Lasereth's Mega Videocard Buyer's Guide! - Page 2 - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

Lasereth · 10-12-2004, 08:00 PM

I'd get one of the last two. Both are really strong videocards!

-Lasereth

NavySEAL · 10-12-2004, 08:20 PM

If I had a 925X Series motherboard I would buy two 6600 GT's

Bim · 10-12-2004, 09:49 PM

Thanks

Mondak · 12-14-2004, 03:33 PM

Any updates for the Christmas buying season?

KnifeMissile · 12-15-2004, 03:34 PM

Hey Lasereth, here's a challenge for you! How does my (almighty) ATI X300SE compare to the best video cards of the year 2000?

If this seems like a strange question, I'm playing Deus Ex right now and was wondering how playing it on my computer, now, compares with playing it on the best PCs at the time of its release...

aKula · 12-16-2004, 04:02 AM

Does memory access time have a large effect on performance? My friend scolded me for getting 3.3ns memory instead of 2.8ns memory. Of course this information isn't listed you just have to read it off the card.

Irishsean · 12-19-2004, 08:34 AM

Since I only want to spend $100-$150 on a video card, and I can't seem to find the x700 in agp, is the 9600XT my best alternative?

nine · 12-19-2004, 12:25 PM

Sticky this! Just need the same for CPus and Motherboards now

whocarz · 12-20-2004, 11:55 PM

Having just recently learned about core speed and memory speed (a couple days before I first read this thread), I come to the question: What the hell does more memory equate to? I assume it relates to how long you can play before it's exhausted, although you know what they say about assuming...

Bratwurst · 12-31-2004, 09:40 PM

I have a GeForce FX 5600 Ultra that I bought to replace a 64 meg ti4200 that I had which kept locking up constantly. Did I buy something that actually performs worse? I played through Doom 3 and HL2 on it fine, seemed to work ok. I just don't see it on your list.

How do you guys overclock these cards? I am tempted to overclock mine and if it burns out just get something better.

Bratwurst · 12-31-2004, 09:43 PM

Also, which cards are directx 9 series cards, which cards are directx 8 cards?

I wish I could just build a new machine with a pci express board but I can't spend that kind of money right now.

SiN · 01-01-2005, 04:39 AM

Lasareth!

I need your advises, as I'm likely about to purchase a gfx card.
my budget is ~50 $ (40-70 really) and I don't do *that* much gaming, and usually older games. I would like to be able to at least play new games @ middle settings, if that's possible with such a low price range.
(what I've got in my computer right now is a Radeon 9550SE 128 MB, it's borrowed from work. It falls in my pricerange and I could just buy it, but I wonder if for ~ the same price, I could get something better - another one I'm considering is the GeForce FX5500 128MB, which is a bit cheaper for me)..

so - whatcha think?

Thanks

Lasereth · 01-02-2005, 08:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bratwurst

I have a GeForce FX 5600 Ultra that I bought to replace a 64 meg ti4200 that I had which kept locking up constantly. Did I buy something that actually performs worse? I played through Doom 3 and HL2 on it fine, seemed to work ok. I just don't see it on your list.

How do you guys overclock these cards? I am tempted to overclock mine and if it burns out just get something better.

They're about the same performance-wise. You'll see some effects look better with the 5600 Ultra because of the DX9 compatability. In terms of overall performance, like I said before, they're about the same.

-Lasereth

Irishsean · 01-02-2005, 08:35 AM

Might want to rethink the 6600GT on the list, I got it, and its been nothing but trouble for me. I've been looking around on a couple boards, and it seems like about 75% of people think its a terrible card. Since installing it I have yet to break 40 FPS in anything.

Lasereth · 01-02-2005, 08:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Irishsean

Might want to rethink the 6600GT on the list, I got it, and its been nothing but trouble for me. I've been looking around on a couple boards, and it seems like about 75% of people think its a terrible card. Since installing it I have yet to break 40 FPS in anything.

I just looked through some benchmarks again on multiple sites and the thing is still regarded as a powerhouse. Remember that 40 FPS is good depending on your system. If you're playing brand-new games, don't expect really high FPS with a midrange videocard. Your videocard was $200...it was never the best, unfortunately. It's meant to perform in the midrange area because of its midrange price. It's basically a suped up Radeon 9800 Pro. With today's games, I wouldn't expect a Radeon 9800 Pro or a 6600 GT to go past 45 FPS unless you turn the settings all the way down. 30 FPS or more is what games should be running at with your system.

-Lasereth

Lasereth · 01-02-2005, 08:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SiN

Lasareth!

I need your advises, as I'm likely about to purchase a gfx card.
my budget is ~50 $ (40-70 really) and I don't do *that* much gaming, and usually older games. I would like to be able to at least play new games @ middle settings, if that's possible with such a low price range.
(what I've got in my computer right now is a Radeon 9550SE 128 MB, it's borrowed from work. It falls in my pricerange and I could just buy it, but I wonder if for ~ the same price, I could get something better - another one I'm considering is the GeForce FX5500 128MB, which is a bit cheaper for me)..

so - whatcha think?

