View Full Version : CircuitCity: Radeon 9800 Non-Pro 128 MB for $199
Al_Capown
1 Dec 2003, 9:28pm
http://slickdeals.net/#p3906
Act fast!!!
Park_7677
1 Dec 2003, 9:54pm
Well I'm getting it for X-Mas. I can go get it tonight, to make sure it's got the right memory chips for the PRO flash.
What do I say when I take it back to exchange if I get bad memory? Any ideas? :scratch:
Responses ASAP please :D
P.S. Anyone know the fastest RAM the NP comes with?
GHoosdum
1 Dec 2003, 9:55pm
Just tell them that it didn't work with your PC - they don't really care, nor do they test it when you return it.
Park_7677
1 Dec 2003, 9:56pm
/me was thinking about checking in the parking lot ;D
I'll do it anyway, they don't scare me :p
Thx
SimGuy
1 Dec 2003, 10:01pm
Park_7677 had this to say
Well I'm getting it for X-Mas. I can go get it tonight, to make sure it's got the right memory chips for the PRO flash.
What do I say when I take it back to exchange if I get bad memory? Any ideas? :scratch:
Responses ASAP please :D
P.S. Anyone know the fastest RAM the NP comes with?
Fastest RAM available on the 9800 NP is Samsung 3.3ns SGRAM.
Looks just like this:
http://www.short-media.com/img/9800flash/samsungmem.jpg
If you get Infineon RAM.... take the sucker back for whatever excuse. Death is better than Infineon RAM. :)
csimon
1 Dec 2003, 10:04pm
Park_7677 had this to say
Well I'm getting it for X-Mas. I can go get it tonight, to make sure it's got the right memory chips for the PRO flash.
What do I say when I take it back to exchange if I get bad memory? Any ideas? :scratch:
Responses ASAP please :D
P.S. Anyone know the fastest RAM the NP comes with?
hell check it in the store ...they should let you at least do that you're just looking at it!
SimGuy
1 Dec 2003, 10:05pm
Thread Sticked Until This Deal Is No Longer Slick...
Definately a good deal. Around here, you'll be hard pressed to find a Radeon 9800 Non-Pro. They sold like hotcakes once people learned you could flash them :)
WATCH OUT though. The "Built By ATI" Radeon 9800 Non-Pro's either used Samsung 3.3ns SGRAM or Infineon 3.3ns SGRAM. It's like 60% Infineon, 40% Samsung.
Remember, you can't perform the BIOS flash WITH Infineon RAM. If you want any hope in overclocking, make sure your card carries Samsung 3.3ns SGRAM (see picture above).
McBain
1 Dec 2003, 10:30pm
Real quick.... if I flashed it, does it perform just like a pro? Is there any measurable performance hit?
Lincoln
1 Dec 2003, 10:32pm
/me calls parents back in civilization to cash in on an early christmas present.
w00t!
SimGuy
1 Dec 2003, 10:38pm
McBain had this to say
Real quick.... if I flashed it, does it perform just like a pro? Is there any measurable performance hit?
Yes. Identical in performance to a real 9800 Pro. :)
The ONLY difference between the 9800 NP and the 9800 Pro is memory & clock speeds (325/290 on the NP, 380/340 on the Pro).
Yes, there are different memory types, as the 9800 Pro's only used Samsung's 2.86ns memory, but that's besides the point :)
GHoosdum
1 Dec 2003, 10:44pm
You don't take a hit by running 3.3ns memory instead of 2.86ns?
Pricewatch lists several 9800 128MBs in the $150 range. Is it that they're powered by ATI? What's the deal?
Al_Capown
1 Dec 2003, 10:52pm
GHoosdum had this to say
You don't take a hit by running 3.3ns memory instead of 2.86ns?
I might be wrong, but 3.3ns is spec speed of what the memory is rated for. It's like DDR400 some runs all the way up to 225 and some struggles to run at 200. However if a card with 3.3ns memory is running at the same speed as a card with 2.86ns memory there will be no performance drop.
