Any reason NOT to buy the GTX 280; New system

[LgFriess]

This will be my first home built system and am trying not to screw up too bad. :laugh:

Looking at the BFG GTX 280 on newegg. It's $410 with a $50 MIR right now.

Motherboard will be GIGABYTE GA-EP45-UD3P LGA 775 Intel P45. I don't plan on ever going SLI.

Also the Q9550. PSU is Corsair 750tx. Vista 64. Cooler Master 690 case (it'll fit right?)

I was considering the 1GB 4870, but I thought for a extra $100, the 280 is a pretty good upgrade.

Any advice would be GREAT as I'm about to place the order.

 

[mpilchfamily]

Be sure to get a good quality PSU.

 

[Hugh H]

Go for it. I have that card and I love it.

 

[vj8usa]

It's the most powerful solution you can get without having to deal with multiple GPUs. If you can afford it, go for it - my friend built his rig with one, and it's a beast.

On a side note, he was rather unlucky - his first 280 had to be RMAd, and it was quite a hassle (not the RMA itself, but figuring out that the video card was the problem - we spent several hours troubleshooting). Incidentally, it was also a BFG card. Don't let that deter you, though - no matter what manufacturer or video card model you choose, you run the (very slight) risk of a defective part.

Originally posted by: mpilchfamily
Be sure to get a good quality PSU.

That 750TX is more than enough.

 

[LgFriess]

Ya, thanks for the replies. I think I'm going to go for it. Actually looking forward to putting it all together. It'll make me brave to do it again in the future! But jeesh, the PSU wiring...it seems to go everywhere lol.

 

[secretanchitman]

go for it! you're getting one of the most powerful, if not the most, powerful card out there! enjoy it!

 

[RallyMaster]

I guess if you've got money for it, take that route. However, I prefer to stay middle of the road in hardware choices because in two months, that top of the line card will be whipped by something twice as good.

 

[exar333]

Originally posted by: RallyMaster
I guess if you've got money for it, take that route. However, I prefer to stay middle of the road in hardware choices because in two months, that top of the line card will be whipped by something twice as good.

Buy an EVGA and "step it up!"

 

[SolMiester]

Originally posted by: ExarKun333

Originally posted by: RallyMaster
I guess if you've got money for it, take that route. However, I prefer to stay middle of the road in hardware choices because in two months, that top of the line card will be whipped by something twice as good.

Buy an EVGA and "step it up!"

+1 for the step up.......die shrink coming......also, what LCD monitor do you have?

 

[Kalessian]

The BFG he wants probably has a 100 day step up, actually.

 

[JPB]

OP,

If you never plan on going with SLI or Crossfire, why not save another $20 and purchase the Gigabyte UD3R ? It is the exact same board with *I think* one less LAN slot and one less PCI-e slot.

 

[LgFriess]

Originally posted by: JPB
OP,

If you never plan on going with SLI or Crossfire, why not save another $20 and purchase the Gigabyte UD3R ? It is the exact same board with *I think* one less LAN slot and one less PCI-e slot.

Ya, thought about that but with the rebates Newegg had going on there was only a $5 difference in the final price so I thought what the heck... just in case.

And to the above poster, I have a 24 inch Dell.

 

[LgFriess]

Originally posted by: Kalessian
The BFG he wants probably has a 100 day step up, actually.

And how would I go about taking advantage of that when the new cards hit? I assume they'll be clocked faster d/t less heat correct?

 

[jeffw2767602]

you can get a gtx 280 from ebay cashback for $301 after rebate, shipping, and cashback! make sure to check that out before you order

 

[badnewcastle]

Originally posted by: jeffw2767602
you can get a gtx 280 from ebay cashback for $301 after rebate, shipping, and cashback! make sure to check that out before you order

yup ended up with my gtx260 c216 with this for around $200 AS/AR. w/evga step-up for when the new cards come out.

 

[SlowSpyder]

I still think the GTX280 is over priced. Looking at the Anandtech review the GTX280 won 4 of the tests, the 4870 1GB won 3 (they tested 7 games). That's pretty closely matched. The GTX280 used about 40 watts less at idle, the 4870 used about 40 watts less at load. That's pretty much a wash.

That just doesn't seem worth the amount of money the GTX280 cost over the 4870 1GB to me... the cheapest 4870 1GB is $265 AR. I guess if the extras are worth it (I'm sure BFG has a better warranty then that Sapphire 4870) then I say go for it. But if it was me personally I'd wouldn't spend that much extra for a card that seems to be on par to slightly faster then a card that is $95 less.

 

[evilbix]

At that price point I'd take two gtx260 192 cores on newegg. They're going for something like $210 or $220 right now. This is assuming you have a power supply that can run them in SLI. If not, then yes.. good choice.

 

[OCGuy]

Getting a GTX280 instantly changed my life:


1. People are generally kinder to me.

2. Instant promotion at work

3. When I tell the ladies about my overclocked core and 2 phase powersaving mode, the panties drop like Michael J Fox in a Jenga tourney. You can also tell them you have the biggest single GPU on the market

 

[Tempered81]

4850 crossfire is a good reason.

beating up a gtx280:
http://www.anandtech.com/video/showdoc.aspx?i=3341&p=21

costing $119 / card:
http://www.citrusmicro.com/Sap...-u-p/hd4850%20512m.htm

 

[413xram]

Look around for good prices for the 280. I bought a Palit 280 from zipzoomfly yesterday for 299.99! I got lucky $150.00 off. No mail in rebate )))))))))))))))

 

[Kalessian]

Originally posted by: LgFriess

Originally posted by: Kalessian
The BFG he wants probably has a 100 day step up, actually.

And how would I go about taking advantage of that when the new cards hit? I assume they'll be clocked faster d/t less heat correct?

http://www.bfgtech.com/tradeupprogram.aspx

 

[SlowSpyder]

Originally posted by: 413xram
Look around for good prices for the 280. I bought a Palit 280 from zipzoomfly yesterday for 299.99! I got lucky $150.00 off. No mail in rebate )))))))))))))))

$300 for a GTX280 is a damn good deal... at that price it's quite competitive on bang for the buck with the 4870 and generally faster overall. But I wouldn't buy it at $400 still.

 

[pcslookout]

Originally posted by: 413xram
Look around for good prices for the 280. I bought a Palit 280 from zipzoomfly yesterday for 299.99! I got lucky $150.00 off. No mail in rebate )))))))))))))))

Awesome deal! Is it still around ?

 

[pcslookout]

Nevermind I found the $299.99 deal again thanks!

 

[ShawnD1]

Even though I hate ATI, I would at least consider getting the Radeon 4870. The performance is very close to the GTX280, but the price is a lot less. In Canada, the ATI is about 40% cheaper than the Nvidia; I'm not sure about the US.