Where to buy Gigabyte Radeon8500??

[Arkaine23]

I've checked pricewatch and a bunch of online vendors I normally use, but the only place I can find the two Gigabyte 8500's is on Gigabyte's own site. They have links to distributors, but all the ones I've checked only sell Gigabyte motherboards or Gigabyte Geforce cards. I heard these cards have 3.3ns memory. Is it true? If it's not I'll just get a regular Ati 8500... I think I'm looking for the "LE model"... the one that goes for about $160 and is clocked at 275/275.

 

[Arkaine23]

found... almost

I found a site that has it listed, but its not in stock yet. The price is $186... I got the phone #, so I'll call during business hours tomorrow and ask when they expect to have it in stock. The retailer is in Houston, Tx, but I'm going to keep their identity to myself until I know they have the card in stock. PM me if you absolutely NEED to find out where to get this card, cuz I do feel like such a bastage....

I gonna keep searching and see if I can turn up more retailers. I'd like to find a place that sells it that's not in Tx so I can avoid the 8.25% sales tax.

 

[CSaddict]

The LE is clocked at 230/230.

 

[Arkaine23]

Gigabyte Maya

I did some research and the 2 cards are both clocked at 275/550 stock. One is $186 from this retailer, the other is $250. I assume the more expensive card is the AIW, while the other card is just a plain 8500. I haven't found the info on it, but SilversinkSam said the memory on these cards (maybe just the more expensive one) is 3.3ns. They have a really cool-looking hardware-monitoring/fan adjustment/OC program, too, V-tuner. And they come with like 5 games.

 

[Tracert]

Stop it! Stop it! Your making it sooo hard to not upgrade my card right now. I must resist the urge... Must reeeeesssssiiiiiiisssssttttt!

 

[Arkaine23]

Link

Well, I didn't get a chance to call this retailer, but the card was supposed to be released in the middle of Feb, so given a few delays, it should be out very soon. I'll try to call them again tomorrow.

Here's the link:

www.axiontech.com

If I can find a review, or if anyone else can, please post the link in this thread. SilversinkSam? Anyone?

 

[Tracert]

Bad News!

Doh!

bad news for both of us (since you had just about talked me into getting one too).

That card you seeing on there website here

http://www.axiontech.com/cgi-local/prdtinfo.asp?prdt=VIGAAP64D

Is for Gigabyte's "LE" version. That is a slower clocked Core and Memory that they make. The one we want with the faster memory and core is AP64D-H. The one Axion Tech is selling is just the AP64D!

Talk about dissapointment. So I guess we go back to looking. I think I will fall back to ATI's, and put it off as long as I can. Unless, of course, you find the AP64D-H someplace cheap.

You can see the two here

http://www.giga-byte.com/products/agp_index.htm

I will be sobbing for both of us.

 

[Arkaine23]

ap64d-h

Axiontech has 'em both. If I can sell my current GF2 Ti (modded extensively- Quadro2Pro, low-pass filter capacitors removed, clocked to 286/524, Silver Blue Orb, ramsinks) to my roomate or someone else for about $100, the $250 for the ap64d-h Maya 8500 won't hurt may wallet too much. I gotta save my pennies, so I guess I won't be getting one until Summer anyway. But maybe the price will come down between now and then.

Axiontech also has a trade in program, and I queried them about what my current card might be worth to them. I don't have a lot of hope because of the heavy mods and nullified warranty, but it's worth a shot anyway.

 

[Tracert]

I just wonder if the extra oc we would get out of the 3.3ns is worth $100.00 more then the retail. Sure we would get bragging rights as far as having the most OCable 8500 by purchasing one of these card but at a cost that is anywhere from 50 to 67% more expensive then the ATI retail.

I need to get control of myself and stick with the plan. Wait another month or two and see if the ATI built 8500 will take another big fall in price. Who knows, maybe by then the Gigabyte will drop to the 150 range and then it might be a better option for me.

Just hard to swallow the difference in price compared to difference in cards the way it is now. @ 250 your getting close to a 4400's price tag. I would rethink it for now my friend.

Waiting is the key. I must be calm and take my time.

