Is the Radeon 8500 worth 299?

[Zarich]

I ordered on from Dell, but I really need a new card now... my local best buy sells them for 299.. thats 100 bucks more. So is it worth it.. oh and no I wont do the thing where I buy it from best buy and use it until dell gives me theirs then take it back.. thats just dirty.

 

[Killrose]

No, you should be able to find a retail card somewhere for less than that. Unless your current video card is broken and you are forced to replace it now and can't wait 2-days for one.

 

[Zarich]

Nobody has the retail 8500s instock on the web
bestbuy is the only place I have found them.

 

[Shudder]

Personally I think NO video card only is worth 300 bucks. Hell, that's about 1/3 of a system's price when you think about it.

 

[AGodspeed]

Zarich, here's a retail Radeon 8500 in stock for a grand total of $268 shipped to you, no tax.

Enjoy!

EDIT: Link Fixed.

 

[GregMal]

I personally don't think any video card is worth over $100.
Greg

 

[bunnyfubbles]

Think about it though. The fastest CPUs + a decent mobo + ram = well over $300. With a video card you get the GPU, ram, and the "motherboard" of the video card. A $300 video board is worth the money if you are into advanced visual display, whether it be intense gaming graphics or graphical development. A powerful video chip GPU can also take large burdens off of the CPU. It all depends on perspecitve though. If all a user does is minimal gaming, word processing, and web browsing, then a sub-$100 video board would more than suffice.

If you can get a retail from Dell for $100 less, I don't think $300 is worth spending on the 8500. Let's try to justify the price anyhow over let's say an OEM 8500 which is also $100 less than a retail board from BB. The retail comes stock speed @ 275/275, the OEM is 250/250. However, simple software tweeks can change this, for the OEM board is the same piece of hardware as the retail. The retail board comes with the DVI to VGA adapter to allow for dual VGA monitor support. I assume that with the OEM you need to pick up an adapter for dual VGA monitor support. Last I can think of is that the retail box comes with the three Halflife games with Truform, now could the three games be worth $100? Depending on how good the games look with Truform and also depending upon user perspective, the games could be worth about $100, which would justify retail price. I personally wouldn't care too much for the games.

I am also considering to cancel my Dell order, but I will most likely end up ordering an OEM 8500 or perhaps Gainward's $239 GeForce3 off of newegg, not another retail 8500 (unless another good deal comes up really soon)...

 

[Phuz]

They are $213 @ canadacomputers, great deal for Canadians :0
I'm gonna go there as soon as I can get my $380ish of beaver money raised...

 

[Shudder]

I hope you mean 213 US, because if that's canadian it's what, about 140? I'm getting one

 

[Tates]

You can pick up a GeForce3 Ti 200 for less than $200US. Proven technology that works, and a driver support team that is the envy of the industry.

IMHO, ATi botched another opportunity to outshine the competition with a product (Radeon 8500) full of potential and broken features. Their history of driver support is too spooky for me.