I have a chance to buy a GF3 TI200 for $57 shipped...

[Warthog]

Should I do it?

Here is my dilema. I only have a P3 800, with GF2 MX. I plan on upgrading to a XP1800-2000, NForce2 platform before Christmas. I want to play the new Unreal Warfare engine based games when they come out. I also want to play Doom3 when it comes out. I was going to by a GF3 as filler right now for the UT2003, Unreal 2, DNF (ha,ha), etc. based games. Then uprade to a NV30 based board when Doom 3 comes out.

I have also been looking at 128MB 4200's as well. I just don't know how the 4200s will do with Doom 3 next year. However, $57 for a GF3 TI200 is tempting. Although it is an off brand called Robanton another concern.

What should I do?

 

[spanky]

is this the one from ubid? ppl got in on it for like $35... then AT happened... and all price shot up to like $60
anyway... ppl in that hot deals thread had good things to say about that video card. said it came with nice big ramsinks. it's a good deal if u can land it.

 

[Warthog]

It's not on ubid, it at another website.

 

[AnAndAustin]

That's a steal definitely get it. GF3TI200 will easily tide you over and still work well on your 800mhz CPU AND give a nice boost when you get that new CPU. Of course GF4TI4200-128MB are the way to go, but if you are waiting to snatch up NV30 in a few months there really is little point in spending nearly $100 more over the price you can get that GF3TI200 for. GET IT, GET IT NOW .

 

[Warthog]

Thanks for the advice AnAnd. I am still strongly considering the 128MB 4200. Do you think that would last 1-1.5 years? I won't be rushing out to buy a $400-$500 NV30. The max I would spend on a VC would be $200 and that's more than I like. My limit in the past has been $100. So that GF 3 would have to last until the price of the NV30s hit the $200 range. I think the 4200 128MB for $150 is a good buy. That's why I haven't jumped on the TI200 yet.

 

[AnAndAustin]

The GF3TI200 you mention is exceptional value for money and I'd grab it. The 4200-128MB is certainly much faster and a great all-rounder (better image quality, AA, TVout, dual display etc). The GF3TI200 tends to max out around 1.4ghz, as such an upgrade to AthlonXP2000+ will be partially wasted. The 4200 gives extra perf all the way up to (and prob beyond) the top CPUs, great if you plan to keep the card for a while.

12-18 months is a long time in the gfx world, for people like you and me who'd ordinarily have a $100/£100 limit the 4200 is certainly worth the extra in terms of perf and lastability, esp since the new nVidia card is reportedly NOT using the GF5 label. This bodes well for selling on any GF4 card.

 

[AnAndAustin]

nVidia's release and labelling of the GF4MX cards has done GF3 owners no favours. While ATI's will surely cease Rad8500 production in favour of the lower performing, more profitable Rad9000. Plus the likely introduction of Rad9500 (cut down Rad9700) and Rad10000 (Rad9700 on smaller mu) within the next 6 months ... all of this will age Rad8500 cards pretty rapidly. It seems GF4TI cards will be top of the range of the well-known GeForce cards standing them in good stead.

It is important to realise that Rad8500, GF3TI200 and 4200 are still going to be just as fast in 6-12 months time and a lot of people are still going to possess much slower cards, it's easy to get carried away with these things. Anyway 4200 should play the games due out over the next 12 months very well, esp coupled with an AthlonXP2000+ ... is it worth $100 more over that GF3TI200? I would say buy the GF3TI200 and that $100 can be put towards the new CPU, then in 6-12 months time buy the best card you can for $100-150. IMHO this would be your best course of action.

 

[Actaeon]

AnAnd, is that a Ti200 at stock speeds? I currently have a Ti200 @ 240/544 (Faster than Ti500), and a 1.2 Athlon, and I'm thinking of getting a new AMD Based CPU soon.... any recommendations?

BTW, I'd get that card, for $57 shipped, thats a steal. It'd be a great filler until NV30, or whatever card you plan on purchasing for Doom3. I paid $69 shipped for my MSi Ti200 from Ubid.com, and I love it to death, great overclocker.

 

[AnAndAustin]

Great speed from that GF3TI200, they are great cards and there is certainly no need at all to upgrade them until budget Rad9700 or NV30 cards are available.

Athlon1.2ghz is more than enough to get great perf out of your GF3TI200, there is still more perf you can get out of it and with the prices of AthlonXP it's pretty mad not to get one so long as your mobo can take the 133/266FSB and XP core. Basicly get the 'best bang for buck' AthlonXP which is likely to be XP1800+ or XP1900+, if you are in to o/c'ing these are the best AthlonXP CPUs to get considering you are very sure to get XP2000+ and XP2100+ speeds out of them.

 

[AnAndAustin]

See how GF3TI500 (the equivilent of your card) scales in the following reviews:

AnAnd Link 1 START (Many different games)

AnAnd Link 2 START
AnAnd Link 2 GF3 Section

Bear in mind the CPU speeds shown are from an underclocked AthlonXP on a 266FSB using DDR RAM, as such it will be a tad faster at 1.2ghz than your Athlon1.2.