8800GTS Best Choice for Me?

[TheRyuu]

Christmas is coming (yay)
I've been keeping an eye out on the 8800GTS for some time now.

From what I've seen, an OCed 8800GTS can match or better a 8800GTX.

I don't have the money for a 8800GTX so it looks like the 8800GTS is my best bet. I don't really like getting a card with the core slightly crippled (32 shaders and 4 ROPS cut out) but still, it's a damn fast card.

Now, I'm not asking whether to wait to see what ATI is gonna do or any of that sh!t. I just want to know, should I pull the trigger?
I'm big on Oblivion and this card (HDR+AA) looks like a winner

I've been here for more then a year (it was a year on Dec. 3) and I've leared so much stuff since then. Just that when I'm about to spend $429 (after MIR) on a 8800GTS then I kinda want to make sure

I know the drivers are sort of an issue with these but I hope by the time I finally get my card, some of the bugs might be ironed out.

Also, right now I have a water cooling loop set up with my 7900GT's. The only real problem is if my waterblock will fit on the 8800GTS. I don't have a maze4. I have an Cyclone FusionHL. I'm not really sure if that'll fit on the 8800GTS. May be I sould as at XS?

Anyway, thanks

It better rape my 7900GT's in SLI

 

[Nightmare225]

Well, I dunno about rape. But it'll soundly beat them. IF you manage to sell off your dual 7900GTs, I'd go for it. Even if you don't, its some damn fine performance for the price. These cards offer amazing performance, you can't get much better than that. (unless, you get a GTX )

 

[Matt2]

The 8800GTS will be faster, plus better IQ and you'll get to use Vsync again!!!!! :beer:

 

[Captante]

I broke down & went for a GTX myself, but the GTS is the next best thing & should not only outperform SLI'ed 7900GT's but will have better IQ & no more SLI-related problems.

 

[NoStateofMind]

If I'm not mistaken, the 8800GTS is as fast as a 7950GX2 with better IQ. Correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[40sTheme]

It's faster, Surgeon. I'm pretty sure, at least. Check the top notch Rage3D review of the G80.

 

[TheRyuu]

lol thanks.
Now I just have to figure out whether or not the FusionHL will fit on it.

 

[TheRyuu]

Originally posted by: PC Surgeon
If I'm not mistaken, the 8800GTS is as fast as a 7950GX2 with better IQ. Correct me if I'm wrong.

Yea.
In the conclusion of the Rage3d review
http://www.rage3d.com/reviews/video/nvidia8800/index.php?p=11

The level of performance you get with the 8800 GTX is nothing short of astounding. In most cases it?s fully twice as fast as the 7900 GTX and X1950 XTX, and the previous King of the Hill, the 7950 GX2, can?t touch it either. After seeing how fast the thing was I even decided to throw in SLI and Crossfire tests too, just to illustrate the point further and show that, more often than not, the 8800 GTX is faster than 7900 GTX SLI and X1950 Crossfire too. And that?s not even considering the image quality improvements you get with it; looks better, goes faster.

I'm getting all gitty and sh!t inside

Another question, how well are these 8800GTS's overclocking. It seems like whenever I hear how a 8800GTS overclocks, it's like some really high unbelievable figure. Do they all OC so much??
The Rage3d card hit 625/980. Thats pretty impressive. They all go that high?

Thanks

 

[Matt2]

thilian29 has his at 650/1000 if I'm not mistaken.

They seem to overclock very well.

 

[the Chase]

Yeah- 660/1026 here at 80% fan speed(fairly quiet yet).

 

[Matt2]

Originally posted by: the Chase
Yeah- 660/1026 here at 80% fan speed(fairly quiet yet).

Nice OC!

Time to update the sig?

:beer:

 

[thilanliyan]

Originally posted by: Matt2
thilian29 has his at 650/1000 if I'm not mistaken.

They seem to overclock very well.

Yep. Correct. I haven't really tried for more. I like those nice even numbers.

