Before I go anywhere with this post, yes, KickAssCop, I did vote
As far as the low-end/mainstream/high-end debate goes, here's how I feel, having worked in retail with computers and components for several years:
Low-end: Enough to get what you want done... done. Spend as little as possible to get your work or play in. As far as graphics cards go, 6600 GT/X800 or lower (including the GT/GTO) is low end, out of the box; whatever you do with flashing or unlocking things is entirely up to you to make it perform better.
Mainstream: As the name implies, good enough for the mainstream. $200 buys you a lot of kit, and boy is it faster than a low-end but sure as hell isn't as great as that high-end card. The compromise brings satisfaction until you can afford better. This is where my 6800 GS comes in...
High-end: The best (or nearly the best) damn thing you can buy, period. If you were a mainstream user, this thing would last you for several years.
Just my opinion, though.
As far as the low-end/mainstream/high-end debate goes, here's how I feel, having worked in retail with computers and components for several years:
Low-end: Enough to get what you want done... done. Spend as little as possible to get your work or play in. As far as graphics cards go, 6600 GT/X800 or lower (including the GT/GTO) is low end, out of the box; whatever you do with flashing or unlocking things is entirely up to you to make it perform better.
Mainstream: As the name implies, good enough for the mainstream. $200 buys you a lot of kit, and boy is it faster than a low-end but sure as hell isn't as great as that high-end card. The compromise brings satisfaction until you can afford better. This is where my 6800 GS comes in...
High-end: The best (or nearly the best) damn thing you can buy, period. If you were a mainstream user, this thing would last you for several years.
Just my opinion, though.