The Short List: the Best Gaming Videocards for the money - Page 14 - Graphics-Cards

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Quote :

For gaming, the 8500 GT is about as fast as the old school 6600 GT!

Thats pretty good if you can get the card for <$50 :lol: And its dx10 compatible, w00t!

Reply to randomizer

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Quote :

Thats pretty good if you can get the card for <$50 :lol: And its dx10 compatible, w00t!

it would be, if the 8500 GT wasn't $100... maybe in a few months the price'll drop alot though, who knows?

Reply to Cleeve

are there no 2900xt card benchmarks out there yet? usually you've got this updated before I can buy the parts in Canada, but I see them already in my local stores this time.

Reply to torque79

We're all kinda waiting to see some benchmarks.
And from a variety of cards.
But the powers that be are slow in coming fourth
with them.
(waiting, not very patiently) :evil:

Reply to RaZR

Will a DX10 card such as 8800 GTS/GTX perform well on DX9 games?

I'm an old style gamer and I still play Counterstrike 1.6/Source and WoW.

Reply to shinmechbrian

Will it? IT DOES!!

Get an 8800gts 320mb card and you will get killer framerates on those games :wink:

EDIT: Just make sure you have a good enough power supply to run it.

Reply to randomizer

Quote :

are there no 2900xt card benchmarks out there yet? usually you've got this updated before I can buy the parts in Canada, but I see them already in my local stores this time.

Right now I'd say the HD2900 doesn't belong in the general recommendation area yet, it's price hasn't dropped since launch it's gone up, it's performance is only now becoming clear with driver releases like the 8.38 release, and then it's very app/game dependant as to value versus other candidates. In most cases the price of the GTS-640 has dropped significantly keeping it a strong contender for even money. But that's not the case in all countries/currencies.

For now I'd say that the HD2900 is primarily for people who already know what benefits they want, for the general user who's approching this with no knowledge of either player, the GTS series (either 320 or 640) might be the way to go.

I suspect Cleeve's just waiting for more solid numbers that done change from day to day before penning any recommendation/criticism/avoidance.

Reply to TheGreatGrapeApe

but I have not yet seen any THG benchmarks of these cards. Of course any new card release usually needs some driver enhancements, but usually we can get a baseline with current drivers right at release date, and maybe a follow up article with a new driver release if there's enough of a performance difference.

I don't understand why the benchmarks are taking so long for these cards. Are they so dramatically disappointing? At least if I knew the performance was better/worse than the 8800series, I would then know if I should purchase one when its prices drop.

Personally I prefer to see card benchmarks right away than wait, because it says something about the manufacturer if they release a card without having a necessary driver to draw out its performance potential. Should that not be a release date requirement? I know I'd be angry if I bought a card released yesterday (with a premium price) and its performance was not up to par until months later with a driver release.

Reply to torque79

Quote :

but I have not yet seen any THG benchmarks of these cards.

Darren Polkowski's article featured some 2900 XT benches:

http://www.tomshardware.com/2007/0 [...] age20.html

Reply to Cleeve

wow I sure did miss that one! nice to see the 2900's will come with some really nice games (portal, hl2ep2, tfc2). I'm also happy to see the 2900 wins almost accross the board against the GTS around the resolution I play at (1600x1050). hopefully they'll copy nvidia and have a lower memory version for around the same price as the 8800GTS 320mb so they have a value segment competition.

considering how long it took to release the 2900 though I must admit I'm pretty disappointed the margin is not larger compared to the GTS. It's faster (at my desired resolution), but not by the margin I was looking for with the extra time delay (and therefore more driver development time).

ATI's falling behind... I guess that's the cycle. I was so happy with my x800gto, 1950pro is now doing me well, but now the momentum has definitely swung to Nvidia leading the card release dates and performance firsts. here's hoping the pendulum continues to go back and forth, but for the moment the newest ATI card release is far too expensive for its small performance increase on the GTS. The price is VERY close to the 620mb nvidia GTS, but who cares, I don't think many ppl would buy the 620mb version. *yawn*

Reply to torque79

I have a question, if anyone can help out.

