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☖ Forums → Discussion Forum → Buying new 3D card
12
Buying new 3D card
2004-11-10, 2:10 PM #1
I think I found myself a pretty good deal. http://www.mgepconline.com/product_details_parts.asp?PRID=1002
ATI Radeon 9800SE If you know of any better deals let me know! My price range is like around 150$.
Oberfeldwebel says: ..... You are the epitome of idiocy.
2004-11-10, 2:19 PM #2
SE's are not good cards. They are crippled by a 128bit mem interface. You can get a 9800 non pro for a similar price, with 256bit memory. I cant seem to find any 9800np on newegg with 256bit mem though... did they discontinue them? Anyway, look into a 9800np for its 256bit mem interface, and the 8 pixel pipelines, which make a massive difference in games over the 9600 line with its 4 pipes.
2004-11-10, 2:41 PM #3
If it's a good deal you want I would suggest going used. I buy most of my components from here and have not had any problems. Make sure you read the rules and do everything legit. Also, register with HeatWare, it's a trader evaluation system. Good luck on finding a good deal!
MithShrike: First Mateneer
Pimpin' Yerba Mate Drinker
2004-11-10, 2:47 PM #4
As said above, The 256 of the previous generation is almost always a better idea than the 128 of the next generation card.

Go with a 9800 256. Or an 800x. I'm perfectly fine with my 9800 256, though.

JediKirby
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2004-11-10, 2:53 PM #5
I'm gonna wait till after Christmas and buy myself a 6600GT AGP in January. It'll be rockin.
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2004-11-10, 3:22 PM #6
I don't know the price of it in the States, but I love my 9600XT. It sells for about $200-250 Canadian right now.
2004-11-10, 3:26 PM #7
9600XT is about the same price as the 9800SE and is easily the superior card. The 9600XT is alot more reasonable than people make it sound, I can run Doom 3 at highest detail 1024x768 and get 30-35fps constant. FarCry high detail 1024x768, 35-45, and Source on high detail 1024x768 40-50.
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2004-11-10, 3:29 PM #8
Quote:
Originally posted by JASRCC_Uber0010
9600XT is about the same price as the 9800SE and is easily the superior card.


To the 9800SE yes, but most defianlty not the 9800np. I have a 9800np and my friend has a 9600XT and I score ~1500 more than him in 3dmark 03. Those extra 4 pipes make a HUGE difference. And now that they are rolling out 16 pipeline cards, I dont see the logic in getting a 4 pipe card.
2004-11-10, 3:33 PM #9
finity speaks much truth.
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2004-11-10, 3:35 PM #10
Quote:
Originally posted by JASRCC_Uber0010
9600XT is about the same price as the 9800SE and is easily the superior card. The 9600XT is alot more reasonable than people make it sound, I can run Doom 3 at highest detail 1024x768 and get 30-35fps constant. FarCry high detail 1024x768, 35-45, and Source on high detail 1024x768 40-50.


Although you may like to think so, those numbers are impossible, unless you have that card overclocked like crazy.
Got a permanent feather in my cap;
Got a stretch to my stride;
a stroll to my step;
2004-11-10, 4:01 PM #11
Quote:
Originally posted by Sol
Although you may like to think so, those numbers are impossible, unless you have that card overclocked like crazy.
Yeah, post a damn timedemo. Or are you just "estimating?"
2004-11-10, 5:14 PM #12
No overclocking at all, like I said, I find it to be a highly underated card. Note, I'm not running AA or AF, just straight 1024x768 with all effects and details turned all the way up. Except for Far Cry, which I run at High, except for the water which I put up to Ultra High.

Unfortunately I cannot run Doom 3 without it crashing right now (motherboard related, not video card), and Far Cry isn't installed, however gimme a second and I'll post my results to the Source video stress test.
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2004-11-10, 5:21 PM #13
Came out 4 frames higher than last time, very nice.
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2004-11-10, 5:29 PM #14
Well the CS: Source score is defiantly believable because the source engine has lower system requirements than the doom 3 engine. And the source engine is very efficient on ATI cards too. I dont believe however that you are running doom 3 at the highest detail setting. At least if you were and you got those frames while nothing was happening, your framerate would drop horribly once the action picked up.
2004-11-10, 5:49 PM #15
I'm going out now, but I'll try my best to try to capture a screen in Doom 3 when I get home before it crashes. In a fire fight. I don't see what's so hard to believe, if a 9800 Pro is able to run Doom 3 at around 50 fps, I don't see why it would be so hard to believe a 9600XT running it at about 20fps less.
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2004-11-10, 6:07 PM #16
Quote:
Originally posted by JASRCC_Uber0010
9600XT is about the same price as the 9800SE and is easily the superior card. The 9600XT is alot more reasonable than people make it sound, I can run Doom 3 at highest detail 1024x768 and get 30-35fps constant. FarCry high detail 1024x768, 35-45, and Source on high detail 1024x768 40-50.


