I found myself into this confusion on which card to choose from.As from the spec of both 8800GTS 512MB(£185) and the 9600GT 512MB(£120).I can see the 8800GTS has twice as many Stream Proccessor as the 9600GT but they both running on 256bit memory bus which is the limiting factor to the 8800GTS.And i also read the review from here shows the 9600GT's performance is not very far behind the 8800GTS.But the price difference is about £65 pound difference for both cheapest i can find for both card.

Literally i ask myself this question is that few frames increase worth that 54% increase in price over the 9600GT?

9600 gt is mainstream
8800GTS is high end
if you`re low on budget you should go for the 9600GT.
but if it doesnt matter what price you should wait for 9800GX2 (expected price at 450$.)
if you have 220$ and you doubt that the 9600 GT is going to be enough , than simply go for the 8800GT512. it cant miss
8800GTS(320$) is 6-8% better than 8800GT and 8800GT(220$) is 10-12% better than 9600GT(170$)and 9800GX2(450$)will be 40-60% better than 8800ultra so do the math.

cheers

one thing i would add would be the ATI 3870 , has realy came down in price and would preform close to the 8800gt

you dont get it ... 3870>9600GT by 1% and sometimes 9600>3870 by 1% and the 9600 is cheaper so.. DO THE MATH!

I can't see the 9800GX2 being any less than £300 here in the U.K

PNY GeForce 8800 GT 512MB GDDR3 HDTV/Dual DVI (PCI-Express) - Retail

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/show [...] ubcat=1008

Zalman VF1000-LED VGA Cooler

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/show [...] subcat=787

Total is around 30-35 less pounds (?) than buying a GTS and with superior cooling. Just another option if you want to consider it.

This would be a great card for you,plus you get the 90 day step up option...http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130325 $260 after mail in rebate...cant be beat for the price

Not strictly true. With the stock, two slot cooler on the GTS, the hot air is dumped out of the system. With the zalman cooler, it is just dumper inside the case. In most cases this air would be sucked upward out a top fan or into the cpu cooler. Although the video card temperatures would be lower, the processor and chipset temperatures will suffer. Also, those two together are the same price as a GTS. In response to the OP, get the 9600gt.

isnt the 9600GT out perform 3870 in the performance/price ratio?is 9600GT a better card to go for.

9800GX2 or the GTX wont be less then 300 in the UK i think.does anyone agree on that?

I read the 3870 is slightly better than the 9600GT, but also slightly more expensive than the 9600GT.

Based on the various tests, the 3870 and the 9600 is head to head and we don't know if future drivers would make a big difference later on.
That is why the price of the 3800 series are falling. Competition is great.
So it comes down to price and whether your board is sli or crossfire.

yeah competition is great in IT market.but is anyone interest in the 9800GTX or the 9800X2.But i just talk to my cousin now he is talking about some AMD-ATI 4850X2.anyone heard or 4xxx series amd card?

If you don't have money to burn, consider:

1) The 9600GT if it beats the HD3870 in games you play, or
2) The HD3870 if it beats the 9600GT in games you play.

Look up review for the 9600GT and HD3870 and you will see that in general the HD3870 is a little faster, but it is also a little more expensive. I don't know about the UK, but the recent price drops on the HD3870 haven't hit Australia yet, so it is a good $30-40 more than the 9600GT.

The 8800GT is also a good option as it sits between the HD3870 and 8800GTS in both price and performance. You will want to have decent airflow in your system if you buy one with the reference cooler though. Take a look at Galaxy's offerings if they are available in the UK, they are some of the cheapest and offer some cards with native HDMI (if you want that), dual slot rear-exhaust coolers and also a fancy coolermaster cooler (mainly on the HDMI card for silence in a HTPC, also costs a bit more). If noise isn't a problem, almost any cooler will suffice. If it is a problem and heat isn't really an issue because of good airflow, take a look at the Galaxy HDMI card.

The PNY card linked earlier has the reference cooler, but it is only 4 pounds more than the 9600GT you mentioned before and is noticeably faster.