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Advice on new Gfx Card

  • 13-09-2004 7:28pm
    #1
    mordeith
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,278 ✭✭✭


    Hey people.
    Just wondering about opinions on purchasing a new Graphics Card. Would it be worth my time buying something like a 128 Mb ATI 9800 Pro or should I go for a 256Mb card?
    My 8500 is really acting up at the moment although it's possibly due to DirectX 9.0b. It was better on DirectX 8.1
    Thanx


Comments

  • #2
    Col_Loki
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,761 ✭✭✭Col_Loki


    Ignore the 256mb lower end cards there is no point in them having that ammount TBH. The 9800pro is a great card and one of the best bang per buck at the min. www.jes-computer.de have them on special this week for €185 , also www.komplett.ie have them for €199 also on special.

    The 9800pro 128mb would be a far better performer than say a 9600XT 256mb........

    My advise would be a 9800pro, for a serious difference.


  • #3
    ExoduS 18.11
    Closed Accounts Posts: 450 ✭✭ExoduS 18.11


    I have to disagree. If you have about 400-500 quid to spend, buy a X800 Xt. All new graphics cards being released will be on XT format. Recent reviews expressed that a x800 xt 128mb is bottlenecked. They say that the 256mb is more stable and is reliable. If u choose a 256mb gfx card, make sure to get a some sort of cooling system in place. My X800 has been giving problems sue to overheating


  • #4
    Khannie
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 37,485 ✭✭✭✭Khannie


    I'd put in a mix between the two lads there....

    If you have around 200 euro, you can't go wrong with the 9800 pro 128MB (tests showed that the 9800 pro 256MB was only very very slightly faster, definitely not worth the price difference).

    On the other hand, if you have buckets of cash to spend, the X800XT 256MB does outperform its 128MB equivalent (it has more memory bandwidth).

    In short, it depends. ;)

    Personally, I wouldn't spend more than 300 on a graphics card. I think that the depreciation on a very high end graphics card is a bit silly.


  • #5
    Col_Loki
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,761 ✭✭✭Col_Loki


    Ignore the 256mb lower end cards there is no point in them having that ammount TBH

    Note the "lower end cards"
    I have to disagree. If you have about 400-500 quid to spend, buy a X800 Xt

    And being realistic about it if his system was running a 8500 its prob not an AMD64 or simular spec machine now is it? Something like an X800XT would be a dreadfull choice in a system that is low/med specs as the card would be bottlenecked by the system.........


  • #6
    davmigil
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 593 ✭✭✭davmigil


    9800Pro are good cards, BUT will be superceded soon (1-2 months) by ATI X700 series (ATI's budget offering to compete with Nvidia's 6600 budget series).

    If the price is right, the Nvidia 6600GT 128Mb looks like a nice card.

    http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,1558,1643492,00
    http://graphics.tomshardware.com/graphic/20040907/index.html.asp

    In mid-price range GFX cards (€200 mark) I would nearly always choose a 128Mb newer generation card than a 256Mb top of older generation card.

    Anyway, if like the rest of the world you are waiting for Half Life 2 (probably be November or so), may as well wait to buy the graphics card then and choose between the latest nvidia or ati.

    ps Direct X 9.0c is out now for download from Microsoft (might even come with SP2? Don't know as I installed it before SP2). Worth checking if ATI have released a newer driver too recently.


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  • #7
    greglo23
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,028 ✭✭✭greglo23


    hi folks, how about this, Product AID: 17931 128MB Leadtek A400LE 6800LE TV/DVI Bulk from http://www.jes.de/ .from what i`ve read it seems to perform as well as a 9800 xt !!!! 218.99 Euro


  • #8
    OfflerCrocGod
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,334 ✭✭✭OfflerCrocGod


    greglo23 wrote:
    from what i`ve read it seems to perform as well as a 9800 xt !!!! 218.99 Euro
    Well the fact is that as far as I know all the 9800Pros coming from Jes can be easily flashed to XTs and with the extra cooling from an Artic Cooler the OCs should be decent enough....OCing the 6800LE though might get you an impressive amount of extra Mhz considering its the same core just crippled with less pipes....tough decision either of the two would be decent cards.


  • #9
    mordeith
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,278 ✭✭✭mordeith


    Thanks for all the advice.
    I reckon I'll probably plum for the 9800 Pro. Sounds like a good all round card with a few more years left in it yet. Half-Life 2 is of course what I'm waiting for and hopefully it'll live to all the hype (and the tradition on HL1).
    Good idea to wait for the game to actually come out though as prices may have droped a little by then as well.


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