Al_Capown
1 Dec 2003, 10:54pm
EMT had this to say
Pricewatch lists several 9800 128MBs in the $150 range. Is it that they're powered by ATI? What's the deal?
Check and see if those are 9800SE's or not. My best bet is that they are.
GHoosdum
1 Dec 2003, 10:55pm
EMT had this to say
Pricewatch lists several 9800 128MBs in the $150 range. Is it that they're powered by ATI? What's the deal?
These are probably 9800 SE cards, which are crippled and won't flash to 9800 Pros often.
SimGuy
1 Dec 2003, 10:55pm
GHoosdum had this to say
You don't take a hit by running 3.3ns memory instead of 2.86ns?
Samsung 3.3ns memory is not "officially" rated to hit the 340 MHz speed required by the 9800 Pro, but can overclock to that point no problemo.
2.86ns IS officially rated to operate at 350 MHz, which "officially" supports the speed of 340 MHz required by the 9800 Pro.
3.3ns won't overclock as high as 2.86, but it still overclocks like a biotch.
Personally, my Samsung 3.3ns overclocks 100 MHz beyond it's originally designed running speed artifact-free.
290 MHz -> 390 MHz (780 DDR).
Yeah, I just noticed they're all SE up to $265. My mistake - haven't kept up with the recent video card nuances. This deal is definitely one to consider, though.
Al_Capown
1 Dec 2003, 11:02pm
I also recommend you use this guide (http://www.short-media.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=3327) instead of the one linked on slickdeals. Simguy rocks :Rocker:
McBain
1 Dec 2003, 11:16pm
Pseudo and I are going to get one right now(for me, the 8500 ain't cuttin it no mo). I'll report whether or not its Infineon or Samsung ram....and I think Ima gonna ask if I can open it in store.
Al_Capown
1 Dec 2003, 11:40pm
Everyone report back when you return from the store on if they are still in stock at most locations and if your ram was infineon or samsung.
leishi85
1 Dec 2003, 11:44pm
should i return my 9600 to best buy, which is like 70 but it's after rebate, before rebates it's like 135 or something,
BTW i already have a 9800pro, but this is tempting.
I got the last one in Taylor MI today. Too bad its infineon ram. 3ns though. Thoughts comments on its abilities? Can I flash it then underclock the ram?
Good luck pushing that ram past.... 330 MHz. Maybe.
Don't flash it with the Pro BIOS available here on SM. It's designed for the Samsung-based cards that will overclock to 380/340 without a hitch.
Your best bet? Download Rage3DTweak and overclock the card through those sliders. :)
There is an Infineon BIOS available that will overclock the card to 380/325 if you want to try it, but I've never used it before and can't comment on it.
pseudonym
2 Dec 2003, 1:56am
So the bios has no other performance upgrades other than Ocing the card??
Park_7677
2 Dec 2003, 2:09am
Meh.. 2 cards tonight and both were Infineon 3.0 ns. :hrm: There are 2 more CCs in driving range, so I'll check them out ASAP.
Good luck to everyone looking for those magic Samsung chips :thumbsup:
/me goes back to 13,200 3DMark 2001SE Ti 4200 :banghead:
Pseudonym had this to say
So the bios has no other performance upgrades other than Ocing the card??
Some say it ever-so-slightly increases the voltage to the memory chips, but that can't be confirmed nor denied.
I believe it... as until I flashed my card 9800 NP with the 9800 Pro BIOS, I couldn't overclock as high as I can now :).
Other than that, all flashing the BIOS does is overclock the card to 380/340.
Park_7677
2 Dec 2003, 3:05am
Called 4 different CCs... no one has them in stock but the one with only Infineon RAM. :bawling:
[small hijack]
Because I wouldn't get to play with it until Christmas, possible that the 9800 NP will be $200 by then? So I could do some more hunting for Samsung chips after I get $$$..
If not, because I'm stuck with a Ti 4200 (OCed though ;)) I might just go with it and see what it'll do. If it's a keeper, it's a keeper. If not, I have a friend with GF2 MX 64 MB DDR... He'll buy it from me at cost.
