Which is a decent upgrade to my 8800GT 512MB?

[imnotageek]

Hi,

I am actually pretty happy with my 8800GT 512MB but I need to pass that card to another older computer of mine. And hence, I need to find a new nVidia card to replace the one I have.

By and large I don't have much complain about 8800GT. It seems to run the games I enjoy playing (such as WoW, Mass Effect, Test Drive Unlimited). And it seems to pull an OK framerate for shooters such as BioShock.

My motherboard is Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3. I don't intend to run 2 video cards. I prefer to stay with nVida although ATI seems to be quite attractive. I am much confused with the new serial like 260, 270, 275, and etc. I think maybe USD 200 to 300 is an OK investment. What would you recommend?

Thanks!

 

[RazberyBandit]

If you intend to stay with nVIDIA, the GTX 260 Core 216 and above (275, 285) cards would be the ones that would show significant increase in performance. A GTS 250 or 9800GTX+ would show improvements, but not nearly as significant. You can snag a 260 Core216 for well under 200 bucks, and 275's for slightly more than 200.

On the ATI side, an HD4850, HD4870, or HD4890 would show similar increases in performance as the above mentioned nVIDIA cards. ATI cards have recently dropped somewhat noticeably in price. 4850's can be had for only a little over 100 bucks, while 4870's are priced similar to (or slightly less-than) GTX 260's. 4890's are slightly less than or equal to GTX 275's in price.

Whatever you choose, be sure to buy from a reputable site/store and a reputable brand, also making sure you're fully aware of the support and warranty the manufacturer offers... They're definitely not all equal.

I should mention, I'm in the process of upgrading from an 8800GT to an ATI HD4890. Newegg had an XFX one on sale over the weekend for $200 so I grabbed it. My 8800GT 512 was really showing it's lack of power in newer games (FarCry 2, Crysis Warhead, Fallout 3) due to my changing my monitor from a 1680x1050 to a 1920x1080 resolution.

 

[imnotageek]

@RazberyBandit - Hey, thanks so much for your reply. You know what? I too am considering changing my monitor to a 1920x1080 too. And after a brief walk through some computer shops just a while ago, I am seriously considering either a 275 or a 4890. You are right, the pricing is very similar. I am more accustom to nVidia though. Not sure if I shall make a switch to ATI (by the way, have you tried nVidia's 3D Gaming?!).

Personally I like the brand ASUS or even Leadtek, which are quite popular at my part of the world (SE Asia). US$200 for a 4890 is really worth it. I would have grabbed one too.

 

[shubham1401]

The 4890 will be a very good choice.and it would run games at that resolution smoothly.
Go for it.

 

[RazberyBandit]

You're welcome, imnotageek.

ASUS and Leadtek are fine brands, but they really aren't tremendously popular among enthusiasts here in "the States" - the exception being ASUS's DK/TOP cards - they kick ass. I actually used to have a Leadtek TNT2 card, years and years ago, as well as an ASUS Ti4200

eVGA, XFX, and Sapphire seem to be the top 3 preferred manufacturers over here. This is mostly due to eVGA and XFX having absolutely amazing technical and customer support, while Sapphire is the leading ATI-based manufacturer. I'd venture to guess HIS, BFG, ASUS, Gigabyte, and a few others (maybe Powercolor, MSI, and possibly PNY?) would make the top-10.

Honestly, most manufacturers make solid, dependable hardware. What sets them apart is their support, warranty, and their tuning software. I believe those points are the ones at which buyers should focus their attention when making a purchase decision, as most of the hardware is damn near identical.

 

[imnotageek]

@Shubham1410 - Thanks for sharing your opinion.

@RazberyBandit - Ah, we have XFX here. I shall take a look at their pricing. As for support, in my part of the world (SE Asia), we pray that nothing would go wrong with the component ... lol. Seriously, Leadtek and Asus have both been stable. Nothing has gone wrong to the cards ever. I had MSI before and had problem. How it works here is that we bring it back to the distributor (we may have multiple ones for the same barnd) and they will do a test there and then. If it is still within warranty, they would just swap it with another working card cuz fixing a card is kind of tedious. I think.

Although most of the hardware is near identical like you mentioned, I realize that the difference - from the hardware perspective - could lie in the way the card assembled. Some with a different fan system. Some are more enclosed than others and etc. Maybe these are simply superficial ...

 

[megamanx00]

I say go with a Radeon 4890, or a GTX 275. Which ever is cheaper. An overclocked GTX 260 sp 216 would also be a good option.

 

[shubham1401]

Sapphire cards are cheaper than XFX or EVGA in SE asia(At least in my country).......