Regardless of what the others say, that sounds about right.

I get 35 fps in the Source stress test at 1280x1024. CSS is very playable at that resolution.

Doom 3 is great at 1024x768, high quality. It slows down somewhat when entering new areas, but it is smooth overall.

Barton 2500+, 9600xt, no overclocking.
2004-11-10, 7:33 PM #17
quit being losers and save up the extra 50 and get a 9800PRO with a R360 Core (SAME AS (9800XT) and flash that beotch to the XT protocol (runs updated DX9 crap).. I did it and get 110fps on video stress test all for the price of 197 @ newegg....
2004-11-10, 9:42 PM #18
best card for the money is the 9800Pro 128MB you can get one for ~$200 fairly easily
eat right, exercise, die anyway
2004-11-11, 3:47 AM #19
Quote:
Originally posted by cheaptrick93
quit being losers and save up the extra 50 and get a 9800PRO with a R360 Core (SAME AS (9800XT) and flash that beotch to the XT protocol (runs updated DX9 crap).. I did it and get 110fps on video stress test all for the price of 197 @ newegg....


Lol... The XT adds nothing more then a temperature sensor, for automatic OCing, and its clocked a little higher.
Got a permanent feather in my cap;
Got a stretch to my stride;
a stroll to my step;
2004-11-11, 12:24 PM #20
Hmm... For $150US, I would probably reccomend the Radeon 9600XT. As has been said, it's a highly under-rated card, thanks to the fact that it came a few weeks after the far more powerful 9800XT. My brother's computer uses a 9600XT, with an old (Thorghoubred, not Barton!) Athlon XP 2400+, and can run UT2k4's benchmarks at 800x600, with full x6 AA and x16 AF, and get ~50-60 fps. It's easily more powerful than the 9800SE and 9800 Standard, and perhaps only a relatively small gap (40%, small for computer technology) less than the 9800Pro. $150US should be enough to get the 256MB version, Though from NewEgg, that's the price for a new bulk OEM card, which means the smaller box, and no Half-Life 2 Bronze voucher for Steam. (which I would simply recommend getting the boxed version anyway, as then you don't have to wait 24 hours to download it, and can install if you don't have any form of broadband)
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2004-11-11, 1:01 PM #21
Quote:
Originally posted by Sol
Lol... The XT adds nothing more then a temperature sensor, for automatic OCing, and its clocked a little higher.


Sol wins. The 9800 Pro-->XT deal isn't...really...a deal. You could accomplish the same thing with any of the thousands of ATi overclocking tools.

9600XT, although SAJN's brother's bull****ting. No way in hell can a 9600XT run on ultra with more than 10 fps. I can run it on ultra ~30fps on my 6800GT, with a little AA and AF. That's only because it's a vastly superior card and has 2x the memory (not to mention DDR3 instead of DDR2 I think the 9600XT uses).

9600XT for 150 though most definitely.
D E A T H
2004-11-11, 2:45 PM #22
Quote:
Originally posted by Dj Yoshi
9600XT, although SAJN's brother's bull****ting. No way in hell can a 9600XT run on ultra with more than 10 fps. I can run it on ultra ~30fps on my 6800GT, with a little AA and AF. That's only because it's a vastly superior card and has 2x the memory (not to mention DDR3 instead of DDR2 I think the 9600XT uses).


I run Doom 3 on high at 1024x768 on my 9600xt and I don't get 10 fps. I usually get around 20-22 fps, which isn't as high as I'd want it, but perfectly acceptable.
2004-11-11, 3:04 PM #23
I think the diference in performance might be partially due to other factors, such as mabye having a full GB of RAM, or a 3000+/3.0GHz processor or better...
Wake up, George Lucas... The Matrix has you...
2004-11-11, 3:08 PM #24
I still say if you are thinking 9600XT just get a 9800np (not SE), which is approximately the same price, and outperforms the 9600XT. Most 9800np's can easily be overclocked to Pro speeds too.
2004-11-11, 7:41 PM #25
Quote:
Originally posted by MaD CoW
I run Doom 3 on high at 1024x768 on my 9600xt and I don't get 10 fps. I usually get around 20-22 fps, which isn't as high as I'd want it, but perfectly acceptable.


He said highest--which means ultra, ultra quality settings on the card, and all shadows/everything at high. Setting Doom 3 to Ultra is like death for all current cards.
D E A T H
2004-11-11, 7:43 PM #26
I've tried Ultra also. It plays, but whenever I enter a new room, it takes a few seconds for my comp to catch up.

However, to the eye, I wasn't able to see much difference between High and Ultra. But maybe that was the "catch-up" times pissing me off.
2004-11-11, 7:47 PM #27
Quote:
Originally posted by Dj Yoshi
He said highest--which means ultra, ultra quality settings on the card, and all shadows/everything at high. Setting Doom 3 to Ultra is like death for all current cards.


