How often do you change your graphic card?

Hmmm I did reply with my cards in the last year or 2, being as everyone is going back 10 years, here goes...........


Voodoo 2 16mb
geforce 4 mx400
geforce 4 ti4200
geforce 4 ti4600
fx5200
ATI 9800se modded to pro
ati x1600
ati x1950
geforce 8800gts 320mb
hd4850
dual 4850's
4890
5770
dual 5770's
gtx 470

As I have only been into computers for about 8 years, that equates to 2 a year give or take, which seems about right

 

I change mine when my wife says I can ! Only then do I get a shot at a mid-range card or card (s) like I have now .

 

Too often.
Not as often as I'd like, though.

 

Last 7 years:

nVidia 64MB Card (can't remember which one)
nVidia Geforce FX5200
nVidia Geforce 7300GT
nVidia Geforce 8600GT
nVidia Geforce 9600GT
ATI HD3870
ATI HD4850/HD4830/9800GT
ATI HD6850

And after every new card I always say "This should last me for 2 to three years"......

 

Between 6 months to a year but hoping to use my 5970's for a while yet

 

When its meaningful and beneficial to my needs.

 

February 2003----> Geforce 2 MX200
June 2004----> FX 5200 64 bit
December 2007----> 8500GT (I got a job)
March 2008----> 8800GT
February 2010----> 5870

 

hmm... i can't remember the exact dates so i'll have to average it based on years i guess...

sis530 8mb igp (super7 amd 550 rig)
Pine (sis) 315E 32mb agp2x/4x(actally waaayy faster than a 530, amd 550 s7)
Intel i740 8mb agp2x (card not chipset, amd 550 s7)
nVidia TNT2 16mb (amd 550 s7)
opti 512kb (i know big diff... other comp got pizzownd by lightning, 486cpu amd "p75" 133mhz, 48mb ram, 98se)
Geforce 4 MX 440 with AGP8x 64mb (yea that was the actual name! best image quality i've seen as far as AA and AF actually working)
Intel 810e igp with 2x voodooII (12mb ver) in sli (s370 rig I used while the athlon xp rig was down aka mx440)
ATI Radeon 7500 64mb (athlon xp 2500 rig)
ATI Radeon 9600XT 128mb (athlon xp 2500rig, also added 2x512mb xms, 160gb ide, card later used in my 775 asrock rig. Best I've ever seen HL2 pre ep1 and 2 look and run)
Geforce 8600gt 256mb (Pent D 3.5 rig, asrock 4coredual-vsta)
Geforce 9600GT 512mb (pent D them moved to my current rig.)
ATI HD 3200 OC to 900mhz (had to sell my 9600GT, current rig)
soon to come... GTS 450 1GB

I've just noticed that from the 9600XT onward (except hd3200) my upgrades have roughly doubled in vram and gpu power. I've been building my own "gaming" rigs since late '03. I've been working on PCs longer, but they were just avg joe PCs. the opti and before were all in '03. played with spare "thrown out" parts from school lol. the rest are from early '04 till now. so 7 in 7yrs (close enough anyway), hah i guess once a year then! the hd3200 and i810 don't really count since i already had them or they were just temps.

 

honestly whenever i have spare cash and have an urge to upgrade my computer.. no set schedule for me.

9800 GTX -> GTX 260 -> GTX 280 -> GTX 295 -> 5870 -> Just traded my 5870 for a GTX 470

 

Those nvidia FX cards were awfull cant belive i actually replaced my ti4600 with one.
The frame rate loss! thats before i started investigating hardware lol i just thought newer was better DOH! The titanuim range were gamers cards, The FX range where more multimedia.

Never made that mistake again!

 

I changed mines 5 times this year. First, GTX 480 > 5750 (money issues) > GTX 460 1GB > 5970 (Trash drivers and stuttering) > GTX 580.

 

Here is my GPU history:
=================

2006: SIS-6326 4MB
2007: Matrox G-Series 8MB
2008: SIS-650 32MB
2009: Intel 82810G 32MB
2009: NVidia Riva TNT2 Ultra 32MB
2009: S3 Graphics 32MB
2010: ATI Radeon 7000 32MB
2010: ATI Radeon 9250 128MB

 

almost monthly but I like to play around

 

My 8800 GTX lasted over 3 1/2 years before upgrading. After a couple years I hung an Arctic Cooling Accelero Xtreme 8800 and OC'd the heck out of it. Did a pretty good job keeping up...and it should given the $550 I paid for it back when.

 

When I come across a game which I cannot play at maximum settings. HD4870 (couldn't play Cryostasis) > HD4870x2 2 RMA's and got my money back > GTX 285 (couldn't max out Stalker Call of Pripyat) > GTX 480. All that from August 2008.

 

When it's dirt cheap to do so. Upgraded from an EVGA 9800GTX+ to a PNY XLR8 GTX460 1GB for $135 after MIR, Free S&H, no Tax, and discounts from JR.com. I'm from CA, so no sales tax is DOPE! Btw, that EVGA OC'ed like nobody's business.

I'm always one step behind in the game (GTX500s now? Wuuuhhhh?)

Edit: I failed to mention that I had a XFX 8600GTS in 2006-07, and the 9800GTX+ from '07 until this past November.

 

In the last 5 years:

Winfast 7900GTX
XFX 9800GTX+
XFX GTX 280 XT
EVGA GTX 580 SC

 

Geforce 2 GTS 32MB 2000
9700 Pro 2002
9800 Pro 2003
x800 XT 2004
7900GT 2006
8800GT 2007
4870 1GB June 2008
5850 1GB October 2009

So with a few exceptions pretty much once every year. Looks like the 5850 will be lasting me atleast another year. Bring on the 7xxx series ati!

 

I have a standing rule that I only upgrade every 3 years.... with exception to hdd's which I constantly need bigger/more of.

I really have no particular need to play every single game at its maximum settings. I can run 99% of them at 60fps at max graphics and theres no need for any higher

 

Had some loaners before 2005, in 2005 my own purchases started.

Asus ATI Radeon A9550 GE/TD
Leadtek NVidia WinFast PX6600GT TDH Extreme
Leadtek NVidia WinFast PX7900GT TDH Extreme
Asus NVidia EN8800GT (Current)
To Come: Either a 560 or a 570.

 

9600 XT
X800 GSO
1950 pro
8800 GTS 640
8800 GTS 1024
260 (216)
470 (twice)

 

Voodoo5 5500
ATI 8500 64mb
ATI 8500 128mb
ATI 9700 Pro
ATI 9800 Pro/XT
ATI X800 XL
ATI X1950 XTX
Nvidia 8800 GT
Nvidia GTX 280
Nvidia GTX 580


I upgrade......whenever the wife agrees to let me do so.....and she's been agreeable the past year.

 

Same here, but it averages about every two years.