[/hijack]
If you guys could get back to me on the question above before tonight's end, I'd be grateful. Pick it up tomorrow if so :p
Thanks again Al, great find.
GHoosdum
2 Dec 2003, 4:10am
I stopped at CC on the way home from work today. The verdict? Out of stock. None coming in on the next shipment truck this week. No dice.
I'll keep you guys posted on the O/C attempt on my 9800 np....pretty sure I'm keeping it regardless as it performs on par with a 9700 pro.
BTW....a 9800 np should be able to run HL2 and Doom 3 respectably right?
Yep, they perform at around the same levels. The Radeon 9800 has VPU enhancements that offer better performance compared to the 9700 VPU.
Roughly, the 9800 is a smidgen faster. :)
As for DoomIII & HL2? Anandtech's benchmarks show that the 9800 will handle both without a hiccup. Not sure how it will handle the games at 1280x1024 with AA/AF, but we'll have to see on that one. :)
That settles it....shes a keeper...plus the 3.0ns ram should overclock a smidge or 30 and put me closer to a 9800 pro for 200$
MoTHA_NaTuRE
3 Dec 2003, 4:46am
i went to CC with my friend to pick one up for him, i opened it up and it's infected with infineon 3ns. oh well, at least i have a 9800xt to shove in his face.
is it worth it to get the 9800 if it doesnt have the samsung ram?
MoTHA_NaTuRE
3 Dec 2003, 5:03am
if u havent bought a vid card yet, it's a damned good price. too tempting, i feel like buying it and i don't even need it.
Bud had this to say
is it worth it to get the 9800 if it doesnt have the samsung ram?
If you have a Radeon 9600 or 9200 Pro (and below), the Radeon 9800 Non-Pro (even with Infineon memory modules) offers incredible performance that's on par with the Radeon 9700 Pro, especially at $199 USD.
You'll be able to overclock the core like mad on those cards, but unfortunately, the memory will be lucky to hit 325 MHz (up from the rated speed of 290).
Mt_Goat
5 Dec 2003, 4:01am
And to think I'm 4 days past due to return my 9600 Pro that I got from CC. :( :screwed: :banghead:
Simguy, I don't understand why I would be "lucky" to hit 325 with Infineon Ram. Its 3ns ram, which means its rated to run 330 no?
I mean, I understand its probably not gonna go much past 330, but still why not at least 330? Which is only like 10mhz off of the pro speeds right?
McBain had this to say
Simguy, I don't understand why I would be "lucky" to hit 325 with Infineon Ram. Its 3ns ram, which means its rated to run 330 no?
I mean, I understand its probably not gonna go much past 330, but still why not at least 330? Which is only like 10mhz off of the pro speeds right?
Because 98% of the time, Infineon RAM will NOT reach its' rated speed.
IE, the Infineon 3.3ns memory on my 9700 Non Pro. It's rated for 303 MHz operation, yet won't run artifact free over 290 MHz with ramsinks, arctic alumina epoxy and a 92mm Vantec tornado to actively cool the card.
Infineon memory sucks for overclocking, despite what it's rated.
how can 3.3ns be rated to run @ 330 and 3.0ns also be rated to run @ 330? I think I'm missing something here.
/edit....sorry....14 hours in a lab will make me blind. you said 303...not 330...:doh:
McBain had this to say
how can 3.3ns be rated to run @ 330 and 3.0ns also be rated to run @ 330? I think I'm missing something here.
/edit....sorry....14 hours in a lab will make me blind. you said 303...not 330...:doh:
HAHAH :) I was going to say.... :)
In my experience, anyone with an Infineon-based 9800 Non-Pro has been unable to run the memory in excess of 325 MHz artifact-free, despite being 3.0ns memory rated for 333 MHz operation.
Well I'll try mine this weekend. Huge assignment due tomorrow and I'm not done yet. No time to play till saturday.
Good luck on the assignment :)
I'll definately be interested in seeing how high you can get your Infineon. Maybe you'll be one of the lucky 2% that can actually get 333 MHz artifact-free operation out of it.... :)
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