Thanks

I'd try to buy a Radeon 9600 Pro or GeForce 4 TI4200 for $70. You're cheating yourself if you buy something else for slightly cheaper. These cards are awesome for the price!

-Lasereth

Irishsean · 01-02-2005, 11:26 AM

Check thru all the posts on Guru3D, the benchmarks are not accurately representing what the card is doing in games. Most people can't even get the bench software to reproduce what reviews are saying. With my system drivers completely updated, running a 2600+ Barton Core, 1gb PC-3200 Dual Channeled ram, and the 6600GT AGP from Leadtek, I'm getting an average of 0-1 FPS in 3Dmark05.

SiN · 01-02-2005, 11:32 AM

thx for the reply, Lasareth

unfortunately, the 9600 Pro is out of budget (~100 euro on ebay.de).
If I was more of a gamer, I'd do it, but it's just not priority (and I've other hardware purchases planned soon).

the GeForce 4 TI4200 is about half that price, so it's within range. (50 euro is my ideal max I want to spend).

I'm a bit confused on a couple things though -
1. 64 or 128? (or, does this have anything to do with the Aperture Size of my mobo's GI? 64 MB in my case)
2. am I wrong, or is this an old card? I think this is what my bf has in his computer, and it's almost 2 years old.
2a. If I'm right, then why would my bf be considering the GeForce FX5500 128MB as an 'upgrade'?

ahh, the confusing world of vidcards

good thing we've experts like you here - I may be a geek, but I'm lost with this ....

Lasereth · 01-02-2005, 11:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SiN

I'm a bit confused on a couple things though -
1. 64 or 128? (or, does this have anything to do with the Aperture Size of my mobo's GI? 64 MB in my case)
2. am I wrong, or is this an old card? I think this is what my bf has in his computer, and it's almost 2 years old.
2a. If I'm right, then why would my bf be considering the GeForce FX5500 128MB as an 'upgrade'?

1. 64 MB or 128 MB. Whichever you can afford! Both are fine.

2. Yes, it is an old card. I believe the TI4200 came out in 2002.

2a. Probably because 99% of videocard buyers assume that later generations are more powerful. NVIDIA released a really powerful set of videocards in 2002 (GF4 TI series). In 2003 they released the GeForce FX series. The first few FX cards aren't even as good as GF4 TI series! They're simply newer.

The GeForce 4 TI4200 will actually run better on older games than the FX 5500 also. I've yet to see any benchmarks with the FX 5500 but I'm betting that it's based on technology somewhere in between an FX 5200 and FX 5600. Neither one of those are as good as a GF 4 TI4200 so I'm assuming that the FX 5500 won't be that great either.

-Lasereth

Lasereth · 01-02-2005, 11:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Irishsean

Check thru all the posts on Guru3D, the benchmarks are not accurately representing what the card is doing in games. Most people can't even get the bench software to reproduce what reviews are saying. With my system drivers completely updated, running a 2600+ Barton Core, 1gb PC-3200 Dual Channeled ram, and the 6600GT AGP from Leadtek, I'm getting an average of 0-1 FPS in 3Dmark05.

There is a possibility that a huge portion of the 6600 GT chipsets were shipped faulty. When the FX 5900 Ultra came out there was a metric fucklode of faulty cards shipped out. I got two of them from NewEgg ($1,000 RMA anyone?).

3DMark 2005 is EXTREMELY system intensive. I have an Athlon XP 2500+, 768 MB of PC2700, and a GeForce 6800 GT overclocked WAY past Ultra speeds and mine runs at 0-15 FPS during 2005. The average is probably around 10. An average FPS of below 5 wouldn't surprise me with a 6600 GT but 0-1 FPS is awfully low.

I don't know what to tell ya -- it honestly sounds like the card is fucked.

-Lasereth

bitrunner · 01-21-2005, 06:06 PM

OK, what about Nvidia VS ATI in general?

I had/have a TI 4200 that I was really happy with, but it's dead. So time for a new one! I've always gotten Nvidia cards, but now I see some pretty good deals on ATI's. So is there much difference between the chipsets, or should I just go best bang for the buck. (which would be around 120 bucks)..

bltzkriegmcanon · 01-21-2005, 06:37 PM

The thing that my roommates and I (Lasereth and Redjake) have thrown around often is the argument of IQ (image quality) vs. flat out frame rates. My roommates are both Nvidia users, and I'm the lone ATI guy, and as has been said before use an OC'ed 6800 GT, and both of them insist the IQ on my 9700 Pro is STILL better than what their cards produce. However, there's no getting around that they have way better framerates on most games when put up against me. That being said, the real question one has to ask is, what do you value most? Is it purely framerate, with a sacrifice in IQ, or do you put IQ over framerate? Honestly, the sacrifice in IQ for Nvidia cards isn't supremely noticeable, but the difference in framerates is noticeable. So, that's just my opinion.

