Your first $300+ video card purchase

[Aznguy1872]

$350~ Nvidia 6800 Ultra AGP
$330~ 7800 GT

 

[mooncancook]

My first was a X800XL at $299+tax which I'm still using.
Before that, the most expensive one I bought was a $250 12MB Diamond Monster 3D II (Voodoo2 chipset)
Next one will probably be my first $500+ video card...

 

[imported_Sincity]

7800GT for $299 and a $30 rebate. So I guess that does not qualify as a $300 video card.

But really....I still have a hard time justifying the cost of the card and yet I still want to SLI. Damm internal mental struggle.

 

[Wolfshanze]

All these young pups just now spending $300 for a video card... I've done it multiple times!

My 4MB Voodoo-1 Orchid Righteous 3D cost me over $300 back in the day (mid 90s).

I can't remember how much I spent on a 12MB (8MB should be enough for anybody - 3dfx) Voodoo-2 in like '98, but it was probably more then $300 too.

If not my GeForce-1 DDR, then surely my original (no extension) GeForce-3 (launch debut) cost more then $300.

I can't recall, but I think my GeForce 6800GT also cost more then $300 (short memory)... dunno it was around there (give or take).

 

[SynthDude2001]

I've only spent $300+ on a video card once, but will likely do so again many times in the future

1999 - $150 TNT2 Ultra
2002 - $85 Radeon 8500 (LE? I forget)
2003 - $200 Radeon 9700 Pro
2004 - $345 Geforce 6800GT

2006 - $500+....?

 

[WhoBeDaPlaya]

Canopus Pure3D II (Jul 98) - 12mb of custom-engineered Voodoo 2 goodness
Bought the little brother (Pure3D) for ~$5 - FS/FT FTW!

The next closest would probably be the Leadtek WinFast A250 (May 02, ~$220) - the GF4 with a HSF that's hung like King Kong. Still running strong in my office rig - get to squeeze in a little CS:S action during lunch hour

Others have been less impressive :

9800 Pro w/AC Silencer (~$190)
6600GT w/AC Silencer (~$100)
X800GTO (~$150)

 

[DefRef]

Asus GeForce 2 GTS for $330 in Spring 2000. I've never paid more than $330 for any video card. A lot of $300 cards, no $400 cards.

Current eVGA 7800GTCO was $300 and came with Quake 4, so DEAL!

 

[Fern]

Well, I got my G4 Ti and 9800pro cards for less than $300. First time I paid that was for my 6800GT. Still using it.

Fern

 

[Zebo]

Used to have rules like no more than $100 for any componet and no moe than $200 for any video card and clock it to the best stuff out there. Used to be known as bang for the buck guru - something went terribly wrong. have bought 4 dx9 cards over $300. Need to get back to my frugle roots daddy taught me.

 

[Avalon]

Never spent more than $200 for a card, and don't think I should have to, to get high end graphics. My $200 purchase was for an eVGA 6800NU that I unlocked and overclocked. Coming in second was my Connect3d Radeon 9500 for $150 that I unlocked and overclocked past 9700 pro speeds.

Right now I'm sitting on a meager 6200, though

 

[Rage187]

Creative Labs Voodoo 2 12mb

 

[Allio]

TNT2 M64 - free
Radeon VE - free
Geforce4 MX440-8X - like $40
Geforce4 ti4200 - free
7800GT - $320 (or free if you don't count mturk money as money)

Wow, I made quite a leap there.

 

[AnonymouseUser]

$300 BFG 6800 OC was my first, and so far only, $300 video card. No regrets.

Originally posted by: NeezyDeezy
I refuse to pay more than $200 for my total video solution. It depends on whatever "hot deal" I can get too.

This strategy is pretty sane IMO. Bleeding edge is only for rich addicts, which is not cool or 1337 in any way.

I am a cheap bastard since I always look for a good deal, and the $300 BFG 6800 OC I bought in Aug 2004 was the best purchase I ever made for my PC. It was a hot deal at the time, since I got Doom 3 and Far Cry included.

It's still going strong today, and I will likely replace it in late 2006 or early 2007. That video card will have cost me ~$10/month, not including the free games.

 

[RedBeard]

$349 for my ATI 9800 Pro at BestBuy (had a GC) just about 3 years ago. I still have the reciept.....

 

[Rottie]

Never bought any video card over $300 includes tax before until last month I finally bought ATI Radeon X850 Pro for $299 at Fry's Electronic store.

