New Graphics card

EnverexEnverex Worcester, UK Icrontian
edited June 2005 in Hardware
Finally giving up on my Radeon 9700 Pro. It's not running things too well anymore, and it seems to have issues in games like Morrowind and Neverwinter Nights where it runs like arse if shadows are turned on (NWN isn't too bad but it drops it to 30 or less, Morrowind runs at like 0.8fps with Shadows on).

Anyway, I've been trying to decide on what card to get. I think I will say a max of £250...

Now, here is another hard part. The processor is a 764 and thus so is the motherboard. Now if I wanted to buy a PCI-E card I would have to upgrade the motherboard, and it would be stupid to buy a 764 motherboard so it would need to be a 939... and thus I'd need a new processor too. Problem there is that I am using an Athlon64 3200+ and it would cost me virtually the same as it cost initially to buy a 939 version, and I'd not make back much on the one I have now, so I'd be basically throwing money away :( So I think I will have to stick with an AGP card for now.

I'm also tempted to get a GeForce instead of a Radeon due to these stupid shadow problems I am having and how ATi always seems to have major problems with the games that I always play, not to mention their Linux support is dire and as I am using it more and more, it would be a shot to the foot there too... BUT

I was looking at the performance of the cards and it seems like the ATi equivilents to the GeForce cards are much better and cost less (on anything other than the very top models). So I am tempted to go back to nVidia after grudgingly selling my flawless GeForce 3 for this problem-prone ATi card.

So... what does the majority think?

Oh, one last thing, I found this X800XT that seemed to be a good £60 cheaper than the other XTs... is it really that bad? - http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/ProductInfo.asp?WebProductID=137266

Comments

  • Mt_GoatMt_Goat Head Cheezy Knob Pflugerville (north of Austin) Icrontian
    edited June 2005
    That card is underclocked but still a good card.

    Nvidia 6800GT or ATI X800XL / X800XT.

    Or since it is "Between Innings" as we Americans say, get the lowest acceptable card that will efficiently run what you do so as to keep your losses to a minimum.
  • EnverexEnverex Worcester, UK Icrontian
    edited June 2005
    I checked the model number against the Sapphire website, and it says it is 256-bit; 500MHz / 500MHz; 16P and the Question and Answer below the product on the Scan site also says it is 500 / 1000, so it looks like it isn't underclocked...

    So that means I can get an X800XT a little cheaper than a 6800GT... but in all the benchmarks it seems like the GT was quite a bit behind the X800XT....

    After all my sucky experiences with ATi and their useless Linux Drivers I'll either have to shell out more for an nVidia card to get the same performance, or go with the ATi card and hope it doesn't have the same problems...

    Any advice?
  • shwaipshwaip bluffin' with my muffin Icrontian
    edited June 2005
    this looks pretty sweet - dunno if it's available yet

    http://www.tomshardware.com/hardnews/20050531_114728.html

    (x800xt with agp bridge and pci-e connector)
  • rykoryko new york
    edited June 2005
    if you want a 6800gt, wait untill the 7800 comes out around the 21st as the price will drop.

    however i suggest the agp version of the x800xl b/c it is the same price/performance as the 6800gt but runs much cooler. but since you want good linux support you might just have to deal with the extra heat.
  • KometeKomete Member
    edited June 2005
    Having switched from an ati 9500 modded to a nvidia 6800 I would say stick with ATI. I just feel nvidia is having some driver issues. Don't get me wrong it out-performs my older card but there just seems to be me more system hiccups. Seems like in games it takes longer to load all the textures once I'm in game and just start moving around. Once it gets warmed up it's great but my 9500 never had that problem.
  • EnverexEnverex Worcester, UK Icrontian
    edited June 2005
    Bah, I'll get the Sapphire X800XT. Decent price and I checked the model number against Sapphires product catalog and it says it should be 500/1000 anyway, although it wouldn't really matter if it wasn't.

    Thanks guys, lets just hope this ATi card works better than the last...
  • KometeKomete Member
    edited June 2005
    Fingers crossed..
  • TheBaronTheBaron Austin, TX
    edited June 2005
    Enverex wrote:
    Bah, I'll get the Sapphire X800XT. Decent price and I checked the model number against Sapphires product catalog and it says it should be 500/1000 anyway, although it wouldn't really matter if it wasn't.

