]

Itll work fine for those games, maybe a few adjustments for oblivion. If I told you to get the GTX, Id have to recommend it for DX9 titles for sure. The jurys out for the DX10 titles, so for future proofing, if there is such a thing, who knows for sure

 

[chief5286]

IMHO, there's nothing anyone on here can tell you about this that you don't, probably, already know.

I'm sure you've seen the benchmarks that are out there with the GTS/GTX and the 7900.

It all comes down to: 1) How much money you have; 2) How much you're willing to spend.

Although prices have changed recently, I couldn't really understand why people were willing to spend the extra $100 to go from the 320 to the 640 GTS when the perfomance increase in most cases is marginal. There does seem to be a significant increase between the GTS and the GTX though.

As for me, if the wife wasn't the limiting factor on my rig, I'd go for the GTX IF, IF mind, you don't plan on upgrading your GPU for a good while. That extra performance will come in handy in a year and a half (probably). The question is whether you're willing to spend that money now, or whether you'd rather put that $ towards a future upgrade (or you may lose interest in gaming altogether).

Just my $.02

 

[dagmar]

IMHO, there's nothing anyone on here can tell you about this that you don't, probably, already know.

I'm sure you've seen the benchmarks that are out there with the GTS/GTX and the 7900.

It all comes down to: 1) How much money you have; 2) How much you're willing to spend.

Although prices have changed recently, I couldn't really understand why people were willing to spend the extra $100 to go from the 320 to the 640 GTS when the perfomance increase in most cases is marginal. There does seem to be a significant increase between the GTS and the GTX though.

As for me, if the wife wasn't the limiting factor on my rig, I'd go for the GTX IF, IF mind, you don't plan on upgrading your GPU for a good while. That extra performance will come in handy in a year and a half (probably). The question is whether you're willing to spend that money now, or whether you'd rather put that $ towards a future upgrade (or you may lose interest in gaming altogether).

Just my $.02

Thanks for the replies so far. About people paying $100.00 more for the 640 from the 320, well - I've read that the 320mb can't really handle the higher resolutions above 1280x1024. But yah, you're correct about the minimal increase from the 320 to 640.

I guess spending $200.00 more now for the GTX is for future proofing my rig.

 

[erocker]

Honestly the decision for you and your monitor should be either the 8800GTS 320mb (will work great at those resolutions), the ATi 2900XT (a new card but fits in between the 320mb GTS and the GTX), or go all out and go with the GTX which will give you all the resolution you want if you decide to upgrade your monitor plus it utilizes the full G80 core.
GTS 320mb: $300.00
2900XT: $400.00
GTX: $575.00

 

[erocker]

Btw I just bought a HIS HD2900XT. So far I'm pleased. I think what people need to realize is that drivers for these cards get better after the cards are released due to feedback. It's always been this way with releases, and no matter how long cards have been delayed. It has to compete with the Nvidia cards (which I also really like) from the start, while the 8800 had to compete with what the x1950xtx, which I also remember was a close race untill Nvidia came out with better and better drivers. I also think that these first batch of new ATi cards will be a rare breed with the 65nm gpus coming out.

 

[leo2kp]

Yes I agree that the smaller RAM size of the GTS will hurt in resolutions above that point. Oblivion itself needs about that much for that resolution (I know, I've seen it hah), so any larger will require more memory. I'd stick with the GTX if you can afford it.

No there is no such thing as 'future proofing' but having a GTX will allow him to be more competitive for a little longer than the GTS.

If you can afford it, do it IMO.

 

[dagmar]

Yes I agree that the smaller RAM size of the GTS will hurt in resolutions above that point. Oblivion itself needs about that much for that resolution (I know, I've seen it hah), so any larger will require more memory. I'd stick with the GTX if you can afford it.

No there is no such thing as 'future proofing' but having a GTX will allow him to be more competitive for a little longer than the GTS.

If you can afford it, do it IMO.

I can afford the GTX, yes. I just don't want to have buyer's remorse later on down the line.

haha, I still have a few days to kill myself over this topic.

 

[flyingmachine]

recently went through the same dilema, and ended up buying this:

http://www.amazon.com/EVGA-e-GeForce-8800GTS-PCIe-Video/dp/B000KFWFHG/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-3349600-1056057?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1179427154&sr=8-1

640 8800GTS for 336 AR

good luck w/ your decision.