Decideing on a new vid card, need some help

easyridereasyrider
edited January 2004 in Hardware
Not sure where this belong as far as forums because this does involve nvidia and ati, but I'll post here. If it doesn't belong here I appologize before hand, and please move it accordingly.

First and foremost, please keep all comments and debates civil and humane like, so as we don't start an nvidia vs. ati debate again, that's not what I want.
I had/have a 9700pro aiw card, wich is approximately 7mo old, wich went bad, so i am in the process of rma'ing it. I bought it new, but the card is over a year old, so I am going to treat myself to a new card come tax time, and sell my 9700pro aiw card to a friend.
I have owned the follwoing cards: tnt1, tnt2, tnt2 ultra, gf1, gf2 gts, radeon vivo, 8500, and lastly this 9700pro aiw card. I have likes and dislikes about each company, and each companies cards, so I don't sway either way, I just want the absolute best I can get, at a res of at least 1280x960x32, at least 4xaa and 16xaf.
System specs are as follows:
AMD Barton 2500+, 333mhz
Asus nForce2 A7N8X Delux-UAY mainboard
1 gig pc2700 333mhz Micron
ATI Radeon 9700 pro AIW 128mb
Lite-On 52x24x52 cd-rw
Pioneer DVR-105, DVD -r/-rw
2 - 120gig Seagate Serial ata 7200.7 HD, 8MB cache
19" KDS XF-9B monitor

All this being said, I am shopping around, reading reviews. What I was wanting by posting here, is comments, of good and/or bad of each card, and whatever else.

Lets hope this can be a civil thread, because I really don't wanna leave, wich will probably happen if it gets all heated and stupid.

Thanks in advance.

Comments

  • ThraxThrax 🐌 Austin, TX Icrontian
    edited January 2004
    Radeon 9800XT is the best card currently in existence.
  • MediaManMediaMan Powered by loose parts.
    edited January 2004
    No problem. We are most cival here. Mostly.

    Quick question. You presently own an AIW which has many more features than a regular card. Is it that you want:

    A) The fastest gaming card on the planet?
    B) A card that you can really turn up the AA, etc and don't mind sacrificing a few FPS as long as the game plays smoothly? (Meaning you don't want to peg the most FPS in a competition)
    C) You want all the mutlimedia features that you had before?
  • easyridereasyrider
    edited January 2004
    aw, I forgot to add that, thankyou for reminding me.

    B and C are my main things I am looking for, either vivo style or aiw style. I know they don't make an aiw style in the xt, but, the do however make a 9800xt vivo, made by if I remember right, gainward.

    I tend not to worry as much about fps really, as long as the game is smooth and runs fine with aa and af on, in all aspects of the game. I go for an "overall" effect, rather than shoot for the max visuals, or max fps. I lean more towards smoothness and visuals, rather than high fps. To me fps is for benchmarking.
  • leishi85leishi85 Grand Rapids, MI Icrontian
    edited January 2004
    i don't think gainward makes ati video cards, they make nvidia product i believe. u can get the 9800pro aiw.
  • easyridereasyrider
    edited January 2004
    I'm sorry, it was an Asus 9800xt vivo
  • MediaManMediaMan Powered by loose parts.
    edited January 2004
    The 9600 AIW is providing some darn good value but it may be on par with what you got. Looks like you are faced with going to the most expensive thing ATI has got in the AIW series.

    OR

    You could get a 9800XT plus a Hauppauge card. You get the TV plus encoding plus the fast gaming. :)

    And a big bill. :(
  • TheSmJTheSmJ
    edited January 2004
    I plan on getting a 9800 Pro (or XT once it goes down in price)+TV Wonder card. This way I have both VIVO and multi-monitor support, which is something neither the Radeon 9800 Pro, nor the AIW 9800 Pro can do.

    Plus, it costs less than the AIW 9800 Pro.
  • SlickSlick Upstate New York
    edited January 2004
    Thrax wrote:
    Radeon 9800XT is the best card currently in existence.

    Graphic designers and such use much higher end video cards ;). I think you mean for the regular consumer.
  • edcentricedcentric near Milwaukee, Wisconsin Icrontian
    edited January 2004
    Going with two cards ala Media Man may be your best option. The total bill won't be too bad, if you are careful. And you can upgrade the two independent of each other. Up where you are the air is getting thin. It looks like time to do some reasearch.
  • easyridereasyrider
    edited January 2004
    I may wait until the next gen comes out. From what I gather, Feb is the release time, and rumor has it, along with the pics I saw, it will be 256mb ram, and ddr3, that's if the pics are actual pics. Anyone by chance have any specs on the next gen cards, and maybe a release date they are spose to hit?
Sign In or Register to comment.