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Video card vs system+card

E

En

Junior Member
Recently I picked up an 6800GT on impulse because it was cheap, now I don't know what to do with it.
My system is currently a AMD XP 1800+ 1 gig PC3000 (don't ask), running on a Soltek KT333. Only 4x AGP, geforce 3.

Now, I figure I can ebay the 6800GT for $400, make a tiny profit, and use that money to get an 9800pro, and a A64 + mobo combo. Then I'll just throw in my old RAM and get a decent well rounded system. Maybe buy a third party card cooler and overclock the 9800 like crazy.

Or, I can just keep the 6800GT and stick it into my system. My worry is that it'll just end up being horrendously underused and I'll get the same performance as an 9800 pro.

All I want to do is play Doom3/half life 2 so that it looks good and runs at a fair clip (45 fps). I have no immediate plans to spend any more money to upgrade as I am poor student and have not secured a post summer job.

So, basically I need some advice. Scenario 1) I don't get a job and don't upgrade my computer for 6 months but want to play doom3/HL2. Which route do I take?
Scenario 2) I get a job and can upgrade in 2 months. Which route is better?

Plus, although I just bought the damned thing, my Thermaltake 420W PSU has only 18W on the +12V rail. Should I be worried?
 
I dont know if a tiny profit is worth it. But then again, what you have now isn't too great and really wont use that 6800GT to it's fullest. Maybe rather than sell it on ebay (which is always risky cuz you may get bid lower than you want) you could see if someone will trade you a 9800pro + cash on the forums for that card. And then shop for forums for some good deals. Personally I would try to hold onto that 6800GT and try to scrape together enough cash to upgrade. You may be able to sell your mobo/ram/cpu and get enough so that you only have to save a bit more to upgrade your whole deal. Try putting your combo on the FS/T forum and see if anyone bites. Cuz the 6800GT is really pwning in Doom3 and I would expect HL2 as well.
-doug
 
even the 1800+ will bottleneck the 9800 pro, so you wont be able to get teh full potential like the 6800 GT. you would have to upgrade your system to be able to fully use any one of them. since you are short on money, i say sell the gt and get the radeon 9800 pro and get a new cpu and motherboard combo from fry's or so. that should be fine for you.
 
sell your current rig..keep the 6800 gt....buy newer stuff or grab a cheap dfi lanparty and mobile 2500+
 
with the 6800 GT being so hard to get right now you can sell it for 500 easy and fast to peeps that want it now..
i checked here in Houston and noone has it anymore.. I was extremely lucky to get mine for 399 at compusa...
they got a whopping 2 in on yesterdays shipment and I happened to walk in at the right time..
even the cpu supply houses like Directron and Axion here when they have them charge way more than 400 bucks for regular GTs becasue demand is up

XFX PVT40AUA GEFORCE FX 6800 GT AGP8X 256MB DDR3 TV/DVI RETAIL BOX | Specifications: Chipset: nVIDIA GeForce 6800 GT Memory: 256MB GDDR3 BUS: AGP 8X Ports: Dual DVI + TV-Out(S-Video) Support 3D API: DirectX 9.0c, OpenGL 1.5 Max Resolution@32bit Color: 2048X1536@8...
$ 525.95 Buy | Detail Avail: 24 hours Condition: New No Rating, Add

CHAINTECH AA6800GA1 GEFORCE 6800 GT 256MB DDR3 AGP 8X 256BIT DVI OUT TV OUT RETAIL BOX | Specifications: Chipset/Core Speed: nVIDIA GeForce 6800/350MHz Memory/Effective Speed: 256MB GDDR3/1GHz BUS: AGP 8X/4X Ports: VGA Out(15 Pin D-Sub) + TV-Out(S-Video/Composite Out) + DVI Support 3...
$ 621.95 Buy | Detail Avail: 24 hours Condition: New 2 Ratings:

EVGA 256-A8-N344-AX GEFORCE 6800GT 256MB DDR3 AGP 8X 256BIT DVI OUT TV OUT RETAIL BOX | The groundbreaking new NVIDIA® GeForce? 6800 graphics processing units (GPUs) and their revolutionary technologies power worlds where reality and fantasy meet; worlds in which new standards are set fo...
$ 454.95 Buy | Detail Avail: Special Order Condition: New
 
your psu should be okay.

keep the gt and use it with current system.

when you get job, replace cpu in a few months using existing mobo.
 
Yeah, the system you currently have will actually play doom3 okay. It played well on a P41.5 with a GF4-MX card according to reviewers. That card is really a GF2, so your GF3 should do okay.
 
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