Geforce 3 upgrade deal

[Virtus]

Don't know much about this, but it sounds like if you preorder the Geforce3 from evga.com you can cheaply upgrade to the next generation video card for the difference.

After you register it says:

Introducing the eVGA.com's Step Up Service. Imagine this, you own the e-Geforce3 video graphics adapter, which you bought during the eVGA.com Pre-Order event. You are a quality conscious consumer with an urge to stay on top of the curve when it comes to video graphics adapters. EVGA.com announces the release of the next generation video graphics card. You want it. Well, come and get it. EVGA.com's Step Up Service is designed to facilitate a trade in of e-GeForce3 cards for what's around the corner, and all you have to do is to pay the difference. Nothing could be easier and to top it off, eVGA.com will keep the program running for two (2) years to ensure that everybody that participates gets the opportunity to upgrade.

 

[YisSerL]

Interesting...

 

[GiveMeDeals]

Very interesting.. and $360 for G3 is not a bad price too.

 

[Freejack2]

Question is what will the geforce3 be selling for at the time. You'll pay $360 today but when the next one comes out, the 3 may only be selling for $130... Still you would be getting the current new prices on your GF3 when you traded it in.

 

[Tooter]

Question is, will Evga.com be around in two years?

 

[joeyjojoe]

right, if they aren't around you will feel like a sucker.

 

[Souka]

On anandtech.com they had a review/roundup link comparing several GF3's and a GF2'ultra

Their conclusion......GF2-ultra is plenty unless ya wanna play 1600x1200 with FSAA on...evne then, the GF3 isn't quite up to it..

My $.02

 

[huggiebear]

Sound like a used car sales pitch

 

[Sensor]

Well, it's not like they're charging an absurd price ($360 is reasonable), so even if they're not around in 3 months when nVidia's new card comes out I won't feel like I spent $550 on OfficeXP and didn't get any rebates.

Sounds like a good deal to me, but the lack of fine print makes me wonder if there's some fine print I don't know about. What if it's, "Applies only to trade-ins at half market value for new card pre-orders at double retail price"?

Ed

 

[Mockmaw]

Nvidia has consistently kept a 6 month product cycle, that means the new cards going to be out before Christmas, and I highly doubt that EVGA's going to go down before Christmas of this year... if anything they'd declare bankruptcy after the holiday season... and even that seems unlikely. Besides? When was the last time you saw a major video card manufacturer go under (Diamond Multimedia right? They went with S3 which is like smashing a can of nitroglycerine against your head) EVGA might not be a big name like ASUS, but it's much more well known than some of that crap you find on pricewatch sometimes.

Besides, EVGA sells a legitimate product unlike another company that recently went down, which had to do with something called 'rebates'

Anyway, seems to me to be a great deal, hell, I'd buy it if I didn't hate Nvidia so much (didn't say they sucked, just said I hate em)

 

[Caveman2001]

Here's a problem I have with the deal.

Lets say you spend $360.00 for a Geforce3. Ok, now you own it for six months. Hey lookie its the Geforce4 around the corner. The web site offers the upgrade to you for $300 cause the new card retails at their site for $660. That's not a deal! I'm sure this is how the deal will turn out. And if you don't buy at the initial price, sorry no upgrade.

Just a thought.

 

[maskdmirag]

full details:

eVGA.com's Step Up Service only applies to e-GeForce3 products, purchased during eVGA.com's e-GeForce3 Pre-Order event.
Participants in the Step Up Service are entitled to exercise one (1) upgrade event during the span of the program.
The duration if the eVGA.com Step Up Service is two (2) years and the program will automatically terminate on June 4th, 2003.
The participant's e-GeForce3 trade in video graphics adapter must be fully functional, in its original packaging and in resellable condition.
The price paid by the participant for the new trade in product, shall be the difference between the price paid for the e-GeForce3 video graphics adapter, less all applicable tax, during the eVGA.com e-GeForce3 Pre-Order event and the list price for the new trade in product + s/h and all applicable tax.
If the price of the new trade in product is equal or less to the price paid for the e-GeForce3 video graphics adapter, during the eVGA.com e-GeForce3 Pre-Order event, the participant shall pay shipping/handling + all applicable tax.
eVGA.com® retains the right to revoke or revise the eVGA.com Step Up Service at will. If so, participants shall be informed within 30 days prior to any such change.
The eVGA.com Step Up Service at is exclusive to eVGA.com's e-GeForce3 Pre-Order event participants and as such is not transferable.


sounds good, it's off the price you pay now, 360$.

the only problem is for californians, 7.5% tax . Otherwise I'd jump on it.

anyone know if this card is any better than the vision tek?

 

[DevilsAdvocate]

sounds like a damn good deal...

 

[SpeedTrap]

colder than a witches teet in a brass bra.

 

[kingz]

This really isnt that bad. Not for me though, its not like I need a new card every 6 months, but for some $$$ people

 

[OCNewbie]

My step-up deal. Buy a GeFORCE3 now for the best price you can. When the next gen of nvidia cards come out, sell it online, or wherever for as much as you can get for it and use THAT money towards the hottest new card out. That's the best "step-up" plan in my opinion. Though if you can get the card for about the same price as anywhere else from this site, and it's the specific card you want, then try it out, it may end up being worthwhile if all the correct conditions fall into place when it comes time to "step-up".

 

[richleader]

Who wants to trade in their geforce 3 though? With the xbox on the way it will have staying power and it will probably be worth more to your family (than +/- $100) as you can give it to your dad, your brother gets his, your cousin gets his, etc. 4 people getting an upgrade is well worth whatever you get in a minor league trade in. Then again, you greedy bastards go right ahead!

 

[Virtus]

If anyone tries this deal let us know how it goes. I saw this deal posted on another page, but I don't need a $360 vid card. I know people who would benefit from this deal.

I doubt that the next generation cards will be a whole lot more expensive than they are now (i.e. GF4 prolly won't be $660). And evga.com probably won't artficially increase their prices because that would kill their normal sales.

So the big question is "will they be around in one or two years?"

 

[Sanjoelo]

My step-up deal: stay with a Geforce 2 til a Geforce 3 can be had for $99 (about 90 days from now). This dude is done dropping $300 - $400 on a vidcard that's "obsolete" in 3 months (definition of "obsolete: still runs current games at hella framerates with gorgeous features enabled, but you lose bragging rights to your other geek friends who are willing to drop $300-$400 for 3 more months of bragging rights) .

Great premise they have here, but I need to know how much $$$ it means to me when the "next generation" is announced. In writing, preferably.

-JB

 

[MontyBurns]

There is absolutely no way this company can make money by discounting next-generation graphics cards by $300. Profit margins aren't huge on those cards to begin with.

I'd say, as others have pointed out, this is incredibly unlikely to result in a good deal down the road.

 

[kingz]

<<There is absolutely no way this company can make money by discounting next-generation graphics cards by $300>>

They are probably gonna give you the current price. So by then, the GeForce3 might be around $150 or so.

 

[maniacjc]

I think the deal is over. If you go to Evga's website it show's the price is now $399.00 No free software or extended warranty and no mention of the step up program.


I was going to purchase tonight.

I thought it was a great deal and would have loved to upgrade to a geforce 3 Ultra or waiting for a few chip cycles for just the price diff of what you paid. I missed out.

 

[Fritzo]

I own an EVga card. They're a good company with awesome tech support (I actually got a follow up CALL after I emailed support!). I beleive they're directly affiliated with NVidia somehow, so I doubt they're going to go under anytime soon. Their cards also have the reputation for being the most overclockable.