6600gt PCI-e x800XL pci-e

gvayl

Senior member
May 5, 2003
386
0
0
Hi,
I know that the x800XL is better. So lets not go there. My question is this. There is a $100 difference between these two cards. If I buy the x800 I will be using it for a while(3 years min). However if I buy the 6600gt, I might upgrade in 1-2 years to another card. Which would be a better idea?

Thanks
 

dfedders

Member
Dec 18, 2004
136
0
0
Its up to you if you have the money. I went with the X800XL since it was only $100 more. (or you may be able to get it for less than $100 more. ATI's website has a code for 10% off. I think it is 1010). I went for it to get a 16 pipeline card instead of an 8 pipeline card. I figured for about $100 more, I could get performance similar to a 6800GT for more than $100 less than a 6800GT. :)

This site (not a big fan) has some benchmarks that compare all the cards, including the 6600GT and X800XL.

http://graphics.tomshardware.com/graphic/20041222/index.html
 

gvayl

Senior member
May 5, 2003
386
0
0
What's the difference between the x800 pro pci-e and the x800XL pci-e? They cost almost the same...
 

hans030390

Diamond Member
Feb 3, 2005
7,326
2
76
Technically, the 6600gt is more "future proof" as it has shader model 3.0, with engines like Unreal Engine 3 use (and to a point where 2.0 is obsolete, or maybe not even compatible...from what i have heard, that is not something i made up).

You'll want the 6600gt and then in a while settle for a higher end next gen card...that will last you longer than an x800xl.

just get a 6600gt, it'll do great for now games. trust me.

If you really want to be future proof, get an evga 6800nu at newegg for $245 and then you can unlock the pipelines on it and overclock it to make it like a 6800gt. That's a better buy than an x800xl or 6600gt.
 

bcterps

Platinum Member
Aug 31, 2000
2,795
0
76
The fact that the 6600GT has SM 3.0 should not factor into your buying decision. Yes SM 3.0 might have some uses in the future, but by then the raw processing power of the 6600GT will be holding it back, no matter how SM 3.0 is implemented. The 6800GT probably has a bit more headroom, but not by much.

Comparing the 6600GT to the X800 XL is not really a good comparison, the X800 XL compares to the 6800GT, and is slightly behind it overall, but also cheaper.

If you're going to upgrade in 1-2 years, definitely get the 6600GT, it plays todays games great, should give you enough headroom for the next set of games coming out, and in 1-2 years there will be a similar card in the same price range that you can upgrade to.

It's tough to quantify if an extra $80-100 is worth the extra performance, because for some people it is and some people it isn't. Some people are very content with paying an extra $100 for an extra 10% of performance, and as you get to the higher end, the price jumps up even more. You can easily end up paying an extra $200 for 10% in performance that is only present in benchmarks and not real world gaming, however you have a bit more headroom for future games.
 

bunnyfubbles

Lifer
Sep 3, 2001
12,248
3
0
Originally posted by: hans030390
Technically, the 6600gt is more "future proof" as it has shader model 3.0, with engines like Unreal Engine 3 use (and to a point where 2.0 is obsolete, or maybe not even compatible...from what i have heard, that is not something i made up).

You'll want the 6600gt and then in a while settle for a higher end next gen card...that will last you longer than an x800xl.

just get a 6600gt, it'll do great for now games. trust me.

If you really want to be future proof, get an evga 6800nu at newegg for $245 and then you can unlock the pipelines on it and overclock it to make it like a 6800gt. That's a better buy than an x800xl or 6600gt.

that's a pretty rediculous assumption, support for SM3 does not mean they'll be "more future proof" as they'll most likely be too slow to exploit the adavantages of SM3 over SM2 when those games finally come. The extra pipes in the X800XL will keep it alive and kicking much longer than the 6600GT. Granted when those games do come in 1-2 years, he'll be able to upgrade like he said of which he'd definately be able to play those games.

Never buy for the future, buy for HERE AND NOW. What do you need a video card for NOW? Even if there is nothing now doesn't mean you should buy something anyways, you can alwasy grab a low end card to hold you over with 2D and very light gaming until your game or games of choiceactually arive.
 

Pete

Diamond Member
Oct 10, 1999
4,953
0
0
You can't unlock any extra pipelines on a PCIe 6800, as the GPU contains only 12 physical pipes.

Really, the only answer is look at benchmarks and see which card provides satisfactory framerates at your preferred resolution and settings in your games. If the 6600GT suffices, great, but I'm not sure how well it'll hold up a year or two from now. The X800XL will be faster from the get go, by as much as 2x with AA+AF, and at less than a 2x price premium. Not sure if it'll do you for three years, either, though. You might just buy the XL now and sell it to buy another card when it starts to feel slow, or you want a card capable of the latest SM3 effects (I'm thinking one to two years down the line).

If you want to stick to your choices, though, I'd probably say get the 6600GT now and plan on upgrading in a year or so.
 

Ackmed

Diamond Member
Oct 1, 2003
8,498
560
126
You can argue either choice, both with about equal pros and cons. Its really hard to make an educated guess as to which will be better for you in the next few years. Im at 50/50 on this one. :shrug:

As a rule I always spend what I can afford now, because I am horrible at saving. The XL is about $100 more now, are you going to save the $100 you saved buying a 6600GT for the next few years? Keep in mind you will get more for your XL in a few years selling it used. Although, by then, probably not very much more.

Someone commented on the Unreal 3 using PS3.0. While thats true, it doesnt mean the GT will get great performance on it. You can however almost guarantee the XL will be faster than it, in that game.