Well, since my Geforce 4 seems to have toasted itself into oblivion, I'm in the market for a new video card. The Geforce 4 performed admirably with Doom 3 and Half-Life 2, so I suppose I'll stick with NVIDIA, though the fan did crap out after 2 years.
Anyhow, my question is about the performance benefits of the 6800 GT over the 6600 GT. The pricing for a 6800 GT is generally $350-$400, though I've seen some makes, like the Chaintech, go for $230. The 6600 GT, however, is usually about $200-$250, though I've seen some makes, like the MSI or eVGA go for $180. I've read that the performance difference between the 6600 GT and 6800 GT are not nearly enough to warrant the price difference, though I'd like to be sure and ask anyone with experience before making a purchase. I'd especially like to know about durability and heatsinks on either of the cards, as that proved to be an issue with my last one.
Lastly, if there are any recommendations or warnings about specific makes or manufacturers for these two cards, I'd appreciate it.
Anyhow, my question is about the performance benefits of the 6800 GT over the 6600 GT. The pricing for a 6800 GT is generally $350-$400, though I've seen some makes, like the Chaintech, go for $230. The 6600 GT, however, is usually about $200-$250, though I've seen some makes, like the MSI or eVGA go for $180. I've read that the performance difference between the 6600 GT and 6800 GT are not nearly enough to warrant the price difference, though I'd like to be sure and ask anyone with experience before making a purchase. I'd especially like to know about durability and heatsinks on either of the cards, as that proved to be an issue with my last one.
Lastly, if there are any recommendations or warnings about specific makes or manufacturers for these two cards, I'd appreciate it.