The 8800 GTS?

Question

How long you reckon will a Nvidia 8800 GTS will keep me happy until I'm forced to upgrade?

Answer 1

First off, ignore Dan on video cards. While different games will slightly favor nVidia over ATI or vice versa, a good card will perform good on all games. You are not going to have a card that plays some games fantastic, and others terribly.

Now as for how long it keeps you happy, well it would depend on what kind of performance it takes to keep you happy. If you need to be able to play the newest of new games at the highest settings with no lag, it may only keep you happy for a year or less. If you only want good performance on most fairly new games, then perahps 2 or even 3 years. If you are not picky at all, it could last you as much as 5 years. So its really up to just how demanding you are of your card.

Answer 2

When you buy another game.

You see, every game requires a different video card for maximum action. Your Nvidia 8800 GTS is optimal for several games. When you look at a new game to buy, look for that card, or DirectX 10 (which the Nvideo 8800 GTS does well).

Your card may also be Windows Vista compliant, so you won't be disappointed if you make the mistake by upgrading to that. You will need to HUNT DOWN drivers for Windows Vista.

But your Nvidia card probably requires a 400Watt power supply. Double check your system to be sure. Your next upgrade might HAVE TO BE that power supply. You might aim to upgrade to 500 Watts if you are short of the 400 Watts that is recommended for that board.

It's all about change and new things. Let's hope that you get 5 years of happy game play.

Good luck and Happy Computing!

Answer 3

I bet it lasts a good 2 years being able to handle everything out there but theres a difference between keeping someone happy and the card being good enough to last a while. I'm never happy with my previous top of the line hardware once a better one comes out ; )