GPU upgrade.. +1 9800 gtx to SLi or GTX 460 ??

[5abivt]

Current setup has a 9800 gtx (xfx)
Some General specs are: core 2 duo 2.66,2gb RAM ddr2 800mhz (will be upgrading to 4gb RAM this week) ,Antec 850W psu, evga nforce 680i mobo, 2 raptor 10k HDDs (1 36gb for xp only lol and 80gb for games only), wd caviar black 500gb hdd for pics, Antec p182 case, I-Inc 28" 1900x1200 monitor, z5500 window breaker sound system, turtle beach sound card (should have kept my sb audigy z2s grr)

Brief history: Built this pc myself and it was my first build ever ! Built around 4 years back as a budget gaming rig and ended up using my 2 7950 gt oc's in sli to start out to keep the build under $1k at the time. WHen the prices dropped for the 9800 GPus I grabbed the xfx oc 9800gtx 512mb card. I considered going SLi but I realized I couldnt fit the 2nd card without hitting the Mid HDD tray so I had to mount the 9800gtx in the lower slot. Funny thing is, 4 years ago I didnt know the lower tray was for HDDs in the ANtec p182 case because I didnt know you cound mount HDDs vertical LOL ! I actually figured that out just this weekend as my pc was running like super slow so I wiped all the hdds and did a fresh install etc. Getting back in my pc got me back into nerdrage mode and back on this site lol..

SO , the BIG question is I can get a 9800GTX the exact same card I have for $60. SInce I now know I can mount my hdd's in the lower tray I would have to stop being so lazy and just get longer connectors and pull the mid tray out to fit another gpu. I also know I can sell mine for $80 or $100 so really I started thinking of getting a better single card for around $200.

Based on the links on this site a GTX 460 is generally in the ballpark of what i'm comparing to 2 9800gtxs in sli. What would you guys take?

The games I play are basically few..

World of warcraft
Frozen throne (wc3)
Counter strike source

I play at 1900x1200 and prefer to have the settings cranked but noticed big improvements in world of warcraft with some settings down so I figured the single 9800gtx just cant cut it. I mentioned earlier I will be upgrading to 4gb ram this week too. Price isnt really an issue at all I've considered the gtx 480 but since i understand the rest of my rig isnt bling and my cpu fairly old I dont want to get a kick but gpu and be held back by the rest of the system.

ANy thoughts are appreciated !!

 

[nforce4max]

That older Raptor is slower than most economy drives today so you might as well upgrade that out while you are at it. Go with a single card option like a GTX460/470 as they will create less cpu lag vs sli and will outperform two G92 cards anyway plus use less total power.

 

[5abivt]

I appreciate the response. Not going to upgrade the drives yet I spent a penny on them in their time and they work great . I like the fact that one s 36gb only and I just have xp on it nothing else. If I ever get issues again I can just wipe it without having to save anything important!

With regards to speed thats interesting, I did some reading and searching and its nice to see the new drives can keep up and go faster than the raptors. My next build will no doubt have multiple SSDs only though.

i decided that a gtx460 is probably the best upgrade. the 470 is within reach but for the price difference I think the 460 offers the best bang. I threw up the 9800gtx for sale so I should be getting the 460 this week.

My question now is does anyone know if the gtx460 is shorter in length than the 9800gtx? I attached a pic the gtx is so long it goes into the hard drive tray and was the reason I have it in the lower slot. If the gtx is shorter Ill be happy as I can sli them in the near future if I dont dismantle and build a new killer system.... the more I read the more I want to lol...

 

[5abivt]

Here's a quick pic inside my p182... my first build ever so forgive me if I nub'd anything up haha.. notice how long the 9800gtx is... grrr

 

[17seconds]

It looks like you have room for a second 9800, and the games you play are not DirctX 11, so an additional 9800 would work just fine. At the same time, the GTX460 is really coming down in price, $130 for a 768 mb version. It's a tough call, but I would get the extra 9800, and consider an upgrade with a new build, or when you get around to playing some DirectX 11 games.

 

[nforce4max]

The GTX460 is a small card and it is shorter than my 9800gt that it replaced and both are smaller than your 9800gtx. However what model did you purchase? Was it EVGA EE or something else?

 

[notty22]

If your going to get back in to gaming and you have a little money to spend.
That and you have nice SLI hardware / psu ......
Get 1 gtx 460 now, and find a good reason to get a second if you get the gaming itch.

 

[5abivt]

thanks guys. the 9800 is an xFx i think. its the one that has the bike exhaust on the box and comes with company of heroes. its the longest card ive for sure. the pic is dark but the end of it is past the lower hard drive.

funny thing again is how i didnt know the lower case was for vertically stacking hdds lol. I just figured it out a few days back. thats the reason i used the upper hdd tray and it was impossible to fit the 9800gtx in the top pci slot. that prevented me from running sli.

anyhow Ive always been a fan of sli mostly because its just cool. but reading so many reviews recently i see the architecture of the 9800 is really dated vs the gtx 4s cards.The other thing is running another 9800gtx id have to buy some new connectors and redo the wiring from the psu to make sure I had 4 6 pins free for 2 cards... :/

Price wise, I think I can get $80 for my card. I had a guy ready to sell me his 9800 for $60 which I thought was insane until I realized a gtx 460 is $200 new from tigerdirect.ca So for $40 more really I can get simplicity, and a newer card possibly able to play at 19x12 with max settings better than the sli 9800gtxs.

