"Bad Buy" 6800NU HardOCPs value choice for Doom3

[nRollo]

http://www2.hardocp.com/article.html?art=NjQ0LDE5

(zips up asbestos suit)

The 6800NU proves to be a High Quality Doom3 dynamo.

 

[SickBeast]

Yeah it's too bad you bought the GT, Rollo. I hope that bogus information didn't have anything to do with it.

In any event, I *may* be interested in buying your 6800NU if you still have it. The reasons are threefold:

1. The fame and notoriety that would go along with purchasing a videocard from you.

2. I could always brag if it ever beat your card in a benchmark (unlikely if you get a GT).

3. My 9700PRO is slowly heading towards graphics card heaven and probably won't be able to run Doom3 the way I want to (1280x1024 for my LCD).

 

[Zebo]

No no rollo you missed the best to really get those pro/xtrer's goat.. the "no good" 5900 cards spank em'

 

[SickBeast]

Originally posted by: Zebo
No no rollo you missed the best to really get those pro/xtrer's goat.. the "no good" 5900 cards spank em'

No they don't; not in the HardOCP benchmarks I read anyway. The 9800XT scored around 47FPS at 1024x768 and the 5950U also scored 47FPS at the same settings. I'll go look for a link.

EDIT: Here's the link. It's actually a 5900U vs. a 9800PRO. They both score 47FPS at 1024x768 w/ 8XAF. Unless you care about 0.6FPS, they both perform the same.

 

[jpvrabec77]

Sweet. Just ordered the 6800 NU on newegg for 283. Why? Because it's fricking IN STOCK unlike the GT!!! Oh, and it will run DIII on my 17" LCD at 12x10 on HIGH, at less than $300!!

 

[apoppin]

the BFGTech 6800 OC. This happens to be the 12-pipe model that is stock clocked at 350MHz core and 750MHz memory by BFGTech (which is overclocked from NVIDIA's stock speeds).

Of course that is the O'C'd overclocked 6800 . . . not quite the "standard" and still UNavailable.

The BFGTech 6800 OC seemed to be right at home at 401/802MHz.

nice o/c for a value system.

edit: i really just stopped in to say 'hi'

i guess we are all gonna be too busy playin Doom iii next week,

it really does look like id went 'above and beyond' to give us ALL a nice experience providing we meet the min; i am stating for the record that i am dropping out of any "pi$$ing contest" (right now) that may have just 'started' and just went on and on and on . . . it looks like i will be satisfied with my doom system as you guys are with yours . . . anyway . . .
we all 'win' (and if you want to see me as the 'loser', no worries, i know better) . . . i have a party to go to that seems more 'important' right now . . . . peace 'n aloha

 

[jpvrabec77]

so do you think I'll be stuck on 10x7 if I want to play on high with the evga model?

What about overclocking this evga 6800NU?

 

[blurredvision]

Wow, HardOCP's enthusiast system almost identically matches mine. How our systems compare:

The first is what HardOCP has in their enthusiast system, then what I have.

ABIT KV8Pro to my ABIT KV8Max3 (difference in my K8T800 board their K8T800 Pro board)
Athlon64 3000+ @ 2.45GHz to my Athlon64 3200+ @ 2.47GHz
1GB Corsair XMS to my 1GB Buffalo Winbond CH-5
BFG 6800 @ 401/802 to my eVGA 6800 @ 375/810

Looks like I'll be doing some good Doom gaming next week .

 

[Keysplayr]

Originally posted by: SickBeast

Originally posted by: Zebo
No no rollo you missed the best to really get those pro/xtrer's goat.. the "no good" 5900 cards spank em'

No they don't; not in the HardOCP benchmarks I read anyway. The 9800XT scored around 47FPS at 1024x768 and the 5950U also scored 47FPS at the same settings. I'll go look for a link.

EDIT: Here's the link. It's actually a 5900U vs. a 9800PRO. They both score 47FPS at 1024x768 w/ 8XAF. Unless you care about 0.6FPS, they both perform the same.

One problem with this. The minimum framerate of a 5900U @ 1024x768 0x AA 8x AF at "high quality" game setting was 22fps. This is not even a 5950U but a 5900U. The same settings on a 9800pro had a minimum framerate of no less than 7 fps. 22 fps is bad enough but at 7? We are talking Power Point here. Both cards had equivalent average framerates at this setting and all cards cap at 60.

Correct me if I'm wrong here please.

