AGP video card upgrade

[Sinuhet]

Well, now when nVidia 7800GS based video cards are on shelfs for everyone, I am further thinking about the question: wait or not wait with my AGP upgrade.

My situation is classical: I have - after one year of good services of my comp - in todays point of view only the mainstream rig (AMD 3400+, 1GB RAM, 2x 120 GB HDD, sound SB Audigy2 ZS, Pinnacle CI satellite card) with a video card already after its zenith (Sapphire Radeon 9800Pro). I prefer not to change the platform and I want some higher mainstream AGP videocard only with its "life expectancy" 1 year at least, ideally 2+ years, when I will start about a deeper upgrade of the whole system.

The situation seems relatively clear now on paper: a positive nVidia7800GS review .

However I have still some doubts.

The 7800GS is good-excellent but not perfect, the potential of this solution is larger on paper. (for example: this review)

The 7800GT/GTX solution for PCI-E is still far better. There will be a possibility of some "7800GS+" in nVidias plans - some AGP videocard with G70 core/chip and a bit more than 6 vertex shaders, 16 pixel shaders, and 8 raster operation pipelines. Something between 7800GS and PCI-E "originals" as for the performance and of course price?

One-two months before I have thought about ATI based solutions: HIS Ati X800XL IceQII Turbo Vivo 256MB AGP is a masterpiece for example, but already also a bit oldish. I would prefer ATI solution, all my cards was ATI till this time. And this card have the for me nice Vivo feature (my satellite card have CI modul and good chips, but unfortunatelly not video-in as the lower version without CI). The solutions from HIS are good as for quite cooling. But on paper and in reality too the nVidia solution has now clearly with 7800GS more pleasant cost/performance ratio in this price range.

Or go for more expensive ATI solution for AGP - X850 or X850XT are still more poweful, but price and a fact that it will be oldish in the same time as 7800GS is forcing me to be careful to go in this direction.

Or go for less expensive ATI solution for AGP and wait for a time X1600XT for AGP will be available also in my country. And then after one year go again in direction similar to this - take a 1 year-solution. But here I will be sad to rid of still functional card with relatively good non-gaming performance and I am afraid that I will be waiting and waiting. In the end I will heve less performance now and also in future for 2/3 price or so. So taking altogether it appears me to be less reasonable way of upgrade in the end.

Any ideas, notices, information? Other ways?

[Proximus]

It really depends on how much money you're willing to spend.
If you really want the high end there's no other choice than the x850XT (PE) but this card is both pretty expansive and is aging, with for example no SM3 support.
Another high-end choice would be the 7800GS but while it support SM3 it is still doesn't has the raw power of the x850XT.

A middle-end solution would be the 6800GS, 6800GT or the soon to be released x1600XT, of these I would go for which ever is cheapest.

[Sinuhet]

It really depends on how much money you're willing to spend.
If you really want the high end there's no other choice than the x850XT (PE) but this card is both pretty expansive and is aging, with for example no SM3 support.
Another high-end choice would be the 7800GS but while it support SM3 it is still doesn't has the raw power of the x850XT.

A middle-end solution would be the 6800GS, 6800GT or the soon to be released x1600XT, of these I would go for which ever is cheapest.

Ave Proximus!

Thanks for your answer. Yes, I have confirmed my still non-rigid decision reading your suggestions and taking into account my demands and money I want to spend for them, I would decide right now for the nVidia 7800GS.

But my thinking about the whole this upgrade is still a bit more wider. Should I wait for something else, some change which could offer in a relatively near future (max. 2-3 months) some decrease in price of ATI X850XT solution or in the present price range of the 7800GS some increase in performance or new utilities of type of ViVo cards.

In this thread I am seeking some other information as for these eventual new possibilities to help me to decide either now buy nVidia 7800GS based card (for example the MSI NX 7800GS-TD256) or still wait on something else.

Bye Sinuhet

[Proximus]

Ave Proximus!

Thanks for your answer. Yes, I have confirmed my still non-rigid decision reading your suggestions and taking into account my demands and money I want to spend for them, I would decide right now for the nVidia 7800GS.

But my thinking about the whole this upgrade is still a bit more wider. Should I wait for something else, some change which could offer in a relatively near future (max. 2-3 months) some decrease in price of ATI X850XT solution or in the present price range of the 7800GS some increase in performance or new utilities of type of ViVo cards.

In this thread I am seeking some other information as for these eventual new possibilities to help me to decide either now buy nVidia 7800GS based card (for example the MSI NX 7800GS-TD256) or still wait on something else.

Bye Sinuhet

Well I for one don’t think that neither ATI nor NVIDIA will release a new high end card for AGP, so it's no use in waiting for something better to come out IMHO. And regarding the prices it’s always hard to tell how the prices will develop, but I think that the prices will remain fairly stable. So I say a 7800GS is a pretty good buy today.

[Incinerate_IV]

I wouldn't get th 7800GS, they are basically trying to rip you off, $300 is wayy too expensive for that card right now, wait untill the price comes down. I would just go for a 6800GT agp, even though its one generation old its still a beast, and the 7 series didn't exactly introduce anything new.

BTW look at the refurb section on newegg and you can find a 6800GT for $178

[Proximus]

I wouldn't get th 7800GS, they are basically trying to rip you off, $300 is wayy too expensive for that card right now, wait untill the price comes down. I would just go for a 6800GT agp, even though its one generation old its still a beast, and the 7 series didn't exactly introduce anything new.

BTW look at the refurb section on newegg and you can find a 6800GT for $178

I don't think that Newegg ship to Europe, oram I wrong?

Regarding prices, it is allway up to the customer to decide how much hr's willing to spend for the extra power. On the whole thought I agree that the pricing for the 7800GS is a bit high, but so is the price for every high-end AGP card today.