6800gt vs. x800xt - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

Michael_Hale · 11-16-2004, 09:42 PM

I decided to buy a new video card and its between the Nvidia 6800gt or the ATI x800 Pro. I looked on Newegg.com and found a 6800gt for $435 and an ATI for $443

Albatron nVIDIA GeForce 6800 GT Video Card, 256MB GDDR3, 256-Bit, TV-Out/DVI, 8X AGP, Model "6800GT" -RETAIL
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduc...170-057&depa=1

ASUS RADEON X800 PRO Video Card, 256MB GDDR3, 256-Bit, DVI/VIVO, 8X AGP, Model "AX800PRO/TVD/256" -RETAIL
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduc...121-519&depa=1

I always had GeForce but for some reason I have this idea that ATI is better.
I really like the x800 but I need to hear it from someone else that its ok to spend that kind of money on a gfx card.

Lasereth · 11-16-2004, 09:48 PM

The videocard you linked and the videocard you're talking about are completely different. The X800 XT is $500 and the X800 Pro is $440. But you're right, it's down to choosing between the GeForce 6800 GT and the Radeon X800 Pro.

Get the GeForce 6800 GT. You won't be disappointed. Try to get the eVGA version...mine overclocks an extreme amount with little heat increase. The 6800 GT beats out the X800 Pro in most tests as well.

Yes, both cards are worth $400. This is the first time in a long time that a videocard is actually worth the high price. I paid $440 for my GT this past summer and am extremely happy with it. Ya can't go wrong!

-Lasereth

Michael_Hale · 11-16-2004, 10:47 PM

Yeah sorry too excited to pay attention. I can't wait for my new video card, but I dont want to spend that much money without a second opinion. But I think I am going to wait until black friday to see what sales there are. But I've been to several stores and haven't even seen the x800's and the 6800s are $500 at the stores around me.

NEWEGG.com rocks

But thanks Lasereth for the insight.

spade111 · 11-17-2004, 12:49 AM

Hey there,
Long time lurker, just thought I'd chime in.

Don't feel bad spending the money. You only have to do it once a year

If it's your first major purchase for a video card on the bleeding edge, take some solace in the fact that these cards are well ahead of the value trend introduced by the geforce 2,3,4 era.

Just a year ago, the same money definatly wouldn't put you at twice the performance of the corresponding previous generation. Heck, I spent 450 dollars on an Orchid Righteous 3d back in the day, and ok... that's a little different, there was nothing to compare it to... but when I bought the voodoo2 for 399.00, you can bet... no wait it was double the performance... ok wait... when I bought a second voodoo2, it wasn't... oh wait it was again. Okay.. shit.

Well the point is, that golden age of doubling your performance over the last generation is back... for at least one product cycle. I guess we have to wait for the r500, and geforce renegade ultra tiger dragon to be sure.

Second point, Half Life 2 is wicked awesome. (ps buy the ATI)

(if you can still find the vivo edition x800 pro, do some research, you can get mucho gains with just a little tweaking)

/end fanboy rant.

ev

ChrisJericho · 11-17-2004, 06:04 PM

If you are willing to some online shopping around I would suggest you look at pricewatch.com and ebay. New 6800gt's have been going for between $370-400. Yes, you can be 100% confident with your purchase and get it from newegg (and don't get me wrong I love newegg) but you will really pay a lot more for that reassurance.

I bought my video card off ebay and everything went fine.

Mephisto2 · 11-17-2004, 06:35 PM

Is it safe to buy an OEM 6800GT?

Here's the spec.

Quote:

GPU- nVIDIA GeForce6800 GT
GPU core interface- 256-bit
Memory- 256 bit 256MB GDDR3
Memory interface- 256-bit
GPU core clock- 350MHz
Memory clock- 1000MHz
Memory bandwidth- 32.0GB/s
Max resolution- 2048 X 1536 @85Hz
Bus- standard AGP 8X/4X
VGA- out port Standard 15-pin D-sub, max resolution up to 2048 x1536@ 85hz
TV-OUT- port S-VHS & Composite ,max resolution up to 1024 x768
DVI- Max resolution up to 1600x1200
VGA-Out port Standard 15-pin D-sub, max resolution is 2048 x1536@ 85hz
TV-Out port S-VHS & Composite, max resolution is 1024 x768
DVI- Max resolution is 1600x1200

I can get this for $A445, which is about US$260 from a large and reputable supplier.