    Thanks guys, lets just hope this ATi card works better than the last...

    don't do it! you may be able to get an AIW X800XT for less, if you wait for a sale (newegg has dropped the price significantly twice, and amazon had a big sale as well). I know you're in the UK, but I think the card may actually be less retail!
  • EnverexEnverex Worcester, UK Icrontian
    edited June 2005
    Haha... our web companies don't have sales over here like yours do over there... if ever...
    It is a ~very~ different market.
  • TheBaronTheBaron Austin, TX
    edited June 2005
    well i know, but for whatever reason its non-sale price is lower anyway, and most people just automatically skip over it
  • EnverexEnverex Worcester, UK Icrontian
    edited June 2005
    I've not even seen any X800XT AIW cards, nevermind for less, hah. Anyway, the card arrived this morning and it was better than I expected. It wasn't the Lite version, it was the full one with the games included. It was also clocked at 500/1000 :)
  • TheHeartSmasherTheHeartSmasher
    edited June 2005
    Pricewatch.com buddy and upgrade to a P4, Extreme Editition ULtimate Gamer, get more RAM since you are a pretty heavy gammer, and so you won't have to worry about graphics card problems by yourself a nice

    Quadro FX 4400 $1895
    RADEON X850 XT Platinum PCI Express $474
    Fire GL X1 256mb $570
    RADEON 9800 All-In-Wonder $232

    and make sure you get PCI Express this is 2005 and AGP 8x will be going away soon to make room for the big boys.

    Faster, Stronger, Better, and if you have heating issues buy one with a cooler in it :thumbsup:
  • EnverexEnverex Worcester, UK Icrontian
    edited June 2005
    ... um... firstly I'm in the UK... and second, where the hell am I supposed to get the money to do that? Not to mention I don't really want to downgrade from an Athlon64 to a P4 EE...

    Ah, right... it must have been a joke :rolleyes:
  • TheHeartSmasherTheHeartSmasher
    edited June 2005
    Downgrade No p4, xeon, opteron INTEL is always an upgrade unless you get a celeron.

    But maybe you should have gotten and AMD ATHLON 64 definitly not the wacky Septeron you poor sould don't you know anything.

    Its your board and processor probably not supported at all by any of ATI or Nvidia's cards.

    Poor Poor Soul
  • TheHeartSmasherTheHeartSmasher
    edited June 2005
    You were better off staying with the Athalon 64
  • TheBaronTheBaron Austin, TX
    edited June 2005
    man what the **** are you talking about?

    if you're trying to make a joke, it isn't funny

    otherwise, you shouldn't be posting
  • GobblesGobbles Ventura California
    edited June 2005
    President Pain wrote:
    Downgrade No p4, xeon, opteron INTEL is always an upgrade unless you get a celeron.

    But maybe you should have gotten and AMD ATHLON 64 definitly not the wacky Septeron you poor sould don't you know anything.

    Its your board and processor probably not supported at all by any of ATI or Nvidia's cards.

    Poor Poor Soul

    someone is drain bamaged... :thumbsup:
  • JChretienJChretien Vancouver, BC, Canada
    edited June 2005
    umm does the person in the two posts above baron's know what he/she is talking about? There is absolutely NO MENTION of semprons at all in this thread in the first place. Post something useful or dont post at all.
  • EnverexEnverex Worcester, UK Icrontian
    edited June 2005
    Well, the card arrived. Working nicely, just working out the max overclock now :)
    It was 500/1000 and it came with the games and software too. Yay.

    Cheers everyone, er... excluding Mr. DB.
  • Mt_GoatMt_Goat Head Cheezy Knob Pflugerville (north of Austin) Icrontian
    edited June 2005
    Enverex wrote:
    Well, the card arrived. Working nicely, just working out the max overclock now :)
    It was 500/1000 and it came with the games and software too. Yay.

    Cheers everyone, er... excluding Mr. DB.

    Woot Woot :thumbsup:
  • TheHeartSmasherTheHeartSmasher
    edited June 2005
    I see you guys got the joke, what would be the best card to play battlefield 2 for under $150.

    The Ati or Nvidea
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