09-22-2004, 02:44 PM | #1 (permalink) |
Psycho
Location: Dreams
|
(computer set-up questions added!) Video Card: Radeon 9600XT 256MB vs 9800Pro 128MB
new question added 7 posts down!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- On pricewatch.com the XT is 142$ and the Pro is 150$ ATI's comparison charts are here: http://www.ati.com/products/radeon96...o/compare.html http://www.ati.com/products/radeon98...o/compare.html now the 256mb version of the 9600 isn't included on this chart but I was wondering which would be the best buy? Which 128 number is going to lead to better performance? 128 bit 256mb (with 9600) or 256 bit 128mb (with 9800) The performance I am looking for is related to gaming mostly, with some possible audio processing in the future, but not a lot of video/number crunching. If I get one of these it will be part of an upgrade package which will also include: (MB) http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduc...130-457&depa=0 (Chip) http://www.newegg.com/app/viewproduc...103-483&DEPA=0 (MEM) http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduc...220-030&depa=0 (HD) http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduc...144-352&depa=1 all feedback is welcome, especially about which manufacturer to buy from (ie Saphire, powercolor, etc.)
__________________
I know not how I may seem to others, but to myself I am but a small child wandering upon the vast shores of knowledge, every now and then finding a small bright pebble to content myself with. [Plato] Last edited by kalisto_911; 09-23-2004 at 12:52 PM.. |
09-22-2004, 02:47 PM | #2 (permalink) |
Upright
|
Aren't there also some pipeline, stencil buffering, pixel shader, etc. numbers you have to worry about? Not to mention clock speeds. My gut says go with the Pro, but only because I've seen too many "gimmick" less capable cards packed with memory to sell. The 9600 XT is not one of those, but I still think the Pro'd be a better idea. Or just wait for an AGP version of the 6600 GT to become affordable.
|
09-22-2004, 04:10 PM | #3 (permalink) |
Knight of the Old Republic
Location: Winston-Salem, NC
|
Go with the Radeon 9800 Pro. It'll kill a 9600 XT no matter the memory. Remember one thing however: there are two version of the Radeon 9800 Pro 128 MB. The one you found for $150 is probably the 128-bit memory bandwidth version. Forget that shitcan...you want the 256-bit, 128 MB Radeon 9800 Pro. It's $200 US.
Another choice would be the Radeon X700 XT or Radeon X700 Pro or GeForce 6600 GT...but those aren't out in AGP yet, only PCI-E. They *will* be about in AGP soon though, so it might be wise to wait. They're also $200 US. If ya want a videocard ASAP, you can't go wrong with the Radeon 9800 Pro. Just about any manufacturer will work! If ya want a videocard for $150, then that's a completely different story. I'd check out the Videocard Buyer's Guide published by the one and only if ya need more information: http://www.tfproject.org/tfp/showthread.php?t=68344 PS: Everything else looks good, but I'd get the 1 MB L2 cache version of the Athlon 64 3200+. It's worth the extra money! Oh, and if you use Pricewatch, make sure to check out the company on www.resellerratings.com. That, or just shop at NewEgg. -Lasereth
__________________
"A Darwinian attacks his theory, seeking to find flaws. An ID believer defends his theory, seeking to conceal flaws." -Roger Ebert |
09-22-2004, 04:13 PM | #4 (permalink) |
Go Cardinals
Location: St. Louis/Cincinnati
|
9800 with 256-bit memory definitely.
9600 with 256MB memory is just a gimmick to get people to think it is high-end with 256MB memory. I have a Nvidia 6800 wirthg 256-bit 128MB memory. Would you take the 9600 because it has 256MB memory?