oberon · 01-30-2005, 06:37 AM

Hey, I'm looking for a fast dual DVI nvidia card. XFX seems to make two cards like this: a 6600 GT selling around $200 and a 6800 selling around $265. Links:

(6800)
http://www.monarchcomputer.com/Merch...&AFFIL=pg&NR=1
http://www.newegg.com/app/viewproduc...P=OTC-d3alt1me
(6600 GT)
http://www.mwave.com/mwave/viewspec....iteria=3625406
http://www.newegg.com/app/viewproduc...C-pr1c3grabb3r

Suggestions? They all seem to have the same speed RAMDAC, but the 6800's memory bus is apparently faster, 22GB/s vs. 16GB/s on the 6600GT. Not sure if the faster memory bus is worth an extra $65 though... can AGP 8X even handle 16GB/s?

Irishsean · 01-30-2005, 07:49 AM

I just recieved a new BFG 6600GT OC from outpost.com, and am loving it. Great graphics quality and decent fps in games.

I think there were just a ton of faulty cards out there, and I finally lucked out and got a good one, or they figured out how to fix it.

Redjake · 01-30-2005, 12:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bltzkriegmcanon

The thing that my roommates and I (Lasereth and Redjake) have thrown around often is the argument of IQ (image quality) vs. flat out frame rates. My roommates are both Nvidia users, and I'm the lone ATI guy, and as has been said before use an OC'ed 6800 GT, and both of them insist the IQ on my 9700 Pro is STILL better than what their cards produce. However, there's no getting around that they have way better framerates on most games when put up against me. That being said, the real question one has to ask is, what do you value most? Is it purely framerate, with a sacrifice in IQ, or do you put IQ over framerate? Honestly, the sacrifice in IQ for Nvidia cards isn't supremely noticeable, but the difference in framerates is noticeable. So, that's just my opinion.

I think we settled on the fact you have a badass monitor

The IQ isn't that much different. Your monitor is brand new, makes the game look a lot better. My monitor is lasting a long time with good quality also. Lasereth's cheapo monitor makes games look a bit washed out.

KMA-628 · 02-18-2005, 01:02 PM

-bump-

too much good info here for it to fall into oblivion

I just bought another video card and relied heavily on this thread

P-Naughty · 02-18-2005, 03:17 PM

I don't think anyone has mentioned it yet, but the BFG Geforce 6800 GT OC puts the lotion on the skin. The standard GeForce 6800 GT comes clocked at 350MHz (GPU), but the OC is set at 370. The RAM is also overclocked, and like all BFG cards it comes with a lifetime warranty. I overclocked mine even further and have it set at 400MHZ and upped the RAM speed from 1.0GHz to 1.1GHz, that's the same specs as a 6800 Ultra for $100 less. I have also overclocked higher than that (420 MHz, 1.1 GHz) and got a score of 4985 on 3DMark05. Considering I got a 350 something with my Geforce FX 5200 Ultra, I'm a happy boy.

----------

System Specs (as a reference):
ASUS A7N8X-X mobo
AMD Athlon XP 3200+ (water cooled with Zalman Resorator[sp?] )
1 gig of PC2100 DDR
PC Power & Cooling TurboCool 510 Deluxe PSU
Western Digital 250 GB, 7200 RPM Caviar Edition hard drive

Bratwurst · 02-23-2005, 08:04 AM

I just called BFG Tech about a Ti4200 a friend of mine had that was having issues, even giving weird blocks during the post screen. Thing was over 2 years old and they are shipping a new replacement or a newer equivalent. Thats pretty cool for a card that is over 2 years old to get a new one free.

Also, Anyone have any advice on a vid card with TV tuner built in that isn't an ATI card?

Bratwurst · 03-09-2005, 11:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bratwurst

I just called BFG Tech about a Ti4200 a friend of mine had that was having issues, even giving weird blocks during the post screen. Thing was over 2 years old and they are shipping a new replacement or a newer equivalent. Thats pretty cool for a card that is over 2 years old to get a new one free.

Also, Anyone have any advice on a vid card with TV tuner built in that isn't an ATI card?

Follow up on the above post:

I just recieved the replacement for the Ti4200 128mb card. They sent a GeForce FX 5700 256mb card. I think... it says on the back "BFGR57256OC".

I could be wrong, but did I just get a much much better card in return? The memory is double and this should be able to work well with directx9 right?

Lasereth · 03-09-2005, 01:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bratwurst

Follow up on the above post:

I just recieved the replacement for the Ti4200 128mb card. They sent a GeForce FX 5700 256mb card. I think... it says on the back "BFGR57256OC".

I could be wrong, but did I just get a much much better card in return? The memory is double and this should be able to work well with directx9 right?

My guide explains that memory = nothing. The amount of memory on a videocard is one of the smallest determinants of performance.

