Does it make sense getting an 8800GTX over the 8800GTS?

[Smartazz]

The highest res. I use is usually 1280 by 1024. I'm planning for my next GPU to last me for years, by the end of that 3 or 4 year period, I'll either buy the card that's out then or just drop out of the pc gaming market entirely. I know that my cpu would bottleneck an 8800GTX at such a low resolution, but once we start seeing games like crysis and unreal tournament and even beyond that, will we begin to see the extra horsepower of the GTX overpoweer the GTS even at a low resolution? Ask me to clarify if you don't understand what I'm saying. Thanks in advance.

 

[Machine350]

Honestly either one of those cards are probably overkill. I game at the same resolution and I'm going to wait a couple of months for the midrange 8 series cards to come out. But if you absolutely must pick one, then GTS would get my vote for your setup.

 

[Smartazz]

Originally posted by: Machine350
Honestly either one of those cards are probably overkill. I game at the same resolution and I'm going to wait a couple of months for the midrange 8 series cards to come out. But if you absolutely must pick one, then GTS would get my vote for your setup.

If that 8800GTS drops below $400 soon, it's going to be very tempting. I already know someone who wants to buy my 7900GT, how much do you think I could get for a used 7900GT though? Probobly not a whole lot.

 

[bonhimself]

im in the same boat as u are. i need it @ 1280x1024 for 4 years, and i want to get to as close as maximum settings for as long as i can in the games ill play. atm im waiting for ati to get something out, but id probably get an 8800 gtx if i couldnt wait.

 

[JBT]

I think a GTS will last quite awhile you should alteast get $175 for a used 7900GT I would tihnk.

 

[Smartazz]

I have to keep in mind that the 8800GTS overclocks really well.

 

[Conky]

You might consider spending that money to upgrade to a C2D set-up and wait for the prices on the 8800's to drop down to earth. Just a thought.

 

[tuteja1986]

Well you can play Medieval Total War 2 in 2048x1536.

 

[A5]

Originally posted by: Smartazz
I have to keep in mind that the 8800GTS overclocks really well.

Well, in 2 years, you'll want the extra 32 shaders. If you're serious about getting 3-4 years out of this, get the GTX.

 

[Smartazz]

Originally posted by: Beachboy
You might consider spending that money to upgrade to a C2D set-up and wait for the prices on the 8800's to drop down to earth. Just a thought.

Why would I do that? I doubt that I'm cpu bottlenecked for games, I'll probobly upgrade my cpu when amd comes out with the K8L chips.

 

[akshayt]

Actually 3-4yrs down the line there will be some games which won't run on Dx 10 hardware and most would any way not manage anything over 800x600/1024x768 low or low to med settings at the most, that too with plently of RAM and a fast CPU.

 

[thilanliyan]

I wouldn't bother with the GTX for low resolution. I'm playing my games with max settings at 1280x1024 on my GTS and everything runs smoothly. IF you are going to keep the 8800 for at least 2 years then maybe you'd wanna go for a GTX...otherwise, don't bother.

 

[Noema]

 

[Howard]

For a resolution like 1280x1024, just get this and sell it off later when new games are getting too slow for your tastes.

 

[Piuc2020]

If you want the card to last, get the 8800GTX, you'll be able to squeeze 4 years out of that mofo easily, you can overclock down the line when the performance at 1280x1024 starts to drop down (which won't be for a long time still)... heck, the 9700 Pro is still decent today at 1024x768 or even 1280x1024 if you tweak your games and play with the settings (as well as optimize the OS) a bit, I know a 9700 Pro can own Half Life 2 at 1280x1024 and it can play Doom 3 at 1024x768 high if you tweak the config files...

I say buying a 600$ card for 1280x1024 is not overkill because there will always be games in the future that will put the card to its knees at 1280x1024, at least I'm going this way, I'm getting a Core 2 Duo (I'm thinking E6600) on a 680i motherboard and a 8800GTX to play in my Dell 1800FPW (1280x1024) but I'll keep the computer (only upgrading to a quad core when needed) for at least 4 years, I know that with the power of the 8800GTX, I'll be gaming happily at 1280x1024 for a long time...

