Best guess: How long will our nice 6800GTs be useable?

[Deleted member 4644]

Presumably we will be able to play all games based on the HL2 and Doom3 engine at decent frame rates. That means at least a year or two of new games. But what about things like the Unreal 3 engine and the long range? What do you guys thing..?

 

[Arclite]

I'd say 2 years till they feel slow. Pretty much like everything else.

 

[DaveSimmons]

Even in 2 years, games will look as good as they do now (Doom3 / Half-Life 2), and probably a good bit better. It's just that by then there will be a new codepath that looks better still and kills these cards.

You can play Half-Life 2 on a fx5200 in DX7 mode and it's perfectly playable, it just doesn't look as nice as DX8 and DX9 paths.

But you really mean to ask "when will I feel card envy" and that could happen as early as next fall if speeds double again, though 1.5 - 2 years is more likely.

 

[TimboAA]

I take it this is where all the console video game players laugh at the computer gamers on how much they spend on hardware every 2 years....haha. You figure $200 for the latest console when its released and you get "awesome" graphics for the next 4-5 years and with a larger library of games. Where us computer gamers will spend..... $700+ every 2 years updating our system? hehe Oh well...

 

[Gerbil333]

It will be acceptable for Unreal 3. I'd say 2 years will be comfortable, and 3-4 years if you don't mind turning off AA/AF and lowering the resolution and details.

You can play Half-Life 2 on a fx5200 in DX7 mode and it's perfectly playable, it just doesn't look as nice as DX8 and DX9 paths.

Yea, HL2 plays alright on my GF3 Ti 500.

 

[Spikesoldier]

Originally posted by: TimboAA
I take it this is where all the console video game players laugh at the computer gamers on how much they spend on hardware every 2 years....haha. You figure $200 for the latest console when its released and you get "awesome" graphics for the next 4-5 years and with a larger library of games. Where us computer gamers will spend..... $700+ every 2 years updating our system? hehe Oh well...

thats ok the console gamers usually start the jaw dropping when they see the latest pc game at max settings on the latest hardware though.

though ive never had a top of the line system or definately not a top of the line gfx card, ive always gotten compliments from my friends who are console gamers, and almost always an "ooo can i play?"

 

[magomago]

long time. I played Hl2 with a Geforce4mx420 and when i compared it to my friends 9600, i wouldn't hesitate to say i got 80% of the detail in tact. The rest that i missed if just the stuff that mkaes HL2 really stand out, but the game is absolutely gorgeous anyways on my card.

But my guess is 2 years...

in the end though i feel envious for 9700pro owners...that card still does pretty damn well despite the fact its lwhat...three years old now? Those who bought that DEFINITELY got their money's worth