EVGA Step-up from 8800 GTS 512 to 9800 GTX?

So my evga Step-up program is coming it an end in 5 days. I own an 8800 GTS 512 which I bought for $260. The 9800 GTX is currently around $280. So I figured why not get an upgrade for $20. Unfortunately the GTX 260 doesn't come out till the 26th (this card was within the price range with $260 shaved off the $400 tag). The GTX 280 is just too much.

The main question is, is it a good idea upgrading to a 9800 GTX using the Step-up program?


Thank for the input

If it is $20 total... no shipping costs, no strings attached; i would go for it. The gains are minimal...

No. You'd pay $20 + shipping and you'd live without a PC for a while and all you really get is the ability to do Triple SLI. Since you can't afford the $650 GTX 280 I assume you can't afford a 780i motherboard and two more 9800GTXs and a 1000W PSU either (total about $1000), so you won't use Triple SLI. So then why bother...

Maybe a 9800GX2? Can you afford the step-up to that one? It's better than the GTX 280 anyway, even though it's a lot cheaper.
(If you upgrade to 9800GX2, you may need a new PSU too...)

Maybe the 9800GTX was just running at higher clocks...

yes that woul dbe a descent step up, and u'll have tri sli option.