Go for the GTX 275 or wait and see? Also, SLI x8

[Seamen Log]

Here is my build thus far:

CPU: Intel Core i5 750 BX80605I5750 Processor

http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=4959973&CatId=4731

Memory: CORSAIR XMS3 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145260&nm_mc=OTC-PricebatCA&cm_mmc=OTC-PricebatCA-_-Memory+(Desktop+Memory)-_-Corsair+(XMS+Series)-_-20145260

Mobo: ASUS P7P55D PRO LGA 1156 Intel P55 ATX

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131405

Other parts include Western Digital Caviar Black 640GB 3.5' SATA 3.0Gb/s HDD, likely the Antec 900.

A couple questions:

What kind of price drop is typically seen on a higher end card like the GTX 275 when a new line of cards hit? Very roughly, when might this happen, right at the launch of the DX11 cards or some time later?

Right now I'd be paying a minimum of 250 Canadian.

And

With my mobo supporting SLI x8 rather than two 16 slots, should I even consider SLI in the future? Is there a significant difference between the two?

 

[JofaMang]

There probably won't be many further price drops on the DX10 nvidia cards, as the new line that comes out will not be direct competitors (DX11) and the DX10 cards are nearing EOL with the release of the new line. Once obsolete, GPU prices usually only go up, as the price cutting strategies are generally employed for current gen competition.

x8/x8 performance is only slightly lower than x16/x16 performance until you get into the upper stratosphere of current tech that actually saturates a x8 slot. 275 sli/4890CF might be the upper limit of what could run on x8/x8 without a huge handicap.

As a fellow canadian, I hate how we get boned on pricing. Even when the currencies were on par, we were paying a 10-15% premium on the same parts compared to american pricing. My wife is american and we visit the inlaws often, and I have used her family to ship stuff to when the exchange dictated it was worth it.

 

[Seamen Log]

Great, thanks for the info.

 

[jyjjy]

The HD4890 is usually a much better deal than the GTX 275.
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150438

 

[JackNaylorPE]

The 275's aren't dropping in price because people are still buying them almost as fast as they hit the shelves. The new 5xxx / 4xxx series cards from ATI are also priced high because availability is short. Without market pressure to force prices downward, instead of going down, they are actually going up.

problem is all of nVidias and ATI's cards are made by the same vendor so when they have production problems, everyone has production problems. One thing you might consider is twin GTS 250's (1 GB) which should be in your price range.

 

[Seamen Log]

The Gigabyte the is the cheapest at 250 http://pccyber.com/?v=Product&i=VC-GA-GV-N275UD-896I And for 25 more there is the EVGA http://pccyber.com/?v=Product&i=VC-EVGA-896-P3-1170-AR Any opinions?

 

[jyjjy]

The SLIed GTS 250s suggestion is a better idea than the GTX 275 if you are stuck on Nvidia.

 

[Seamen Log]

I am not particularly stuck on any brand, but intel and nvidia are just a match in my mind. Are there actually any compatibility differences between the two camps with an intel chipset, because you're right that it is a much better deal, especially this one http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=42996&vpn=HD489XZSFC&manufacture=XFX&promoid=1012

 

[JofaMang]

There are no compatability issues between using Nvidia or ATI on that motherboard.

 

[jyjjy]

Yeah, there's no reason to prefer any brand of video card based on type of processor. The only issue is if you have an exclusively crossfire or SLI motherboard and P55 should be able to handle both.
That is a very nice deal on the HD4890 btw. If I remember properly at stock the GTX 275 is 5ish % more powerful than the HD4890 so not nearly worth the price difference. Also that card supposedly OCs very well, often up to 1ghz.
You also may want to consider the HD5770. It's not quite on par with the HD4890/GTX 275 performance wise(equivalent to an HD4870) but it is DX11 and very power efficient/cool which is important if you are considering crossfire in the future. It also supports three monitors at once. It scales very well in crossfire and 2 of them perform similarly to an HD5870 which is a $400+ card. Buying one of those now and adding another later on is the way I would go personally.
Then save up for 2 more monitors for crazy *** like this
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5UeHJEeuLc8

 

[JofaMang]

Yeah, buying one 5770 now and another later for Crossfire would be a great way to get strong performance and DX11 for a fairly reasonable price. The 57xx should drop in price as nvidia releases their DX11 range, so adding a second one in 2-6 months would probably be fairly cost effective.

 

[Seamen Log]

I can't pass up that deal on the HD 4890 at 195 dollars and free shipping, thanks for all the help and suggestions.

 

[JAYDEEJOHN]

The 275's aren't dropping in price because people are still buying them almost as fast as they hit the shelves. The new 5xxx / 4xxx series cards from ATI are also priced high because availability is short. Without market pressure to force prices downward, instead of going down, they are actually going up.

problem is all of nVidias and ATI's cards are made by the same vendor so when they have production problems, everyone has production problems. One thing you might consider is twin GTS 250's (1 GB) which should be in your price range.

Theyre EOL'd, and whats laying around is what theyre finding, so yes, in that respect, youre right, but most are going inot the 295s, since all but the 295 is EOL
Also, theres no production problems anymore