The FX5700 isn't a bad card, but you don't have the Ultra. The Ultra is the version that would perform better than a TI4200 in all tests. Your FX 5700 will perform better in newer games that rely <I>heavily</I> DirectX 9 but you'll actually lose performance from the TI4200 in older games. It's not a bad replacement, but you may notice a slowdown in older games from the TI4200. Games like Doom 3 and Half-Life 2 will perform about the same.

-Lasereth

userasdf1234 · 03-11-2005, 07:48 AM

Is the ATI 9600 Pro 128mb the same as the ATI 9600 Pro Turbo 128mb (the mobility one)?

KMA-628 · 03-17-2005, 08:23 AM

So, I am looking to pick up a couple 6600GT's (for two different computers) and I would like to know the difference in manufacturers.

Link goes to Newegg - List of 6600GT's

Once I am narrowed down to the chipset I want, how do I decide which manufacturer to choose from?

Is one better? Worse?

Also, I see reviews where they recommend changing the fan: How do I know which fan will fit on which video card if I decide to upgrade the video card fan (One of my cases has 5 fans, one pointing right at the video card/the other case has three fans, one pointing at the video card)

Thanks,

Edit: I see that the 9800 Pro is around the same price with speeds just a tad lower, but 256 bit instead of the 128 bit on the 6600GT, which would you recommend? (Games: DAOC, BF1942, BF Vietnam and hopefully soon....Battlefied II).

Lasereth · 03-17-2005, 07:13 PM

I wouldn't change the fan on your videocard. I've never did it before so I can't give ya any advice. There are fans that are designed for NVIDIA and ATI cards but again, I have no advice to give. The default fan should suffice!

The GeForce 6600 GT has GDDR3 RAM on it. This makes up for the lack of a 256-bit memory interface. The 6600 GT is faster and more powerful than the 9800 Pro but the 9800 Pro is an INSANE deal.

The games you listed are compromised mainly of EA's Battlefield series (which I enjoy to an astronomical degree

). I hate to say it, but ATI's cards simply slaughter NVIDIA's in the BF series. Faster framerates, better image quality, they simply run the BF games better in every aspect. If you're gonna be playing the BF games primarily, I'd suggest a Radeon 9800 Pro. Make sure to get the 256-bit version!

Oh, and there aren't any brands to watch out for. Powercolor used to have a bad reputation but they redeemed themselves with their excellent 9800 Pro card.

-Lasereth

KMA-628 · 03-17-2005, 08:53 PM

Lazereth -

Thanks for the reply.

So, even though the 660GT has 900-1000 MHz of memory speed and the 9800 Pro has less than 700 MHz, it outperforms the nVidia? That is interesting. What about the 9800 Pro makes it better when a numbers comparison seems to indicate otherwise.

I am also a draftsman and do a decent amount of CAD work--does that affect your opinion at all?

What makes the 9800 Pro such an insane deal? The price? Should it be more? Or is it the output of the card? Sorry, I was just trying to figure that comment out.

One computer gets BF played on it a lot and the other computer usually has DAOC played on it. Should I get the 9800 Pro for the BF computer and the 6600GT for the DAOC computer?

Sorry for all the questions. I am replacing cards that are not very old because I didn't know what I was doing when I bought them. This time, I want to make sure I get the very best deal for my money.

My budget for the two cards is roughly $400 bucks.

Thanks for your time,

Lasereth · 03-17-2005, 11:46 PM

No no, the 9800 Pro isn't more powerful than the 6600 GT, it simply runs the BF games better. BF games run very well on all ATI cards. That's definitely one series that ATI has the lead on, sort of like NVIDIA and Call of Duty.

The 9800 Pro is such a good deal because of its price. You can get it for $170 or less.

DAoC doesn't really prefer videocards of any type because it's so old. Any videocard will work fine...you could get two 9800 Pros if you wanted to save money.

-Lasereth

sailor · 04-17-2005, 03:49 PM

OK, I have a question. Im building out a machine for the little brother of a friend. He has anywhere from $150-$250 for the video card, but I dont want to go overboard. He doesnt play anything more demanding than WoW, and doesnt really play shooters at all, though I could see him possibly picking them up now that he'll actually have a machine capable of playing them. Id also like the machine to last as long as possible--he won't likely be able to build another one for several years. What card would you buy? Obviously the first answer is to jump on a vanilla 6800, but Im afraid that may be overkill, and like I said, I dont want to spend too much of his money.

Im going with a PCI-E board for future upgradability, so the card has to (obviously) be PCI-E.

Thanks!

Lasereth · 04-21-2005, 03:20 PM

I'd go with a Radeon X700 Pro PCI-E or a GeForce 6600 GT PCI-E. Sorry for the delayed response!

-Lasereth

portwineboy · 04-28-2005, 07:37 PM

Lasereth, knowing that SLI isn't supported on many games yet, what are your thoughts on the this tech?

