Which way would you go..?

[Eddiedale]

My comp: A8N32-SLI Deluxe mobo, 4400+ dual core cpu, 2 gigs XMS-3500LL PRO ram, BFG 7800GTX vid card, 150GB Raptor HD, NEC ND-3550A drive, Zalman CNPS9500 and VF700 coolers, and the Sound Blaster X-Fi Fatal1ty in a Cooler Master case. My screen is currently the Dell 2405.

My sons new comp: FATAL1TY AN8 nForce4 Ultra mobo, 3000+ Venice cpu, 1 gig OCZ Platinum Revision 2 ram, EVGA 7800GT vid card, 74GB Raptor HD, NEC ND-3550A drive, Zalman Fatal1ty FS-C77 and FS-V7 coolers, Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS Gamer in a Cooler Master case.

So here's the deal. I built a comp for my son in Canada so we can game together and video call one another with web cams. He's 10 and I hate the long wait between visits. I live in the US. The vid card I used for his was the EVGA 7800GT. He's coming down in a week to stay for awhile and I'm flying back with him when he goes to help get eveything back there. This all matters because he lives 1000 miles from me and once I get it all there and set up, well, I can't really just take a drive to fix something for him or upgrade a part here and there. So, bare with me here. I need to get him a monitor before he arrives, it's the only thing his system lacks, I've got him everything but that. Logitech X-230 speakers, Logitech MX3100 cordless desktop, Logitech Fusion webcam, Linksys WRT54GX wireless router and WMP54GX PCI wireless adapter. When he did have an old piece of crap hand-me-down computer that was in his room before it died, the excuses I got of why we couldn't game and video call together at that time was, he had no internet access. They were unwilling to go thru a couple walls with a cable so we could.

My plan has been to upgrade my monitor to the Dell 3007, giving my 2405 to my wife, and in turn giving her 2005 to my son when he comes down making his system complete. I know the 7800GTX in my system will struggle driving the 3007 monitor in some games based on game settings, and that's what got me thinking. Why not utilize the EVGA step-up program and upgrade his 7800GT card to a 7900GTX, put the new card in my comp to help with the new monitor, and give him my 7800GTX. I paid 359.00 back in January for his 7800GT card, current price for EVGA's 7900GTX is 539.00 at Newegg, so it would cost me an additional 180.00 plus shipping and stuff. That all sounded great and is what I started to do until I thought somemore. Would it maybe be better to upgrade the 7800GT card to a 7900GT, current price on the 7900GT is 319.00, they would owe me 40.00 then, add another 280.00 to it and buy a second 7900GT, go SLI in my comp then with 2 7900GT cards and again give my 7800GTX to my son..? Hmm...140.00 and I'd end up with a 7900GTX card in my comp and he would have the 7800GTX, 240.00 and I'd end up with a 7900GT SLI set-up and he stills gets the 7800GTX, what you guys think..? There's some good benches using the 3007 monitor here .

 

[Extelleron]

For $100 more, 7900GT SLI is way better- especially for 2560x1600 on your monitor.

 

[imported_redlotus]

It really depends on how much you want to spend. There are a couple of problems with your number, though.

First, the 7900GTX (I assume that you are looking at the EGS version), actually has an MSRP of 499.99. With demand as high as it is and supply being tight, Newegg and others have actually raised prices above the MSRP. That would give you an upgrade price of $140+shipping, which is about $10 for UPS ground.

Second, if you Step Up to a lower priced card, the extra money is lost. So, in your SLI scenario you would have to pay shipping for the Stepped Up card and then purchase a second at full price. Therefore, you're total would be about $310+shipping on the new card for a SLI set up.

IMHO, you might want to think about Stepping Up to a 7900GT CO Superclock and then purchase which ever version of the GT to SLI it with. Though this could be considered a waste if your second card is only the EGS or CO version, you would be maximizing your Step Up and you might be able to get more for the Superclock if/when you decide to sell it down the road.

HTH

-red

Edit: spacing and grammar

 

[Eddiedale]

Hmm...good point about loosing buying power in the step-up program, and your right, I used the wrong numbers. I wonder if the 7900GTX prices will stay as high as the 7800GTX prices have, I could go ahead and get 1 7900GTX on step-up, then later get a second if the prices dropped. I've always believed the SLI thing was a viable upgrade path, especially if you've got more than one comp so that later on when you replace the SLI setup you've got other comps the cards can go in. I've got my wifes too that I built which has a 7800GTX in it as well on an SLI mobo to add to the mix of posibilities. Trying to future proof my sons a little bit since access to his for upgrade will not be easy, and leave viable upgrade paths is making my head spin a bit. Oh, and did I say I also built my dad one lol, he saw me building the others and just had to have one, a 75 year old guy who prior to his has never used one before in his life. I put a EVGA 7800GT in his as well on a SLI board that can be upgraded too prior to 6/15/06. Too many things to think about.