8800GS vs 8600GT

[Wolfcastle]

These days, the rebates for 8600GT make them about $60 to $80. There is a deal for 8800GS for about $150 or so?

I'm thinking about playing UT3 and UT2004.

Should I go as low as 8500GT for $30 with rebate or should I consider 8600GT or 8800GS? I mean the price for an 8500GT is so reasonable.

 

[IlllI]

what resolution do you play at ?

 

[Piuc2020]

An 8500GT will let you game at 800x600 but any higher than that and you are looking at a slideshow, the 8600GT can progress into 1024x768 but it's still a deficient card, the 8800GS is MUCH MUCH faster and can run UT3 at 1600x1200.

If you can, buy the 8800GS but a 8600GT wouldn't be bad either if you overclock and are willing to play at 1024x768.

 

[daveybrat]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16814127286

This is probably the best deal on an 8600GT i've seen so far. It's $71 after rebate and is factory overclocked but uses a nice big quiet fan. I've used a couple of these so far in builds and they score around 5200 in 3Dmark06.

You also get The Witcher full game included for free right now which you could even resell to make the card cheaper!

 

[Doclife]

This EVGA 8600GT 256MB is probably the fastest 8600GT out there for $80. Its core is overclocked to the 8600GTS speed (684MHz). I bought one for my second computer and the 3DMark06 score I got is 6021.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16814130311

 

[PCTC2]

If you can pinch out a little extra cash from your pocket, get the 8800GS. Most def, no debate.

 

[lookouthere]

I will be playing at 1920x1200. Which card will be the best?

 

[lookouthere]

will 8800GS be compatible with PCI-E 1.0A?

 

[taltamir]

at 1920x1200 you need something with 512MB of ram and plenty of oomph...
the 8800GT 512 is your best bet. If you are willing to spend more the 8800GTS 512 is a LITTLE faster... (the 8800GTS 320MB or 640MB are SLOWER, so beware)

 

[Killrose]

wait till the 9600gt is released and watch the entire 8600 line drop accordingly. It will probably trash the price of the 8800gs too.

 

[SniperDaws]

The 9600GT is out this week and its looking promising, its as fast and faster when using AA and AF than the 8800GT and itll be about $100 too

 

[mhouck]

I have to agree with killrose wait the week.

To lookoutthere:
(I don't have the link currently) The 9600 is nearly as good as a current 8800 gt on lower resolutions but at your suggested 1900x 1200 it gets significantly slower. Being that its supposed to be twice as fast as the 8600 you definitely want to go with the 8800 gt or gts. Nothing under that will leave you very satisfied at that resolution.

 

[SniperDaws]

from early reviews the 9600GT beats the 8800 in resolutions upto 1920x but only with AA and AF enabled.

 

[taltamir]

but with AA and AF its normally not playable at those resolutions... also there was only one game where I ever noticed a difference thanks to AA...
I really wish the 9800GTX comes out already

 

[quadomatic]

Does the 9600GT really drop this week?

Oh boy, oh boy!

If you still want to go for an 8600GT: http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16814130085

That eVGA one oc's really well, especially if you volt mod it with a pencil.

If the 9600GT is in fact hitting stores this week, I may pick up this card once it gets a price drop. I don't want to have to buy a new PSU, and since the 8600GT consumes less power than my X850 Pro, I wouldn't have to pick up a new PSU.

 

[RussianSensation]

Originally posted by: taltamir
at 1920x1200 you need something with 512MB of ram and plenty of oomph...
the 8800GT 512 is your best bet. If you are willing to spend more the 8800GTS 512 is a LITTLE faster... (the 8800GTS 320MB or 640MB are SLOWER, so beware)

I would agree with your statement for a lot of modern games, but not UT2004 or UT3. Both of those games have some of the fastest coded engines around and even 8800GTS 320mb can easily play UT3 at 1920x1200 with everything on High with HDR and 16x AF enabled.

Benches

 

[Syntax Error]

Originally posted by: SniperDaws
The 9600GT is out this week and its looking promising, its as fast and faster when using AA and AF than the 8800GT and itll be about $100 too

More nearer $150-200.

 

[Synomenon]

I played at 1920x1200 just fine with my 512MB EVGA 8600GTS Superclocked, but then that was just WoW.

 

[SniperDaws]

Originally posted by: Syntax Error

Originally posted by: SniperDaws
The 9600GT is out this week and its looking promising, its as fast and faster when using AA and AF than the 8800GT and itll be about $100 too

More nearer $150-200.

It cant be, i thought the 8800GT was around $150-$200 the 9600GT wont sell if its priced that high.

 

[IlllI]

Originally posted by: IsLNdbOi
I played at 1920x1200 just fine with my 512MB EVGA 8600GTS Superclocked, but then that was just WoW.

lol wow came out in 2004. its not exactly a technological wonder

 

[Syntax Error]

Originally posted by: SniperDaws

Originally posted by: Syntax Error

Originally posted by: SniperDaws
The 9600GT is out this week and its looking promising, its as fast and faster when using AA and AF than the 8800GT and itll be about $100 too

More nearer $150-200.

It cant be, i thought the 8800GT was around $150-$200 the 9600GT wont sell if its priced that high.

I'd like to know where you go shopping for your parts! An 8800GT is easily around $230-250, maybe less if you look hard enough and/or include rebates into the final price.

 

[taltamir]

why wouldn't it sell? its faster then the 8800GT with AA and AF and its got a higher number (that not only translate to higher resale value, it also translates into more years of driver support!) If its cheaper to boot (albeit by only 30$) it is still a better purchase... nvidia could MSRP it in 100$, it will sell at its actual value just like the 8800GT and the 8800GTS 512 do. people aren't total morons, they buy it when the price is right... and merchants will sell below or above MSRP as needed.

I found all the latest cards COMPLETELY ignored MSRP and PERFECTLY positioned their price compared to what was available at the market at the time... if the 8800GT was X% slower then the 8800GTX then it went up in price to be Y% cheaper... and when the 3870 came out and was X% slower then the GT their prices adjusted to be Y% apart.. it might have not happened at ONCE everywhere... but if you looked for the cheapest deal for each card you saw them match those prices... (ofcourse, some places tried to rip you off by selling things at completely wrong prices... but I am compared the lowest available price online for each part)

 

[lookouthere]

wouldn't it better to have 8600GTS in SLI compare to 9600GT?

 

[RussianSensation]

Originally posted by: lookouthere
wouldn't it better to have 8600GTS in SLI compare to 9600GT?

No, because 9600GT is going to be 2x faster than 8600GTS which won't be 100% faster in all scenarios as SLi is driver dependent and is almost never 100% faster regardless.

 

[AntiFreze]

hmmmm... along the same lines. I had $109 credit at newegg. Couldnt add anything to it, and couldnt take into account any rebates (RMA'd a now discontinued 256mb 7600GT).

I chose a 8600GTS
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16814141064

Smart move? Stupid Move?

Figured I could OC it a bit when i get it, then down the road pick up a better cooler and overclock it further.