I am currently building a new computer,
but for the videocard, i decided to wait for the next wave, or until Vista works decent.

SO i am looking for a good video card (that will run upcomign games), but under the $300 bucks.

and i found this one :
evga 7950GT 512 MB OC for $250
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6814130066

but while reading the article,
it says that the ATI one might be good choice aswell...

so am i wondering,
evga 7950GT 512 MB OC or ATI X1950 XT ?

to me they seem roughly the same :\

thanks.

Reply to zpliskin

The X1950 XT should still be a good deal stronger than a 7950 GT with 512mb or RAM.

Reply to Cleeve

If you want a card to play now games and past ones buy directx9 compatible card. But why to buy directx9 graphics card when we are so close to directx10 games. My opinion is if you don't want to waste your money buy directx10 compatible card.

I recommend Geforce 8800GTS 320, 640 or Ati HD2900XT, price range $300-$400 great value for money. Performance/price ratio i think these cards gives you the best for your bucks.

Reply to Techfan

Quote :

If you want a card to play now games and past ones buy directx9 compatible card. But why to buy directx9 graphics card when we are so close to directx10 games.

People said the same thing when Dx8 and Dx9 arrived, only to be proven wrong.

Why are Dx9 cards still a good buy? Because Dx10 games will all have a Dx9 codepath for a couple years to come, at the very least. And the final render output will look quite similar.

Nobody will make a DirectX 10 'only' game for quite some time. There's not enough of a user base to justify it.

That's why you're better off with a good Dx9 card (that can actually play games, i.e. an X1950 PRO) instead of a crappy Dx10 card (that will struggle to do so, i.e. an 8500 GT).

Although I will agree with you that the 8800 GTS cards are a good buy. Not so much the 2900XT though...

Reply to Cleeve

I agree with you with every single word that you said but playing games that support dx10 with dx9 GPU you lose details that might not be noticed immediately but if you compare screenshots you will see that difference.

For example i found the link below which has two screenshots for comparison.

ATI 2900XT Call of Juarez screenshots

Reply to Techfan

Yes, in some Dx10 titles you'll lose visual fidelity. But my point is that Dx10 compatibility isn't enough; it has to be a GOOD Dx10 card.

Given the choice between an 8600 GT or DirectX 9 X1950 PRO, you'd be crazy not to choose the X1950 PRO because the 8600 GT is so much slower - and probably wouldn't run any Dx10 games at a decent resolution.

Reply to Cleeve

You are right that's why i did recommend 1st nVidia 8800GTS 320MB,2nd 640MB or 3rd ATI 2900XT Dx10 GPU. It's impossible to get playable framerates with anything lower than that in Dx10 games max out settings at 1280x768.

There are some interesting Dx10 bench that prove that. Check that link for more details.

Extremetech - Company of Heroes with Dx10 patch

Reply to Techfan

I have narrowed down my graphics card selection to either the 320 mb or 640 mb GTS 8800, but I have several concerns:

first off I have a "new" HP a6030n using an Athlon 64 X2 (B) 4800+ 2.5 GHz running Vista 32 bit version. My RAM is currently 2Gigs, to be upgraded to 4 Gig, which I gather is the maximum allowed with my current system under 32 bit Vista, still it seems plenty for now.

My questions are:

1. Is the stock PSU going to be enough to handle either choice of GTS ?

2. Ultimately, I have seen arguments for and against the viability of one card against the other. Using the above information, will I be able to take full advantage of the (apparently minimal but there) benefits of the 640 mb? Otherwise I'll just take the 320mb and be happy.

Thanks so much, this is my first post

Reply to TK-421

1. Not sure... don't know the specs of the PSU in your machine

2. The long and short of it is, you'd never regret buying either card. It's not like in 6 months you'll be saying "Oh damn, if I only got the other one I would have saved money/had more power!"

If you think you'll be running 1600x1200 or higher, the 640mb version looks better. If you're running resolutions below that, I'd definitely consider the 320mb version.

