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GeForce 6800 GT, best high end card out there?
- Thread starter Biff Hardbody
- Start date
Shogmaster
Member
marsomega said:
I love my two Athys but honestly.... the performance ratings for Athys are not any moe clear than the P4 situation.
I'll just jump in to reitterate that ATI isn't just lagging behind in linux support, their "support" doesn't even exist. Their drivers are FAR buggier than anything you would have normally considered buggy, needlessly troublesome to install, and basically resemble the worst driverset one could imagine. My 9800pro choked on a fucking spinning gear demo. Not only that, when ATI does come out with a new release every so often, they only bump the version number after updating the card ID table and making tweaks that ironically reduce performance. I've heard that the drivers were outsourced in the first place, and now only one person does maintenance on them... but I don't know whether or not that's accurate.
You can use the opensource ATI card drivers that are infinitely better maintained and better to work with, but they don't support 3D for the newer Radeons(ATI being the ones with the necessary info to do so), and even 2D functions such as colorspace transform on those cards suck up CPU like crazy. Meanwhile, the drivers NVidia provide are on par performance and stability wise, tremendously simple to install, follow linux development fairly well, and are maintained with meaningful updates. NVidia provides full support for linux, but ATI pisses on it.
But of course, if you just run Windows, then none of what I just said will matter to you, and the normal driver arguments apply.
You can use the opensource ATI card drivers that are infinitely better maintained and better to work with, but they don't support 3D for the newer Radeons(ATI being the ones with the necessary info to do so), and even 2D functions such as colorspace transform on those cards suck up CPU like crazy. Meanwhile, the drivers NVidia provide are on par performance and stability wise, tremendously simple to install, follow linux development fairly well, and are maintained with meaningful updates. NVidia provides full support for linux, but ATI pisses on it.
But of course, if you just run Windows, then none of what I just said will matter to you, and the normal driver arguments apply.
TigerKnee
Member
I have the BFG GeForce 6800GT OC and I couldn't be happier. If you're gonna spend $400 on a card, then this is the best buy at that particular price point.
FYI... Had a Radeon 9800 Pro before this. GREAT card and the drivers were NOT buggy. They're just as good as NVidia's. If you're looking to save money, then stick with the 9800 series. It should be able to play Doom3 and HL2 and respectable frame rates.
FYI... Had a Radeon 9800 Pro before this. GREAT card and the drivers were NOT buggy. They're just as good as NVidia's. If you're looking to save money, then stick with the 9800 series. It should be able to play Doom3 and HL2 and respectable frame rates.
DaCocoBrova
Finally bought a new PSP, but then pushed the demon onto someone else. Jesus.
Oh the irony!
"Holy crap that is confusing."
Sort of.
Just remember you want the "C" processor. It's comparable to the AMD 64 3000+ in games, but owns AMD in applications.
The Barton XP 3000+ is comparible to the P4 "B" (533 FSB).
The Prescotts run really hot and don't overclock so well. The only thing they are good for is video editing.
Sort of.
Just remember you want the "C" processor. It's comparable to the AMD 64 3000+ in games, but owns AMD in applications.
The Barton XP 3000+ is comparible to the P4 "B" (533 FSB).
The Prescotts run really hot and don't overclock so well. The only thing they are good for is video editing.
DJ Demon J
Banned
Mashing said:
Yes, Mashing poses a good question: Which card is the absolute best card all-around if money is no object? (And is it upcoming or already out?)
Mashing said:
I would say the 6800GT. Actually I'd go with the 6800GT in almost all cases over the X800PRO unless you find the X800Pro for significantly cheaper (70-100 bucks). Ironically, if you check pricewatch, you can find the 6800GT for 380-400 (Retail price) while the X800Pro still hovers over retail price at around 420 bucks.
DJ Demon J
Banned
Mrbob said:
MrBob, what about the X800 XT Platinum? I read a Computer Games magazine article with amazing benchmarks:
The test system was a 3.2 Ghz Pentium 4 with 1 GB RAM (exact same as my own PC specs).
They ran Far Cry at 1600x1200 with 4XAA and 8XAF at 64 fps!!!
