GeForce 8800 Ultra OC, to upgrade or not

[teddymonster]

This is my set up:
OS: Windows XP
Motherboard: Asus Maximus Formula Special Edition
CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E6850 (3000MHz)
RAM: 4x 1GB Corsair PC2 - 8500 (1066MHz)
and for GPU a BFG GeForce 8800 OC (768 Mb DDR3)

The graphics card recently stopped working and I'm sending it to be repaired but I'm debating just flat out upgrading because I plan to get a 24" 1080p monitor to replace my super old 19". Would the 8800 be able to handle gaming at 1920x1080?

 

[mister g]

It's two years old and the like but even though most consider it legendary it's starting to really show its age. There are graphics cards that would give you a lot of power gor that display. But it's going to cost <$200.

 

[saint19]

Hi newcomer and welcome to the Tom's hardware forum.

Yeah, the 8800 can hadle a max resolution of 2560x1600

Now, if the cost for fix your 8800 is $150 or more, with the same price you can get a new and better GPU

 

[teddymonster]

Yeah, I was looking the the heirachy of the graphics cards and its still pretty up there but with its age I wasn't sure if some features of the newer cards made drastic differences.

200 is probably the most I would spend, is there anything I could get that would make a significant improvement? I am also considering the idea of using the 19" as a second monitor on the side.

 

[mister g]

I meant playing modern games, go ahead and up the res but quality is going to look like DX8!

 

[saint19]

Well, you can get a 5770 but maybe you won't see a great differences, onyl few games use DX11 as default.

 

[teddymonster]

Thanks

 

[saint19]

Any time, that's why we are here.

 

[cjl]

I meant playing modern games, go ahead and up the res but quality is going to look like DX8!

DX8? The 8800 Ultra supports DX10. Very few games support anything newer.

Honestly, I'd say stick with the Ultra, unless it would cost quite a bit to repair. It's an excellent card, and will still beat a great many of the cheaper graphics cards out there.

 

[mister g]

I was being sarcastic, anyway I meant that the 8800 is old and if teddy wants high quality with his new HD display he's going to need a better card for new games.

 

[saint19]

^He don't need a new GPU, the 8800 is one of the nVidia best cards, and like cjl says can beat many other cards.

 

[mister g]

Now like 3 people has put me down I give in, long live 8800. It's been copied into 9800, 250 and now 330.

 

[sabot00]

^He don't need a new GPU, the 8800 is one of the nVidia best cards, and like cjl says can beat many other cards.

Not in this day & age, the 8800 Ultra's been relinquished to terrorizing sub - $100 cards.

 

[teddymonster]

Best answer selected by teddymonster.

 

[cjl]

Not in this day & age, the 8800 Ultra's been relinquished to terrorizing sub - $100 cards.

It'll still beat a 4850, and it's not that far off a 4870. Since the OPs is an overclocked Ultra, it might even equal the 4870 in many games. Is it the monster it once was? No. That doesn't make it worthless though, and it's certainly remarkably competitive considering its age.

 

[sabot00]

I believe the 8800 Ultra ~ 9800GTX, so the 9800GTX+/GTS 250 will be a good 1-5% faster, the 4850 = GTS 250.
So the 8800 Ultra can't beat a 4850.