 

[Arkaine23]

specs

I'm going to ask Gigabyte about the differences between these 2 cards. The info I've come across so far says they're both 275/550. So I imagine the cheaper LE card must have reduced voltages (something that could be modded), and maybe 3.6ns memory. I gotta find out, cuz I really don't wanna spend more than $180 on a new card either. This would just be the card to tide me over until DX9 cards drop into my price range, say in 12-18 months.

 

[Arkaine23]

reivew

Someone posted a reivew for me... here's the link:
http://www.digit-life.com/articles/gigar8500/index.html

Looks like its only 3.6ns, but it still looks pretty darn awesome. For cooling mods $ spent on a cheaper 8500, I think the price would be pretty close to the Maya 8500LE, and you wouldn't have V-tuner hardware monitoring on a cheaper card, so I think I'm still leaning toward this Gigayte card.

 

[Tracert]

Re: reivew

Someone posted a reivew for me... here's the link:
http://www.digit-life.com/articles/gigar8500/index.html
...
you wouldn't have V-tuner hardware monitoring on a cheaper card, so I think I'm still leaning toward this Gigayte card.

I forgot about that point. The hardware monitoring is a big plus for those of us wanting to OC this card. Just think of having the ability to OC this thing and not have to worry about "I wonder what type of temps I'm getting, I don't see any artifacts but am I running this too hot"?

Thanks for your info. I will be closely following this thread. If you don't mind let me know when you make a move on this? If I can out-wait you then it would be nice to see some of the results/impressions you get.

 

[Black Hawk]

Hm...

now the question to me seems to be if you should spend 25 extra bucks for the GF4 Ti 4400 or buy this.

 

[Starfoxer]

i wish my radeon came with those spiffy looking ram sinks.

 

[Arkaine23]

8500 by Gigabyte

It has a header for a 2nd fan(and I have an extra from my GF2 Ti that fits on that type of header). You can also use V-tuner to adjust the fan speed. The temp monitoring includes memory temps, and it displays 3 voltages. SilversinkSam still seems to think that despite pressure from Ati not to produce a superior card, that Gigabyte may still beef up the final product that the public receives.

Still trying to find out the difference between the LE and regular version. I'd like to spend less than $200 if possible. Otherwise I'd get a GF4 Ti...

 

[Cisco Kid]

I just wonder if the extra oc we would get out of the 3.3ns is worth $100.00 more then the retail. Sure we would get bragging rights as far as having the most OCable 8500 by purchasing one of these card but at a cost that is anywhere from 50 to 67% more expensive then the ATI retail.

I need to get control of myself and stick with the plan. Wait another month or two and see if the ATI built 8500 will take another big fall in price. Who knows, maybe by then the Gigabyte will drop to the 150 range and then it might be a better option for me.

Just hard to swallow the difference in price compared to difference in cards the way it is now. @ 250 your getting close to a 4400's price tag. I would rethink it for now my friend.

Waiting is the key. I must be calm and take my time.

INHO the Gigabyte Radeon 8500 is not worth the price, the overclock that you will get with the 3.3 ns ram can not be justified by the extra $100 to 120 extra you will pay. The retail ATI 8500 is the best bang for the buck, I do not think it will drop much more in price for a while, possibly $5 but I can not see anything drastic cause then the reat of their cards fall as well.

My 2 cents worth

Cisco KID

 

[Tracert]

Re: Hm...

now the question to me seems to be if you should spend 25 extra bucks for the GF4 Ti 4400 or buy this.

Sheesh,

It almost comes to a ridicules point don't you think? As it is now I think I would just try to find a "built by" for the 150 range and forget the rest. Sure I like bells and whistles just as much as anyone, but if I am going to spend that kind of money for the Gigabyte, I might as well go for the 4400.

Still going to wait a while. My tax returns will be coming soon and I will see what goes on later in this thread. Maybe another OEM will come up with something as good or close to Gigabytes for much cheaper.

You never can tell.

 

[Arkaine23]

Found the LE in stock

http://www.accessmicro.com/search.php3

This place has the Gigabyte Maya 8500LE in stock for $156 shipped. No luck finding the Ati retail equivalent ap64d-h model yet...