• We’re currently investigating an issue related to the forum theme and styling that is impacting page layout and visual formatting. The problem has been identified, and we are actively working on a resolution. There is no impact to user data or functionality, this is strictly a front-end display issue. We’ll post an update once the fix has been deployed. Thanks for your patience while we get this sorted.

1950pro 512mb ($130) vs 7950gt ($190) vs 1950xt ($208)

R

requiem1

Member
OK, so I'm getting a new video card (just want to make my PC better really) for "Hellgate London". I currently have a overclocked Geforce 6200. I want to spend about ~$150 in total for any and all upgrades.

My current system is:

AMD 64 3500+ Venice
1 GB Corsair Value-Pack AMD (512x2 in Dual Channel)
Geforce 6200 OC (almost to 6600GT - I unlocked the other 4 pipelines)
Socket 939 MSI Neo NForce 4 Motherboard with PCI-E 16x slot
10k Raptor 75gb Western Digital HD
7.2k 200gb Seagate HD
7.2k 300gb Seagate HD
350W crap PSU (my other one died...my friend gave me his crap one for free)

I don't plan on upgrading my CPU, since I would have to buy a new AM2 Motherboard as well, so I'll looking at graphic cards and PSU combo for improvements. Which do you think is best for me (read everything below before posting opinion - take performance, warranty, memory size, heatsink, and cost into account.):

POWERCOLOR X1950PRO 512MB ($130) (Comes with Artic Heatsink)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16814131055

Sapphire Radeon X1950XT 256MB ($208)
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000K...000KQFAM2&linkCode=asn

EVGA GeForce 7950 GT 256MB ($190)
http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/...&prodlist=pricegrabber

I know that when it comes to pure performance: 1950xt > 7950gt > 1950pro.

However, here are the issues: I care about warranty...Powercolor and eVGA have lifetime....Sapphire has 1 year. However, x1950xt is the most powerful card by a very good amount. Also, people say 512mb isn't worth it if you don't play on super high resolution (i play on 1280x1024) - but even so, for new games coming out, isn't 512mb worth it for all that texture stuff ESPECIALLY if you only have 1 GB ram? What about CPU bottleneck on the AMD 3500+? I was thinking about Geforce 8600GT but it doesn't perform so well at its price range and, I hear even though it is DX10 - its really not powerful enough to use it well. But i <3 the Geforce warranties (my x800xl died on me a while back and I bought a $20 Geforce 6200 to replace it)...compared to most ATI companies. Lastly, Hellgate London and some future games I am thinking about were made on/for Geforce graphic cards....I general, I like Geforce card/companies more, but at this price range I feel Radeon might be better, I don't know. =/

Bottomline:

- POWERCOLOR X1950PRO 512MB - weakest of the 3 cards, 512mb, lifetime warranty (rare for Radeon), amazing heatsink
- EVGA GeForce 7950 GT 256MB - middle in performance, 256mb, lifetime warranty, no special heatsink
- Sapphire Radeon X1950XT 256MB - most powerful, 256mb, 1 year warranty, no special heatsink

So, as you can see all 3 cards have pros and cons...which would you pick?

Also, I'll be needing a new PSU..here is what I have come up with - suggestions? find one you think is better for ~$50?:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16817182016
http://www.tigerdirect.com/app...74641&Sku=ULT31846%20K
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16817154019
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16817182044
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16817153052

I am looking for the most I can get out of all this...However, I am willing to spend some extra change if it is truly worth it for the future of my PC.

P.S: Is it just me or did the some of prices for certain graphic cards go up over the past few months?
 
I'd go with the powercolor there...the x1950xt is a much faster card, but $210 for the 256mb model is crap at this point in time. Especially since the basic heatsink is shit so you're looking at another $20 to replace that. At that point, you may as well scrounge up the money to buy a 8800gts 320.

Even the pro seems kind of overpriced these days...but its a solid deal with a good heatsink, 512mb of ram and the liketime warranty.

I don't really care for the 7 series...
 
I'd go for the $130 1950pro, because it offers solid midrange performance at a decent price. The other two cards would have been a good choice half a year ago, but at this point if you're looking to spend $200+ on a video card, then just wait for the new midrange cards from Ati and Nvidia, which should be coming later this month and next month.
 
What cards are coming out soon? in the $100-$200 range? and how good in performance compared to the ones out now? I'm willing to wait a while - if its worth it.
 
nVidia is set to release their G92 card (8800GT) on October 29 and AMD is set to release their RV670 card (2950/3000/something) around November 15.

These cards will both feature single slot cooling and should be priced in the $200-250 range.
 
Common guys, how in hell someone is gonna recommend a powerful 8800GT with a single core Athlon 64 3500+?? Is just like a friend of my girlfriend which paired a 8800GTS with a P4 3.0GHz. The performance bottleneck would be so great that it can barely outperform a slower card like a X1950XT. Just go to the X1950PRO, and once you do upgrade, then buy a card which can be paired with a good CPU.
 
