Best Bang for the buck

[juneau]

I wouldn't use a XFX card if you paid me.

[JohnyRico]

The last issue of PC Gamer listed the 8800GT as the best bang for the buck. It's what I'm running and I have no probs whatsoever. The short lived, ill fated IBUYCRAP rig I bought had dual 8600GT in SLI and the single 8800GT walks all over them.

Friends don't let friends buy from IBUYPOWER.

[WalkinTarget]

Rico, I had mentioned that the GT was in fact the best buy for under $175 at this point. There's a dividing line for most buyers, and anything over $200-250 is a ridiculous amount (to them) to pay for a video card.
I remember back in '00-'01 when I was paying $150 for a GF4 4200ti and thinking it was a princely sum. Well, those days are gone for me, and my last card was $440.
So it depends on your definition of the bang for the buck mantra .... my budget allows it, so $250 can be considered a 'budget' card at some point. Seeing as how Cain was the original poster, I'm assuming that it fits into his budget as well.

[CarbonFire]

My first DIY PC build graphics card was a GeForce 256 Cost me $200 back then as well.

WT is right, "bang for the buck" means a lot of different things to different people. For some, it's "what is good enough for the least amount of money", for others it's "what gives the highest performance without crossing a certain threshold". For me personally, I like seeing my money go to things that will last as long as possible. I don't generally buy the bleeding edge, but I'm all over the second tier mid-range category when the performance dictates an upgrade.

Right now, the best BFTB would be (as others have so dutifully mentioned) either the 8800 GT 256 or 512MB (for the cheaper "good enough" choice) or the 8800GTS 512MB (for the cheap but still kicks butt choice).

Not sure what's coming on the horizon (as Nvidia has been too busy swimming in their piles of 8800 moneys to bother making a new chip), but I'd say the mid-range 8800 cards will remain the best bang for the buck for a while.

[Cain]

EVGA 512-P3-N841-A3 GeForce 8800GTS (G92) 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814130312

[juneau]

EVGA 512-P3-N841-A3 GeForce 8800GTS (G92) 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814130312

That's the card and manufacturer i'd be going for.

[WalkinTarget]

Thats the one that I put in for yesterday via the EVGA Step Up. Looks like I have to pack up and send in my old card at this point. When we discuss a hot deal, it rarely is going to be an eVGA card, as their prices are higher, but if ANYTHING happens to a video card I own, I pray its an eVGA as I know they will take care of me.

Factor in their top notch tech support and their Step Up program (trade your card in for full price paid on a newer model anytime within 90 days after purchase) and that's why you pay a little more.

[Cain]

OK so this looks like the card for me, and I see I can buy it for 269.00 right now... sound like a good deal guys ??

[BlackArrow]

Nvidia 8800 GTS 512mb. No question.

WT and Juneau are right on here. Nvidia has actually delivered one of the BEST cards out there for now and for a while yet at a great price point.

such a great deal get two while you are at it. Seriously. Perfect price point for SLI.

[WalkinTarget]

We need to reel BA in here a bit .... first we hafta find out if Cain is ordering an SLI mainboard !! Two cards doesn't do you much good if you don't have an SLI board.
I'm running two rigs in SLI mode (three if you count my GX2 card) and I only did that to try it and and see what all the fuss was about. Well, that led me to find out that SLI can be a good thing, but it really is quirky, and some games offer no benefit AT ALL to an SLI rig.
Keep in mind the 9800GX2 (it should have been called an 8800GX2 .. it is not a newer technology at all, just two 8800 GT's slapped onto one physical card) comes out March 18, so in three days this will be the fastest card you can buy. At $599, its higher than what I anticipated, but Nvidia has no reason to lower the price based on ATI's lack of a high end card (even its new ATI GX2 card is not a challenger for the 9800GX2).

Hows this for a high end custom build ?

Intel X48 board (soon to be out, but ..*gasp* .. Asrock had one on display @ ceBit - http://img187.imageshack.us/my.php?i...820copyvz1.jpg
Nvidia 9800GX2 - http://www.tomshardware.com/2008/03/...00gx2_sighted/
Q9550 Core 2 Quad @ 2.8ghz - http://www.buy.com/prod/intel-core-2...206695693.html

[WalkinTarget]

Welp, after reading up on the X48, it appears to be nothing more than a cleaned up X38 offering 'official' 1600fsb chip support. I'd save the $$ and look at the X38 instead at half the price, but IMO the Abit IP35 for $60 from the Egg is a freakin' STEAL !!