wow, man i have been living in the past, lol!
im trying to put together a cheap upgrade to tide me over for a year or so until i splurge on a really high end build. i just ordered the following upgrades:
CPU: 3200+ -----> e5200
ram: cheap 1gig ddr -------> 2 gigs OCZ ddr2 1150
mobo: asus a8v deluxe ------> gigabyte GA-EP45-UD3P P45 775 R
powersupply: no-brand cheapy(dont even know wattage) -----> antec earthwatts 500w
that brings me to about $275. now i have the 6800gt and i am trying to decide what to do about upgrading it. i have 2 options:
1) bfg has a sweet deal where i can send in the 6800, pay $50 and get the 9800gt. the only problem here is that i would be without a computer for the ~2 weeks or so it takes for the entire swap process to be finished. im not sure if i can go 2 weeks without a computer...
2) buy the 3870(which seems to be the best card i can get for ~$60), then swap the 6800gt for a 9600gt(free), and then resell the 9600gt. in the end i should come out even +/- $10.
i play at 1680x1050 on my new 22in widescreen monitor. i guess i was just questioning whether the inconvenience of not having a pc for 2 weeks is worth the boost in performance id get from the 9800gt compared to the 3870. but since both seem to be such a huge leap over my current card, im leaning towards option 2. before i do go ahead and order the 3870, is there any other card that offers better performance for the same price($60 after rebate)? thanks.