Keys

 

[nRollo]

Originally posted by: SickBeast
Yeah it's too bad you bought the GT, Rollo. I hope that bogus information didn't have anything to do with it.

In any event, I *may* be interested in buying your 6800NU if you still have it. The reasons are threefold:

1. The fame and notoriety that would go along with purchasing a videocard from you.

2. I could always brag if it ever beat your card in a benchmark (unlikely if you get a GT).

3. My 9700PRO is slowly heading towards graphics card heaven and probably won't be able to run Doom3 the way I want to (1280x1024 for my LCD).

I"m having trouble getting a GT SickBeast. I had one ordered from FuturePowerPC, a PNY for $389, supposedly "In stock". Today they tell me not till 8/16, so I cancel.

I've had "notify me on the BFG GT and Ultra at Chumbo since yesterday- zilch.

PNY had Ultras "In Stock", I click Buy and it says my order of 1 exceeds their inventory.

BuyExtreme said they have XFX GTs in stock for $383 at noon, so I order same day processing and next day air for $33 more, at 9PM I have no idea if they shipped or even acknowledged my order.

Suxorz. When you have $500+ you'll spend on a vid card, no one will take your money. (I looked high/low for non-price gouged GTs Ultras)

We'll see what happens, but I'm not going to let them make me wait.

BTW- I'd be honored to sell you a card, but I'm thinking my four year old might get the 6800NU. The 5800U is not working out to be a good card for his style of gaming, a bit on the loud side. :-(

 

[nRollo]

BTW- the best part of that whole article is the 6800NU equalling the X800XT PEs Doom3 performance on the P4 3GHz!

How would you feel at ATI reading that?! "Err, men, our $500 flagship card has a 2fps advantage at average, and a 1 fps deficit at minimum compared to our competitor's 3rd tier value card that runs at about half the speed with 3/4 as many pipes. Where's the Scotch?"

Amazing. If I keep getting dicked around by vendors I'll probably just keep the NU. BTW- I like that Gainward one that comes out of the box at 400MHz, same price.

 

[rbV5]

Of course that is the O'C'd overclocked 6800 . . . not quite the "standard" and still UNavailable

350/750 probably won't be out of reach for most...although we'll have to see how they do in D3 while overclocked.

 

[apoppin]

Originally posted by: Rollo

Originally posted by: SickBeast
Yeah it's too bad you bought the GT, Rollo. I hope that bogus information didn't have anything to do with it.

In any event, I *may* be interested in buying your 6800NU if you still have it. The reasons are threefold:

1. The fame and notoriety that would go along with purchasing a videocard from you.

2. I could always brag if it ever beat your card in a benchmark (unlikely if you get a GT).

3. My 9700PRO is slowly heading towards graphics card heaven and probably won't be able to run Doom3 the way I want to (1280x1024 for my LCD).

I"m having trouble getting a GT SickBeast. I had one ordered from FuturePowerPC, a PNY for $389, supposedly "In stock". Today they tell me not till 8/16, so I cancel.

I've had "notify me on the BFG GT and Ultra at Chumbo since yesterday- zilch.

PNY had Ultras "In Stock", I click Buy and it says my order of 1 exceeds their inventory.

BuyExtreme said they have XFX GTs in stock for $383 at noon, so I order same day processing and next day air for $33 more, at 9PM I have no idea if they shipped or even acknowledged my order.

Suxorz. When you have $500+ you'll spend on a vid card, no one will take your money. (I looked high/low for non-price gouged GTs Ultras)

We'll see what happens, but I'm not going to let them make me wait.

BTW- I'd be honored to sell you a card, but I'm thinking my four year old might get the 6800NU. The 5800U is not working out to be a good card for his style of gaming, a bit on the loud side. :-(

what about eVGA? they had stock . . . plus they have the 'trade-up' program

Outpost had some . . . extreme gear also . . . what about monarch (i just got spam from them for a GT a few days ago) especially GameVE had some although over msrp.

good luck!

 

[shimsham]

Originally posted by: keysplayr2003

Originally posted by: SickBeast

Originally posted by: Zebo
No no rollo you missed the best to really get those pro/xtrer's goat.. the "no good" 5900 cards spank em'

No they don't; not in the HardOCP benchmarks I read anyway. The 9800XT scored around 47FPS at 1024x768 and the 5950U also scored 47FPS at the same settings. I'll go look for a link.

