***ATI Radeon 9800 (9600/9200) PRO PREVIEWED*** (Post Previews HERE)

[WyteWatt]

Evan Lieb have you seen any video card with my requirements yet? If you didn't see my requirements here they are again. 60 to 80 fps minimum fps in games even in unreal 2003, doom 3, Comm. 4, Unreal 2, etc at 1600x1200 with all details on maximum !!!!!!!! Plus maximum FSAA (6x) and maximum AF (16x) setting on Quality (Not performence, I repeat not performence)

I just need faster! I don't think i will be waiting real long if the pace of ATI keeps accelerating!

 

[SeybaNumberTwo]

Judging purely by nvidia's specs of the NV35, what is your best guestimate of performance different from the 9800 pro?

 

[FuManStan]

Originally posted by: imtim83
Evan Lieb have you seen any video card with my requirements yet? If you didn't see my requirements here they are again. 60 to 80 fps minimum fps in games even in unreal 2003, doom 3, Comm. 4, Unreal 2, etc at 1600x1200 with all details on maximum !!!!!!!! Plus maximum FSAA (6x) and maximum AF (16x) setting on Quality (Not performence, I repeat not performence)

I just need faster! I don't think i will be waiting real long if the pace of ATI keeps accelerating!

wait so let me get this straight. you want slower?

 

[WyteWatt]

FuManStan haha very funny. No i do not want slower. I said i wanted faster. Minimum fps is a totally different thing than average or maximum fps. I said minimum fps of 60 to 80 fps at 1600x1200 resolution with all details on maximum. Plus maximum FSAA and maximum AF. On most or all games. Like unreal 2003, doom 3, unreal 2, comm. 4, etc.

 

[FuManStan]

I was being sarcastic after you posted the same "i want faster" comment multiple times in this thread and in a thread in Video

 

[ElFenix]

is it just me or is NV30 turning into an itanium... a part that is shipped for no apparent purpose but to say that a part was shipped?

 

[WyteWatt]

FuManStan ok. I am just one dull, boring, always serious person all the time sorry to say.

 

[ed21x]

is it just me, or does it seem like Ati is spreading itself a little too thin with so many products across the board? is this still profitable? I mean why would they release so many competing products in the same price range?

 

[ElFenix]

Originally posted by: ed21x
is it just me, or does it seem like Ati is spreading itself a little too thin with so many products across the board? is this still profitable? I mean why would they release so many competing products in the same price range?

9200 - <$100
9600 - $150 to $250
9800 - $300 to $500
seems like they have most of the bases covered.

 

[gagan512]

y does a few FPS, like 10 or so, get people jumping ?
i mean, its great that ATI came out with ths 9800pro, and kicked Nvidia's ass, but with what margin - like 10 - 20 % or so... doenst that make it EVEN harder for the customer to choose a card, without thinking more thatn just once...
i think if both companies think more in lines of releasing cards with 'significant' performance increase over their previous ones, that'll make more sense.. that way my 3 week old 9500 pro wouldnt have gone old so quick !
never the less, kudos to ATI, again !

 

[NOX]

Originally posted by: GTaudiophile
From HardOCP:

The highest stable core overclock with no artifacts that I was able to reach is 440Mhz. The highest stable memory overclock with no artifacts that I was able to reach is 370Mhz (740Mhz DDR). At these speeds the HSF remained only warm to the touch, it didn?t burn my like the GeForceFX does...

...The biggest question, when will this card actually ship, and the answer is this month, March. That means that video card prices will be tumbling and changing and it is hard to think that ATi has not just covered up entire end of a market segment. With ATi 9800s, 9700s, and 9500s out for sale it is going to be hard to choose anything else when it comes to playing games.

WOOOHOOO... looks like I'll be able to afford the 9700 Pro now, and bypass the 9500 Pro.

 

[EdipisReks]

the 9800 Pro is impressive and all, but frankly, i was expecting more. This kinda reminds me of the release of the Geforce3 Ti500. however, it should push the 9700 Pro into a price range that is affordable to me, so i can't really complain.

 

[Czar]

nVidia is so screwed

 

[Mem]

the 9800 Pro is impressive and all, but frankly, i was expecting more. This kinda reminds me of the release of the Geforce3 Ti500

I see your point ,however there`s enough speed and hardware improvents in the 9800 Pro to make it top dog again so it`s a decent improvement over the 9700 Pro.

nVidia is so screwed

Foolish thing to say,since Nvidia won`t go down without a fight and both companies will keep on improving their products,they also look at the competition previews/reviews etc just like tthe rest of us,I expect the NV35 to be a decent card and the ATI/Nvidia battle to continue.

I`m sure Nvidia have read all the negative comments about the FX,and will try to correct this on their next models,they just can`t keep on making dustblowers .

 

[MarkFahey]

NOW is the BEST time to jump all over a 9700 Pro! Is an extra few FPS and some slightly better AA and AF worth over $100.00 of your hard earned Moola? I think Not!

 

[apoppin]

Originally posted by: Pariah
The more benchmarks I look at, the more underwhelming this card looks. What has ATi been doing since last August? 55MHz clock increase and 30MHz memory boost? Big deal. My 9700Pro card can already OC past that. The other core improvements don't appear to be anything major either. ATi had a chance to bury NVidia for the forseeable future and looks like they decided to rest on their laurels instead. If your highend release isn't fast enough to persuade people to upgrade from your last highend, why bother releasing it?

