blacksmithn
07-18-2008, 05:49 PM
When I bought my computer back in 2005, I wanted the best hot rod I could afford and cost was only a moderate consideration. Consequently, I went with dual EVGA 8800gt 512mb cards in SLI. A couple months ago, one of the cards went bad. I was fortunate enough to pick a used one up on EBay for a relative song. This week, the remaining original card went out. I'm reduced to running on a "wing and a prayer" with a used card of unknown history. It could last forever or it could die tomorrow.
In the meantime, I've come to realize that my souped up (although now somewhat dinged and dated) hot rod, while beautiful to behold, is sadly underused. I don't play a lot of Half Life 2 or Crysis type demanding video games. I'm more a turn-based strategy gamer, many of them older, games which don't tend to demand earth-shattering graphic performance. And, due to changing circumstances, cost is a much larger consideration this time around.
I've been doing a bit of comparison shopping and discovered that I could get a couple 8600gt 1GB cards for less than the cost of a single 8800gt-- and I'd have 2 brand new cards (and warranties) rather than one new and one used. Given that my graphics demands are not all that heavy, would this be a good way to go?
In the meantime, I've come to realize that my souped up (although now somewhat dinged and dated) hot rod, while beautiful to behold, is sadly underused. I don't play a lot of Half Life 2 or Crysis type demanding video games. I'm more a turn-based strategy gamer, many of them older, games which don't tend to demand earth-shattering graphic performance. And, due to changing circumstances, cost is a much larger consideration this time around.
I've been doing a bit of comparison shopping and discovered that I could get a couple 8600gt 1GB cards for less than the cost of a single 8800gt-- and I'd have 2 brand new cards (and warranties) rather than one new and one used. Given that my graphics demands are not all that heavy, would this be a good way to go?