What is this? 2 video cards able to run in parallel? Sounds insanely cool!

Lasereth · 04-29-2005, 12:37 PM

SLI is amazing. If you thought the GeForce 6800 Ultra was a powerful card, look at the results of the SLI versions. It literally doubles the performance in some applications. SLI is awesome, but you're right, not many games support it. It'd be a great investment if more games supported it. As of now, it's basically out there to brag about your 3D Mark score.

Oh, and SLI is just two NVIDIA videocards running together. They must be PCI-E videocards, not AGP. A bridge connects them both sort of like the old Voodoo 2 series (except the connector is internal, not external). After being bridged, it's like having two videocards combined into a single powerhouse -- as long as the application you're using it for supports it.

-Lasereth

Mondak · 05-19-2005, 07:00 AM

At E3 NVidea had a whole setup of 6800's running SLI for a small tournament of (not positive here) America's Army. The screens looked just great. So smooth for sure.

They also had some crazy beast which was (I think) a pair of 6900GT 512MB ($999 Retail) running in SLI. Freakin' crazy. That is $2k in video cards before you have even bought a case to put them in.

10-12-2004, 08:00 PM	#41 (permalink)
Lasereth Knight of the Old Republic Location: Winston-Salem, NC	I'd get one of the last two. Both are really strong videocards! -Lasereth __________________ "A Darwinian attacks his theory, seeking to find flaws. An ID believer defends his theory, seeking to conceal flaws." -Roger Ebert

10-12-2004, 09:49 PM	#43 (permalink)
Bim Crazy Location: Onett, EagleLand	Thanks __________________ "If you stay here too long, you'll end up frying your brain. Yes, you will. No, you will...not. Yesno, you will won't." -Guy in Moonside

12-14-2004, 03:33 PM	#44 (permalink)
Mondak Industrialist Location: Southern California	Any updates for the Christmas buying season? __________________ All truth passes through three stages: First it is ridiculed Second, it is violently opposed and Third, it is accepted as self-evident. ARTHUR SCHOPENHAUER (1788-1860)

12-19-2004, 08:34 AM	#47 (permalink)
Irishsean edited for content Location: Austin, TX	Since I only want to spend $100-$150 on a video card, and I can't seem to find the x700 in agp, is the 9600XT my best alternative? __________________ There are no absolute rules of conduct, either in peace or war. Everything depends on circumstances. Leon Trotsky

12-20-2004, 11:55 PM	#49 (permalink)
whocarz Jarhead Location: Colorado	Having just recently learned about core speed and memory speed (a couple days before I first read this thread), I come to the question: What the hell does more memory equate to? I assume it relates to how long you can play before it's exhausted, although you know what they say about assuming... __________________ If there exists anything mightier than destiny, then it is the courage to face destiny unflinchingly. -Geibel Despise not death, but welcome it, for nature wills it like all else. -Marcus Aurelius Come on, you sons of bitches! Do you want to live forever? -GySgt. Daniel J. "Dan" Daly

10-12-2004, 08:20 PM	#42 (permalink)
NavySEAL Crazy Location: U.S.	If I had a 925X Series motherboard I would buy two 6600 GT's

12-15-2004, 03:34 PM	#45 (permalink)
KnifeMissile Location: Waterloo, Ontario	Hey Lasereth, here's a challenge for you! How does my (almighty) ATI X300SE compare to the best video cards of the year 2000? If this seems like a strange question, I'm playing Deus Ex right now and was wondering how playing it on my computer, now, compares with playing it on the best PCs at the time of its release...

12-16-2004, 04:02 AM	#46 (permalink)
aKula Psycho	Does memory access time have a large effect on performance? My friend scolded me for getting 3.3ns memory instead of 2.8ns memory. Of course this information isn't listed you just have to read it off the card.

12-19-2004, 12:25 PM	#48 (permalink)
nine Crazy Location: Doesn't matter - you wouldn't want to be here	Sticky this! Just need the same for CPus and Motherboards now

12-31-2004, 09:40 PM	#50 (permalink)
Bratwurst Insane Location: La la land	I have a GeForce FX 5600 Ultra that I bought to replace a 64 meg ti4200 that I had which kept locking up constantly. Did I buy something that actually performs worse? I played through Doom 3 and HL2 on it fine, seemed to work ok. I just don't see it on your list. How do you guys overclock these cards? I am tempted to overclock mine and if it burns out just get something better. __________________ 40

12-31-2004, 09:43 PM	#51 (permalink)
Bratwurst Insane Location: La la land	Also, which cards are directx 9 series cards, which cards are directx 8 cards? I wish I could just build a new machine with a pci express board but I can't spend that kind of money right now. __________________ 40