That's absolutely astounding IMHO for a DX9 game. I would expect similar performance on Doom 3 and HL2 with that card as well. Does the 6800GT beat the X800 XT? If not, I'm selling my 9800 Pro 256 in a few weeks and picking up the X800 XT pronto.
The X800XT is the most powerful card available. Some 6800 Ultra cards come close but the X800XT is a powerful beast.
At the $400 dollar pricepoint the 6800GT beats the X800PRO (In my opinion
), but in the $500 segment the X800XT beats the 6800 Ultra. I guess it comes down to how much you want to spend. If you want to spend a little more on the X800XT over the 6800GT you'll get a performance boost at high resolutions (1600 X 1200).
I guess this is how I would view the performance winners at these price ranges:
$200 - 9800 Pro
$300 - 6800 plain
$400 - 6800 GT
$500- X800XT
At the $400 dollar pricepoint the 6800GT beats the X800PRO (In my opinion
), but in the $500 segment the X800XT beats the 6800 Ultra. I guess it comes down to how much you want to spend. If you want to spend a little more on the X800XT over the 6800GT you'll get a performance boost at high resolutions (1600 X 1200).I guess this is how I would view the performance winners at these price ranges:
$200 - 9800 Pro
$300 - 6800 plain
$400 - 6800 GT
$500- X800XT
DJ Demon J
Banned
Mrbob said:The X800XT is the most powerful card available. Some 6800 Ultra cards come close but the X800XT is a powerful beast.
At the $400 dollar pricepoint the 6800GT beats the X800PRO (In my opinion
I guess this is how I would view the performance winners at these price ranges:
$200 - 9800 Pro
$300 - 6800 plain
$400 - 6800 GT
$500- X800XT
Excellent, thanks very much MrBob. Looks like I'll be buying the X800XT then. You think an extra gig of RAM would help performance on D3 and HL2?
Hmm, not sure about Half Life 2, but Doom 3 says it needs 2GB of ram to be maxxed out. Well, I believe it was also stated you need a 512MB video card to max out Doom 3 as well. But these are on the Ultra High Settings. I'm sure Very HIGH will still look great and play well.
What type of processor do you have? If you go the X800XT route going with a faster processor wouldn't hurt. I've seen Athlon 64 3800+ cpu tests still being cpu limited by the X800XT. So I guess it is comforting to know when you upgrade your processor/mobo you'll still get a boost from the X800XT.
What type of processor do you have? If you go the X800XT route going with a faster processor wouldn't hurt. I've seen Athlon 64 3800+ cpu tests still being cpu limited by the X800XT. So I guess it is comforting to know when you upgrade your processor/mobo you'll still get a boost from the X800XT.
DJ Demon J
Banned
epmode said:
This is where I'm looking to buy it from:
http://www.compusa.com/products/product_info.asp?product_code=313032
DJ Demon J
Banned
Mrbob said:
I have a 3.2 Ghz P4 HT 800FSB CPU and 1GB of PC3700 DDR400 (or is it 800, I can never remember?) RAM.
ATI Preps to Offset NVIDIAs GeForce 6800 GT
http://www.xbitlabs.com/news/video/display/20040716055607.html
specs: based on the X800XT so 16 Pipes!
425Mhz for the clock and 900Mhz for the GDDR3
basicly a down clocked Platinum edition (vivo is unknown though)
http://www.xbitlabs.com/news/video/display/20040716055607.html
specs: based on the X800XT so 16 Pipes!
425Mhz for the clock and 900Mhz for the GDDR3
basicly a down clocked Platinum edition (vivo is unknown though)
DJ Demon J
Banned
epmode said:
OK, then I guess I'll keep looking.
TekunoRobby
Tag of Excellence
Please let us know if you find a good one, I was planning on ordering from CompUSA as well.DJ Demon J said:OK, then I guess I'll keep looking.
it would rock if ati/nvidia would stop developing new cards for a month just work on getting their current ones on store shelves. i'm astounded that there are all sorts of benchmarks for the x800xt and 6800 ultra, but it's literally impossible to find them in stores. and all i hear about is the next generation. pce express, sli, etc.
DJ Demon J
Banned
Never heard of this retailer, but:
http://www.visiontek.com/x800xt.html
They've got an ATI Premium Retailer badge, so they must be good.
http://www.visiontek.com/x800xt.html
They've got an ATI Premium Retailer badge, so they must be good.
