should i buy a 7800gt or wait?

[leegroves86]

so right now i have a pci-e 6600GT. I play WoW all the time and BF 2 a bit. However, I plan on buying Oblivion as soon as it comes out. If its anything like morrowind i will spends months playing it. My question is this: should i buy a 7800GT right now (free quake 4 too) or wait until oblivion comes out because there might be a better video card out? I want to make sure the 7800gt can handle it fine. Wish there was some kind of benchmark or something...

 

[apoppin]

no more free Q4

and ATi's new line is out next week . . . nVidia's next month

as always, your choice . . . i'd wait

 

[Malladine]

7800gt will be the best B4YB for months yet (imo), if that helps

 

[apoppin]

Originally posted by: Malladine
7800gt will be the best B4YB for months yet (imo), if that helps

probably . . . but don't you think 7800gt prices might drop a little when the two new lines come out - shortly?

IF i were waiting for Oblivion, i'd also wait for the right card to run it.
[at least he won't be waiting for an Eternity]

 

[Malladine]

lol

Well, there's a chance prices on the 7800gt could drop but I wouldn't expect much. They pretty much dominate the $300 price point so there would be no reason to reduce prices unless there's a $300 replacement coming. From what i've heard all the new line will be enthusiast cards. That said, I guess eventually the gtx could become the $300 card with the 7800gt pushing $200-250.

My guess is a drop of $20-30 on the 7800gt in the next 6 months. Quote me and we'll see when the leaves start to turn

 

[Zigrat]

i agree, i really cannot see a sub 200 dollar 7800GT before july -- you can already get them for 280 so why wait?

 

[DeathReborn]

Originally posted by: leegroves86
so right now i have a pci-e 6600GT. I play WoW all the time and BF 2 a bit. However, I plan on buying Oblivion as soon as it comes out. If its anything like morrowind i will spends months playing it. My question is this: should i buy a 7800GT right now (free quake 4 too) or wait until oblivion comes out because there might be a better video card out? I want to make sure the 7800gt can handle it fine. Wish there was some kind of benchmark or something...

Wait it out and save as much money as you can. Oblivion looks like it's going to eat most PC's for breakfast. 7800GT i'd expect to be playable in Oblivion at 1280x1024 with maybe up to 4xAA8xAF at the most. I can't be certain but that's what i'm expecting.

 

[Munky]

Dont buy current cards for future games. If there's anything that has consitently been repeated for the past few years is that upcoming games are often delayed, and by the time the game actually comes out there are new card available, while the last year's card dont run it well. Anyone who bought a 9800p for HL2 or a fx5900 for Doom3 found this out the hard way.

 

[WT]

My guess is a drop of $20-30 on the 7800gt in the next 6 months

:thumbsup:

My thoughts exactly. If you are talking straight price and not a wait it out rebate, this card won't drop that far unfortunately. I'm about a month away from buying one myself, so I still plan on paying $299 for it. Anything less is minimally helpful to my wallet.

 

[beggerking]

Originally posted by: Zigrat
i agree, i really cannot see a sub 200 dollar 7800GT before july -- you can already get them for 280 so why wait?

if 7800GT gets to $250, I'll get a pair to SLI. woot! $500 sli setup

 

[NoStateofMind]

WAIT! WAIT! WAIT! WAIT! WAIT! WAIT! WAIT! WAIT! WAIT! TO ANYONE IN THE MARKET TO BUY A NEW VIDEO CARD FOR GOD'S SAKE FRICKEN WAIT!


Maybe I should make a thread about this for all people that want a new video card.

Within two weeks is when to buy, not now. Prices will fall, and if you want to play oblivion in all it's glory, atleast wait for the X1900's from ATI.

 

[deadseasquirrel]

Originally posted by: munky
Dont buy current cards for future games. If there's anything that has consitently been repeated for the past few years is that upcoming games are often delayed, and by the time the game actually comes out there are new card available, while the last year's card dont run it well. Anyone who bought a 9800p for HL2 or a fx5900 for Doom3 found this out the hard way.

^ what he said.

I really really hope Oblivion doesn't get delayed again. I might hurt someone. But, seriously, wait for the game to come out and see how it plays. It might be too much for a single GT, or run much better on the equivalent ATI hardware, etc.

If you're unhappy with your current performance in games you play right now, by all means, upgrade if you want. (Though I would still hold off at least just a few days here and see what ATI brings to the table and if those cards help push down prices of existing cards any.)

 

[supastar1568]

just get it now, dont wait.


Whats the point of waiting? By the time the new cards come out others will be right around the corner.

With todays technology there will ALWAYS be something to "wait" for with new products just around the corner

 

[NoStateofMind]

Originally posted by: supastar1568
just get it now, dont wait.


Whats the point of waiting? By the time the new cards come out others will be right around the corner.

With todays technology there will ALWAYS be something to "wait" for with new products just around the corner

WRONG! The new cards from ATI are out within a week (from current reports). nVidia will be out in march. It will be another 6 months after that before you will see NEW cards from either. If you don't wait a week, you will more than likely pay more for the same card which in a week will be lower. Gotta use some logic when deciding dude!

EDIT: And 6 months is HARDLY"around the corner".

 

[Matthias99]

Originally posted by: PC Surgeon

Originally posted by: supastar1568
just get it now, dont wait.

Whats the point of waiting? By the time the new cards come out others will be right around the corner.

With todays technology there will ALWAYS be something to "wait" for with new products just around the corner

WRONG! The new cards from ATI are out within a week (from current reports). nVidia will be out in march. It will be another 6 months after that before you will see NEW cards from either. If you don't wait a week, you will more than likely pay more for the same card which in a week will be lower. Gotta use some logic when deciding dude!

EDIT: And 6 months is HARDLY"around the corner".