01-01-2005, 04:39 AM	#52 (permalink)
SiN strangelove Location: ...more here than there...	Lasareth! I need your advises, as I'm likely about to purchase a gfx card. my budget is ~50 $ (40-70 really) and I don't do that much gaming, and usually older games. I would like to be able to at least play new games @ middle settings, if that's possible with such a low price range. (what I've got in my computer right now is a Radeon 9550SE 128 MB, it's borrowed from work. It falls in my pricerange and I could just buy it, but I wonder if for ~ the same price, I could get something better - another one I'm considering is the GeForce FX5500 128MB, which is a bit cheaper for me).. so - whatcha think? Thanks __________________ - + - ° GiRLie GeeK ° - + - ° 01110010011011110110111101110100001000000110110101100101 Therell be days/When Ill stray/I may appear to be/Constantly out of reach/I give in to sin/Because I like to practise what I preach

01-02-2005, 08:35 AM	#54 (permalink)
Irishsean edited for content Location: Austin, TX	Might want to rethink the 6600GT on the list, I got it, and its been nothing but trouble for me. I've been looking around on a couple boards, and it seems like about 75% of people think its a terrible card. Since installing it I have yet to break 40 FPS in anything. __________________ There are no absolute rules of conduct, either in peace or war. Everything depends on circumstances. Leon Trotsky

01-02-2005, 11:26 AM	#57 (permalink)
Irishsean edited for content Location: Austin, TX	Check thru all the posts on Guru3D, the benchmarks are not accurately representing what the card is doing in games. Most people can't even get the bench software to reproduce what reviews are saying. With my system drivers completely updated, running a 2600+ Barton Core, 1gb PC-3200 Dual Channeled ram, and the 6600GT AGP from Leadtek, I'm getting an average of 0-1 FPS in 3Dmark05. __________________ There are no absolute rules of conduct, either in peace or war. Everything depends on circumstances. Leon Trotsky

01-02-2005, 11:32 AM	#58 (permalink)
SiN strangelove Location: ...more here than there...	thx for the reply, Lasareth unfortunately, the 9600 Pro is out of budget (~100 euro on ebay.de). If I was more of a gamer, I'd do it, but it's just not priority (and I've other hardware purchases planned soon). the GeForce 4 TI4200 is about half that price, so it's within range. (50 euro is my ideal max I want to spend). I'm a bit confused on a couple things though - 1. 64 or 128? (or, does this have anything to do with the Aperture Size of my mobo's GI? 64 MB in my case) 2. am I wrong, or is this an old card? I think this is what my bf has in his computer, and it's almost 2 years old. 2a. If I'm right, then why would my bf be considering the GeForce FX5500 128MB as an 'upgrade'? ahh, the confusing world of vidcards good thing we've experts like you here - I may be a geek, but I'm lost with this .... __________________ - + - ° GiRLie GeeK ° - + - ° 01110010011011110110111101110100001000000110110101100101 Therell be days/When Ill stray/I may appear to be/Constantly out of reach/I give in to sin/Because I like to practise what I preach

01-21-2005, 06:06 PM	#61 (permalink)
bitrunner Crazy Location: Ohio	OK, what about Nvidia VS ATI in general? I had/have a TI 4200 that I was really happy with, but it's dead. So time for a new one! I've always gotten Nvidia cards, but now I see some pretty good deals on ATI's. So is there much difference between the chipsets, or should I just go best bang for the buck. (which would be around 120 bucks)..

01-21-2005, 06:37 PM	#62 (permalink)
bltzkriegmcanon Holy Knight of The Alliance Location: Stormwind, The Eastern Kingdoms, Azeroth	The thing that my roommates and I (Lasereth and Redjake) have thrown around often is the argument of IQ (image quality) vs. flat out frame rates. My roommates are both Nvidia users, and I'm the lone ATI guy, and as has been said before use an OC'ed 6800 GT, and both of them insist the IQ on my 9700 Pro is STILL better than what their cards produce. However, there's no getting around that they have way better framerates on most games when put up against me. That being said, the real question one has to ask is, what do you value most? Is it purely framerate, with a sacrifice in IQ, or do you put IQ over framerate? Honestly, the sacrifice in IQ for Nvidia cards isn't supremely noticeable, but the difference in framerates is noticeable. So, that's just my opinion. __________________ What do you say to one last showdown? - Ocelot, Metal Gear Solid 3 The password is "Who are the Patriots?" and "La-Li-Lu-Le-Lo." "La-Li-Lu-Le-Lo." Gotcha. - The Colonel and Snake, Metal Gear Solid 3

01-30-2005, 06:37 AM	#63 (permalink)
oberon Quadrature Amplitude Modulator Location: Denver	Hey, I'm looking for a fast dual DVI nvidia card. XFX seems to make two cards like this: a 6600 GT selling around $200 and a 6800 selling around $265. Links: (6800) http://www.monarchcomputer.com/Merch...&AFFIL=pg&NR=1 http://www.newegg.com/app/viewproduc...P=OTC-d3alt1me (6600 GT) http://www.mwave.com/mwave/viewspec....iteria=3625406 http://www.newegg.com/app/viewproduc...C-pr1c3grabb3r Suggestions? They all seem to have the same speed RAMDAC, but the 6800's memory bus is apparently faster, 22GB/s vs. 16GB/s on the 6600GT. Not sure if the faster memory bus is worth an extra $65 though... can AGP 8X even handle 16GB/s? __________________ "There are finer fish in the sea than have ever been caught." -- Irish proverb

