Replacing a 9800GT

[daishi5]

My 9800GT just died a painful death, and I am looking to replace it.

I do quite a bit of gaming, but I really don't play many of the newest games, and I don't strive for the highest settings, the 9800GT never left me feeling underpowered.

Normally I would upgrade to the newer card at the same price point ($100-200) like I normally do every few years, but when I started looking at new cards, I can get another 9800GT with more memory for around the same price as the one I bought two years. The new Fermi cards all seem to have a cost above $300. With the new naming scheme, I don't know how to easily compare my current card to the new cards. Can I get a better card for around the same price after two years, or is everything better more expensive now?

I have a preference for Nvidia and EVGA, due to a good history with them, but I could be drug away with a good deal.

What would be a good card to replace a 9800GT, staying under $200?

 

[CurseTheSky]

Your best bet would be an ATi HD 5770 - roughly in the same ballpark for performance (a bit stronger, I think), runs cool and quiet, and doesn't eat up much power. If you want to go the nVidia route, you might be able to grab a heavily discounted GTS 250 or GTX 260. Otherwise, the GTX 470 will run you $280+ (and usually over $300).

 

[happy medium]

If you want to spend about 100$ for something 15% faster then a 9800gt get a 5750 for 100$ after rebate.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-460-_-Product

A 5770 is 15% faster then the 5750 for about 45$ more after rebate.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-327-_-Product

If you can wait till July 12, you can grab a gt460 from nvidia for about 200$ thats faster then both.

http://www.tomshardware.com/news/gtx-460-fermi-gf104,10723.html

 

[Termie]

If you want to spend about 100$ for something 15% faster then a 9800gt get a 5750 for 100$ after rebate.

This is your best bet. Up to 50% faster than a 9800gt in newer games, plus lower power and heat.

If you're really stuck on EVGA, you could go for this GTS250 for $100 AR, but it's honestly not quite as fast and the reviews are so-so: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814130538

Here are some gaming benchmarks to help you sort out the various models: http://www.anandtech.com/show/2947/8

Keep in mind that your 9800gt is the same as an 8800gt.

 

[daishi5]

Keep in mind that your 9800gt is the same as an 8800gt.

Really? I have another 8800gt still around. Are they still selling the 8800gt at about the same price point as they were 3 years ago?

 

[Termie]

Really? I have another 8800gt still around. Are they still selling the 8800gt at about the same price point as they were 3 years ago?

Nope. The 8800gt didn't enter the market until October 2007, and when it did, it's MSRP was $250 but it was selling for $300. It is now about $90: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814121352. Cheaper than it was three years ago, but arguably not a good value.

 

[bryanW1995]

just use the 8800gt that you have.

 

[betasub]

LOL, that 8800GT would be a close-to-identical replacement for OP's 9800GT.

 

[netxzero64]

go for 5850 FTW

 

[daishi5]

LOL, that 8800GT would be a close-to-identical replacement for OP's 9800GT.

It really has been, I just pulled it from the old machine and got it going last night, and everything still runs at the same level so far.

Maybe I am missing something, but it seems like the 100-200 price point has not made any progress since I bought my 9800GT almost two years ago. Or at least not like it used to progress.

 

[Termie]

It really has been, I just pulled it from the old machine and got it going last night, and everything still runs at the same level so far.

Maybe I am missing something, but it seems like the 100-200 price point has not made any progress since I bought my 9800GT almost two years ago. Or at least not like it used to progress.

Glad we were able to save you some money. Nvidia's naming scheme is very confusing to all of us.

As for the performance/$ equation, you are partially right. The bang-for-buck level has changed for the worse, but you absolutely get more performance for $200 now than you did two years ago. There just aren't as many options between $100 and $200, which forces many people to spend more than they otherwise would have in the past. Today's $200 HD5830 is definitely faster than the 9800gt of two years ago for the same money, just not compelling so. And it would have looked better if it hadn't started around $250, which was just a horrible rip-off. Ati and Nvidia are both guilty of ruining perfectly good products this year by pricing them much higher than the like-performing product of last summer. I think prices dropped too low to be sustainable and now they are correcting for that, but to the consumer, it just looks looks like a raw deal.

 

[MJinZ]

A GTX 260 or GTX 275 ($200 or under) would be like twice as fast as your 9800GT.

A GTX 480 would be like 5x as fast as your 9800GT.

 

[RaistlinZ]

I say go 5770. Better performance, lower power and heat, around $150.00.

 

[tincart]

Let's not forget the 4890's which are now under $200 if they are still available.