DJ Demon J
Banned
Oh yea, and PCI Express, what's this all about? Can someone explain? Is this new technology for existing PCI slots or are these new PCI slots on new motherboards? Are the 6800s and X800s PCI Express only?
DJ Demon J
Banned
Also, a very interesting article comparing the 6800 Ultra and the X800XT:
http://www.digit-life.com/articles2/gffx/nv40-rx800-2-p1.html
http://www.digit-life.com/articles2/gffx/nv40-rx800-2-p1.html
DJ Demon J said:
PCI Express is the replacement for the old PCI/AGP standard, and is totally incompatible with it. Either you go all PCI/AGP or you go all PCI Express. AFAIK, PCI Express motherboards and cards are still very rare, and the videocards get essentially no performance boost out of it currently.
DJ Demon J
Banned
And finally, an X800XT preview:
http://www.vr-zone.com/?i=931&s=1
Enough about the company, let's talk about the Visiontek Radeon X800XT Platinum Edition. The card itself has already hit various online retailers and brick and mortar stores expect it to come in within the next couple of weeks. Priced at around $450 online and at $499 in retail stores, expect to pay a premium for the card. The question that must be asked is if this card is worth the $450+ price tag. The answer is a resounding yes.
The Visiontek Radeon X800XT Platinum Edition really has all that you could ever ask for in a flagship graphics card. With support for HDTV, VIVO, improved Anti-Aliasing and Anisotropic Filtering, and unmatched raw performance, the Visiontek Radeon X800XT Platinum Edition is the fastest card that is currently available. Nvidia's GeForce 6800 Ultra is the card's only competition, but we still have not seen the 6800 Ultra readily available at any retailer we've checked.
The bottom line is that the Visiontek Radeon X800XT Platinum Edition is a fine piece of gaming hardware. If you are planning on putting together a rig just in time for the release of Doom 3 and Half Life 2 later this year, this card is one that would make an excellent fit. At around $499 a pop, this hit of Xtasy isn't cheap, but at least it's legal.
http://www.vr-zone.com/?i=931&s=1
Enough about the company, let's talk about the Visiontek Radeon X800XT Platinum Edition. The card itself has already hit various online retailers and brick and mortar stores expect it to come in within the next couple of weeks. Priced at around $450 online and at $499 in retail stores, expect to pay a premium for the card. The question that must be asked is if this card is worth the $450+ price tag. The answer is a resounding yes.
The Visiontek Radeon X800XT Platinum Edition really has all that you could ever ask for in a flagship graphics card. With support for HDTV, VIVO, improved Anti-Aliasing and Anisotropic Filtering, and unmatched raw performance, the Visiontek Radeon X800XT Platinum Edition is the fastest card that is currently available. Nvidia's GeForce 6800 Ultra is the card's only competition, but we still have not seen the 6800 Ultra readily available at any retailer we've checked.
The bottom line is that the Visiontek Radeon X800XT Platinum Edition is a fine piece of gaming hardware. If you are planning on putting together a rig just in time for the release of Doom 3 and Half Life 2 later this year, this card is one that would make an excellent fit. At around $499 a pop, this hit of Xtasy isn't cheap, but at least it's legal.
DJ Demon J
Banned
Bregor said:
Thanks Bregor.
Shompola said:
First off, even with the bandwitdh increase, the port will never match the internal bandwitdh of the card. Whats great about PCI-E is its bi-directional properties which have many applications but for gaming not much is expected. Did the jump from AGP to 8X AGP have ny inpact to begin with?
I posted some great info on the first page if anyone is considering buying any of the next gen cards.
post
Here is the link to the beast.
EDIT: Just to let you know. CompUSA and BestBuy are your best chances. They are ATI launch partners and get priority from nvidia. Plus, they have the 50 dollar off dale. Meaning 349 for 6800 GT/ X800 Pro and 449 6800 Ultra/ X800 XT PE
Meatpuppet
Member
Didn't think it was worth creating a new thread for, so here goes.
I'm looking to pick up a new graphics card. Thing is, I don't really want to break the bank, as consoles have always been, and continue to be where my real gaming passions lie. An XT800 or the like really isn't worth it for me.