01-30-2005, 07:49 AM	#64 (permalink)
Irishsean edited for content Location: Austin, TX	I just recieved a new BFG 6600GT OC from outpost.com, and am loving it. Great graphics quality and decent fps in games. I think there were just a ton of faulty cards out there, and I finally lucked out and got a good one, or they figured out how to fix it. __________________ There are no absolute rules of conduct, either in peace or war. Everything depends on circumstances. Leon Trotsky

02-18-2005, 01:02 PM	#66 (permalink)
KMA-628 ....is off his meds...you were warned. Location: The Wild Wild West	-bump- too much good info here for it to fall into oblivion I just bought another video card and relied heavily on this thread

02-18-2005, 03:17 PM	#67 (permalink)
P-Naughty Crazy Location: Georgia Southern University	I don't think anyone has mentioned it yet, but the BFG Geforce 6800 GT OC puts the lotion on the skin. The standard GeForce 6800 GT comes clocked at 350MHz (GPU), but the OC is set at 370. The RAM is also overclocked, and like all BFG cards it comes with a lifetime warranty. I overclocked mine even further and have it set at 400MHZ and upped the RAM speed from 1.0GHz to 1.1GHz, that's the same specs as a 6800 Ultra for $100 less. I have also overclocked higher than that (420 MHz, 1.1 GHz) and got a score of 4985 on 3DMark05. Considering I got a 350 something with my Geforce FX 5200 Ultra, I'm a happy boy. ---------- System Specs (as a reference): ASUS A7N8X-X mobo AMD Athlon XP 3200+ (water cooled with Zalman Resorator[sp?] ) 1 gig of PC2100 DDR PC Power & Cooling TurboCool 510 Deluxe PSU Western Digital 250 GB, 7200 RPM Caviar Edition hard drive __________________ I will not walk so that a child may live! - Master Shake

02-23-2005, 08:04 AM	#68 (permalink)
Bratwurst Insane Location: La la land	I just called BFG Tech about a Ti4200 a friend of mine had that was having issues, even giving weird blocks during the post screen. Thing was over 2 years old and they are shipping a new replacement or a newer equivalent. Thats pretty cool for a card that is over 2 years old to get a new one free. Also, Anyone have any advice on a vid card with TV tuner built in that isn't an ATI card? __________________ 40

03-11-2005, 07:48 AM	#71 (permalink)
userasdf1234 Tilted	Is the ATI 9600 Pro 128mb the same as the ATI 9600 Pro Turbo 128mb (the mobility one)?

03-17-2005, 08:23 AM	#72 (permalink)
KMA-628 ....is off his meds...you were warned. Location: The Wild Wild West	So, I am looking to pick up a couple 6600GT's (for two different computers) and I would like to know the difference in manufacturers. Link goes to Newegg - List of 6600GT's Once I am narrowed down to the chipset I want, how do I decide which manufacturer to choose from? Is one better? Worse? Also, I see reviews where they recommend changing the fan: How do I know which fan will fit on which video card if I decide to upgrade the video card fan (One of my cases has 5 fans, one pointing right at the video card/the other case has three fans, one pointing at the video card) Thanks, Edit: I see that the 9800 Pro is around the same price with speeds just a tad lower, but 256 bit instead of the 128 bit on the 6600GT, which would you recommend? (Games: DAOC, BF1942, BF Vietnam and hopefully soon....Battlefied II). __________________ Before you criticize someone, you need to walk a mile in their shoes. That way, if they get angry at you.......you're a mile away.......and they're barefoot. Last edited by KMA-628; 03-17-2005 at 11:14 AM..

03-17-2005, 07:13 PM	#73 (permalink)
Lasereth Knight of the Old Republic Location: Winston-Salem, NC	I wouldn't change the fan on your videocard. I've never did it before so I can't give ya any advice. There are fans that are designed for NVIDIA and ATI cards but again, I have no advice to give. The default fan should suffice! The GeForce 6600 GT has GDDR3 RAM on it. This makes up for the lack of a 256-bit memory interface. The 6600 GT is faster and more powerful than the 9800 Pro but the 9800 Pro is an INSANE deal. The games you listed are compromised mainly of EA's Battlefield series (which I enjoy to an astronomical degree ). I hate to say it, but ATI's cards simply slaughter NVIDIA's in the BF series. Faster framerates, better image quality, they simply run the BF games better in every aspect. If you're gonna be playing the BF games primarily, I'd suggest a Radeon 9800 Pro. Make sure to get the 256-bit version! Oh, and there aren't any brands to watch out for. Powercolor used to have a bad reputation but they redeemed themselves with their excellent 9800 Pro card. -Lasereth __________________ "A Darwinian attacks his theory, seeking to find flaws. An ID believer defends his theory, seeking to conceal flaws." -Roger Ebert

