9500GT, who does it compare to 9XXX series?

highperf4x4highperf4x4 US
edited May 2009 in Hardware
I have a couple of questions you guys might be able to help me with. I'll tell you what I've got first. It's also an Inspiron 531 with the Asus M2N61- AX mobo and an Athlon64 X2 6000+ Dual Core. I ordered it with 2GB of the DDR2 800Mhz PC2 6400 ram and a Geforce 8300GS video card w/128MB onboard memory. I'm obviously extremely disappointed with both especially since Vista chews up so much memory. Soooooo I ordered 2 more 1GB ram sticks (also the 800mhz 6400) directly from Dell on sale for 14.00 each and a Geforce 9500GT video card w/1GB onboard memory (also from Dell for 75.00). Since I'm pretty sure the factory PSU will jump straight into the trash can when I turn it on.(300w)....... how big of a PSU do you guys think I will need? And any suggestions on a particular one that will work best with the case/cables?

And secondly..... since 75.00 is a rediculously low price for a 9 series video card with 1GB of onboard memory..(especially from Dell).. what is it I'm not seeing? Is the 9500GT some kind of crap card that is gonna sqaush my Crysis and COD4 gaming experience? lol

Comments

  • highperf4x4highperf4x4 US
    edited February 2009
    Just to ensure I've accurately explained my power needs this is what my system will contain by the end of the week.

    AMD Athlon64 X2 6000+ 3.0ghz Dual Core
    4GB DDR2 PC2 6400 800mhz
    Geforce 9500GT 1GB PCI-e
    Onboard Sound 7.1
    Onboard Nic
    56k Modem
    320GB 7200 rpm Sata HDD
    16x DVD +/- RW Double Layer Sata
    19in1 Media Reader
    1 80mm case, 1 90mm cpu cooling fans.
  • mew905mew905 Saskatchewan
    edited February 2009
    highperf4x4 wrote:
    Sorry to highjack someone's thread here but I have a couple of questions you guys might be able to help me with. I'll tell you what I've got first. It's also an Inspiron 531 with the same Asus mobo and an Athlon64 X2 6000+ Dual Core. I ordered it with 2GB of the DDR2 800Mhz PC2 6400 ram and a Geforce 8300GS video card w/128MB onboard memory. I'm obviously extremely disappointed with both especially since Vista chews up so much memory. Soooooo I ordered 2 more 1GB ram sticks (also the 800mhz 6400) directly from Dell on sale for 14.00 each and a Geforce 9500GT video card w/1GB onboard memory (also from Dell for 75.00). Since I'm pretty sure the PSU will jump straight into the trash can when I turn it on........ how big of a PSU do you guys think I will need? And any suggestions on a particular one that will work best with the case/cables?

    And secondly..... since 75.00 is a rediculously low price for a 9 series video card with 1GB of onboard memory..(especially from Dell).. what is it I'm not seeing? Is the 9500GT some kind of crap card that is gonna sqaush my Crysis and COD4 gaming experience? lol

    Well, to put it lightly, the 9500GT is like a slightly faster 8600 GTS. While not a horribly bad card, I had a hard time running Crysis on medium-low on 1024x768. COD4 is much better performance wise, however that 1GB framebuffer is essentially useless on that card, not even the (8/9)800 GT's can use that much effectively. However, the 9500GT is also a smaller chip, the 8600GT's being G86 on the 90nm scale, the G94 sits on the 65nm scale, using less power, producing less heat, and should not be a problem at all in the 531. I run 3GB RAM (2x1GB and 2x 512MB), Athlon X2 5000+ (unsure if its 89w or 65w model) and an 8800GT and it ran fine with 400 watts of power. Dell supplies a 300 watt PSU that should more than easily handle a 9500GT.

    EDIT: if you really want to play it safe, a 400 watt power supply will more than handle that PC, again running what I do above, I use a whopping 218 watts peak (gaming), thats overclocked video card too. Trust me, a 400 watt will be more than sufficient, but I'm pretty sure the stock PSU will do it as well (but it's cheap, being a no-name dell part, so god knows when it will bite the dust 'just cuz it feels like it')
  • LeonardoLeonardo Wake up and smell the glaciers Eagle River, Alaska Icrontian
    edited February 2009
    The reason the 9500GT is so inexpensive is that most of them are indeed quite different than the 8800 and 9800 series video cards. The 9500GT has only 32 stream processors (shaders) as compared to 112 to 128 for 88 and 98 series cards.

    Lacking in stream processors will negatively affect some games quite a bit, which games, I'm not sure. You can find used 8800s and 9800s for about the same price as a new 9500GT that will probably blow it away.

    Get a second opinion on the gaming aspects as I'm not a gamer.

    Also, would you please a link to the card you are interested in?
  • mew905mew905 Saskatchewan
    edited February 2009
    an 8800GT or 9800GT would throw the 9500 to the ground, take out a large, iron beating stick and... well you know the rest. In other words, yeah, the 8800GT is night and day versus an 8600GT. the 8800GT comes close to the GTX, and the 8800GTS 512 comes close to the 8800 Ultra. Then there's that absolutely HUGE performance gap between the 8600GT(s) and the 8800GT, the 9500GT being a bit faster than the 8600GTS, yeah, again likely night and day difference.
  • LeonardoLeonardo Wake up and smell the glaciers Eagle River, Alaska Icrontian
    edited February 2009
    Something really screwy is going on with this thread. Sorry guys, I had just made a new thread with 4X4's posts, and it got chopped in half for some reason. I'll find the other posts and splice them in.

    update: OK, back in business - all elements are back in the single thread now
  • highperf4x4highperf4x4 US
    edited February 2009
    Hey how's this for an important update? It's actually a 9400GT lmao

    Just a second and I'll grab that link............
  • highperf4x4highperf4x4 US
    edited February 2009
    http://search.dell.com/results.aspx?s=gen&c=us&l=en&cs=&k=A1985880&cat=all&x=15&y=12

    Ok, that's the card
  • LeonardoLeonardo Wake up and smell the glaciers Eagle River, Alaska Icrontian
    edited February 2009
    If that card were $45 shipped, I'd jump on it! No offense, but that card is no bargain at all. Dell doesn't even bother mentioning the stream processor count. It's probably in the basement at a 32. That card is also only 128 bit interface. That's a three year old standard. Nividia and the makers of the 9400 and 9500 cards are merely pulling marketing tricks.