1280x1024 6xAA 16xAF Ultra Quality average of about 6fps

AthlonXP 3000+
1GB PC2700
9800Pro 128MB

but at least i got a nice screenshot
eat right, exercise, die anyway
2004-11-11, 7:55 PM #28
Hehehe. I may not have the best proc or RAM in the world, but my baby runs all my games *huggles card*
D E A T H
2004-11-11, 8:23 PM #29
I said highest meaning High detail. I thought it would just be common knowledge that only a X800 or 6800 could run at Ultra, but nice try at trying to make me look like a dick.
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2004-11-11, 8:27 PM #30
I've been looking I havent found any 9800 Pro's or Non Pro's for like 200. Anyone know any sites that have em around that price?
Oberfeldwebel says: ..... You are the epitome of idiocy.
2004-11-11, 8:30 PM #31
Either you haven't been looking very hard, or you have never heard of newegg :p

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=14-102-268&depa=1

(there are a couple other 9800 Pros for ~200, so take a look at some other brand names too)
2004-11-11, 8:47 PM #32
Quote:
Originally posted by JASRCC_Uber0010
I said highest meaning High detail. I thought it would just be common knowledge that only a X800 or 6800 could run at Ultra, but nice try at trying to make me look like a dick.


I wasn't trying to, but common knowledge is that when you say at highest you mean at HIGHEST settings, not HIGH settings. Word yourself better next time.

And trust me, I don't need to try to make you look like one.
D E A T H
2004-11-11, 9:23 PM #33
Quote:
Originally posted by Dj Yoshi
And trust me, I don't need to try to make you look like one.


Or yourself.
Bassoon, n. A brazen instrument into which a fool blows out his brains.
2004-11-12, 12:25 AM #34
umm u nvidia tools need to know the XT difference over the PRO in the 9800 series is there, its not some gay temp sensor but actually uses an optimized form of a newer DX9 then the old Pro and is only obtainable by having a R360 Core in your PRO. If you go to overlcocking forums and read up for maybe 5 minutes you will know what im talking about. 9800 Pro's overclocked to XT speeds are not as good as XT bios'ed cards with slightly lower XT speeds. Either way don't flash it or not its a simple thing to do and you do see perfomrance boosts since its not always about O/Cing but whatever Im sure you all know better with your 9600xt's (4 pipelines.... ughh)... should get a 9500n/p and flash it to a 9700pro and you'll get better performance
2004-11-12, 12:41 AM #35
Er, flashing is quite easy. I've done it to my card and a friend's of mine, no harder than a system BIOS. nVidia tools? I'll bet a year or two ago that would have been "ATI tools". I hate flipflopping fanboys.
Bassoon, n. A brazen instrument into which a fool blows out his brains.
2004-11-12, 12:45 AM #36
when u say flipflopping fan boys ur not reffering to me? anyways as far as flashing its super easy... thats the point buy cheaper cards and unlock there disable features right? its not a big deal but not many people grasp the concept thus all the people braggin about how there 9600xt pwns when they could buy a 9800se and unlock the extra 4 pipelines and get better performance....
2004-11-12, 12:51 AM #37
Er, nevermind, I thought you said something else. You might try to be a little more clear.
Bassoon, n. A brazen instrument into which a fool blows out his brains.
2004-11-12, 4:39 AM #38
I love ATi, but I can't tell someone to buy an ATi card if it's inferior. Same as I can't tell anyone to buy anything from the 5x00 GFFX line. It just wouldn't be proper.

But of course, me owning a 6800gt makes most people go "omg u r flipflopping fanboy traitor" instead of thinking logically that it's the best card on the market for the cash.
D E A T H
2004-11-12, 5:05 AM #39
I've always wondered what's from with the 5x00 fx series...
I have a GeForce FX 5200...
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2004-11-12, 5:41 AM #40
Quote:
Originally posted by Dj Yoshi
I love ATi, but I can't tell someone to buy an ATi card if it's inferior. Same as I can't tell anyone to buy anything from the 5x00 GFFX line. It just wouldn't be proper.

But of course, me owning a 6800gt makes most people go "omg u r flipflopping fanboy traitor" instead of thinking logically that it's the best card on the market for the cash.

Agreed. Too many fanboys out there. For $400, the 6800GT easily wollops the X800 Pro, and nearly stands toe-to-toe with the X800 XT, which is well over $100 more, certainly making the 6800GT more bang for the buck. The x8 AA it has... ::drools:: Too bad my budget only allows for a little over $200 for a new video card... I think my best option would be a price-reduced 9800XT. In it's range, there is no contest to the power of a full 9800XT, even from the 5950U.
Wake up, George Lucas... The Matrix has you...
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