Reply to Cleeve

I have looked high and low on the HP online specs, on my own computer and have yet to find what make, manufacture type the PSU is.

I'm going to have to wait to get home from work to open the case up to look at the physical PSU itself. I understand that 400W is the standard recommended.

Thanks for the reply.

A couple of follow-up questions, as I am relatively new to this business:

-I'm not sure of the difference, if any between Forceware and standard drivers, and if I'm not going to be overclocking do I need it (the forceware)?

-Is there some BIOS setting I need to check and make sure is activated/disactivated to get the fastest possible communications b/w card and CPU?

Reply to TK-421

1. Nvidia standard driversd are now called 'forceware'

2. On PCIe there's nothing to set, all you have to do is install the card.

Reply to Cleeve

the 8600GT and 8600GTS need to be added to that list, as the 8600GT and the 7900GS are neck and neck, and the 8600GTS and 7950GT are neck and neck

Reply to shellofinsanity

Thank you, extremely helpful!

8)

Reply to TK-421

better invest your money for graphic card that supports dx10. buying dx9 card will cost more to you. Card Producers want stock clearance..

Reply to aceberg

Quote :

as the 8600GT and the 7900GS are neck and neck, and the 8600GTS and 7950GT are neck and neck

The 7900 GS will DESTROY the 8600 GT

The 7950 GT will DESTROY the 8600 GTS

They are NOT neck and neck as far as performance goes...

Quote :

better invest your money for graphic card that supports dx10. buying dx9 card will cost more to you. Card Producers want stock clearance..

How will it cost more to you? Please provide an example, that's not what I'm seeing on the market at all...

Reply to Cleeve

Quote :

better invest your money for graphic card that supports dx10. buying dx9 card will cost more to you. Card Producers want stock clearance..

In aus...

cheapest 8600gts = $229

cheapest x1950 pro 256mb = $188

Best card for the money, most likely the x1950 pro.

EDIT: I bought my x1950 pro for $300

Reply to one_dollar

do not worry it is still good for a year or two
since dx10 hits thats why dx9 cards gets cheaper.. it is same old story in this biz..

Reply to aceberg

I just bought a Jetway X1950Pro 512MB DDR3 for $192 and could have got the 256MB for $162. When you check the performance reviews that makes the X1950Pro 256MB the best value gaming card in Australia IMHO.

Reply to TJ_the_first

Quote :

I just bought a Jetway X1950Pro 512MB DDR3 for $192 and could have got the 256MB for $162. When you check the performance reviews that makes the X1950Pro 256MB the best value gaming card in Australia IMHO.

Such good prices :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry:

Reply to one_dollar

I am new to the forums so apologize if this is not the right venue. I read the review as to the best video cards and found it really helpful. In researching recommendations from that article I believe I have narrowed my choices down to four cards, but each have different specs depending on the manufacturer, and I am not sure which numbers being listed are most important.

The cards are the:
7600 GT
7800 GS
X1650 XT

I have a p4p800e so PCI-e is not an option; it is an AGP motherboard.

The statics given are (in order listed above)
Core Clock : 560, 430 , 630
Pixel Pipeline: 12, 16, ?8?
Memory Speed: 1400, 1300, 1460
Total Memory: 256, 256, 512
Memory Interface: 128-bit, 256-bit, 128-bit

Basically, the cost is very close for all these; which number(s) really influence the cards performance?

Thanks!

Message quoted 1 times

Reply to ryanr815

ryanr815 wrote :

Basically, the cost is very close for all these; which number(s) really influence the cards performance?

It's not all about raw specifications. For the three cards you listed, performance will be so close you'd never notice a difference with the human eye.

The only real differentiator is price: get the cheapest one.

The only side note I'd offer is that if you plan to play Oblivion, the X1650 XT has a strong advantage with that title; Oblivion likes Ati cards.

