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Drats.

I was looking at 6800s today on eBay. Saw that card and it was selling for pretty cheap. There's something I don't like about the idea of pre-overclocking cards. How do you know what you're really getting?

[quote]Drats.

I was looking at 6800s today on eBay. Saw that card and it was selling for pretty cheap. There's something I don't like about the idea of pre-overclocking cards. How do you know what you're really getting?

There is nothing wrong with a video card being cheap, after all, they are just a few electronic components worth just a few dollars. A couple years from now, they will be garage sale items or giveaways.

What you pay for is capability, research and development, advertising hype, distributor markup, retailer profits, image and goodwill.

The reason that BFG and others "pre-overclock" their cards is because THEY CAN!

Instead of going the usual route and buying the cheapest and nastiest components to produce their products, then finding out that they won't run stable at their designed speed, so they have to cripple them by reducing their clock speeds..................... they actually care for and serve a niche market of enthusiasts who know what they want and are willing to pay extra for it.

So, companies like BFG buy high quality components and test them individually for stabililty at high clock speeds, using the best components tested for their high end products.

Without such companies trying to excel, we would be left with the mediocre or.... worse.

In the current complex climate of market hysteria and product confusion, it's great for the informed buyer to have the option to purchase a quality product, where the manufacturer is proud to announce their excellence.

The quality manufacturer is currently in a bit of a bind, they have to compete with a plethora of companies selling to make their profit charts look great and using standard or sub-standard components.

So, the quality companies have to reduce their price to compete. This represents great value for the end user who is able to buy the very best product at a reduced "value added" rate, companies like BFG should be applauded and supported, rather than treated as suspect.

As far as I know the 6800's do have variable speed fans.  Listen to it on boot up too! notice how it is spinning real fast until you get onto desktop!!

Install the 'Coolbits' Registyr tweek and it will let you know what speed your card is at.  Mine comes at 425/1200 standard and I have upped it to 450/1200 and it runs fine with no raise in temp.

Dang it.

I bought this card at Fry's and the cable it comes with doesn't even fit right, so the card is being underpowered and doesn't do anything.  It shall be close to three months I've been working on this rig since it proke, and half the fight is with Fry's.  I'm growing weary...