How often do you upgrade your video card? (poll included)

[cbn]

The poll is based on a doubling of GPU power occurring every generation (with the possible exception of the Nvidia 8800 series which I think was a die shrink and an increase in diet size at the same time).

 

[EnzoLT]

Can I get a "Whenever I have enough money" on there? lol

 

[lavaheadache]

I usually have the best of each company during each generation. I skipped the 2900 series though for obvious reasons

 

[DaveSimmons]

Roughly once every generation, sometimes the initial release, sometimes the refresh depending on when there's a new game I want to play: an nvidia 2,3,5,6,7 then an ATI 4870 in July 2008.

The 5870 is tempting but there isn't anything that my 4870 can't play yet.

 

[SlowSpyder]

I used to shoot for every 18 months or so, but I really enjoy upgrading and spending a few hundred bucks for a new card once in a while isn't a big deal to me. So I've upgraded 3 times in the last 4 generations, and it would have been 4 times if I considered the 3870 an upgrade over the 2900.

Before the 2900 my video card history looked like this: Radeon 7200 (what a great card, half the cost of the GeForce 2 GTS my buddy bought, slower in benches, but we could never tell a difference in the games we played.... other than lack of DX8)-> GeForce Ti4200 (I miss that card) -> GeForce 6800nu (I don't miss that piece of garbage) -> GeForce 6800GS (12 pipe version, EVGA factory OC to a whopping 490MHz... great card!) -> Radeon 2900... While the Radeon 2900 was a huge let down, it was a great purchase for me, I got a 2900 Pro for less than a GeForce 8800GTS 320MB and it overclocked from 600MHz to 800MHz+. Great bang for the buck at the time.

 

[TC91]

when i feel like it

 

[lavaheadache]

Originally posted by: DaveSimmons
Roughly once every generation, sometimes the initial release, sometimes the refresh depending on when there's a new game I want to play: an nvidia 2,3,5,6,7 then an ATI 4870 in July 2008.

The 5870 is tempting but there isn't anything that my 4870 can't play yet.

same boat with a GTX280. I wanna buy but am having buyers remorse

 

[cbn]

Originally posted by: DaveSimmons


The 5870 is tempting but there isn't anything that my 4870 can't play yet.

I think this is why ATI is came out with Eyefinity.

Current game engines just don't need the extra computational power if using a single display. (A minority of people who like 8x AA excluded) Even CryEngine 3 has been streamlined to be less challenging, not more demanding on the GPU.

 

[Zensal]

Um...sporadically?

Radeon 7200 -> Radeon 9800 Pro -> Radeon x800gto(modded to Pro) -> Radeon x1800xt -> Radeon HD4850 -> ???

 

[mazeroth]

Voodoo5 5500, Ti4400 for about 3 years. Then a 6600GT, 7800GT, X1900XT, 3870, GTX 260 192

 

[AyashiKaibutsu]

Diamond monster 3d -> voodoo 3 2000 -> geforce 2 (or was it 4?) mx 200 (or 400?) -> 9800 pro -> 6800 gt -> 7900 gt -> 9800gt (just now getting it to hold me off till all of the dx11 parts are out) -> (probably fermi small chance I'll go with amd if it's terrible)

 

[MagickMan]

My OCed GTX 260 runs everything I want and does it well. I'm sure I'll buy something of the new generation, but I'm waiting for the Fermi refresh (2nd gen Fermi).

 

[MrK6]

I upgrade usually twice a generation (initial and then refresh) simply for the sake of having a new toy to tinker around with.

 

[veri745]

Rage128 -> huge break -> Ti4400+ (awesome card) -> NV 6800GT (RMA'd 3 times) -> HD 3850 -> HD 4870

 

[CP5670]

I upgrade whenever I have several games that are running poorly, which used to be once every generation in the past. Although I can't see myself upgrading for some time now, as there are very few current games that my 280 doesn't run well on.

 

[konakona]

main box
S3 928 -> ET6000 -> voodoo -> i740 -> voodoo2 -> voodoo2 SLI -> voodoo3 2000 -> radeon DDR 32 -> voodoo5 5500 -> S3 unichrome -> matrox p650 -> radeon 1950gt -> radeon hd3870 -> radeon hd4850 -> radeon hd4830 -> hd3300 (790GX)

secondary box
GF 7300LE -> x1650pro -> GF 9600GSO

 

[StinkyPinky]

About every 2 years.

 

[konakona]

voted for every two generations, thats what I am usually gunning for anyway.

 

[brencat]

Just seems to work out for me that it's every other generation (which is how I voted) but in truth, I upgrade when my minimum fps dip below 40 at the resolutions I want to play. And right now that is 1920x1200 with at least 4xAA.

 

[abs0lut3]

Originally posted by: konakona
voted for every two generations, thats what I am usually gunning for anyway.

+.5

For me, it depends on the brand product cycling. I am currently using both Nvidia and AMD.

 

[OVerLoRDI]

When I was younger I upgraded every generation. Went from a, Geforce 4200ti 128mb, 9700 Pro, to a 6800gt, to 2 7800gts (early SLi.... totally not worth it), and then a 8800gts 640mb, which I am still using. I just ordered a 5850 and I am excited for the performance difference, which should be huge. I hope it will be like going from my 939 x2 3800 to a phenom II x4 940.

 

[TurtleCrusher]

Every year really..

Geforce2, Geforce 3, Ati 9250, Ati 9550se, 7600gs, x1650pro 512mb, 8800GTS 320mb, Radeon 3850, Radeon 4830.

My 8800GTS 320mb was the most significant upgrade I ever did. How did I snag it for $79.99 while it was $180 everywhere else, I have no idea The performance was awesome and it was right after I upgraded my 3500+ to an X2 4200+.

(Thanks Hot Deals!)

 

[habbakuk87]

Originally posted by: EnzoLT
Can I get a "Whenever I have enough money" on there? lol

+1

 

[cusideabelincoln]

On average every 2-3 generations.

As soon as get a surplus of spending money, I'm going to upgrade and right now I'm a few gens behind.

 

[Corporate Thug]

usually every other gen but I've held on to the 8800gt for a while cuz it runs most everything @ 1600x1050