Reply to Cleeve

quick question. SAPPHIRE 100166L Radeon X1650XT 256MB GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDCP Video Card - $124.99

or

SAPPHIRE 100166L Radeon X1650XT 256MB GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDCP Video Card - $94.99

or All in wonder x1900 - 200 dollars ( i have this card right now and just wanted to know if i would get a difference in performance )

i want to play some new games and i wanted to know which card is the best.

ps: don't get a dx10 card. there isn't a point. people won't be using dx10 for the next 2-3 years. besides, most people barely get a dx9 card lol.

hmm... post before me... does the same idea go for these 2 cards?

Message quoted 1 times
Message edited by dt on 07-25-2007 at 08:30:30 AM

Reply to dt

dt wrote :

quick question. SAPPHIRE 100166L Radeon X1650XT 256MB GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDCP Video Card - $124.99

or

SAPPHIRE 100166L Radeon X1650XT 256MB GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDCP Video Card - $94.99

or All in wonder x1900 - 200 dollars ( i have this card right now and just wanted to know if i would get a difference in performance ) ?

An all-in-wonder X1900 will eat an X1650 of any flavor alive. No need to even wonder about that.

By the way, the two X1650 XT's should perform identically assuming clockspeeds are the same... and they should be - they have the same model number 100166L.

Message edited by Cleeve on 07-25-2007 at 10:30:51 PM

Reply to Cleeve

Thanks !

I dream to see a day a Monitor 16000 x 9000 (32" x 19" Monitor - 812.8 mm x 482.6 mm - so 0.05 mm size dots ) and have a Graphic card able to drive it !

Reply to Thor

I've been seeing a ton of reviews for the 8800 GTS where people say "make sure you have enough space, its big!"

The problem is they don't mention exactly how big it is. I tried looking at the specs, they have everything but. (at least I know the 8800 GTX is even longer!)

Could someone bust out a ruler or tape measure and let me know what I'm dealing with, I have a generic case and just want to make sure.

Thanks

Reply to TK-421

I am building a new pc in a few days/weeks. Would you recommend the nvidea 8800gtx 768mb or the radeon 2900xt 512mb as i have read reviews saying that the radeon beats the gtx when it comes to directx10 games

Message quoted 1 times

Reply to Cerberus7

Well I building new rig in a week, I have an old grahpic card 4/8x agp PNY 5200 128MB card can I use this card on my new mother board that has PCI EXPRESS SLOT only? If not then i'm gotta look for cheap grahpic card

X1650PRO
nvidia 7600
Under $65

I'm Going to purchasing new grahpic card in 2 month, I'm just waiting for crysis then purchased better card.

q6600 g0
2gb ballistic tracer
P35 GA DS3P
Pc power cooling 750 psu
Thermal armor series w8000

Message quoted 1 times

Reply to sadness20

Lord ... some posted are worried more about what free games come with video adapters ... better see how they perform instead .... Intel is advertising for a high end video card guru to run it's video development division ! Hey APE ... ya heard anything about them getting into the market ? Looks like they're serious now . Still holding out here till dx10 games are finally released to be tested .

Reply to trooper1947

Cerberus7 wrote :

I am building a new pc in a few days/weeks. Would you recommend the nvidea 8800gtx 768mb or the radeon 2900xt 512mb as i have read reviews saying that the radeon beats the gtx when it comes to directx10 games

It's rare that the 2900 XT can compete with the 8800 GTX. Even in advanced Dx10 titles, the 8800 GTX looks to be notably stronger than the 2900 XT on average.

Reply to Cleeve

sadness20 wrote :

Well I building new rig in a week, I have an old grahpic card 4/8x agp PNY 5200 128MB card can I use this card on my new mother board that has PCI EXPRESS SLOT only? If not then i'm gotta look for cheap grahpic card

I believe all 5200's are AGP, and won't fir in a PCI express slot.

An X1650 PRO or 7600 GS are both good low-end gaming cards, just make sure the X1650 PROs you consider are using GDDR3 memory... the DDR2 versions of the X1650 PRO are much slower.

Reply to Cleeve

will x1950 pro or 8600gt be enough to play oblivion n fear at 1280 x 1024 res smoothly with max image quality ,4xAA ,16xAF, n HDR?

