A matter of money

[ForceCalibur]

I've been thinking lately how people buy video cards/hardware in general.

You have to option to buy a current generation card for XX.XX, and then waiting for the next gen to come down in price.

EX: Buy Radeon 9800 Pro now for 200 bucks. Wait until X800/6800 to come down to 200 bucks, then upgrade).

Total spent: 400 bucks.
Time frame: 2 years.

Ex2: Sell whatever card you currently own, Buy X800/6800 now.

TOtal spend: around 400 bucks.
Time frame: 2 years.

Opportunity cost of FPS/Features/Eye candy lost in 2 years... now how much you want to put on this? Priceless? Lol...

It really makes me consider just getting a new card and be done with it. I guess it depends whether you love to tinker with hardware more or play games.

 

[reflekt]

Exactly why I just got the X800 Pro. Just get it over with. Money comes and goes most of the time. and sometimes, You just gotta plunk down the Big Pretty Penny for something like this.

 

[SickBeast]

I prefer to wait, buy a card for $200, then use it for 2 years before upgrading. Basically by doing this you're living 6 months behind the times and it saves you lotsa money. Honestly, cutting edge graphics cards are overkill until at least a year after they've been released. I suppose one could argue that Far Cry requires something better than a 9800 ATM, but IMO it can run that game just fine.

 

[ForceCalibur]

Originally posted by: SickBeast
I prefer to wait, buy a card for $200, then use it for 2 years before upgrading. Basically by doing this you're living 6 months behind the times and it saves you lotsa money. Honestly, cutting edge graphics cards are overkill until at least a year after they've been released. I suppose one could argue that Far Cry requires something better than a 9800 ATM, but IMO it can run that game just fine.

I dont know if you've taken Economics, but time/Opportunity cost extends far beyond just simple "money". I think in the end, the opportunity cost of all those frames lost (and derived enjoyment/less frustration) as well as better eye candy will more than likely compensate for a 100 for so dollars saved.)

I think in this generations GPUs, where there is such huge performance leaps (reminiscent of Geforce TIs, and 9700), that its worth it to just dive in and get em while they're hot. I'm quite sure that Nvidia is actually losing money on their manufacturing process in the first few cards they sell, just like Microsoft did with Xbox.

I don't know, but I wouldn't have bought a X800 Pro either. I'm not comfortable being 4 pipes behind when a bit more (or just get the 6800GT) could get me 4 more pipes/faster memory. When the X800XT/6800GT comes out, I will defiantely be weighing my options for those two and buying right away.

Just my analysis/opinion, but people should probably do the same .

 

[Marsumane]

The thing is, usually u can get 80% of the top card for 1/2 the price. Thats the card u should buy. X800 right now is not even competatively priced compared to what it will be at in a couple weeks (assuming the GT comes out). It basically is about waiting till the time is right to buy.

Also, the 9800 series is not priced correctly based on the performance of the X800 due to the market not leveling out yet. You cant really compare graphic cards prices fairly right now, and expect them to be a good sample of what traditionally happens with the market. The X800pro is a good buy right now, but that is only beacause the 9800 series is overpriced in comparison.

 

[SickBeast]

Forcecalibur:

There is no "enjoyment lost" when my current graphics card (9700PRO) can run most of the games I play at 1280x1024 w/ 4XAA/16XAF at over 60FPS. My LCD can't show any more detail than that, so it's my analysis that a new graphics card wouldn't give me any more "enjoyment" than I currently experience.

Far Cry is my only reason for upgrading right now, and I refuse to spend over $500 just to play one game nicely. I will probably be tempted to upgrade once HL2/DoomIII are out, but I'm going to take a wait-and-see approach. Ideally I would like to wait for R500/NV50 as would many others in my position I'm sure.

 

[VIAN]

I would rather buy the card in between Price/perfromance and cutting edge right when it releases, this way, I will have 1 year guaranteed to run nicely and a year of possible AA/AF tradeoff for performance. Then do the process all over again. In my opinion, this is a better way to spend 400 dollars over two years.

I have my 9700 Pro OC to 360/335, and I make IQ tradeoffs. I want to keep the resolution at 1280x1024 because it looks best on my monitor, so that can't go. I use AF 8x, because I came to the conclusion that 16x won't matter in high speed battles and even if it is adaptive, every little speed increase counts. And i run at 2xAA for some pixel polishing. But I have no problem resorting to turning off AA and lowering AF to 2x.

To me resolution is unchangeable and In-game settings are more valuable than AA or high AF.

 

[TStep]

Going with what Sickbeast said, I think the real value is in the following criteria:

-What is my max resolution possible?
-Who is currently providing the level of Image Quality I desire?
-Can that IQ be provided at 30-60 fps for the games I play or intend to in the very, very near future, preferably on the higher end of the scale (60 fps)?

Any more performance than that is for benchmarking. Kind of like taking a NASCAR car onto a freeway with a speed limit, our eyes being that speed limit. Keep it until the criteria are no longer met or until you have money dying to get burned.

For guys playing PONG this is approach is very economical (monochrome monitor and a $0.25 isa card). My $0.02

 

[VIAN]

-Can that IQ be provided at 30-60 fps for the games I play or intend to in the very, very near future, preferably on the higher end of the scale (60 fps)?

Any more performance than that is for benchmarking. Kind of like taking a NASCAR car onto a freeway with a speed limit, our eyes being that speed limit. Keep it until the criteria are no longer met or until you have money dying to get burned.

No. Always get the most performance you can. Your analogy is bad. Don't you want to keep playing at that same level of IQ for a while or do you want to have to turn it down.

 

[Todd33]

Of course the X800 won't be on top in a year. It's like the people who bought the 9500/9700 pros and then the 9800 pro comes out. Just a thought.

