96 or 128 stream processors

[Mandin62]

I am looking at buying a BFG 8800 GTS 640mb card. i am was just wondering what you guys think will be the difference now and in the future with the difference in stream processors. Will it make a huge difference when the DX10 games come out? It does seem to be huge as the 2900 XT has more then the GTX, yet it didnt seem to make a huge difference. any input would be great as i would like to purchase very soon. thanks.

 

[DaveSimmons]

If you read the AnandTech article in Video you'll see that the ATI SPs are not stand-alone like nviidia's they are grouped in clusters of 5 simpler SPs per cluster.

But the answer is: no one can make an accurate prediction until some game comes along with a DX10 mode that's noticeably better than DX9. Even then it only matters if it's a game that you want to play.

 

[Googer]

Get a cheap first generation DX10 card and when DX10 games actually arrive, todays top end GPU's will barely be able to run any of that software. By that time a video card that's faster than the 8800GTX will be available for less than the price of todays mainstream cards.

 

[Mandin62]

What do you define as cheap? I was thinking around $300 or so. The BFG is only 319 after rebate. I am hoping to sell my 7900 GT for around $100. So in my mind it will only be $200. I know its not good math but whatever it works for me.

Googer? Do you really think that current DX10 cards will suck that much when it comes to actual DX10 games? I mean I have seen Crysis played, in person, on a current generation machine. And well it was still in rough form the GTX seemed to do pretty good. But as everyone keeps saying. We don?t know and we wont until later this year when we will be blessed with the gaming goodness that is on the horizon.

It sucks to update now and not have any idea how it will pay off in a matter of months. I know the GTS will do great in all my current games as I don?t game any higher then 1600 x 1200 and that is on rare occasion it is mainly 1280 x 1024 for me, with setting bumped up.

 

[lamere]

Originally posted by: Googer
Get a cheap first generation DX10 card and when DX10 games actually arrive, todays top end GPU's will barely be able to run any of that software. By that time a video card that's faster than the 8800GTX will be available for less than the price of todays mainstream cards.

i also believe this to be true.

software always will advance as will hardware.

 

[jkresh]

If your 7900gt is working ok for now then wait, cryssi should be out in acouple of months (along with 8900's and possibly new cards from AMD) the value of your 7900 will drop (and I doubt you could get $100 for it now anyway) but its probably worth waiting if you don't need it now, that being said if your current games aren't running well on the 7900 then an 8800gts 640 should be able to handle crysis acceptably (if not at full settings). Its true that you cant say for certain till its out but its also true that developers tend to develop with certain hardware in mind and if they don't expect something much faster then the 8800's out around crysis then they will do there best to make sure it runs acceptably on the 8800's.