Reply to Kaizer_x

fear yes, oblivion no

though i would suggest u use no more than 8xAF as going higher makes very little difference in quality of the image.

depending on the rest of ur system u could play oblivion with all ingame settings at max, but no AA or AF, unless u think 20 fps is fine to run outside.

Message edited by blade85 on 08-13-2007 at 06:25:10 PM

------------------------------ I came here to kick ass and chew bubblegum.....and I'm all out of gum!
Reply to blade85

Hmmm, Radeon 2900 or 8800GS 640MB?
What most people are ignoring are the resolutions most games are being benchmarked at. Anandtech uses 1600x1200 and goes up to 2500x1600. Which of us have tft or even crt monitors that can handle 1600x1200?
I think the most used gaming resolution is 1280x1024 which means 19" tft max (check Valve's user survey results). That is what I have currently.
I'm actually thinking of upgrading my monitor to a nice 24" so I've got the full HD resolution covered. In fact, this monitor upgrade is something arstechnica recommends in their gaming machine guides. It's only the anticipated beasts of the gaming world like Crysis etc or Supreme Commander that really push the current crop of high end cards.
Oh and regarding which card is better? It depends on what resolution you are playing and what graphics engine the game uses and which driver release you are on...! With the benchmark I saw, Radeon 2900XT really only shines at high resolutions and I mean 1900+ (www.firingsquad.com - review of 2900XT 1024MB).
So again, bear in mind what resolution you are likely to be gaming at.

I'm still debating whether to go Crossfire or not which introduces a whole new variable of the motherboard and the PCIe channels each card has (975 - x8x8, P35 - x16x4, X38 - x16x16). But that's for another thread

Reply to orientalhero

Hi all I am stuck between choosing two different cards if you could help me out, it would be very much appreciated. Thank you
XFX Geforce 7950 GT 512mb $200
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applica [...] .asp?EdpNo =3241598&CatId=1826

His Radeon x1950 Pro IceQ 512mb $265 $230 after rebate
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applica [...] ls.asp?Edp No=3123032&CatId=1826

I am also debating whether just to go with this one:
HIS Radeon x1950 Pro IceQ 256mb $205 $185 after rebate
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applica [...] ls.asp?Edp No=3123049&CatId=1560

Message quoted 1 times
Message edited by fcastro24 on 08-19-2007 at 08:48:16 PM

Reply to fcastro24

Get one of the x1950s. much better than the 7950. Though from what i have seen with my 2900 you will be disappointed, cause i get stutter sometimes too.

Reply to Rabidpeanut

fcastro24 wrote :

Hi all I am stuck between choosing two different cards if you could help me out, it would be very much appreciated. Thank you

Go for the cheap 256mb card because it's cheapest.

The extra memory on the 512mb cards will make almost no difference.

Reply to Cleeve

hi i bought nvidia px8600gt from newegg.com but looks like it has two connectors of 24+1 pins dvi female i guess thats what it called then i bought this viewsonic 22" came with dvi single cable thats what it said on the cable but it only has around 17 pins male on both end. my main question is that if i have 24+1 pins female on my video card dont i need 24+1 male connector that goes into 24+1 female which one the cards? could someone please help me

Reply to smoke714

A DVI cable that came with your monitor will fit any videocard's DVI output.

Reply to Cleeve

thanks

Message edited by smoke714 on 08-22-2007 at 10:43:47 PM

Reply to smoke714

2600xt
http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/p [...] 430&catid=

or
1950xt
http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/p [...] 500&catid=

i need to choose tomorrow i'm upgrading from my crappy intel x3000 with no hw t&l support!

Message edited by aguido on 08-25-2007 at 06:07:59 AM

Reply to aguido

that is a x1950pro in the link, but get it anyways. The 2600xt is not a very powerful card.

Reply to Mccaula718

The Short List: the Best Gaming Videocards for the money - Page 14

Forum Graphic & Displays : Graphics Cards - The Short List: the Best Gaming Videocards for the money