Graphics Ordering Graphics Card from US - Import Tax? And what is GDDR3?

I ordered an x800 graphics card in the UK, but cancelled the order as it took so long, now I'm considering ordering from the US as as usual its a lot cheaper. But... I have ordered some items from the US before (I'm in the UK), some of the items had import tax slapped on (that pissed me off as I wasnt notified first), other items didn't have import tax, so why is that?

And the other thing, whats the difference between DDR and GDDR3? Do they go in the same slot?

 

Up to £18 you dont pay import tax, over that you pay VAT and a customs charge (£4 for royal mail).

 

Basically DDR is the normal DDR RAM as used used in mobos. GDDR3 is specifric gfx card RAM designed for higher clock speeds with lower voltage and hence lower heat output. DDR2 uses higher latency so if clocked at the same speed as DDR will actually be a tad slower, I'm not sure if this is the same for GDDR3.

It's not just import tax but problems with DOA, consumer rights and warranties in general. Shipping is also going to add a fair bit to the cost, perhaps you could couple the purchase in with a holiday? Rarely worth the risk IMHO.

 

So which is best? Will they go in the same AGP slot? Or do you need specific motherboards for GDDR3?

Holiday, thats a good idea, I'm going to Canada in October for my b'day - Toronto, so I may be able to get stuff there, but not sure if Canada is cheaper? - Is it? Is there any good computer shops in Toronto?

 

It also depends on the courier the shop uses. If you get your items shipped over by Fedex, expect taxes big-time. If they use, say, UPS, you tend to escape that dance...

 

Yo ho, no wonder I got a #20 tax bill for ordering from the US (TWICE), both times the courier was FedEx

 

There's no "slot" for memory on graphics cards, whatever it uses is regardless. I think you mean AGP or PCI-E.

DDR on graphics cards isnt exactly the same as DDR that you plug into mobo's.

 

Yep it's 'fixed' into the PCB of the gfx card. It's not intended to upgrade at all. GDDR3 is best for gfx cards as clock speeds and to a lesser extent power reqs and heat output are the most important concerns. Canada shoul dbe cheaper, not sure of Canadian VAT or recouping it etc. ATI Radeons shoudl be a tad cheaper as they are a Canadian company.

If you are looking at PCIe vs AGP there's no real speed gain from the new PCIe interface which is not at all compatible with good old AGP. On top of that PCIe choice is limited (both mobo and gfx card) and they're also over-priced. AGP is still best at the mo, 9800Pro are esp great value. Things surrounding PCIe should be different going into 2005 though.

 

You can get an X800 VIVO (soft-moddable to XT) for about £255 from a few Toronto retailers I know of.

 

I thought that none of the X800's were soft-moddable, and the important thing, which Toronto retailers?

 

Only the X800 Pro VIVO cards are softmoddable (in an xtremesystems poll, IIRC, 92% of them successfully modded to XT). As for retailers, Big Foot. They also carry just about any modding supplies you can think of, and are located in downtown Toronto. Oh, and just divide the price by 2.4 to get the approximate price in GBP.

 

Woo, looking at the maps, its only about a mile from my hotel!

So... its out the hotel, turn left, at the end of the road, turn right, it'll be on my right.... looking 4wards to cheap hardware

 

Know anybody in New York, USA? I ask, because if you were in toronto, all you would have to do is go across the lake and you're in the states. If you know anybody in, say, Rochester, NY, you could buy it online from a US site and get it shipped to NY, where you could pick it up. Of course assuming you can't get it cheaper in Canada.

 

On last years' graphics cards, there were more DDR1 memory chips than GDDR2, this is despite GDDR2 being released nearly 18 months ago. The reason behind the lack of GDDR2 is the fact that GDDR2 requires the same vDD as DDR1 (2.5v). This voltage feeds the input buffers and core logic (or internals) of a memory chip. Part of the reasoning behind the lack of GDDR2-based graphics cards is the fact that with the same internal voltage and higher clock speeds, there is more heat being leaked from the memory chips.

GDDR2 does have a lower vDDQ voltage than DDR1 being 1.8v rather than 2.5v - vDDQ feeds the output buffers of the memory chip. GDDR3 does not require the same high voltages. I covered the differences between GDDR2 and GDDR3 in the following quote from my Sparkle GeForceFX 5700Ultra review.

 

Nope, know no-one from NY, but, my friends from sixth form are going to NY city for a photography field trip - wish I did photography now -, one is also a computer mod fan, mite ask him to buy on in NYC? - But I'm going to Canada b4 that, so I'll probably buy it there if I can

 

The cheapest card are in California, on the complete opposite side of the country. However, you can get it shipped to the hotel and your friends can pick it up at the front desk, assuming they are staying in a hotel.