Mr Mephisto

PS - For those interested, they ship worldwide

PPS - the 6800ULTRA is about an extra $70. Worth it?

Lasereth · 11-17-2004, 07:26 PM

That's a really, really good deal Mephisto. I'd buy the GT ASAP. You can get the Ultra if ya want, but most of the GTs on the market overclock to Ultra status with ease with barely any temperature increases. If you're not into OC'ing, the Ultra wouldn't be a bad choice but right now there's really no reason to have a card more powerful than the GT.

-Lasereth

ChrisJericho · 11-17-2004, 09:34 PM

Mephisto, that is an INSANE deal ! I might be interested.... I'll PM ya...

Mephisto2 · 11-17-2004, 11:03 PM

Turns out I got my currencies wrong. It's US$445.

Is that still a good deal?

Mr Mephisto

Lasereth · 11-18-2004, 09:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr Mephisto

Turns out I got my currencies wrong. It's US$445.

Is that still a good deal?

Mr Mephisto

That's the average price for a retail version. My 6800 GT was $440 retail with FarCry.

-Lasereth

spade111 · 11-20-2004, 12:50 AM

Hey guys,
Just picked up the BFG 6800 NU 128mb version for 369CDN. That works out to ~300 USD. Apparently these are good to go for unlocking all the pipes, and running full 16p6v. Turns out my card is defective. I plugged it in, and the paisley artifacts indicating a defective pipeline unit showed up right from the get go. It's on it's way back on monday, and I'll post when I have the replacement.

tboned · 11-20-2004, 08:23 AM

Get the ATI card. ATI has made TREMENDOUS advances over nVidia for their chipset technology. I used to be nVidia all the way, but since the Radeon 9800 series came out, I've never looked back. If you have historically been an nVidia nut, give ATI a shot, just this once. You will NOT be disappointed.

Lasereth · 11-20-2004, 10:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tboned

Get the ATI card. ATI has made TREMENDOUS advances over nVidia for their chipset technology. I used to be nVidia all the way, but since the Radeon 9800 series came out, I've never looked back. If you have historically been an nVidia nut, give ATI a shot, just this once. You will NOT be disappointed.

That's an extremely ironic statement.

The latest Radeon series (X800) is based on old technology that was used with the 9800 series. ATI is getting a bad vibe from reviewers because NVIDIA overhauled their entire chipset for the 6800 series to be ready for games coming out for a long time. If anything has happened, NVIDIA has an advantage over ATI concerning chipset advances.

ATI does have some incredibly image quality on all of their cards.

The only time it's ok to say that one company simple owned the other was the old Radeon 9700 Pro versus GeForce 4 TI4600 days.

Other than that, NVIDIA and ATI have been head to head with a few minor "wins" here and there.

-Lasereth

TransAm-LT1 · 11-20-2004, 02:03 PM

While the 9800 series Radeon card is an awesome card, it's last generation cards. The new crop is the 6800 and the X800. Sad to say since im an Ati fanboy and I love my 9800xt to death, but the 6800 outclasses it in every way, infact im installing a 6800 Ultra in my 64bit-fx system. The 6800 is just faster, better, stronger than the x800, and even though both have Pci-Express boards comming soon. Nvidia Pci-Express cards can be doubled up and connected via SLI mode, if you remeber back to the VooDoo 2 days you could do that with too Voodoo 2s. I always though that Ati produced a better card, but Nvidia did there home work with these new cards, the only major complaint I have with them is they require a lot of power. The ultra has two molex connectors on it and requires a true 450 watt powersupply. Oh and the Pci-Express 6800's get all the power it needs from the Pci-Express slot, but you'll probably still need a good 550 watt psu for to run both cards in SLI.

spade111 · 11-22-2004, 07:20 PM

Trans-Am makes a good point. The SLI advantage that Nvidia has, is a considerable one. As of right now, you'd need to spend mucho dollars on a compatible Motherboard (2 pcix16 slots) and 2 pcix 6800 GT's or Ultras. Right now, it doesn't make sense for any but the elite few rich people that spend a lot of time playing Doom3. For the rest of us, the upgrade path that SLI offers is very attractive.