__________________
Brian Griffin: Ah, if my memory serves me, this is the physics department. Chris Griffin: That would explain all the gravity. |
09-22-2004, 10:58 PM | #5 (permalink) |
Psycho
Location: Dreams
|
Thanks a lot for the responses, I wish that guide thread of yours was already a sticky, I wouldn't have needed to post this probably! I'm glad that I have cleared up how crucial memory is for performance vs. other factors. I suppose I could wait for the AGP versions to come out because the PCI-E was the only reason I wasn't going to get one of those.
and thanks for the reseller link, very good to know! EDIT: I just realized in my post thread I wrote about judging a video cards performance for number crunching applications. Oh and is THIS a good processor? I don't know much about them(MB's), just that there are tiny differences that can make a big performance difference. Like this one is a "clawhammer" but one on ebay is a "newcastle" sorry im too tired to google this up right now hehe. I'll check back tomorow.
__________________
I know not how I may seem to others, but to myself I am but a small child wandering upon the vast shores of knowledge, every now and then finding a small bright pebble to content myself with. [Plato] Last edited by kalisto_911; 09-22-2004 at 11:05 PM.. |
09-23-2004, 04:49 AM | #6 (permalink) |
Knight of the Old Republic
Location: Winston-Salem, NC
|
That processor you listed is blazing fast. It'd be a VERY good investment.
-Lasereth
__________________
"A Darwinian attacks his theory, seeking to find flaws. An ID believer defends his theory, seeking to conceal flaws." -Roger Ebert |
09-23-2004, 05:06 AM | #7 (permalink) | |
Insane
Location: Dallas
|
Quote:
|
|
09-23-2004, 10:28 AM | #8 (permalink) |
Psycho
Location: Dreams
|
Can't thank you guys enough!
Oh and I just opened up my case and I have a AGI 300W Power Supply, is that plenty for the new components? What would upping the power do for the system?
__________________
I know not how I may seem to others, but to myself I am but a small child wandering upon the vast shores of knowledge, every now and then finding a small bright pebble to content myself with. [Plato] Last edited by kalisto_911; 09-23-2004 at 10:34 AM.. |
09-23-2004, 10:56 AM | #9 (permalink) | |
Upright
|
Quote:
I just finished building my new system. Asus K8N-E Deluxe AMD 64 3200+ 512k L2 (better for overclocking and in the end it'll be faster) TTGI 450w PSU Chieftec Dragon Case 128MB Radeon 9800 Pro SoundBlaster Audigy2 ZS Gamer 1GB PDP Systems PC3200 80GB Seagate 7200rpm 8mb buffer SATA Lite-On Combo DVD CDRW drive I'd say minimum 350w... you can get a 450w cheap usually.. remember though, you get what you pay for when it comes to computer hardware. |
|
09-23-2004, 12:40 PM | #10 (permalink) |
Psycho
Location: Dreams
|
Alright I'll look into power supplies, I just found this hard drive:
http://shop4.outpost.com/product/4008252#detailed except w/ this HD it says it is a "UATA100" HD, will this still work like SATA or would I need a new card to get it to work? The drive is a lot better deal than the newegg one I was looking at (link in the opening post) especially with 5 year instead of 1 year warranty. So any advice? Sorry to keep more questions coming, maybe I should start a new thread.
__________________
I know not how I may seem to others, but to myself I am but a small child wandering upon the vast shores of knowledge, every now and then finding a small bright pebble to content myself with. [Plato] |
09-24-2004, 08:27 AM | #11 (permalink) |
Holy Knight of The Alliance
Location: Stormwind, The Eastern Kingdoms, Azeroth
|
That hard drive you listed isn't SATA at all. It's just a regular ATA drive running at "ultra" speeds (gimmick) of 100. The 5 year warranty is a good idea, however. But, I'd still check resellerratings.com about those guys.
__________________
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 |
09-24-2004, 11:01 AM | #12 (permalink) |
Psycho
Location: Dreams
|
Thanks for clearing that up, I think I'll just go with the Maxtor.
__________________
I know not how I may seem to others, but to myself I am but a small child wandering upon the vast shores of knowledge, every now and then finding a small bright pebble to content myself with. [Plato] |
Tags |
128mb, 256mb, 9600xt, 9800pro, card, radeon, video |
|
|