First post, by Kreshna Aryaguna Nurzaman
- Rank
- l33t
So, I'm building a mini-ITX system for my desk. Not a primary gaming system, but as a general-purpose (Office, browsing, multimedia player, etc), Windows XP-based system which is aimed to get the best AA and AF out of old Windows XP games (don't ask, it's just my pastime).
I recently purchased a PNY GeForce GTX 285 for the system. Alas, the seller sent me the wrong card: a GTX 280 instead of GTX 285.
I could return the item, but considering the distance and the high S/H cost between my country (Indonesia) and the United States, I'm not really sure if the return shipping cost is worth it.
(1) Performance-wise, I don't really mind, since the performance difference between GTX 280 and GTX 285 is miniscule, especially since I'm going to use this card for old games anyway. Stuff like Warcraft III, MiG Alley (hey, it runs on XP! 😀 ), Crimson Skies, MDK (also runs on XP! 😀 ), Neverwinter Nights 1, and Emperor: Battle for Dune.
(2) I don't seems to have to worry about size either, since according to nVidia website, both GTX 285 and GTX 280 have exactly the same size (10.5" long, 4.376" wide, and dual-slot thick). So a GTX 280 would fit nicely into the Cubitek Mini Cube mini-ITX casing I'm planning to buy.
(3) It seems I don't have to worry about heat either, since both cards have exactly the same 105 C maximum GPU temperature.
(4) Power worries me a bit. The GTX 280 consumes a maximum of 236 watts, while the GTX 285 does a maximum of 204 watts. How much does 32 watts matter in a mini-ITX system? If I'm using a 550 watt PSU, does it mean I cannot plug as many as USB devices compared to if I were using GTX 285?
(5) Is there any other things that I overlooked? Also, this is PNY video card. Does PNY strictly adhere to nVidia-published specifications? Because, judging from the nVidia-published specs, there ain't much difference between GTX 280 and GTX 285. Could the same thing be said about PNY cards?
(6) If you were in my shoes, would you accept the GTX 280, or would you spend another US $50 for the return shipping cost to get a GTX 285?
Update: the problem with the seller has been settled. 😀
wrote:Update: I have settled a partial refund with the seller. Originally she offered me to return the item, and she'll refund everyth […]
Update: I have settled a partial refund with the seller. Originally she offered me to return the item, and she'll refund everything; the item's price, the S/H cost, and the return S/H cost. But frankly, I really don't have the time for it - not to mention all the hassles.
As such, I asked her a partial refund calculated by the price (and S/H cost) of another GTX 280 on ebay.
Here's what I told her:
How about partial refund? So I keep the card and you give me a partial refund to compensate for my loss. Because it's not only about the money, it's about all the hassles of sending the card back and buying another card, etc, which shouldn't have happened..
As I have told you, if you had named the item correctly, I would have bought this GTX 280 instead instead of yours:
http://tinyurl.com/mtb6jz9
I would have paid the appropriate amount for a GTX 280 card (as opposed to a GTX 285), and you would have kept your card, so it would have been a win-win solution. By the way, even if I didn't buy your card on the first place, some other buyer may have bought your card if you priced them more appropriately.
The price of that card is $95.99, and the S/H cost, which is lower than yours, is $32.29. The import charges he charges to his customer is $23.74, which is also lower than yours, but I'll let it pass.
On the other hand, the price of your card is $150,and the S/H cost is $54.21. So the total (ignoring import charges) is $204.21, which I don't mind spending on a truly new (even though open box) GTX 285, mind you.
If I bought that GTX 280 instead, I would have spend a total of US $128.28. Again, ignoring the import charges which is lower than yours.
So I think it'll only fair if you give me a partial refund of ($204.21 - $128.28) = US $75.93.
I'm already ignoring your higher import charges in this calculation, mind you. I'll still lose about nine dollars, but like I said, I'll let it pass.
If send me a partial refund of the US $75.93 based on the calculation above, then I'll call it a day. I'll close the case I've opened on ebay for this matter, and I'll even give you a positive feedback.
,
A GTX 280 is hotter and consumes more power than a GTX 285, so I'll have more troubles in cooling my system (a mini-ITX case for a legacy Windows XP system). But I can live with the card if the price is more appropriate.Well she agreed, and the partial refund is being processed through ebay's resolution center. Not quite a bad deal, eh? I'm being lenient this time, because it's clear that the case is the result of pure carelessness instead of malicious intention. She's also quite cooperative.
(Mind you, I have seen ebay sellers giving multiple names to their items, so that the said items would appear on search result intended for other items.)
Case closed, then. Of course, it doesn't have to stop us from discussing old 3D games on new video cards. 😉
Never thought this thread would be that long, but now, for something different.....
Kreshna Aryaguna Nurzaman.