 

[5abivt]

ok guys here are the 3 top options Im trying to decide between.. what do you think?

1. gtx 480 $340 ish used
2. gtx 470 $240 ish used
3. gtx 260 $240 New + shipping

Both used cards are with box, receipt and lifetime warranty. thoughts?

 

[hell_storm2004]

^^Out of the list if you are getting a boxed GTX470 for $240 then its quite a steal. But that 480 is juicy too. Coz retail prices are more than $400. But still second hand one's are not worth it. Its always better to spend on a new one.

 

[5abivt]

i got the guy with the 480 at 3 flat. its a pny that has lifetime warranty... wouldnt that make up for it being used? I rated them based on performance really as theyre all generally in the ballpark. when i first built my rig i used 7950gts in sli just because i was waiting for the 8800 ultras to drop in price and ended up sucking it up and getting a 9800gtx when they had a huge rebate on them. Im tempted to just go for the top dawg this time around

 

[hell_storm2004]

I am not from the US and we don't have lifetime warranty, so am not sure how exactly the lifetime warranty works. But if you are covered under that then you can get it. It would be best if someone else clarified on this. PNY is a nice brand. Not the best but good.

 

[mosox]

For the 480 you need a beefy PSU, that card consumes A LOT, and the 470 is not very far behind. You can also get a HD 6870.

 

[reccy]

Out of the 3 above, i'd personally go with the GTX470.

Its a awesome card, and if SLI becomes apparant in the future for you, then its Scales really well!

 

[blazerboy]

reccys just a nvidia lover and owns a couple himself. Ha get the gtx 470s and if power becomes a problem for you get an expansion from newegg.com theres a 450 watt expasnion that goes into ur hard drive bay...or was it disk drive...oh well whatever the case get that and throw that baby in and set it up to run ur gtx 470, whole set up with the 470 (Can get it for 250 here in California EVGA brand new from newegg + Lifetime warranty) and the expansion ($20 + Shipping at newegg as well) I have the expansion works like a charm on my 5770 and generates up to 450 watts continuously but id dare to say it was probably more like 400 still enough though for even a 580 i believe

 

[5abivt]

ok guys, Made an offer and have this guy to $280 for a 2 month old GTX 480 w receipt/box and all accessories. Lifetime warranty its a PNY unit. What say you?? My options right now are the GTX 460 off Tigerdirect + shipping (evga) which would be around $235 said and done or this 480. Im hitting the bed (sigh night shift) so Ill be looking for your input for a decision when i wake up !!


By the looks of it the pny 480 is as long as my 9800gtx so it may have to eat the same lower slot to fit.

 

[Guest]

You seem to have plenty of room in the 5.25 positions you can find HDD KIT 3.5" to 5.25 are very cheap and move your disks in there this will allow you to put larger cards without problems.

 

[17seconds]

It looks like you're leaning toward the GTX480, and it will give better framerates than the 460. The price is pretty good too, almost half off what the price was a month ago. If you get it, I recommend that you change the thermal paste on the GPU.

 

[5abivt]

I was leaning towards it but I've got no reply today so I'm moving on and again it's back to the gtx460 ! A few things turned me off of the 480: super heat, helicopter noise, 6 and 8 pin connector (sigh re-routing psi cables). Add to the fact that the rest of my system CPU especially is a bit dated and I play relatively older games I think the 480 is not the smart choice.

I've gotten over the 9800 sli for sure as I read some articles on how gpu ram doesn't stack and since I run 1900x1200 on a 28" LCD 1gb is probably a smarter choice.

Gtx460 Is my frontrunner now as it's considerably cheaper than a new 470. For the price difference between the 2 I don't think the % equates to the same performance wise so I like the 460.

I am tempted to get a dx10 game just to see what it's like with a decent card. I have cod4 and I want to be able to play that, cd source and world of warcraft at max settings and not see lag.

Giatrakis.. I long wondered about that abs yes it would be amazing to move my 2 hd's up there so I can make room fo a longer card If I end up with one. I will check antecs site or can i get a bracket kit etc anywhere?

 

[mosox]

What 460? Most of those are inferior to the 6870.

 

[5abivt]

I havn't had an ATi card since the 9800 pro 128 lol.. The new naming # scheme is oout of order with those cards and that alone makes me like Nvidia better. Im still confused as to which of those 5850, 5780, 6750, 4890 and gazzilion other combinations of random numbers they use which dont necessarily show which card is better.

Besides, the word NVIDIA just sounds better doesn't it? I'll consider a Radeon if you can tell me what the order of heirarchy is and maybe one or two pointers on which is the equivalent Nvidia card. Least then i can search and compare prices.

 

[hell_storm2004]

Its quite simple if you put your mind into. The most common logic that applies is higher the number higher the performance, i think that's the same as nVidia, isn't it?

Regarding the name... no comments!

 

[5abivt]

Well Ive been reading a bit and apparently the 59XX series is better than the 69XX series? or something along those lines

 

[hell_storm2004]

That is debatable since the 69xx cards aren't out yet.

Even nVidia's GTX285 is faster than GTX460 and the GTX460 is almost brand new in the market. You should always compare same segment cards.

There maybe situations where a card from the previous generation is faster than the new generation.

Given the fact that there is only one card in the HD59xx series and that is the HD5970 which dual GPU monster.