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Graphics i am torn

Discussion in 'Hardware' started by ToM, 29 Jul 2004.

  1. ToM

    ToM mmmm, blud

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    over the next 2 weeks i am saving up £400 to spend on a graphics card.

    this is where the problem lies.

    do i:

    1) buy a x800xt and hope they boost the performance for doom 3 (like its going to perform crap anyway :rolleyes:) and have fun with the better performance in hl2.
    2) buy a x800pro (msi rx800pro) and spend some money on some more ram (or other stuff)
    3) buy a 6800gt and go back to the side of the devil which i havent touched since i bought my 8500 a couple of years ago

    i have read the more recent posts in this forum and cant decide which is fanboyism and which is founded.

    much help would be apreciated and comments like:

    "omg nvidia r00000lz0r ati sux000r"

    will be greatly ignored :D

    thank you for your time :thumb:
     
  2. maki43

    maki43 I can touch my toes 1,2,3

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    The 6800 GT is a good card, and as seen in the doom 3 benches beats the Ati x800pro in tests. But youll get better fps from the x800p in hl2. Really its between these two, the XT is a waist of money as most pros can be modded to XT's ne way!

    Personally i would go for the x800p, i love the 9700p i have atm and has been great for any game so far. Also youll be able to get some new ram too :) Its a bit of future proofing too as any system now is a bottleneck for the cards!

    Go for the 6800GT if you want to save some money and still get good performance, but go for the x800p if you want future proofing!

    Hope that helps!!


    Also Nv1d1a = t3h n00bs!!1111 :p

    ...jk :D
     
  3. Aa-chan

    Aa-chan AA-CHAN

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    I'd personally go for the X800XT as they're immensely fast, but it's true that many X800 cards can be flashed to it. I suppose you just have to weigh up the chances of the flashing working and the extra £50. And no, don't go to the dark side...:D
     
  4. Austin

    Austin Minimodder

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    ;) 6800GT is really the way to go, but only by the tiniest bit and who knows how the games due out in 6 months (or more) will change things? The 6800GT tends to beat out the X800_Pro and quite often the X800_XT too. The latest nVidia drivers apparently REALLY improve HL2, much as ATI's new drivers surely will with Doom III. Although the X800_Pro has 12 pipes (vs 6800GT's 16 pipes) they are clocked much faster, so it's actually pretty even, and this seems to be the case when both are o/c'ed too. Anyway other reasons for 6800GT are that ...

    * nVidia have much better Linux drivers and are stronger in OpenGL.

    * nVidia really has addressed all the shortfalls of the GF-FX series.

    * Unlike the laughable 6800ultra the GT has pretty normal size and power reqs.

    * PS3.0 is a defined and adopted std which also falls back. ATI's answer of 3Dc compression seems just as good but is unlikely to be as used or adopted.

    * It's priced much lower than the X800_XT and probably has the better availibility.

    * It stands a better chance of improving through drivers, it's much more of a redesign than the X800 series which is probably already near optimal perf.

    :D Just to clarify 9800Pro is easily the best mid-range and 'puch for pound' choice. I'm certainly no fan-boy, ATI have been the best choice since the 9700Pro came along. However this round I'd give to 6800GT at the top-end, but it really is VERY close, no bad choice here by any means.
     
  5. julianmartin

    julianmartin resident cyborg.

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    I personally think nVidia have pulled it off this time...could you sit it out till Doom3 is out and theres a few more benchmarks done? thats what id do...then you might have some more consumer opinions to go with aswell..
     
  6. Tim S

    Tim S OG

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    How can you future proof with an X800 PRO? AGP is gonna be history over the next year or so...

    The 6800GT has 16 pipelines and many will clock past the minimum spec for a 6800 Ultra, I would go with that card tbh.
     
  7. Guest-16

    Guest-16 Guest

    Yea, 16 pipes = the win. You can oc a GT, you cant oc non existent pipes.
     
  8. Tim S

    Tim S OG

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    while you can mod the X800 PRO VIVO, what happens if it doesn't mod? :)

    The IQ on both is more than acceptable, and as a user of both forceware and catalyst drivers, I don't have a problem with either driver set.
     
