opinions on the GeForce GTX 260 OC MAXCORE?

[zoldos]

I am upgrading my video card from a failing GeForce 7900 GTX w/ 512 megs to the GeForce GTX 260 OC MAXCORE with 896 megs ram. Is this a nice card? The site I'm getting it from is selling it for $179 which is just about what my wife and I want to spend and it seems like a heck of an upgrade from my 7900.

I'd just like opinions on if this a good deal and a nice card. I am a gamer and want to be able to play the latest games. My system specs are below:

ASUS A8N32-SLI Deluxe
AMD Athlon 64 FX-60 dual core
2GB Corsair TwinX DDR400

Thanks to all who reply!

 

[AnotherHiggins]

I'm not really a gamer, but I have been researching video cards recently. This is way beyond what I'm looking to buy, but this does seem to be a really good card and a decent step up from where you are now.

Here is a chart of some GPUs stack ranked at Tom's Hardware.

As for price.... Right now Newegg (a very reputable online dealer that I've used a lot) has the XFX GX260NADFF GeForce GTX 260 Core 216 896MB 448-bit GDDR3 for $204.99 - $30.00 Mail-In Rebate = $174.99. Use coupon code VGA4105P to get an additional $20 off. That's $159.99 after rebate with free shipping. And it comes with free copies of Far Cry 2 and Call of Duty World at War.

So to recap:
[tt] [/tt]XFX Geforce GTX260 Core 216 896MB Video Card
[tt]+ [/tt]Far Cry 2
[tt]+ [/tt]Call of Duty World at War
[tt] [/tt]$159.99 after rebate

For good tech deals, I always check out

http://www.FatWallet.com

and

http://www.SlickDeals.net.

[tt][blue]-John[/blue][/tt]
[tab][red]The plural of anecdote is not data[/red]

Help us help you. Please read FAQ 181-2886 before posting.

 

[SimonDavies]

The 2nd revision of the 260 is a great card and will be a good replacement for your failing 7900.

Where your games are GPU limited this will help a lot, where the games are CPU limited you will still be held back by your processor and ram (not meaning to diss your cpu\ram, the fx60 was a great CPU but in todays market it does fall behind on games that require CPU power).

I would also suggest that for a helping hand with gaming add some more ram, take it upto 4gb and that will help you out.

Simon

The real world is not about exam scores, it's about ability.

 

[SkipCox]

1. It is a great upgrade
2. Certainly shop for the best deal you can find. You might just need more money for a better power supply to run the 260.

You can compare power usage of the two cards here...

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/geforce-radeon-power,2122-6.html

Many are disappointed when they find out the installed psu won't power their new graphics card. If you feel you need a psu, look for a non-modular unit with a single +12v rail. A little research is in order to insure the psu has the connections to plug the card in (I notice the card referenced by anotherhiggins comes with a power adapter cable).



Skip

 

[paparazi]

Great card...you won't be disapointed.
You could also consider an ATI 4870 which performs almost identically to the GTX260 (Obviously not SLI but as a single card would also be a good option)
Uses slightly less power at full load (40watts less)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127400

Martin

On wings like angels whispers sweet
my heart it feels a broken beat
Touched soul and hurt lay wounded deep
Brown eyes are lost afar and sleep

 

[zoldos]

Thanks for all the great replies! I am also purchasing an Antec 650 watt power supply. According to the web site, the OC Maxcore card I originally picked out only needs around 535 watts of power so I think I'll go with that one.

Thanks again to all!