8600gts or 8800gt?

[IM back!]

Hello here is my system:

AMD anthon 64 2x 5200
2 gig ram
and a 6150le

as you can see my grafic card sucks! And now im wondering wether to buy a 8600gts or 8800gt, but before you go say 8800gt, know that im on a buget and that I only have a 17'' CRT so my target res is 1152x864.

BTW: im not going to buy a new screen for atleast 3 years, so more res isnt the issue.

[wickedestman]

haha i know the feeling, i run a 6200le! what is your motherboard?
hands down the 8800gt wins any day but it al depends on what is your budget.
how much you willing to spend? the 8600 series is out of the question, are you running vista? the guys in here like george and AJ will better help you as they have helped me ;)

[jlreich]

The differences between the 8600GT and an 8800GT are so vast there is only one question. Can you afford the 8800GT ($250-$300)?

The 8600 is a low end budget card and will sorely disappoint you if you intend to play anything remotely resource intensive.

What games do you plan on playing? What OS? What is your budget? If you can't afford an 8800GT then perhaps one the ATI offerings within your budget would be more appropriate.

Resolution is not really the issue here. At this point we are talking about graphical capability. You only need to start thinking about resolution when you have a really big monitor.

[IM back!]

Can you afford the 8800GT ($250-$300)?
I can buy the 8800gt but i'd rather not, if i can. I cant go with ATI because I use linux.

What games do you plan on playing?
Bioshock, assasins creed, gta4, total war, ect.

What OS?
different flavors of linux, and vista

what is your motherboard?
i dont know the model # of my motherbord but it has one pci-e 16x slot.

also what are the PSU requierments on the gpus?

edit: is 256mb vram ok at 1152x864.

[odannyboy000]

If you plan on playing BioShock, get a 8800gt

[Ajmukon]

the 8600 does not even chart!
and can chart LOWER than the 7900...

get an 8800 GT if you even want decent gameplay.

[mjc]

I can buy the 8800gt but i'd rather not, if i can. I cant go with ATI because I use linux.

That is not quite true...there are ATI linux drivers...

http://ati.amd.com/products/catalyst/linux.html

[IM back!]

That is not quite true...there are ATI linux drivers...

http://ati.amd.com/products/catalyst/linux.html

yes there are linux drivers for ati cards but you get like half the fps

[jlreich]

Bioshock, assasins creed, gta4, total war, ect.
Then an 8800GT is your only real option. Performance with an 8600 on any newer games is going to be dismal at best. ;)

What PSU do you currently have?

[TopChip7]

I have just returned from a shop that had the 8000 series on display out of the box - and OMG!!!! If you opt for the 8800GTX you had better have one heck of a big case - These cards make my 7900GT's look like a postage stamp next to a sheet of A4 paper - They are most definitely the longest PCI-E cards I've ever seen.

If you're planning on adding one I strongly recommend you measure your case and also dont forget to budget for a new power supply unit too !!!!!

[George Hallam]

If you dont have the $$$$$ for a 8800GT get an

ATI/AMD HD 3850xt

their great bang for buck

[IM back!]

What PSU do you currently have?
not one that will work, what do you recommend for a 8800gt?

I have just returned from a shop that had the 8000 series on display out of the box - and OMG!!!! If you opt for the 8800GTX you had better have one heck of a big case

I'm not getting a 8800gtx but this makes me wonder, how long is the 8800gt because my case is pretty short

[jlreich]

It is 10.5" long.

I would recommend a high quality 550-600W PSU. Expect to spend at least $100 on a good PSU. My Seasonic 550W cost me $130 and I am sure it would power a 8800GT just fine. Currently running with a 7900GS.

Keep in mind the 8800GT is not as power hungry as the GTX. Also keep in mind the max any video card can pull from your system is 75W from the slot itself and an additional 75W from a PCIe x16 power connector. If it requires more it will have two power connectors. So although many people have this notion in their head you need a 1000W PSU to run these things you do not.

If you do need a new PSU I realize it may totally kill your budget. But don't waste your money and time on an 8600. If you can't afford it right now and don't want to consider ATI because of Linux I would recommend holding off and saving your cash until you can.

You don't want to jump in head first and end up being disappointed and wishing you had waited.

[rond36]

This EVGA 8800GT is 3 3/4" tall 9" long and EVGA recomends a 400W PSU for a single card 450W for SLI
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130318

[jlreich]

I assumed, actually thought I had looked it up at one point, that it was the same PCB as the GTX. Good to know it is actually shorter. :) :cool:

[IM back!]

I just had a thought, would you people wait for the nvidia 9000 series and how much ceeper are the 8000s going to be then.

[George Hallam]

Its up to you they will be cheaper (bang for buck) and faster but do you really want to wait....

this is a good read

http://www.nvidianman.com/2007/11/nvidia-to-launch-geforce-9000-series-in.html

you wont be disappointed with a 8800GT though

[IM back!]

after looking around I'm now less shure about my psu is 350 watts ok for a mean 8800gt

[jlreich]

No. As rond36 pointed out 400W is what is recommended, or the minimum really, by eVga. That's also based on a standard system (one hard drive, one optical drive etc.) and a decent PSU. If you have more components and/or have a low grade or old PSU...

Like I said before you don't need a 1KW PSU to run these things, but I usually recommend a 550-600W quality PSU. If you have a standard system not running any extra components you could get away with 500W no problem, maybe even 450W, if it is a high quality PSU.

Besides all that your I really doubt your 350W PSU has a connector for PCIe x16.