 

[TStep]

Vian-

In the long haul, if you don't change hardware frequently and are planning for the future, I could agree with getting more than you need now, so you don't have to turn down the candy in the future. But you will pay dearly for it.

If and when some app or game comes out that I need more of a card than I have, I will only then buy that card. In reality, it usually means I own the 2nd or 3rd tier card (currently 3rd tier 9800np oc to near XT levels recently upgraded from a 5th,6th? tier 9500np L modded). With unsure software delivery dates, I don't ever try to future proof myself.

OR, If I see a deal on newer/faster/better at a very good price, I buy it and sell the old which usually only costs a couple of bucks net.

 

[VIAN]

Well, yeah, but there will always be games - at least for me. So I need to upgrade. And buying in between price/performance and top of the line is my way to try and be smart about it, because you know price/performance isn't gonna make it past 1 year and you will have to buy another card. And top of the line is just too expensive and not worth it. While cards such as the 5800 which were about 400 when released are still, one year later, considered to be very good and they will be that way for another year.

We all buy differently. Everyone has their idea.

 

[Brian48]

I like to get it over with too. I remember paying $550 for two 12mb Voodoo2's back in 98'. Most folks thought I was crazy, but that SLI setup lasted in my primary gaming rig for over two years and then served another 2.5 half years as a backup. That's almost 5 years of service.

 

[Ackmed]

I buy the latest and greatest. Why? Because I can afford it. I dont like to turn down settings to get good frames. I probably would have kept my 9800XT, but Farcry put the hammer on it, even with a 4gig P4.

 

[Avalon]

I typically find that I don't have $400-$500 to plunk down at any given time, even if I did sell my current video card. I just can't afford much, and I always tend to find that I don't really care about running games at 16x12 with 8x AA w/16x AF. I prefer minimal AA, and I don't even need AF because while I'm in the middle of my game, I can't notice a difference. Therefore, I don't need to buy the latest and greatest. My radeon 9500 is playing FarCry at 10x7 on high detail with 2x AA and 4x AF. I get 50-60 FPS. I've had this card for a little over a year, and I paid about $140 for it. There are no games coming out very soon that I feel give me a need to upgrade my video card. Doom 3 and HL2 are a big if. I will probably get 2 years out of my card and still have the ammount of eye candy I like at the framerate I can enjoy my games at.

Here's some Economics:

$140 card for 2 years
$400 card for 2 years

I'll take the first option

 

[Pete]

Keep in mind that going high-end requires a (relatively much) higher initial investment, and that's probably what deters most people. Otherwise, yes, the ongoing cost of maintaining a certain level of performance seems to be similar b/w the high and ultra-high end (e.g., 4200 vs. 4600, or 9800 vs. 9800XT).

 

[GeneralGrievous]

I think the best bet is to buy a X800 XT or 6800 GT now for $400/500, and sell it in a year or so for around $250-$300, then buy another $500 card. High end cards do hold nice resale value for osme time.

 

[ponyo]

I can think of lot of things I rather do with $500-600 insteading of spending on graphic card I don't need.

 

[Pauli]

Most of us here try to find the "sweet spot" for price/performance. Like a previous poster said, you should be able to find a component for half the price that delivers 80% or so of the performance of the latest and greatest. That's the sweet spot that I'm looking for with almost any component...

 

[easy123]

Originally posted by: Naustica
I can think of lot of things I rather do with $500-600 insteading of spending on graphic card I don't need.

You are very wise.

If more people had your wisdom,
that $500 price on the video card would evaporate,
into thin air, and in its place a "fair market price"
would appear, as defined by a transaction between a seller that
doesn't need to sell, matched to a buyer who doesn't
need to buy.

 

[ForceCalibur]

Originally posted by: Pauli
Most of us here try to find the "sweet spot" for price/performance. Like a previous poster said, you should be able to find a component for half the price that delivers 80% or so of the performance of the latest and greatest. That's the sweet spot that I'm looking for with almost any component...

THats definately the case between like the Radeon 9800 Pro and the XT, but in this new generation, 1/2 the price acutally EQUALS half the performance. Which is why I'm saying Buying the best now is worth it, it doesn't apply to all situations, just in this one particlar performance breakthrough with cards.

 

[Bar81]

Originally posted by: easy123

Originally posted by: Naustica
I can think of lot of things I rather do with $500-600 insteading of spending on graphic card I don't need.

You are very wise.

If more people had your wisdom,
that $500 price on the video card would evaporate,
into thin air, and in its place a "fair market price"
would appear, as defined by a transaction between a seller that
doesn't need to sell, matched to a buyer who doesn't
need to buy.

You must have badly failed economics :roll:

 

[SickBeast]

OH YEAH Bar81, let's just join threads so we can flame people without adding anything to the discussion. :roll:

The dude is right, and I didn't even take economics. If there is no demand for something, the price will go down.

 

[easy123]

Originally posted by: Bar81

Originally posted by: easy123

Originally posted by: Naustica
I can think of lot of things I rather do with $500-600 insteading of spending on graphic card I don't need.

You are very wise.

If more people had your wisdom,
that $500 price on the video card would evaporate,
into thin air, and in its place a "fair market price"
would appear, as defined by a transaction between a seller that
doesn't need to sell, matched to a buyer who doesn't
need to buy.

You must have badly failed economics :roll:

ouch.....But no, I assure you I did not.

 

[easy123]

Originally posted by: SickBeast
OH YEAH Bar81, let's just join threads so we can flame people without adding anything to the discussion. :roll:

The dude is right, and I didn't even take economics. If there is no demand for something, the price will go down.

Thanks SickBeast, and yes, you are right too!