The problem is that, if ATI only launches the high-end X1900s in the next week or two (presumably at $500+), it will exert VERY little pricing pressure on the 7800GTs at $300. It will take some time for the pricing pressure to trickle down to the 7800GT/X1800XL cards.

Unless you are looking to buy *two* 7800GTs (in which case you should wait and see how the X1900s compare to a 7800GT SLI setup), or a 7800GTX/X1800XT, you probably won't save much unless you are willing to wait several months for prices to gradually move down on the 7800GTX/X1800XT (which will eventually move down pricing on the 7800GT/X1800XL). It's not certain, but that's been the pattern for almost all the product launches in the last 4-5 years.

 

[supastar1568]

Originally posted by: PC Surgeon

Originally posted by: supastar1568
just get it now, dont wait.


Whats the point of waiting? By the time the new cards come out others will be right around the corner.

With todays technology there will ALWAYS be something to "wait" for with new products just around the corner

WRONG! The new cards from ATI are out within a week (from current reports). nVidia will be out in march. It will be another 6 months after that before you will see NEW cards from either. If you don't wait a week, you will more than likely pay more for the same card which in a week will be lower. Gotta use some logic when deciding dude!

EDIT: And 6 months is HARDLY"around the corner".

yea, but either way the 79xx series is gonna be more than the 7800 series. So if the 7800 series is barely in his price range than the 7900 series will be out of it.




You guys make it sound like the prices are gonna be the same for the 7900 series and the 7800 series. Obviously if this is the case then waiting would be the choice. But its not the case

 

[Demoth]

When the 6800 series hit market, the 6600 GT was at where the 7800 GT is now, price point wise. 7800 GT cards clocked from factory to near GTX speeds hit the $350 range within months after the release of the 7800 GTX. All the while the 6800 GT stayed close in price to the 7800 GT as it's prices went down very slowly, while the 6800 ultra always stayed up high enough to never be justified once the 7800 GT hit market.

My suggestion is to wait, but not for the 7800 GT to fall in price, but for the 7900 GT or the eqivalent R580 mid range card to hit the $300 range. It will be a much faster card, a greater increase then the 6800 GT versus a 7800 GT. Also, if they built the 7900 GT based on downspeeding the memory and core, it very well could OC to top end performance.

I suggest waiting since your mainly playing WoW now, a game that runs fine maxxed on a 6600 GT which you have and Oblivion will not be out before the mid range 7900s and R580s are already well into the market.

 

[vtohthree]

Definately wait, I made a big mistake myself. Last month I was trying to decide which card to get, I didn't want to spend too much money so I opted for a 6800GS. I made a mistake that I regret everyday thinking about it. I should've gotten something very cheap to get me by with word processing, then get something great at a great price mid this year. Now I almost wasted $200 on a decent card stuck in the middle... Hopefully, HOPEFULLY, prices will drop for the 7800GT within the next month(unlikely) so I can at least reap the benefits of the 3month stepup program.

But yeah, I'm crying now, learn from my mistake, it's a bad time to get a "decent" card now, especially how the replacements/new stuff is on the verge of release. Wait this one out.

 

[imported_Sincity]

I too am hoping the prices of the 7800GT will drop soon. I want a second one

 

[wmansfield]

I picked up a 7800GT a few weeks ago due to my new monitor. I don't think anything will be coming out in 2006 or 1H 2007 that will make the 7800GT seem "weak". If you buy now you know you have at least a year before you'll need something else. If you absolutely have to run games at 2048x1600 or whatever then yeah you may wait for the new cards, but it seems pointless. The 7800GT is an excellent card with plenty of horsepower. I doubt we'll see any significant price drops on it for a while. It seems each new generation of video chips puts about another $100 on the price.

 

[Powermoloch]

you have to vvait !

 

[supastar1568]

get a 7800gt now.


if the 7900 proves to be worth it, then use Evga's step-up program

 

[y0d4]

If you want/need it now, then I would get it now. The GT is an awsome card, and will run anything you can throw at it for a good while i would think. Remeber that Oblivion is meant to be sold to the average consumer, and they average consumber has maybe a 5700/9600 equivalent. The lowest card im betting that will run oblivion at 1280X1024 is a 6800GT, and that will prob be with some AA and AF. I have and x800xt and i am not at all worred about oblivion at 1280. You might not get 85FPS, but im beting it will stay in the 40s, which is fine for me. If you wait, then you will aways be waiting. And the 7800gt has the bugs out now, if you wait for a new gen, you risk the early adopter blues.

 

[necro007]

I have the same problem.

"Do i go and spend $399 Can on a 7800GT" or "Do i wait for the next line of cards to come out so that the prices of these cards(7800GT, 7800GTX,X1800XL,...) wil drop.

It's a hard choice but in the end it's up to you, i know most likely im gona get the 7800GT.

Thats if prices coud drop a little more or ATI or NV comes out with somthing in the same price range but with alot more perfomance.

 

[vtohthree]

You can never win by getting the latest the greatest, but you can win by waiting for today's latest and greatest to drop down in price to be tommorow's midrange. True, you can always say, "wait wait wait, something better will come out, wait" then you'll never purchase anything, that's not the point, the point is, waiting to save yourself a good buck, or whatever you'd be paying now for a 7800GT, you could get something considerably better(that's a dangerous mindset, but for this case is reasonable since theres a ton of things that will be soon released)...it's just timing.

Basic trend: new stuff gets released at a premium price, old stuff slowly begins to fall, then new stuff drops in price as product matures. Right now, we are at the end of a plateau that's about to shoot back up in performance, the 7800GTX has been king for long enough, if this was 3 months ago, then things would be different, but as of now, the tables are about to turn as a new "champion" is about to arrive.