 

[the Chase]

Originally posted by: thilan29

Originally posted by: Matt2
thilian29 has his at 650/1000 if I'm not mistaken.

They seem to overclock very well.

Yep. Correct. I haven't really tried for more. I like those nice even numbers.

And the core and shader clocks don't raise until you hit the 665 mark anyway. At 665 they shoot up to 675 for the core and 1566 for the shader clock!

 

[the Chase]

Originally posted by: Matt2

Originally posted by: the Chase
Yeah- 660/1026 here at 80% fan speed(fairly quiet yet).

Nice OC!

Time to update the sig?

:beer:

Heh- yeah I have a 170 Opty now too that's way past due to update the sig. Dragging of the feet....

 

[Midwayman]

I got 650/1000 on stock cooling with my GTS. So they overclock very well. A GTS at those speeds will smoke a stock GTX.

 

[the Chase]

Originally posted by: Midwayman
I got 650/1000 on stock cooling with my GTS. So they overclock very well. A GTS at those speeds will smoke a stock GTX.

Well actually it falls just short. But gets to within 4-5 frames of the GTX in most games.

 

[Munky]

Originally posted by: Midwayman
I got 650/1000 on stock cooling with my GTS. So they overclock very well. A GTS at those speeds will smoke a stock GTX.

It will not smoke a stock gtx, in many [edit: most] cases it will still be behind. Text

Upon further perusal of some benches, I would consider a OC'd 8800gts a sidegrade at best from 7900gtx SLI, as a stock 8800gts is in many cases slower. IMO, a 8800gtx is a much more worthwhile upgrade from 7900gtx SLI.

 

[Captante]

I havn't bothered overclocking my GTX yet ... frankly its fast enough as is, plus it runs really hot.

 

[NYHoustonman]

Originally posted by: munky

Originally posted by: Midwayman
I got 650/1000 on stock cooling with my GTS. So they overclock very well. A GTS at those speeds will smoke a stock GTX.

It will not smoke a stock gtx, in many [edit: most] cases it will still be behind. Text

Upon further perusal of some benches, I would consider a OC'd 8800gts a sidegrade at best from 7900gtx SLI, as a stock 8800gts is in many cases slower. IMO, a 8800gtx is a much more worthwhile upgrade from 7900gtx SLI.

Seconded... A GTS wouldn't be much of an upgrade, IMO... Still worth it if you can get a good enough price for your two current cards.

Originally posted by: Captante
I havn't bothered overclocking my GTX yet ... frankly its fast enough as is, plus it runs really hot.

Seriously... I have a slot blower right below mine; when the card is being heavily used, the air coming out is just ridiculously warm (hot even :x).

 

[Midwayman]

Originally posted by: the Chase

Originally posted by: Midwayman
I got 650/1000 on stock cooling with my GTS. So they overclock very well. A GTS at those speeds will smoke a stock GTX.

Well actually it falls just short. But gets to within 4-5 frames of the GTX in most games.

Ahh. The early benchmarks I saw just after release showed a GTS running at 620 outperforming a gtx. Seems that there has been more extensive testing at this point then.

Still it overclocks very well.

 

[Kyanzes]

You don't have money for a 8800GTX but you can afford a 8800GTS? I mean what's the price difference? 100-150 bucks? What can you get nowadays for a hundred bucks?

 

[Slaanesh]

I can't seem to overclock my 8800GTS.
I'm using the Control Panel with the 97.44 driver, installed nTune (and afterwards even nvTweak) but the Core and memory clock sliders are greyed out. I can press the "find optimal" button though, but it turns my screen blue... after about 20 mins I gave up and rebooted. Any way to unlock overclocking??

 

[TheRyuu]

Originally posted by: Kyanzes
You don't have money for a 8800GTX but you can afford a 8800GTS? I mean what's the price difference? 100-150 bucks? What can you get nowadays for a hundred bucks?

Price difference is about $210.
And yea, that's a lot for me.

$629-$419 (after MIR)=$210 difference. not 100-150 like you say.

And I've already decided to get the GTS anyway