Ati has stated their version of SLI to be pending, but NVIDIA has a track record here. I can't argue against ATI, because their cards are excellent as well, but truth be told... I've got Nvidia 6800 in my machine. (or, at least I will when my card comes back from RMA, for now the old GF4 MX makes a triumphant return )

11-16-2004, 09:42 PM	#1 (permalink)
Michael_Hale Upright Location: Detroit, MI	6800gt vs. x800 Pro I decided to buy a new video card and its between the Nvidia 6800gt or the ATI x800 Pro. I looked on Newegg.com and found a 6800gt for $435 and an ATI for $443 Albatron nVIDIA GeForce 6800 GT Video Card, 256MB GDDR3, 256-Bit, TV-Out/DVI, 8X AGP, Model "6800GT" -RETAIL http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduc...170-057&depa=1 ASUS RADEON X800 PRO Video Card, 256MB GDDR3, 256-Bit, DVI/VIVO, 8X AGP, Model "AX800PRO/TVD/256" -RETAIL http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduc...121-519&depa=1 I always had GeForce but for some reason I have this idea that ATI is better. I really like the x800 but I need to hear it from someone else that its ok to spend that kind of money on a gfx card. Last edited by Michael_Hale; 11-16-2004 at 10:48 PM..

11-16-2004, 09:48 PM	#2 (permalink)
Lasereth Knight of the Old Republic Location: Winston-Salem, NC	The videocard you linked and the videocard you're talking about are completely different. The X800 XT is $500 and the X800 Pro is $440. But you're right, it's down to choosing between the GeForce 6800 GT and the Radeon X800 Pro. Get the GeForce 6800 GT. You won't be disappointed. Try to get the eVGA version...mine overclocks an extreme amount with little heat increase. The 6800 GT beats out the X800 Pro in most tests as well. Yes, both cards are worth $400. This is the first time in a long time that a videocard is actually worth the high price. I paid $440 for my GT this past summer and am extremely happy with it. Ya can't go wrong! -Lasereth __________________ "A Darwinian attacks his theory, seeking to find flaws. An ID believer defends his theory, seeking to conceal flaws." -Roger Ebert

11-17-2004, 12:49 AM	#4 (permalink)
spade111 Upright	You can't go wrong either way. Hey there, Long time lurker, just thought I'd chime in. Don't feel bad spending the money. You only have to do it once a year If it's your first major purchase for a video card on the bleeding edge, take some solace in the fact that these cards are well ahead of the value trend introduced by the geforce 2,3,4 era. Just a year ago, the same money definatly wouldn't put you at twice the performance of the corresponding previous generation. Heck, I spent 450 dollars on an Orchid Righteous 3d back in the day, and ok... that's a little different, there was nothing to compare it to... but when I bought the voodoo2 for 399.00, you can bet... no wait it was double the performance... ok wait... when I bought a second voodoo2, it wasn't... oh wait it was again. Okay.. shit. Well the point is, that golden age of doubling your performance over the last generation is back... for at least one product cycle. I guess we have to wait for the r500, and geforce renegade ultra tiger dragon to be sure. Second point, Half Life 2 is wicked awesome. (ps buy the ATI) (if you can still find the vivo edition x800 pro, do some research, you can get mucho gains with just a little tweaking) /end fanboy rant. ev

11-17-2004, 06:04 PM	#5 (permalink)
ChrisJericho eat more fruit Location: Seattle	If you are willing to some online shopping around I would suggest you look at pricewatch.com and ebay. New 6800gt's have been going for between $370-400. Yes, you can be 100% confident with your purchase and get it from newegg (and don't get me wrong I love newegg) but you will really pay a lot more for that reassurance. I bought my video card off ebay and everything went fine. __________________ "A casual stroll through the lunatic asylum shows us that faith proves nothing." - Friedrich Nietzsche

11-17-2004, 07:26 PM	#7 (permalink)
Lasereth Knight of the Old Republic Location: Winston-Salem, NC	That's a really, really good deal Mephisto. I'd buy the GT ASAP. You can get the Ultra if ya want, but most of the GTs on the market overclock to Ultra status with ease with barely any temperature increases. If you're not into OC'ing, the Ultra wouldn't be a bad choice but right now there's really no reason to have a card more powerful than the GT. -Lasereth __________________ "A Darwinian attacks his theory, seeking to find flaws. An ID believer defends his theory, seeking to conceal flaws." -Roger Ebert

11-16-2004, 10:47 PM	#3 (permalink)
Michael_Hale Upright Location: Detroit, MI	Yeah sorry too excited to pay attention. I can't wait for my new video card, but I dont want to spend that much money without a second opinion. But I think I am going to wait until black friday to see what sales there are. But I've been to several stores and haven't even seen the x800's and the 6800s are $500 at the stores around me. NEWEGG.com rocks But thanks Lasereth for the insight.

