Vista - A Query on Fair Replacement of Video Card

Would be interested in Forum's comments. I had a 9800 GX2 card that failed about 11 months into the 1 year warranty (after an agonising 4 weeks of trying to find out what was wrong with my machine!)

The shop I bought it from replaced it FOC with a new single GTX260.

When I queried them, that this didn't seem a fair replacement (I would have thought two GTX260's SLI'd together was fairer, their argument was:

The 9800 GX2 was no longer available as a new card
The second hand 9800 GX2's are about NZ$400 (I am in New Zealand) and the new GTX 260 is the same price.
The GTX 260 performs as well as the 9800 GX2

I am not unhappy with the GTX 260, but I feel kind of ripped off. NZ has pretty strict Consumer protection laws, so I will explore those as well, but my post here is to find out if this sort of replacement is common where high end cards fail and are no longer available

Thanks
Kotuku

I think a single GTX260 for a 9800GX2 is quite a fair replacement in terms of performance. Two GTX260s would wipe the floor with a single 9800GX2, as it would, in essence, be like comparing a GTX295 to a 9800GX2.

I don't disagree on performance, but our Consumer Guarantee Act says it goods should be replaced with a like performance and cost. However, not wanting to piss the Shop owner off (they make some neat high end machines), I am not going to go the legal way and hopefully can negotiate something a little better than I got.

Appreciated your input

hey i wouldn't complain.................... thats a heck of a card

So was the 9800 GX2 <smile>

You have received a card of similar performance, so that part of the obligation is fair. However does the cost factor cover "current market value" or what you originally paid for the 9800x2? I'd double check on the 'cost' aspect over performance.