  9. JoKeR

    JoKeR What's a Dremel?

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    I dont consider myself a fan boyo but after looking on the net and reading reviews i find myself drawn towards the 6800GT, as my choice of replacement for my 9800XT.

    Both nVIDIA and ATi have there good points but the 6800GT gives you the best of both worlds single power connecter, single slot plus you get plenty Bang for your Buck

    just a thought from a welshman who know's little :D
     
  10. Yadda

    Yadda Minimodder

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    Another Welshman here, and another vote for the 6800GT for all the reasons quoted by Austin. Mine will be here on Monday hopefully. :rock:

    <fanboy disclaimer> - I currently own a 9800pro, previously owned other ATi and Nvidea cards. I really have no preference.
     
  11. ToM

    ToM mmmm, blud

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    thanks for the replys guys, think my mind is made up now

    and now for my next question:

    which 6800gt should i buy?

    ive noticed from most reviews i have read of them that there isnt that much diff in card spec so its more bundle wise yes?

    and im also looking into getting an a64 3200+, just wondering if its worth spending the extra on a clawhammer or just going with a newcastle.
     
  12. Austin

    Austin Minimodder

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    :D You are right. nVidia (and ATI) are very strict about specs of the top-end cards so they don't deviate between the diff brands, it's only really the low-end cards which deviate, quite disgusting that but it is another reason to go mid-range (or better). On the odd occasion a particular brand will also release a 'special edition' type card which is slightly enhanced, perhaps with higher clocks or better quality RAM, but that's usually very clear both in naming and pricing. So basically YES, go by price and bundle with a nice brand being simply an ideal.

    :rock: The A64_3200+ is a great choice. Clawhammer gives you 1MB but slower clocks (vs Newcastle) and overall the extra clock speed is more beneficial. However this may change when using it in 64bit mode and you can always o/c. If you say both are likely to reach 2.4ghz on average then the 1MB cache and increased HT/RAM speed will certainly give C.Hammer the edge. At the same time you'd need faster rated RAM and may find other things end up limiting your o/c (such as PCI/AGP or esp SATA). So when you weigh it all up both are great choices.
     
  13. RotoSequence

    RotoSequence Lazy Lurker

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    The best 6800 GT to go for is the BFG 6800 GT OC; its a pre-overclocked 6800 GT that costs just as much as all the others. There really isnt much in the way of bundles included with the 6800 series, so thats nothing to bother with. Subsequently, I think you should go with that. :) Dont beleive newegg with the price either; they are over charging on that card. The MSRP is only $400, not newegg's $500 :)
     
  14. Austin

    Austin Minimodder

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    :D BFG 6800GT OC reviews:

    http://www.bjorn3d.com/read.php?cID=653

    http://www.gamepc.com/labs/view_content.asp?id=6800gt&page=1

    http://www.nvnews.net/reviews/bfg_geforce_6800_gt_oc/index.shtml

    :hip: Although the card comes pre-o/c'ed it's only by 20mhz core and nothing on the RAM, ie 370/1000 vs 350/1000. The achieved o/c in the first link was 420/1100 which is faster than the 6800ultra (400/1100) thanks to both cards having the same 16 pipe design. Of course there's no guarantee your BFG OC will hit that, I doubt the BFG OC will o/c better than anyone else's 6800GT TBH.
     
  15. Perpetual Notion

    Perpetual Notion What's a Dremel?

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    I have to say, the BFG 6800 GT is a nice choice. I picked mine based almost solely on availability (we got a shipment in at the store where I worked) and I haven't been unhappy with it at all.

    On a side note: I was very much surprised as to just how beefy the 6800 GT was. I thought my Geforce3 Ti 200 was big, but man....

    [​IMG]

    it is like a massive stone tablet on which a primitive, hunched race of men would carve depictions of their horned, many tongued god.

    laterz,
    Perp
     
  16. RotoSequence

    RotoSequence Lazy Lurker

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    Thats the exact card I will be getting as soon as Fry's gets a new shipment :miffed: Those things are in waaay to high demand. :(
     
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