That being said I am incredibly tempted to shell the 800 bucks on a Samsung 244t-bk monitor but I'm happy with my 18 incher, 4X AA at 1280x1024 is already incredibly smooth for me, hell, no AA still looks fine to me, the only thing I can't stand is non native resolutions.

 

[Conky]

Originally posted by: Howard
For a resolution like 1280x1024, just get this and sell it off later when new games are getting too slow for your tastes.

Yeah, with my lowly 7900GS I can run every game at full settings at 1280x1024 and it doesn't break a sweat.

I can't see throwing down $600+ for a videocard unless I had a monitor that could run higher resolutions. Buying an 8800GTX to run 1280x1024 is sorta like buying a Ferrari to deliver newspapers with... you can only throw the papers out the window so fast.

 

[Matt2]

OP:

I agree with you, I would not consider either 8800 overkill... at all.

I paid $600 for my 7800GT SLi setup and ran it on a 1280x1024 LCD. People on this board thought I was crazy, but it was definately the right move for me. I would have hated life with only one 7800GT. Even if you have 300fps in every game, so what? Crank up the detail levels. Crank up the AA. It will easily last you 4 years.

I vote 8800GTX.

 

[Captante]

Yes, the GTX is worth it over the GTS even at 1280x1024 ... I just got my new EVGA model installed yesterday & I replaced an X1900XTX which is very close to the GTS in many games at that resolution & my performance in Oblivion & FEAR (all I've tested so far) has literally more then doubled running on an X2 5000+ @ 2.8ghz.

I'm sure the GTS would have been a bit faster then my XTX was, but I wouldn't have bothered with the upgrade if it were the fastest option.

 

[Smartazz]

Originally posted by: Matt2
OP:

I agree with you, I would not consider either 8800 overkill... at all.

I paid $600 for my 7800GT SLi setup and ran it on a 1280x1024 LCD. People on this board thought I was crazy, but it was definately the right move for me. I would have hated life with only one 7800GT. Even if you have 300fps in every game, so what? Crank up the detail levels. Crank up the AA. It will easily last you 4 years.

I vote 8800GTX.

I would consider 2 of either card to be overkill in almost every circumstance. These things are extremely fast, and I think there is the possibility that these cards aren't performing to their full potential yet without DX10.

 

[oddity21]

If you've got the money and you aren't planning to change cards for a very long time, then nothing counts as overkill. I vote 8800GTX too.

 

[poohbear]

for 1280x1024, get a x1900xt, any of the gf8 and u're just wasting your cash a product that's too powerful for that resolution.

 

[jim1976]

Originally posted by: Smartazz
The highest res. I use is usually 1280 by 1024. I'm planning for my next GPU to last me for years, by the end of that 3 or 4 year period, I'll either buy the card that's out then or just drop out of the pc gaming market entirely. I know that my cpu would bottleneck an 8800GTX at such a low resolution, but once we start seeing games like crysis and unreal tournament and even beyond that, will we begin to see the extra horsepower of the GTX overpoweer the GTS even at a low resolution? Ask me to clarify if you don't understand what I'm saying. Thanks in advance.

Yes I think I do understand your point.. With that given I'd go with the 8800GTX over 8800GTS.. Right now it wouldn't make sense to go beyond 8800GTS for 1280x1024. But since you have such a big timeframe 8800GTX will certainly stretch its wings better in the future especially in D3D10 IMHO.. Now if that higher percentage will be enough to make the GTX last you much longer , I guess noone can answer that, until we see the behaviour of both cards in d3d10 environment..
Don't believe in miracles though.. If in 2 yrs for example GTS struggles in 12x10 I'd say the best scenario for GTX is to barely last 6 months more..