Is this a deal? (GTX 660 OC @$189)

[Vicaar]

I'm curious how much of a deal this is... found an Asus GTX 660 OC (not Ti!) for $199 + $10 rebate. I've been waiting on a deal for either a 7850 or 7870, but they seem to be few and far between (or OOS). I was _really_ wanting to get a 7870 at $199, and if I go with the 7850 I was hoping for $170 or less.

This card, based on most sites, seems to sit right between the 7850 and 7870, but lacks the ability to overclock (much). So... a 7850 at ~$170 would likely overclock past it on most things making it the better deal if such a thing existed, and a 7870 seems to be above the magic $200 (and I'm not sure that target is realistic... heck, most of the 7850's seem to be hovering there).

So... unless this is some incredible hot deal that I should be jumping on, I may pass and take my chances on the magic 7850/7870 deal (purchase time is before xmas, so I have a few weeks yet). Just seeking forum wisdom.

 

[Eureka]

Use a deal tracking website for your video cards. I'm pretty sure 7870s are consistently below 180 after rebates.

 

[An00bis]

http://tpucdn.com/reviews/Club_3D/HD_7850_RoyalQueen/images/perf_oc.gif
most 7850/7870 can OC to 7950 level and some even higher than that, some people easily reach 1300mhz even on stock cooling, and last time I checked a 7950>gtx660ti>gtx660.

I'd say that a 7850 or a 7870 is worth more, but you may be unlucky and get a bad 78XX that doesn't overclock too well, so It's your choice in the end.

 

[Vicaar]

Use a deal tracking website for your video cards. I'm pretty sure 7870s are consistently below 180 after rebates.

I just need to be more patient then Was assuming BF/CM would be the two days to find such a deal but was dismayed.

 

[Leyawiin]

Its a decent deal for a GTX 660. If that's your price range and you want Nvidia I wouldn't hesitate. Cheapest HD 7870s are generally about $220 after rebate. HD 7850s are priced really well though.

 

[Enku]

Use a deal tracking website for your video cards. I'm pretty sure 7870s are consistently below 180 after rebates.

Do you or anyone else have a couple of recommendations as far as deal tracking sites go? TIA

 

[BD231]

No, you could definitely get more for your money.

 

[Silverforce11]

Unless they changed their PCB design, 660s can't OC for peanuts and what you get, is pretty much it. As you can see on the huge 7850 thread on here and other forums (OC.net), 7850s reach an average of 1.2ghz. Thats a massive 45-50% OC, with almost perfect scaling.

It hasn't changed much since release, if the user is willing to OC, AMD cards offer huge bang for buck.

 

[Vicaar]

Thanks all. Decided to hold out for one of those magic 7850/7870 deals. If a 660ti comes along at $200 I'll snap it up, but I consider that pretty unlikely (not without a 7870 doing the same!)

 

[manko]

If a 660ti comes along at $200 I'll snap it up, but I consider that pretty unlikely (not without a 7870 doing the same!)

The most recent low for the 660ti was $225 AR, but the deal is dead now. I'm hoping for more sales before the end of the year.

 

[FalseChristian]

Unless they changed their PCB design, 660s can't OC for peanuts and what you get, is pretty much it. As you can see on the huge 7850 thread on here and other forums (OC.net), 7850s reach an average of 1.2ghz. Thats a massive 45-50% OC, with almost perfect scaling.

It hasn't changed much since release, if the user is willing to OC, AMD cards offer huge bang for buck.

Thanks for your post. I WAS saving up for 2 GTX 660s as an upgrade over my GTX 460 1GBs which overclock like beasts.

Now I'll have to wait a little while longer in order to save up for 2 GTX 670s. Thanks.

 

[Vicaar]

Actually, I think the 660ti's _do_ overclock fine. It is just the 660's that are hampered. In case it is easier to save for those instead of 670's.

 

[jacktesterson]

My 7850 at 1225 core ($164.99)

http://www.3dmark.com/3dm11/4964685


Comparable system with typical 660

http://www.3dmark.com/3dm11/4661795

 

[MrK6]

Actually, I think the 660ti's _do_ overclock fine. It is just the 660's that are hampered. In case it is easier to save for those instead of 670's.

This. The GTX 660 Ti's are competitive cards as long as you keep the resolution lower. If you're going for an overkill setup for 1080p/120Hz gaming they give great bang-for-your-buck now that they're in the $250 range.


That said, OP, grab a 7870 if one pops under $200 before you have to buy. If not, grab a 7850 and save some money. Both are incredible bargains because of their overclocking potential.

 

[Silverforce11]

Thanks for your post. I WAS saving up for 2 GTX 660s as an upgrade over my GTX 460 1GBs which overclock like beasts.

Now I'll have to wait a little while longer in order to save up for 2 GTX 670s. Thanks.

2x 660Ti is also fine if you can get them cheap, <$240. They OC nicely and at 1080p, there's really not much bandwidth limitation that impacts their performance significantly (outside of a few games and 8xMSAA etc).

 

[Engineer]

The most recent low for the 660ti was $225 AR, but the deal is dead now. I'm hoping for more sales before the end of the year.

That deal comes and goes. I just snagged one after missing it the last 2 times. Caught it with Check4Change (Firefox) right before leaving work. Was sold out by the time I arrived home.:biggrin:

By the way, the Galaxy GTX 660 is $164.99 AR ($10) with FREE shipping from Newegg:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814162123&Tpk=N82E16814162123

 

[Vicaar]

Nice catch on your 660ti!

I'm encouraged by the 660 dropping in price that heavily. Means the 7850/7870 deals should be coming

EDIT: A quick scan of newegg/amazon shows that the nice HIS IceQ 7850, even though it no longer has the crazy $40 rebate it did a while back, is sitting at a pretty decent $189+$10 rebate. This makes it only $15 more than this latest 660 deal, for something can potentially OC quite well. Tempted to stop waiting for a magic deal and just take it. Especially as it has the IronEgg deal.