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

[Arglebargle]

I generally try to hit each generation, but I usually do it near the end of its cycle, when the prices have dropped from the 'early adopter tax' stage. I just got a 4870 1gb a couple months ago on supersale. I will probably pick up a 5xxx when the prices drop a lot in a year or so.

 

[bunnyfubbles]

I average closer to once every 18 months, although lately it has been closer to once a year.

 

[Raduque]

I don't know what to choose. I went from a GF3 ti200 to a 9700 Pro to a 6800AGP to a 6800NU PCIE to a 7900GS to an HD3870. I don't know what I'll go to from here.

 

[james1701]

I went from a 9800pro to a 7900GS to an 8800GT. It still plays Crysis on high, so I will wait till spring when ATI has a die shrink, and Nvidia launches. That should trigger some nice price drops, and there should be some good DX11 games out. Right now there is nothing I can not play on the 8800 card.

 

[Jumpem]

Every few years. Going from Ti4600->8800GTX -> 5870.

 

[Bateluer]

When there's a need for it. I currently have a 4870 and it works well. While I would like to pick up a 2GB 5870 eventually, I don't need that kind of performance right now.

 

[ArizonaSteve]

Used to be every generation, but I've slowed down as games push the current hardware less and less (thank you consoles!). So: Voodoo1 => Voodo II => Voodoo II SLI => Voodoo III => GF3 Ti 200 => 9700 PRO => 6800 Ultra => 3870 X2.

Now I'm waiting for a 2GB 5870 to come out. If they don't hurry up, nVidia might get my business!

 

[Lonyo]

Roughly every other, but without a deliberate decision.
Have an HD4850 and it's sufficient for me even at 1920x1200 since I'm not gaming so much these days.

 

[VirtualLarry]

RagePro AGP -> Radeon 9200 AGP -> X850Pro AGP -> X1950Pro/X1950GT PCI-E -> 4850 PCI-E
Also picked up some 9600GSOs and 9800GTs. (for Folding@Home)

 

[Rike]

Geforce256 -> Ti4200->6600GT->7900GT->8800GT-> ?

Not sure what I get next, but it doesn't look like it will be an nVidia card. I'm due for an upgrade soon and ATI owns the market.

 

[dug777]

gf440mx -> 9800 pro -> 6600GT (had some RMA issues with my 9800 pros and eventually they replaced it with a 6600GT) -> 6800GS(clocked way past Ultra) -> 4350 -> 4850

First four were in the same Athlon XP rig, but my biggest 'impact' upgrade was the gf4 MX440 to the 9800pro, then my step up to the 4850 (which clocks up to 800 core), accompanied by my Q6600...

 

[fffblackmage]

let's see... i started with the GF4 MX440 -> 6600GT -> X1950XT -> HD4830

I used the MX440 for the longest time... then moved up to the 6600GT for less than a year before selling it. I'm still using my X1950XT (got it near it's EoL). I had the 4830 for only a few months before moving it to my little brother's comp.

So, I guess that's about every other generation. I also tend to buy them near the end of it's life on the shelf. The 6600GT was the AGP version I got as tigerdirect.com was clearing them out. X1950XT was from newegg as it was being EoL'ed. HD4830 was also from newegg as it was near EoL. I only wished I bought another 4830. It was uber cheap at $70-ish, but had high end performance (when OC'ed).

My next gfx card could either be the 5770 or a 4850/4870/4890.

 

[jlee]

I voted once every generation, but I'm not even sure I can remember what I've had.

Going from distant memory and my Heatware history..

Matrox Millennium & Voodoo, ATI 3D Rage Pro & Voodoo2, TNT2 Vanta & SLI Voodoo2, Voodoo3, Radeon, Geforce2 MX, Kyro II, Geforce2 GTS, Ti4200, 9800 Pro, X800, X800XL, 7900GT, 9600GT, 4870/90 (4870 died).

I think.

 

[JimmiG]

I've decided that my next upgrade won't be until there's a game I really want to play, that doesn't run very well on my system. Right now I'm waiting for Two Worlds II and whatever the sequel to Oblivion (if one is in the works) will be called. If those work fine on the 4850 I'll hold on to it, if not, I'll spend whatever is necessary to get a good gameplay experience in those games.

