What Card to get ?

Hi everyone
Well I just Got news from my parents that my %50 scholarship for my school got extended, so as per our agreement they put the money in my bank account ($6000-6500) AU so Ive decided to finally get the graphics card upgrade i've been wanting and I was wondering which one to get, obviously money is no problem but I would prefer to not have a GTX or Ultra as their really not worth it. I've got a 1280x1024 19inch that I'm happy with. I've found some good deals on 8800's 8800GT for 299AU or 8800GTS for 409AU.
So any Ideas on what to get. plz help me.

A 8800GTS 512MB doesn't exactly match the 8800GT's price/performance, however, due to it's better cooling, the 8800GTS OCs a lot better.

I say go for the 8800GTS 512MB since you have the money.

Well if he plays games like Crysis, the 3850 won't cut it.

I totally agree. The 8800GT looks too thin in a case.

Besides, with that scholarship, it's basically free.

Get a 3850 512mb or a 8800GT. Depends if you want to save a bit of money.

There's a good aftermarket cooler for the 8800GT: Thermalright HR-03GT. Make sure you get the GT version, not the regular HR-03. Installing it may void the warranty of the video card, so check manufacturer's policies first.

The performance difference between 8800GT and 8800GTS G92, assuming you don't overclock, is 14% or so (128 shaders instead of 112). If you do overclock, the GTS will increase its advantage. At your resolution, most games will get over 60fps with either card, and your monitor may be limited to a 60Hz refresh rate, which means you won't get any difference at all. Still, in Crysis with all the eye candy on, every little bit of graphics power will help.

Whichever card you decide on, don't buy an eVGA based on the stepup program, because it is NOT, repeat NOT, available in Australia, therefore, there are cards with better warranty's (such as XFX) available, or far cheaper cards available (generics go for around $320 AUD for a 512MB 8800GT). If however you decide to buy an eVGA for reasons other than step-up, that's your choice.

It may help to know which state you live in to guide you to the best place to buy from. Generally MSY is a good bet to be cheap (and they have multiple branches in every state except WA and TAS), and you can also use online search engine's such as www.staticice.com.au to find the best price for your hardware.

Going with the 8800GTS, then? Well, you won't be disappointed with the performance, but if you look around and compare the 8800GT and 8800GTS you might be disappointed with the extra $110 you paid for a small increase in performance.

Should be fine.

Careful, he might quote you on that.