03-17-2005, 08:53 PM	#74 (permalink)
KMA-628 ....is off his meds...you were warned. Location: The Wild Wild West	Lazereth - Thanks for the reply. So, even though the 660GT has 900-1000 MHz of memory speed and the 9800 Pro has less than 700 MHz, it outperforms the nVidia? That is interesting. What about the 9800 Pro makes it better when a numbers comparison seems to indicate otherwise. I am also a draftsman and do a decent amount of CAD work--does that affect your opinion at all? What makes the 9800 Pro such an insane deal? The price? Should it be more? Or is it the output of the card? Sorry, I was just trying to figure that comment out. One computer gets BF played on it a lot and the other computer usually has DAOC played on it. Should I get the 9800 Pro for the BF computer and the 6600GT for the DAOC computer? Sorry for all the questions. I am replacing cards that are not very old because I didn't know what I was doing when I bought them. This time, I want to make sure I get the very best deal for my money. My budget for the two cards is roughly $400 bucks. Thanks for your time, __________________ Before you criticize someone, you need to walk a mile in their shoes. That way, if they get angry at you.......you're a mile away.......and they're barefoot.

03-17-2005, 11:46 PM	#75 (permalink)
Lasereth Knight of the Old Republic Location: Winston-Salem, NC	No no, the 9800 Pro isn't more powerful than the 6600 GT, it simply runs the BF games better. BF games run very well on all ATI cards. That's definitely one series that ATI has the lead on, sort of like NVIDIA and Call of Duty. The 9800 Pro is such a good deal because of its price. You can get it for $170 or less. DAoC doesn't really prefer videocards of any type because it's so old. Any videocard will work fine...you could get two 9800 Pros if you wanted to save money. -Lasereth __________________ "A Darwinian attacks his theory, seeking to find flaws. An ID believer defends his theory, seeking to conceal flaws." -Roger Ebert

04-17-2005, 03:49 PM	#76 (permalink)
sailor beauty in the breakdown Location: Chapel Hill, NC	OK, I have a question. Im building out a machine for the little brother of a friend. He has anywhere from $150-$250 for the video card, but I dont want to go overboard. He doesnt play anything more demanding than WoW, and doesnt really play shooters at all, though I could see him possibly picking them up now that he'll actually have a machine capable of playing them. Id also like the machine to last as long as possible--he won't likely be able to build another one for several years. What card would you buy? Obviously the first answer is to jump on a vanilla 6800, but Im afraid that may be overkill, and like I said, I dont want to spend too much of his money. Im going with a PCI-E board for future upgradability, so the card has to (obviously) be PCI-E. Thanks! __________________ "Good people do not need laws to tell them to act responsibly, while bad people will find a way around the laws." --Plato

04-21-2005, 03:20 PM	#77 (permalink)
Lasereth Knight of the Old Republic Location: Winston-Salem, NC	I'd go with a Radeon X700 Pro PCI-E or a GeForce 6600 GT PCI-E. Sorry for the delayed response! -Lasereth

04-28-2005, 07:37 PM	#78 (permalink)
portwineboy Master of No Domains Location: WEEhawken, New Joisey	Lasereth, knowing that SLI isn't supported on many games yet, what are your thoughts on the this tech? What is this? 2 video cards able to run in parallel? Sounds insanely cool! __________________ If you can read this, thank a teacher. If you can read this in English, thank a veteran.

04-29-2005, 12:37 PM	#79 (permalink)
Lasereth Knight of the Old Republic Location: Winston-Salem, NC	SLI is amazing. If you thought the GeForce 6800 Ultra was a powerful card, look at the results of the SLI versions. It literally doubles the performance in some applications. SLI is awesome, but you're right, not many games support it. It'd be a great investment if more games supported it. As of now, it's basically out there to brag about your 3D Mark score. Oh, and SLI is just two NVIDIA videocards running together. They must be PCI-E videocards, not AGP. A bridge connects them both sort of like the old Voodoo 2 series (except the connector is internal, not external). After being bridged, it's like having two videocards combined into a single powerhouse -- as long as the application you're using it for supports it. -Lasereth

05-19-2005, 07:00 AM	#80 (permalink)
Mondak Industrialist Location: Southern California	At E3 NVidea had a whole setup of 6800's running SLI for a small tournament of (not positive here) America's Army. The screens looked just great. So smooth for sure. They also had some crazy beast which was (I think) a pair of 6900GT 512MB ($999 Retail) running in SLI. Freakin' crazy. That is $2k in video cards before you have even bought a case to put them in. __________________ All truth passes through three stages: First it is ridiculed Second, it is violently opposed and Third, it is accepted as self-evident. ARTHUR SCHOPENHAUER (1788-1860)