I've managed for the past few years on a 32mb 3D Prophet card of some sort, and it's only recently that I've really had games struggle to run for me. That's another reason I don't really buy into the need for the latest and greatest GPU.
Given I'm perfectly happy playing at 1024x768, what are my options with regards to a cheap card that should achieve stable framerates (30-45+ pref) in most games for the next few years, at reasonably high settings?
EDIT: I'm also not pushed about AA. I'd prefer to have a stable framerate and higher visual settings in areas other than image quality
I'm looking to pick up a new graphics card. Thing is, I don't really want to break the bank, as consoles have always been, and continue to be where my real gaming passions lie. An XT800 or the like really isn't worth it for me.
I've managed for the past few years on a 32mb 3D Prophet card of some sort, and it's only recently that I've really had games struggle to run for me. That's another reason I don't really buy into the need for the latest and greatest GPU.
Given I'm perfectly happy playing at 1024x768, what are my options with regards to a cheap card that should achieve stable framerates (30-45+ pref) in most games for the next few years, at reasonably high settings?
EDIT: I'm also not pushed about AA. I'd prefer to have a stable framerate and higher visual settings in areas other than image quality
Wait till late fall. ATI is going to introduce the X800 GT which will take over the 399 segment pushing the X800 PRO and X800 regular into the 249 and 299 segment. Which will also make the 9800 and 9700 pros cheaper.
A 9800 pro at under 200 bux is a steal. 9700 pro at 149 is practically a crime. Don't go near the 9200 's opr the 5200.5600, 5700 cards. At this point a 9800 or 9700 pro is your aim. With a 100 bux more in the fall you'll have you choice between a standard 6800, X800, and an X800 pro...
What do you mean bitchslap. With a single molex, lower power consuption, single slot, and cooler chip the X800 XT PE matches and performs better then the monster power hungry, double slot, dust buster 6800 Ultra. Not to mention the X800 XT PE just begs to be overclocked.
A 9800 pro at under 200 bux is a steal. 9700 pro at 149 is practically a crime. Don't go near the 9200 's opr the 5200.5600, 5700 cards. At this point a 9800 or 9700 pro is your aim. With a 100 bux more in the fall you'll have you choice between a standard 6800, X800, and an X800 pro...
What do you mean bitchslap. With a single molex, lower power consuption, single slot, and cooler chip the X800 XT PE matches and performs better then the monster power hungry, double slot, dust buster 6800 Ultra. Not to mention the X800 XT PE just begs to be overclocked.
DJ Demon J
Banned
SantaCruZer said:it's not true that X800XT is better than GF 6800Ultra. The benchmarks I saw was about even, but the 6800ultra actually bitchslapped the X800XT in some games.
I would go for a Ultra if I had the money. I am getting the GT though
Welcome back nvidia!
Umm, these benchmarks you posted are in favor of X800XT. X800XT outperforms 6800 at 1600x1200 resolution.
DJ Demon J
Banned
SantaCruZer said:
You need to read the chart correctly. The "overall" numbers for 6800 cards were at those resolutions. It's been this way between Nvidia and ATI for a while now, Nvidia scores a 1-4 fps higher than ATI at 1024 and 1280 resolutions, then ATI bitchslaps Nvidia at 1600 resolutions. Also, ATI maintains high fps (and higher than Nvidia cards) even with high levels of anti-aliasing and anisotropic filtering enabled.
Apharmd Battler
Member
And I just bught a ATI 9800 Pro a few months back. Seriously...as long as I can play Doom 3 and Half-Life 2 with decent framerate and effects I'm good to go. Video Card prices are getting insane. The technolgy is cool, but I cant keep switching cards every 6 months. Everyone was raving ATI a few months back, now it's Nvidia. It nevers ends......
Apharmd Battler said:
I bought a 9800PROa month ago to play these games at 1024 X 768. You should be fine.
I remember seeing some early doom 3 alpha tests where the 9800 PRO was hitting almost 60FPS at 1024 X 768 (on a 2.2 ghzcpu/1gig ram setup). We should be fine. As long as the resolution isn't bumped sky high (1600 X 1200 or 1280 X 1024).
Biff Hardbody
Member
Fellah's, does anyone know of another decent online retailer like newegg.com? Some of the stuff I want is out of stock there.
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