    Hey, I understand that fatness (or thinness) of the wallet often dictates our choice of computer components. Can you just wait a couple weeks, save up $30 more get a 9800GT? You'll most very likely be glad you did.
  • highperf4x4highperf4x4 US
    edited February 2009
    You guys know way too much about this crap...... I suppose that's why I'm here. Don't run me off yet though lol.

    This is my thinking. My other machine running XP only has a Geforce 7300LE w/512MB onboard memory and the system only has 2GB DDR2 667mhz. While I don't max out the graphics in my games (Crysis, COD4), they are set higher than this machine with the 8300GS w/128 and that one runs awesomely. Very smooth. When I bought this machine (1 year ago) I thought hey, this 8300GS should perform better even with the 128MB memory because it also uses 700MB of system memory if it needs it. 7300 vs. 8300...... higher number = better card right? Stop laughing at me.

    Even though I proved that theory wrong (7300LE walks cirlces around 8300GS)......... I still thought to myself, hey, higher number plus twice as much memory = better card right? You still laughing?

    Since I've already ordered this card........... someone tell me that it's gonna work better than the 7300LE for pete's sake! lmao
  • highperf4x4highperf4x4 US
    edited February 2009
    Btw, thx for the info on the PSU, I'm just gonna stick the new memory and the second crappy video card that I've purchased in and see if what happens. Anyone wanna give me a 9800GT as a consolation prize?
  • LeonardoLeonardo Wake up and smell the glaciers Eagle River, Alaska Icrontian
    edited February 2009
    Since I've already ordered this card........... someone tell me that it's gonna work better than the 7300LE for pete's sake! lmao
    Any 9xxx card will kick a 7300LE around the block! (feel better now?) :)
    Anyone wanna give me a 9800GT as a consolation prize?
    Check out our trading forum, other sites' trading forums, and Craigslist. I've been known to sell a few video cards myself, but it's going to be a couple weeks before I have another card available.

    You've got a good sense of humor. You'll fit in fine here! :rockon: Stick around. Not everyone here is an expert. We've all levels, from noooob (extra 'o's for ultra) all the way to technology professionals. We are a big tent, only requiring interest in tech good behavior (mostly good :rolleyes: ).
  • highperf4x4highperf4x4 US
    edited February 2009
    Righteous. I'll be in to pick your brains on a regular basis then.

    I'm a little bit leary of buying used components from individuals but if you happen to come up with a better card than this 9400GT in the future I might give it a shot.
  • highperf4x4highperf4x4 US
    edited February 2009
    highperf4x4, you do not have permission to access this page.

    I'm not worthy of your trading forums yet ! lol I'll check it out again later.
  • LeonardoLeonardo Wake up and smell the glaciers Eagle River, Alaska Icrontian
    edited February 2009
    I'm not advertising for myself, just saying...

    Start poking around in trading forums even before you are looking to buy. Get a feel for how they work. Start looking at people's styles, at their references. Go to that link I posted above and look at our rules and the safe trading guide ("sticky" thread) I posted. I keep several computers very nicely updated. More than half of my upgrades are purchased used.
  • highperf4x4highperf4x4 US
    edited February 2009
    Ok, I've installed the video card and everything seems to be cool. I have a question though. In advanced properties for the display adapter it still shows this card using system memory. Total available graphics memory is 1791MB. Is there a way to stop the video card from using system memory? It has 1GB onboard so I wouldn't think it would need system memory or do I even need to worry about it?
  • mew905mew905 Saskatchewan
    edited May 2009
    highperf4x4 wrote:
    Ok, I've installed the video card and everything seems to be cool. I have a question though. In advanced properties for the display adapter it still shows this card using system memory. Total available graphics memory is 1791MB. Is there a way to stop the video card from using system memory? It has 1GB onboard so I wouldn't think it would need system memory or do I even need to worry about it?

    My 8800GT did it too, 512MB RAM with something like 1210MB system RAM to the card. While it is annoying, it doesn't actually use the memory to my knowledge.

    Even my newest addition: the GTX 260 says its got 2175MB total memory, yet only 896MB is on board. I think it's just a Vista thing, not sure if it does it on boards without onboard video but I think that may have something to do with it.
  • highperf4x4highperf4x4 US
    edited May 2009
    mew905 wrote:
    My 8800GT did it too, 512MB RAM with something like 1210MB system RAM to the card. While it is annoying, it doesn't actually use the memory to my knowledge.

    Even my newest addition: the GTX 260 says its got 2175MB total memory, yet only 896MB is on board. I think it's just a Vista thing, not sure if it does it on boards without onboard video but I think that may have something to do with it.


    Ok, I just wanted to make sure that the system wasn't setting that much memory aside for the video card when it didn't even need it.
  • highperf4x4highperf4x4 US
    edited May 2009
    Thx for the response btw!
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