Hey, you all...just wanted to vent a bit about something...

So, for the past few months, I've been eyeing the GeForce 8800GTS 320MB version graphics card, right? Well, it's awesome, has about 6 times the graphical power that my current card has, and can run things at my native resolution (1280x1024) like a screaming banshee.

This was to compliment my purchase (with release) of Hellgate: London, and also facilitate a whole new round of playing Oblivion, this time with grass actually turned on and anti-aliasing and all that jazz.

Well, in the intervening time, the card dipped in price to $240 US, and looked like a good purchase...but I have to wait until summer, because I can't afford it during the school-year.

Now for the crux of my frustration. nVidia, possibly aiming at the genuinely budget-minded crowd, or the home-theater pc crowd released the GeForce 8600 series yesterday. It's cheaper, slower, and not what I want for my system, as in some cases, the Radeon x1950 Pro beats it.

The problem is that having a cheaper card on the market appeases the budget direct x 10 crowd, and gives them a new card to buy. No longer does the 8800GTS have to appease the budget crowd, and because of that, its price jumps $30 to $40.

I was unhappy with the price before...(I would like them to just give me a card, in all honesty :D ), but the price jump due solely to them having another card on the market which can't compete power-wise is insulting and irritating.

Just wait, the R600 chips are on their way ;)

Keep looking for a "GS" version of the 8800. If it looks like ATI can put a GTO or some such into the performance gap between the best 8600 and the 8800, it will almost certainly be a factor.

Meanwhile, according to an associate of Daily Tech, the only XTX model of the R600 is jut not up to the competitive level expected for it. That was a part described as a limited production OEM item, some 11" long, compared to the 2900 XT model's 8.5 inches. I can't believe nVidia could have stolen so much of a march on AMD/ ATI.