I no longer upgrade just for the sake of having the latest, but I used to do that... Big waste of money. Of course, in those dark ages of video cards, you almost needed to spend $499 every year to get a card that would run the latest games at acceptable framerates and quality. Mid-range cards of that time lost much more performance and features compared to their high-end counterparts. Also, a $399 card was considered "mid-range" back then...

 

[SlowSpyder]

Originally posted by: JimmiG
I've decided that my next upgrade won't be until there's a game I really want to play, that doesn't run very well on my system. Right now I'm waiting for Two Worlds II and whatever the sequel to Oblivion (if one is in the works) will be called. If those work fine on the 4850 I'll hold on to it, if not, I'll spend whatever is necessary to get a good gameplay experience in those games.

I no longer upgrade just for the sake of having the latest, but I used to do that... Big waste of money. Of course, in those dark ages of video cards, you almost needed to spend $499 every year to get a card that would run the latest games at acceptable framerates and quality. Mid-range cards of that time lost much more performance and features compared to their high-end counterparts. Also, a $399 card was considered "mid-range" back then...

When I got my 4870 512MB I had a 22" monitor with no plans of upgrading. That card ran anything and everything I had without a problem. I came into some extra money out of the blue and went to Best Buy one day, they had this Westinghouse 26" monitor on clearance. I forgot what I paid for it, but I want to say it was somewhere around $250 (from $500). Now when I play Conan, if I go DX10 with AA it's pretty choppy. I think 1920x1200 res is a little too much for 512MB at this point. I'm really looking forward to a 5870 or 5850 in the upcoming weeks.

I think you and I are some of the very few who played Two Worlds. That game started out well enough, but the main quest was a joke. It was a pretty game and you could kill plenty of hours on it though.

 

[sandorski]

Every 2-3 years.

 

[djnsmith7]

Whenever I feel like doing it & can afford to do it.

 

[evolucion8]

Every significant generation change, 9700PRO, X800XT PE, X1950XT, HD 3850, HD 4870, not sure if HD 5870 because there's no game that can tax enough my HD 4870 at my LCD resolution, probably if it becomes cheaper or the HD 6870 loll

 

[Idontcare]

Originally posted by: Just learning
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).

Poll needs the option of letting people vote for "when a new game I buy, or am about to buy, runs like shit just enough that I'm convinced I need to upgrade so I can enjoy playing the game".

 

[bryanW1995]

what? are you implying that some people only upgrade when necessary??? blasphemer!!

btw, here is my list: geforce 2 gts, 4200 ti, 9800 pro, 6600gt, 7600gt, x1950xt, 3870, 4850, 7300gt, gtx 260 core 216. still have the gtx 260, 7300gt, and 6600gt.

 

[Denithor]

Diamond Viper V550 -> Radeon 7000 -> AIW 8500 -> 9800 Pro -> X800GTO -> 1900GT -> 8800GTS 320 -> 8800GTS 512 -> GTX 260 216

Have also had a variety of cards in secondary systems, including 7600GT, 7900GS, 8800GS/9600GSO, 3870, 9600GT and an 8800GT.

 

[schneiderguy]

Geforce4 mx 420 -> 6800nu -> 7600gt -> 3870 -> gtx 260

 

[amdhunter]

I go through a ton of videocards...I'd say roughly every other generation, which works out to maybe twice a year these days.

 

[armacham]

Every 2-3 years.

4MB ??? --> 16MB Voodoo3 2000 --> 64MB Geforce 2 or 3 --> 256MB FX5500 --> 256MB X850XT --> 256MB HD3850 --> maybe HD 5k series but probably wait for next generation.

Basically for this reason

Originally posted by: Idontcare
"when a new game I buy, or am about to buy, runs like shit just enough that I'm convinced I need to upgrade so I can enjoy playing the game".

 

[ZipSpeed]

Now with a mortgage, every other generation. When I was still living at home, I would upgrade once a generation.