Originally posted by: evolucion8
Common guys, how in hell someone is gonna recommend a powerful 8800GT with a single core Athlon 64 3500+?? Is just like a friend of my girlfriend which paired a 8800GTS with a P4 3.0GHz. The performance bottleneck would be so great that it can barely outperform a slower card like a X1950XT. Just go to the X1950PRO, and once you do upgrade, then buy a card which can be paired with a good CPU.
Click to expand...

It's still decent single core processor once it's overclocked. 8800gt would do wonders even on a single core processor. But the guy definitely needs more ram and better power supply if he wants to run game smoothly.

I don't even know if he could get a new card with that 350watt. If it's a quality with dual volt rail than he might run those cards or he should just forget all that and get a 8600gt.
 
Absolutely none of the above. 8800GT.

Edit to add: the best $50 PSU, and the only really recommendable one, is the sales Fry's and CompUSA often have on the Antec Earthwatts...
 
I know you're probably on a budget. But I would wait to upgrade the whole system.

If you buy the card and PSU now, you'll have to upgrade very soon. And those PSU will not do any good for video cards beyond the 1950 series.
 
if i do a full upgrade..that will be for "Project Offset" which will be released...in late 2008/2009? I don't think I can wait that long...but this 8800GT sounds good...but what price/performance will it be compared to 1950pro?
 
you can upgrade your CPU without a new motherboard. I went to 4000+ and am debating the Opt 185 or a 4800x2 or better.

You videocard is crap though if you are a gamer. The 1950pro would be a great bang for buck....I saw a 7950GT for $150 recently (256mb) I am probably going to upgrade my 6800GT OC to a 7950GT 512MB. I'd check FS/T here and ebay and the like with everyone going to 8x00 and 2x00s

For a powersupply there is alot of info at jonnyguru.com

 
Originally posted by: munky
I'd go for the $130 1950pro, because it offers solid midrange performance at a decent price. The other two cards would have been a good choice half a year ago, but at this point if you're looking to spend $200+ on a video card, then just wait for the new midrange cards from Ati and Nvidia, which should be coming later this month and next month.
Click to expand...
QFT
 
Originally posted by: requiem1
if i do a full upgrade..that will be for "Project Offset" which will be released...in late 2008/2009? I don't think I can wait that long...but this 8800GT sounds good...but what price/performance will it be compared to 1950pro?
Click to expand...

psu upgrade info is "johnnyguru.com". wait a couple of weeks and check out 8800gt and rv670 performance. 1950 pro 512 for $130 is a decent deal, the other 2 plain suck.
 

If he gets one of the newer cards, would he have a power supply problem? After all, won't the 8800 GT and 2950 Pro actually consume less power than the other cards he is considering?
 
they might consume a similar amount or possibly even slightly less power...but it would cost him a lot more to upgrade to pci-e to use them 😉
 
Originally posted by: bryanW1995
they might consume a similar amount or possibly even slightly less power...but it would cost him a lot more to upgrade to pci-e to use them 😉
Click to expand...

i have pci-e 16
 
Originally posted by: requiem1
Originally posted by: bryanW1995
they might consume a similar amount or possibly even slightly less power...but it would cost him a lot more to upgrade to pci-e to use them 😉
Click to expand...

i have pci-e 16
Click to expand...

I think the Pro would be a good fit for you and it's an excellent bang for the buck card. Throw the money you've saved on the card into a better power supply than any of the ones you picked. This Corsair 450vx is excellent at $75.99 and has 33a on the +12v rail. Free Shipping.

http://www.buy.com/prod/corsai...loc/101/205466485.html
 
Where does the 7900GS fall into this? Not as powerful as the Pro, but lower power usage and you can get a Foxconn 7900 clocked at 560Mhz core for $120 at Newegg. I'm building my wife a budget Core2 gaming setup right now to replace her AGP Barton 2500+/X800GTO and I'm leaning toward the 7900GS. The 1950Pro is appealing, but the more expensive PSU, better cooling and the louder system it would take seems like it's not worth it to go for the ATI
 
Originally posted by: BoberFett
Where does the 7900GS fall into this? Not as powerful as the Pro, but lower power usage and you can get a Foxconn 7900 clocked at 560Mhz core for $120 at Newegg. I'm building my wife a budget Core2 gaming setup right now to replace her AGP Barton 2500+/X800GTO and I'm leaning toward the 7900GS. The 1950Pro is appealing, but the more expensive PSU, better cooling and the louder system it would take seems like it's not worth it to go for the ATI
Click to expand...

Sounds like a plan and I agree. If your power supply is not up to it, the x1950s lose their bang for the buck appeal.
 
Originally posted by: requiem1
Originally posted by: bryanW1995
they might consume a similar amount or possibly even slightly less power...but it would cost him a lot more to upgrade to pci-e to use them 😉
Click to expand...

i have pci-e 16
Click to expand...
😱

sorry. 8800gt is supposed to be A LOT better than 1950 pro, probably comparable to 8800gts/2900xt. The 256 mb card will be a little bit weaker, but still enormously better than 1950 pro. 256 mb should be msrp of 199 or so, 512mb 249 range. If you can, wait until nov 12 to see benchmarks of rv670 from amd, that's supposed to be very good, too.

 
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Back
Top