ati 9800 pro advice

TexTex Dallas/Ft. Worth
edited July 2004 in Hardware
I don't game. I am biuldinga box to sell right now ansd wanted a nice gaming video card in it. Some of the 9800 pro's cost twice as much as others. Is one really worth the differance for the same amount of memory etc...

Is there a newer video card worth the differance in price if I was trying to maximize the resale value of the system as a whole?

Tex

Comments

  • Jolyon33Jolyon33 Kalamazoo, MI
    edited July 2004
    All ya need right here.

    http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=14-102-268&depa=1
  • Mt_GoatMt_Goat Head Cheezy Knob Pflugerville (north of Austin) Icrontian
    edited July 2004
    Tex,

    Was in Fry's today and they have built by ATI version of that Saphire card (Retail Box) for $189.00. I don't remember if that is a "Today Only" or on the "3 Day Only" sale. With tax it is still cheaper than ordering and you can walk in with it if you have a problem!!! ;)

    There are basiclly 2 versions. There are the 256 bit cards (most of them) and a 128 bit version (generally the ones for under $200.00). You definitly want the 256 bit cards!!!
  • csimoncsimon Acadiana Icrontian
    edited July 2004
    like Larry says ...definitely get the 256 bit card.
  • mmonninmmonnin Centreville, VA
    edited July 2004
    Ditto on the 256bit cards for gamers.
  • TexTex Dallas/Ft. Worth
    edited July 2004
    256bit ? When I see ati 9800 pro cards I can get 128 or 256 mb but I see no option for 128 versus 256 bit on a 9800 pro. What am I not seeing?

    tex
  • Mt_GoatMt_Goat Head Cheezy Knob Pflugerville (north of Austin) Icrontian
    edited July 2004
    Tex wrote:
    256bit ? When I see ati 9800 pro cards I can get 128 or 256 mb but I see no option for 128 versus 256 bit on a 9800 pro. What am I not seeing?

    tex

    Some don't say but look for this. (see below)
  • csimoncsimon Acadiana Icrontian
    edited July 2004
    Tex wrote:
    256bit ? When I see ati 9800 pro cards I can get 128 or 256 mb but I see no option for 128 versus 256 bit on a 9800 pro. What am I not seeing?

    tex
    If you haven't seen the 128bit then feel fortunate ...many have been ripped thinking they were getting the real deal. They've only been around a few weeks so just depends on where you are looking but they are there if you look hard enough. Just steer clear.

    9800 pro 128mb 256bit.

    "These 'castrated' versions seem to pop up everywhere ... if you click here you can see a Radeon 9800 Pro priced at 164 USD !! When you read on you'll notice 128-bit memory, it's just something that a lot of people never heard of or can understand.

    Please be careful when buying and ask the salesmen if it is the 128 or 256-bit memory version !"

    very deceptive IMO
  • botheredbothered Manchester UK
    edited July 2004
    You've got me thinking now which one I've got. I've looked everywhere, Sandra, ATI controle panel, and can't find anything that tells me. I even looked at the discription of it on the site I bought it from and it doesnt say. How can I find out?
  • ThraxThrax 🐌 Austin, TX Icrontian
    edited July 2004
    If you bought it prior to April, I'd give you 90% certainty that it's 256. If it's not a Sapphire card, I'd say it's certain.
  • JimboraeJimborae Newbury, Berks, UK New
    edited July 2004
    bothered wrote:
    You've got me thinking now which one I've got. I've looked everywhere, Sandra, ATI controle panel, and can't find anything that tells me. I even looked at the discription of it on the site I bought it from and it doesnt say. How can I find out?

    bothered,

    Use rivatuner and the low level diagnostic report within it to be sure. Sapphire says that to avoid confusion all their 128bit bus cards will be called Radeon 9800 (as oppossed to Radeon 9800 pro)
  • botheredbothered Manchester UK
    edited July 2004
    Thrax wrote:
    If you bought it prior to April, I'd give you 90% certainty that it's 256. If it's not a Sapphire card, I'd say it's certain.

    Wonderful. It's not saphire and I got it in March. :thumbsup:
  • TexTex Dallas/Ft. Worth
    edited July 2004
    Ok so I know tons more then I did but I want to make sure I'm on the right trail here.

    I'm looking at an ATI Radeon pro and here is the specs.

    Technical Specs Device Type - Graphics adapter
    Enclosure Type - Plug-in card
    Interface Type - AGP 8x
    Compatibility - PC
    Graphics Processor / Vendor - 1 x ATI RADEON 9800 PRO
    Graphics Processor Data Width - 256-bit
    RAMDAC Clock Speed - 400 MHz
    Video Memory Installed ( Max ) - 128 MB DDR SDRAM - integrated
    Max Resolution (external) - 2048 x 1536 / 85 Hz
    Colors Max Resolution (external) - 24-bit (16.7 million colors)
    Supported Display Graphics - VGA (640x480), XGA (1024x768), SVGA (800x600), SXGA (1280x1024), UXGA (1600x1200), HDTV (1920x1080), UXGAW (1900x1200), QXGA (2048x1536), 1152x864, 1920x1200, 1920x1440
    API Supported - OpenGL, DirectX
    Multiple Monitors Support - Yes
    Max Monitors Supported - 2
    TV Interface - TV out
    Analog Video Format - RGB, S-Video
    Digital Video Standard - Digital Visual Interface (DVI)
    Interfaces - 1 x VGA - 15 pin HD D-Sub (HD-15) ¦ 1 x S-video output - 4 pin mini-DIN ¦ 1 x DVI-I - 29 pin combined DVI
    Compatible Slots - 1 x AGP
    Cables Included - 1 x DVI-VGA cable
    Software Included - Drivers & Utilities
    OS Required - Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition, Microsoft Windows 2000 / XP
    Min RAM Size - 128 MB
    Service & Support - 3 years warranty

    It's brand new and never been opened in the original box.