11-17-2004, 09:34 PM	#8 (permalink)
ChrisJericho eat more fruit Location: Seattle	Mephisto, that is an INSANE deal ! I might be interested.... I'll PM ya... __________________ "A casual stroll through the lunatic asylum shows us that faith proves nothing." - Friedrich Nietzsche

11-17-2004, 11:03 PM	#9 (permalink)
Mephisto2 Junkie	Turns out I got my currencies wrong. It's US$445. Is that still a good deal? Mr Mephisto

11-20-2004, 12:50 AM	#11 (permalink)
spade111 Upright	6800 OC Hey guys, Just picked up the BFG 6800 NU 128mb version for 369CDN. That works out to ~300 USD. Apparently these are good to go for unlocking all the pipes, and running full 16p6v. Turns out my card is defective. I plugged it in, and the paisley artifacts indicating a defective pipeline unit showed up right from the get go. It's on it's way back on monday, and I'll post when I have the replacement. __________________ "If the work of the city is the remaking or translating of man into a more suitable form than his nomadic ancestors achieved, then might not our current translation of our entire lives into the spiritual form of information seem to make of the entire globe, and of the human family, a single consciousness?" -Marshall McLuhan - 1939.

11-20-2004, 08:23 AM	#12 (permalink)
tboned Upright	Get the ATI card. ATI has made TREMENDOUS advances over nVidia for their chipset technology. I used to be nVidia all the way, but since the Radeon 9800 series came out, I've never looked back. If you have historically been an nVidia nut, give ATI a shot, just this once. You will NOT be disappointed. __________________ Wanna have fun? Ask me about about politics! "I choose to confuse" ________________________________

11-20-2004, 02:03 PM	#14 (permalink)
TransAm-LT1 Upright Location: Edmond. OK	While the 9800 series Radeon card is an awesome card, it's last generation cards. The new crop is the 6800 and the X800. Sad to say since im an Ati fanboy and I love my 9800xt to death, but the 6800 outclasses it in every way, infact im installing a 6800 Ultra in my 64bit-fx system. The 6800 is just faster, better, stronger than the x800, and even though both have Pci-Express boards comming soon. Nvidia Pci-Express cards can be doubled up and connected via SLI mode, if you remeber back to the VooDoo 2 days you could do that with too Voodoo 2s. I always though that Ati produced a better card, but Nvidia did there home work with these new cards, the only major complaint I have with them is they require a lot of power. The ultra has two molex connectors on it and requires a true 450 watt powersupply. Oh and the Pci-Express 6800's get all the power it needs from the Pci-Express slot, but you'll probably still need a good 550 watt psu for to run both cards in SLI.

11-22-2004, 07:20 PM	#15 (permalink)
spade111 Upright	Trans-Am makes a good point. The SLI advantage that Nvidia has, is a considerable one. As of right now, you'd need to spend mucho dollars on a compatible Motherboard (2 pcix16 slots) and 2 pcix 6800 GT's or Ultras. Right now, it doesn't make sense for any but the elite few rich people that spend a lot of time playing Doom3. For the rest of us, the upgrade path that SLI offers is very attractive. Ati has stated their version of SLI to be pending, but NVIDIA has a track record here. I can't argue against ATI, because their cards are excellent as well, but truth be told... I've got Nvidia 6800 in my machine. (or, at least I will when my card comes back from RMA, for now the old GF4 MX makes a triumphant return ) __________________ "If the work of the city is the remaking or translating of man into a more suitable form than his nomadic ancestors achieved, then might not our current translation of our entire lives into the spiritual form of information seem to make of the entire globe, and of the human family, a single consciousness?" -Marshall McLuhan - 1939.