 

[Dainas]

$300 even for a 9700pro back in jan 2003.

 

[sisq0kidd]

Most I have ever spent on a video card was $180 for a 6800GT 2 months ago.

 

[DeathReborn]

£229.99 PNY 7800GT (x2) is the most i've ever paid. Most of my purchases have come mid cycle as I don't like buggy products or paying a premium to be first to have something.

In reverse order, previous cards are:

MSI GeForce 6800GT £199.99
Sapphire Radeon 9600 256MB £85
Hercules GeForce 3 Ti-200 £109.99
OEM GeForce 2 Ti £129.99
Creative Labs Riva TNT2 Vanta £49.99

 

[vanderStoep]

Altough I think $300 is an enourmous amount of money to spend on a videocard, it has happend.

My first expensieve card was when I bought a Diamond Voodoo Banshee 16 mb AGP which came nowhere close to $300. Must have been in 1999 or 1998 I think. I used to think it was expensive then but it gave me lots of joy, wow what did NFS3 look awesome and Unreal went from good to great as well.
But my first 300+ was an Asus Geforce 5900 128 mb AGP in 2004 September (had some tax reasons to spend a lot) for 360 euro I believe.

 

[remagavon]

I'm going to be the only one here to say this, but I believe my first $300 video card purchase was (drum-roll) a Matrox Parhelia. I bought the card from newegg refurbished for somewhere around $300, briefly saw the awesome FAA, also saw how it played the original UT at 25fps with it on, and sold it to someone doing a video project for a little under $400.

Since then there have been a lot of cards that I've dropped $300+ on, but that's really beside the point.

 

[Elvis2]

I got one of those shiny Voodoo 5 5500's. To this day I don't think I've owned a more prestigious card.....

same here. in fact it's still going on this very machine

 

[sandorski]

12mb STB Blackmagic Voodoo 2. My money bought me an awesome 3D experience in Unreal, Quake 2, Shogo MAD, SiN, and a ton of other games. It was freakin mind blowing for both speed and eyecandy. Teh 3D graphics dood, OMG my eyez waz pwned!!!!1111

 

[Jman13]

I too have never spent over $300 for a video card. Here are my vid card purchases (with approximate prices...what I remember paying, though I don't know how accurate they are:

1) Riva TNT - $125
2) GeForce2 MX - $150
3) GeForce3 ti200 (ran at ti500 speeds) - $150
4) Radeon 9600Pro 256MB - $155 (currently in my machine for another week)
5) GeForce 6800GS - $209 (on it's way to me in the mail.) I really didn't want to spend even that much, but I needed something that would at least allow me some time to play current games.

FWIW, I don't ever (well, not with my current monitor) need 8xAA @ 1900x1200 or whatever. I am more than happy with 1024x768 @ 4xAA or 1280x960 @ 2xAA...heck, even that high without AA is OK for me almost always, so it really doesn't matter too much.

 

[RussianSensation]

Originally posted by: Genx87

Edit: I used to be of the thought best bang for the buck but have realized if you build a good higher end rig it can cost less over time than a lower end bang for the bucks.

So you think its better to buy say X1900XTX for $649 and hold it for 36 months as opposed to 6800GS for $190 today, then G80 1 year from now for $200 then G90 for $250?

Wouldn't you think that X1900XTX for the most part would not be worth the horsepower since today only a handlful of games like COD2 and FEAR benefit from it and 6800GS is not doing too bad? Then in 2nd year, G80 will give you same performance or better than X1900XTX and you'll finaly use it when games start to get more intense. But the interesting part is that your 3rd upgrade will absolutely demolish X1900XTX. Also, in this scenario you get to sell the previous card to help recoup the cost of upgrades (that is why the prices like $200 and $250 are realistic). In your case, you'd be holding X1900XTX for 36 months it would continue to fall to $100. I just think buying top of the line and holding would make a lot of sense if majority of games benefited from top of the line cards. But, it usually takes 1 full year before your videocard is truly utilized imo (we've seen this frim DX9, SM3.0, etc); so why overpay in that first year?
_____________________________________

My videocard purchases were:

2001 - ATI Rage Pro 16mb - Free (given by a friend)
Late 2001 - ATI Radeon 8500 64mb - $180 US 1 month after it came out.

 

[bjc112]

Went from a Voodoo 3 -> Geforce 2 MX -> Geforce 3 -> 9500 Pr -> 6800GT -> x850xt -> x1800xt

Never cost me $300..