    What's a good deal on a card like this? How much better is a 256mb card? You know me I always scarf for the best deal I can get.
  • csimoncsimon Acadiana Icrontian
    edited July 2004
    Tex wrote:
    What's a good deal on a card like this? How much better is a 256mb card? You know me I always scarf for the best deal I can get.
    Not enough to even come close to justifying the extra money.
    You've got the right one.
  • TexTex Dallas/Ft. Worth
    edited July 2004
    Yeah but whats a really good price for something like this? Brand new in the box. Are other brands better? I mean every dog and his brother seems to have their own version of these things.

    Tex
  • rykoryko new york
    edited July 2004
    bothered,
    You can also check the pattern of the RAM on your 9800pro to determine what you have exactly. If you have an L-shaped layout, you have the 256-bit version. If the RAM is all in a straight line, then you have the 128-bit version.

    Tex,
    Newegg sells 128mb, 256bit 9800pros for $206, but that's oem bulk with no box......after some more searching, a retail version with box goes for a little more at $210.

    I would be a little weary of that card though, b/c in the description you posted, the RAMDAC speed is listed as 400mhz, but 9800pro's default core speed is 380mhz along with a default memory speed of 340ddr(680mhz effective). Just something to watch out for....if it's new in box then how is it overclocked by 20mhz?
  • csimoncsimon Acadiana Icrontian
    edited July 2004
    Tex wrote:
    Yeah but whats a really good price for something like this? Brand new in the box. Are other brands better? I mean every dog and his brother seems to have their own version of these things.

    Tex
    ppl prefer sapphire because they have the largest selection and great prices. You can probably find an equal price from another brand but for the price sapphire is the best really.
    retail(atlantis) is $209.99 and oem is $206 @ newegg. Retail is in the box and includes a game like "tomb raiders". I saw the movie so I went oem. ;D
    As Larry pointed out to me in another thread ...you can get the card at a similar price from Ati if you have an old POS vid card to trade off ...the knock off $50 which would bring it down to around $199 but that probably doesnt include S&H.
  • Mt_GoatMt_Goat Head Cheezy Knob Pflugerville (north of Austin) Icrontian
    edited July 2004
    Tex,

    If that is the exact product pictured then it is a 256 bit card for sure.

    That is also the same one Fry's sells for $249.00 regular price and had on sale this past weekend for $189.00. $189.00 is an excellent price!!!
  • csimoncsimon Acadiana Icrontian
    edited July 2004
    The 256MB variant of the Radeon 9800 Pro is virtually identical to the 128MB model. The only difference is the 256MB Radeon 9800 Pro uses DDR II memory which has a higher latency compared to the old DDR memory. Therefore, a slight memory clock speed bump was implemented to eliminate any loss of performance due to the increased DDR II latency.
    ...rojackpot
  • csimoncsimon Acadiana Icrontian
    edited July 2004
    If it makes you feel any better Tex ...I payed $299 for that card at christmas time and that was a weekend sale ...it was going for something like $305 at the time or better.
  • TexTex Dallas/Ft. Worth
    edited July 2004
    So how much better is an x800 then? Been scanning the prices on them also. Trying to make some money on a package deal and a high end video card could be a big plus.

    tex
  • csimoncsimon Acadiana Icrontian
    edited July 2004
    well x800 is supposedly top choice.
    x800 is 12 pipes ...there were rumors a while back that it would be 16 pipes.
    Idunno if that has been confirmed or not but I would assume that 16 pipes would come with the release of a later version.
    Also where these cards are really supposed to shine is with pci express.

    So my opinion is this ...if you're building a 64 bit athlon and want the top performer then I would wait for the pci express version.

    It depends on the marketing target actually.
  • ThraxThrax 🐌 Austin, TX Icrontian
    edited July 2004
    You'll be waiting a while to see PCI Express on the A64 platform. To my knowledge, the first platform supporting PCIEx for the A64 is the nVidia C8K-04 (nForce4). That just showed up in non-working engineering samples for the first time at Computex in June.

    I suspect sampling to begin around the turn of autumn, and the products to arrive on the shelves in time for Christmas.

    This estimation is consistent with the periods between nForce2 and nForce3 announcements, and shelf arrival. Alternatively, I believe it's also consistent with the average chipset cycle used by nVidia (Roughly 6 months if necessary features should be added). They just released the NF3 250Gb, and it has yet to fully penetrate the s939 market. It would be silly of them to release the nForce4 sooner than winter to kill their 250Gb off.
  • TexTex Dallas/Ft. Worth
    edited July 2004
    The box is pretty much done and just needs a video card.

    Tex
  • csimoncsimon Acadiana Icrontian
    edited July 2004
    my sapphire 9800 pro 128m 256b @ $206 came in today. Pretty nice looking. The heatsink and fan look way nicer than the one in the pic. In fact the fan uses a 3 pin header rather than the old 2 pin like my old one did. I'll plug in tomorrow and see how it goes.

    headsup ...the sapphire 9800pro 128/256 dropped from $206 to $199.
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