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I've been looking around the various major brand-name stores in recent days for the video card I wanted to use for my new PC, and though I've heard of a price drop that's supposed to come with the release of the next-generation cards, such a thing seems not to be the case. Most every secure store I look, the prices are all in the same range - astronomical - amd ,pst pftem are a hundred-plus dollars over what I can afford to pay.

I started thinking, then, about looking to other sources for these cards - overshrouded by the brand names, but offering better prices as well. This, of course, brings up its own worries, mainly in the question of "can I trust them to deliver a valid item?"

I'm extremily wary about buying anything of this nature outside of a well-known and regulated store, as well as that I'd be doing this through the mail, but on the other hand, the potential discounts are terribly tempting.

So, really, it comes down to two questions:

A) Can I flat-out trust these dealers to deliver to me an article that is in a solid, working condition?
B) Are there any specific brands/models that I should avoid at all costs? As I'm looking at the lists of items available, I'm seeing several cards that are the same model, but seem to have different manufacturers - MSI, BFG, eVGA, and XFX, just to name a few. While I plan on trying to stick with the eVGA brand, if one of the other brands delivers a better offer, can I trust said brand to perform as well as a eVGA card, or should I cling to the primary and never let go?

Brand-wise, there's arguably no difference. All those different brands are using nVidia/ATI-built and designed hardware, and generally don't stray very far from the initial reference cards nVidia/ATI produce. A few of them offer overclocked cards, which is better than overclocking yourself and possibly voiding warranty (my dad's BFG 6600 has a lifetime warranty, which is virtually unheard of with today's electronics). I'd probably recommend BFG cards for that reason alone.

As for retailers, I doubt think it matters much more. Most of these retailers won't accept warranty returns anyway, and you deal directly with the manufacturer. Check their ratings on resellerratings.com before you deal with them, though.

Thanks. Now, to decide if I should go between the 6800 GT and its limited lifetime warrenty, or splurge for an Ultra and its support for Shader 3.0, plus the extra power source I'll have to install...

Sharpshooter wrote:Thanks. Now, to decide if I should go between the 6800 GT and its limited lifetime warrenty, or splurge for an Ultra and its support for Shader 3.0, plus the extra power source I'll have to install...

All of the 6x00 cards support SM 3.0, not just the Ultra.

IMO, there's no point paying the extra for the 6800 Ultra.

Hell, you can get the 7800 for less than an Ultra will cost you.

It's a freaking rip-off, and this is coming from a guy who spent $400 on a 6800GT just a few weeks after release.

RedWizard wrote:All of the 6x00 cards support SM 3.0, not just the Ultra.
IMO, there's no point paying the extra for the 6800 Ultra.

As I just found out. Only card with SM 3.0, my ass.

Not to mention that the thing takes up both an AGP and a PCI slot. Hell, if I'm going to blow two slots, I may as well eak every bit of use out of them - two high-end cards working in tandum should hold me over until the next of the next-generation ones.

And screw payin' an additional hundred for a new power supply. I'm not going to be burning up half again my current electrical usage just for an extra 50 to 100 megahertz. I don't even get the custom BFG thermal coating solution and the LEDs.

Sharpshooter wrote:

RedWizard wrote:All of the 6x00 cards support SM 3.0, not just the Ultra.
IMO, there's no point paying the extra for the 6800 Ultra.

As I just found out. Only card with SM 3.0, my ass.

Not to mention that the thing takes up both an AGP and a PCI slot. Hell, if I'm going to blow two slots, I may as well eak every bit of use out of them - two high-end cards working in tandum should hold me over until the next of the next-generation ones.

And screw payin' an additional hundred for a new power supply. I'm not going to be burning up half again my current electrical usage just for an extra 50 to 100 megahertz. I don't even get the custom BFG thermal coating solution and the LEDs.

AGP and PCI? Your still using AGP?

Get BFG if possible, you get a factory OC, along with a great warrenty. The main differance between the other brands is the software package.

Sharpshooter wrote:

RedWizard wrote:All of the 6x00 cards support SM 3.0, not just the Ultra.
IMO, there's no point paying the extra for the 6800 Ultra.

As I just found out. Only card with SM 3.0, my ass.

Not to mention that the thing takes up both an AGP and a PCI slot. Hell, if I'm going to blow two slots, I may as well eak every bit of use out of them - two high-end cards working in tandum should hold me over until the next of the next-generation ones.

Beware, and pay close attention to the cards. AGP support is rather limited in new models. I think that only the 6800, 6800 Ultra, and 6600 have AGP models. Everything else is PCI-e, including ATI's entire x-series. nVidia's SLI cards are ONLY PCI-e, and you have to have an SLI-compliant motherboard for that to work, of course. And you'd probably need a beefier PSU, since you've got two cards sucking down 60w each.

I'll add 6800GT and 6600GT to the AGP models, and include the entire current ATi high end of X800-and its billion varients.

Tiger Ace wrote:AGP and PCI? Your still using AGP?

Well, the system is only three weeks old...

Get BFG if possible, you get a factory OC, along with a great warrenty. The main differance between the other brands is the software package.

Will do - they sound like quite a decent lot, and I think their overclocked units were bringing better prices than regulars from other brands.

Tiger Ace wrote:I'll add 6800GT and 6600GT to the AGP models, and include the entire current ATi high end of X800-and its billion varients.

By '6800' and '6600' I mean their whole series.

As for ATI, figures they finally release them.
Months ago when I was researching what to buy, ATI had precisely zero AGP models for their new series, and I couldn't find out when (or if) they were planning on releasing them.

Which one's?
The normal X800,X800Pro,X800XT are freely available in AGP, the X800XL, X850Pro,X850XT I'm not sure, been a while since I looked it up.

It dosn't matter, since you have no reason not to buy a 6800GT if your at that price range. And at the lower price range you have the 6600GT.