Thinking of buying a GTX280

[Nightsilencer]

Hello again everyone.

I'm thinking of replacing my crappy 8600GT and give my E8400 + P5Q Pro combo a REAL GPU to play with... I was thinking of getting a GTX280.

My only question and concern is this: My upgrade budget is quite limited, and I think I'm well stocked in terms of CPU and Mobo, the thing is this 8600gt really is holding this system back and I was thinking of going all out and buy GTX280 to give smth for my CPU to "play" with

As my budget is pretty tight when it comes to PC upgrades, I was thnking of spending money on a GTX280 and call it a few years.

I have the money now, so I'm just looking for some input before I go out and buy it.

I want this setup to keep me gaming for at least 3 years, and changing the CPU/mobo in that timeline is out of the question, the only thing I plan to keep upgrading is the GPU, but if I go with the GTX280 I shouldn't have to worry about replacing the GPU for at least 2 years, right? It might even last me the 3 years I plan to keep this build for, what do you think?

P.S: you probably got it from context, but this build is specifically for gaming, since I don't do heavily threaded stuff. I only do the ocassional photoshop work. Other than that it's only internet, movies, work, and of course gaming, which the most demanding thing this computer will ever do

 

[chizow]

You really can't go wrong with a GTX 280 if you're concerned with performance and longevity. The only caveat is that you might be able to get performance that is very close for considerably less by going with a GTX 260 c216 or 4870 1GB. There's some very good deals on these if you use the 30% Live Cashback with Ebay listings.

Your GPU is definitely the weakest link in your current build. Longevity will really depend on what resolution you run, but expecting anything to last 2 years and still run the latest and greatest games is hard to say.

 

[WT]

I was set on the GTX260 192 card two months ago when all of a sudden I noticed a TigerDirect deal on the GTX280 OC for $350 AR (plus Far Cry 2 for free), and I really wasn't at ANY point thinking of going with the 280, but damned if I didn't.
Its been all that I expected (playing Fallout 3 and FC 2 with it now) and I should be good for 2 years if I choose to wait that long for the next full upgrade (doubtful, but you never know with this bad economy what will happen). Those cards should come a bit more over the next month.

 

[Nightsilencer]

I know what you mean, economy is bad and we never know what might happen. But economical and financial crisis aside, the thing is I love gaming and I could never adapt to consoles, gaming feels much more natural on a computer than on a console to me, so yeah, I usually buy a computer that will last me at least 3 years, because life demands money to be spent on other things, especially when you have loans and insurances to pay each month.

But besides that cost involved in upgrading regularly, I think most of our current hardware is underestimated... I mean our current consoles are weaker than the lowest hardware available right now, and they still manage to produce great graphics and performance on 3 year-old hardware... I know that Pc gaming and console gaming can't quite be compared through hardware, but I'm thinking that my E8400 + GTX280 will last well beyond the launch of next generation consoles, which should happen around 2011.

 

[error8]

Originally posted by: chizow
You really can't go wrong with a GTX 280 if you're concerned with performance and longevity. The only caveat is that you might be able to get performance that is very close for considerably less by going with a GTX 260 c216 or 4870 1GB. There's some very good deals on these if you use the 30% Live Cashback with Ebay listings.

Your GPU is definitely the weakest link in your current build. Longevity will really depend on what resolution you run, but expecting anything to last 2 years and still run the latest and greatest games is hard to say.

Exactly. I guess it's almost impossible to really feel the difference between a GTX 280 and a GTX 260 c216. Of course that there will be more frames per second when you run some benchmarks, but when you just game, both cards we'll offer the same performance and your eyes will not spot any difference.

INMHO GTX280 is a bit overpriced for the performance that it offers. His little brother is a much better buy.