Can't agree with you. I haven't seen ANY high end card - except the 9700Pro - "persuasive enough" to move people from the last "high-end" card.

The 9800 is aimed squarely at the 8500 (and Ti) card owners for an "upgrade". After all, the 9800 is just a "refresh" of the 9700 . . . and (unfortunately) ATI doesn't NEED a faster card (considering the distinct lack of competition from the FX dustBuster) - I "imagine" ATI is concentrating its efforts in 2 areas: 1) the 9900 to reply to NV35 and 2) driver development.

No, nVidia is NOT out of the game . . . but the last TWO rounds score (clearly) to ATI.

 

[KDOG]

I guess I can still be satisfied with my 9500PRO. It looks like the 9600PRO does some damage to the 9500PRO but just a little. I bet if I push my 9500PRO overclocking wise, I can nullify the lead that the 9600PRO has over me....Still the new lower prices of everything hurts me.

 

[EdipisReks]

Originally posted by: KDOG
I guess I can still be satisfied with my 9500PRO. It looks like the 9600PRO does some damage to the 9500PRO but just a little. I bet if I push my 9500PRO overclocking wise, I can nullify the lead that the 9600PRO has over me....Still the new lower prices of everything hurts me.

oh, boo hoo hoo. i have a Xabre 400.

 

[Nemesis77]

Originally posted by: Pariah
The more benchmarks I look at, the more underwhelming this card looks. What has ATi been doing since last August? 55MHz clock increase and 30MHz memory boost? Big deal. My 9700Pro card can already OC past that.

You DO realize that 9800Pro overclocks too? It seems that it can reach speeds that you can't reach with a 9700Pro. For a valid comparison, you either compare un-overclocked 9700Pro to un-overclocked 9800Pro, or you overclock them both. So your 9700Pro can reach same MHz as un-overclocked 9800Pro. Can it reach overclocked 9800Pro? Does it have the architectural improvements?

Besides, people who already own 9700Pro will not be buying 9800Pro. People with slower vid-cards will.

The other core improvements don't appear to be anything major either.

Improved FSAA and AF, reworked mem-controller, unlimited number of instructions/pass thanks to F-buffer. I think the improvements are pretty big considering that this is just a refresh of R300.

ATi had a chance to bury NVidia for the forseeable future and looks like they decided to rest on their laurels instead.

It's not as simple. Ati couldn't just decide to make the ultimate killer-card, since the price would be prohibitive. They need to dance a delicate dance between features, performance and cost.

This is just a refresh of their current lineup, the real goodies will be released in the fall when R400 gets released.

If your highend release isn't fast enough to persuade people to upgrade from your last highend, why bother releasing it?

So, if 9800Pro is not insanely faster than 9700Pro, there's no point in releasing it? that's just about the most ignorant comment I have heard in a long time.

 

[davidos]

Me wants a 9700 Pro now!..... Will it offer significant performance over my Ti4400? Also, what is the price point you think they will fall to? $200?

What is the best brand 9700 Pro? Gigabyte?

 

[Nemesis77]

Originally posted by: davidos
Me wants a 9700 Pro now!..... Will it offer significant performance over my Ti4400?

Yes

 

[Actaeon]

If I buy a card now, it'll definatly be ATi. But, Nvidia isn't "Dead". I believe NV35 will be a much better card than the NV30 was.

Now, should I buy a card? If so, what should it be? I am thinking R9700...

I figure my Ti200 is fast enough to play CS. But I know there are other games I am looking foward to. Unreal2, BF1942, Doom3. Too bad the current crop of cards, despite how fast they are, still slow down on the latest games. I wonder when there will be a card fast enough, to play whatever we like, with all those fancy settings enabled, at maximum framerates.

Buy now? Or Wait... Decisions...

 

[GTaudiophile]

Originally posted by: imtim83
The ATI 9800 pro and ATI 9700 pro is very fast but i still need faster! I just want faster. I may be crazy but still i need faster!!!

So, I bet NV35 will be the only thing fast enough for the likes of you? It use to be NV30

I think too many of us, myself included, were expecting R350 to do to R300 what R300 did to the GeForce4. That just can't happen every time!

Edit: Just what DX9 games are you playing that need ALL that speed?

 

[EdipisReks]

i was really hoping that r350 had a cooling fan that took up three PCI slots. that would have showed nVidia who's boss!

 

[LeeTJ]

Originally posted by: GTaudiophile

Originally posted by: imtim83
The ATI 9800 pro and ATI 9700 pro is very fast but i still need faster! I just want faster. I may be crazy but still i need faster!!!

So, I bet NV35 will be the only thing fast enough for the likes of you? It use to be NV30

I think too many of us, myself included, were expecting R350 to do to R300 what R300 did to the GeForce4. That just can't happen every time!

Edit: Just what DX9 games are you playing that need ALL that speed?

if i read the anandtech on the 9800pro correctly he implied that the nv35 was fast but doesn't dominate the 9800pro.

so that probably won't be fast enough either.

Fron review

NVIDIA has NV35 up and running and it is already significantly better than the lackluster NV30; although we're not sure if it will be able to outperform the Radeon 9800 Pro, at this point we can say that from what we've seen, NVIDIA has regained some of our confidence.