9800 GX2 for $80 worth it?

cain546

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Jan 10, 2012
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i have about $110 after Christmas and wanted to buy a Graphics Card for the AM2+ system ive been cobbling together from spare parts, now i found a 9800 GX2 on craigslist for $80
Ill have to upgrade my PSU lets say i can get a 650-750+ PSU for under $30 used
i poked around Tiger and Newegg and didnt really see anything that i thought was as powerful as the 9800
for under $150

Is this a Good Deal?
would i be able to find a equivalent card performance wise for this price online?
is there a comparable card that doesn't require as much power? 6pin+8pin thats alot of power =(

or should i simply hold onto the $ burning a hole in my pocket

thanx
 
It is nearly impossible to get a quality psu for under $30 unless you like burning out your comp. A 9800gx2 isn't really a performance card now days and the limited 512mb vram (x2) is often far to limited for modern gaming. This card is basically for people who do a lot of folding or cuda apps and the rest is collectors.

I suggest a cheap gts450/gtx550ti or a 6670/6850.
 

DM186

Splendid

4745454b

Titan
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If I remember correctly the GX2 was just a bit more powerful then the GTX260. (I think the 192SP version but its been awhile.) A 1GB 6850 should be as powerful or better depending on SLI scaling. You can often find these for less then $150 after rebate.

The issue is that's nearly twice as much as that $80. The GX2 provides a lot of power for only $80. There is the issue of new vs CL used, and the extra power that a GX2 uses.
 

Gordon Freeman

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LOL 6850 is a ton faster than a GTX 260 by a lot 6850 will run on DX11 and still gain 20fps on GTX 260. Notice how an HD 6850 beats a GTX 570 both cards are OCed in Crysis http://www.overclockersclub.com/reviews/msi_r6850_cyclone/7.htm
 

Gordon Freeman

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A purely mid range card should never come close to a high end card like a 570 but 6850 even beats 570 by a tangible margin in a few games and does it for over $100 less LOL and Crysis is an Nvidia games sponsored and all and only the 68xx series get love from it why who knows but the 68xx are power houses with 58xx DNA
 

Gordon Freeman

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LOL 260 216 weak even my 275 gets whooped pretty good by a 6850 and thats when GTX 275 is in DX9 and 6850 in DX11
 

4745454b

Titan
Moderator
That's the beauty of midrange cards. The GTX460 wasn't that far behind the GTX470/480, and when OC'd would top the GTX470. The 6870 isn't that much behind the 6950, so its a great card as well. I was a bit surprised when I saw how close those cards can be.
 

Gordon Freeman

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I was floored when I found out that 68xx deserved far more credit and marketing buzz to be considered and seen for what it is the only cards worth purchasing until 7xxx replacements and kelper launch I mean why pay over $100+ more for the 5xx and 69xx cards when they produce just flat out less fps in some games or literally 3-7fps more or less gain in other games. http://www.overclockersclub.com/reviews/msi_r6850_cyclone/