EDIT: Here's the link. It's actually a 5900U vs. a 9800PRO. They both score 47FPS at 1024x768 w/ 8XAF. Unless you care about 0.6FPS, they both perform the same.

One problem with this. The minimum framerate of a 5900U @ 1024x768 0x AA 8x AF at "high quality" game setting was 22fps. This is not even a 5950U but a 5900U. The same settings on a 9800pro had a minimum framerate of no less than 7 fps. 22 fps is bad enough but at 7? We are talking Power Point here. Both cards had equivalent average framerates at this setting and all cards cap at 60.

Correct me if I'm wrong here please.

Keys

i think i recall reading in the article that there was a cut scene at the end of the run, and that all the cards dropped there. it wasnt game play. thats where the 9800pro had its dip to 7.

i could be wrong, because i only read through the article once tho.

edit: they mention that on the minimun requirement sytem page.

 

[Keysplayr]

Originally posted by: rbV5

Of course that is the O'C'd overclocked 6800 . . . not quite the "standard" and still UNavailable

350/750 probably won't be out of reach for most...although we'll have to see how they do in D3 while overclocked.

Well, the memory is probably the same that was used on a 5900XT. 2.8ns I believe. However high people were clocking the ram on their 2.8ns 5900XT's is probably what you can get from the 6800's memory. I dont know cause I did not own one. I have the 5900U.

 

[N0M4D]

damn! I know how you feel Rollo. Same thing has been happening to me since the middle of the month.(after spending over $2k for a 6.1 surround sound system and digital projector. this was way before they announced DOOM 3 going gold btw)I probably would have saved my money for a little longer and just bought a 6800 GT sooner before this whole so called shortage and price gouging going on with online retailers.

Were you looking for a GT this morning btw? outpost.com had 7 6800GT's this morning but they went super fast. I'm glad I got in on it before they went. I remember reading in one of the threads in video or hot deals(i dont remember) that outpost might have some more in a couple days plus some other online vendors are supposedly getting some tomorrow. I know newegg is getting some on august 2nd though. good luck in your search. I'll post if I find something alright? Latez

 

[Keysplayr]

Originally posted by: N0M4D
damn! I know how you feel Rollo. Same thing has been happening to me since the middle of the month.(after spending over $2k for a 6.1 surround sound system and digital projector. this was way before they announced DOOM 3 going gold btw)I probably would have saved my money for a little longer and just bought a 6800 GT sooner before this whole so called shortage and price gouging going on with online retailers.

Were you looking for a GT this morning btw? outpost.com had 7 6800GT's this morning but they went super fast. I'm glad I got in on it before they went. I remember reading in one of the threads in video or hot deals(i dont remember) that outpost might have some more in a couple days plus some other online vendors are supposedly getting some tomorrow. I know newegg is getting some on august 2nd though. good luck in your search. I'll post if I find something alright? Latez

LOL!! I'm telling you, Carmack has most of the cards in his basement at ID. They are being stuffed as we speak with copies of DoomIII and after August 3rd, we just might see a flood of 6800's hit the store shelves with that little extra sticker on them. "Bundled with Doom3". Maybe yes, maybe no.

 

[N0M4D]

That would Kick so much ASS! I still have to get one for myself since the one I bought this morning was for my friends rig I'm gonna build mid-august. I think it's a great idea, I've heard that some EB Game stores have been packing DOOM 3 with ATI cards. I think i would rather have one with a 6800nu or GT instead.

We should raid John Carmack's House. lol!

 

[nRollo]

None at eVGA, Outpost, and Monarch only had Ultras in stock for the low, low price of $625.

Buyextreme is where I supposedly have a GT coming from.

I appreciate the post though, and apologize for my snotty "I told you so", Apoppin. No matter how much you dissed the NU, it's for sure not worth losing my manners over.

The only solution can be another Jim Beam Black and coke.

 

[apoppin]

Originally posted by: Rollo
None at eVGA, Outpost, and Monarch only had Ultras in stock for the low, low price of $625.

Buyextreme is where I supposedly have a GT coming from.

I appreciate the post though, and apologize for my snotty "I told you so", Apoppin. No matter how much you dissed the NU, it's for sure not worth losing my manners over.

The only solution can be another Jim Beam Black and coke.

well, i also apologize for my overbearing and irritating manner . . . i really mean no disrespect toward you personally although i may still disagree with your conclusions . . . the 6800Standard is NOT a 'bad' card . . . i just guess i was disappointed (i am ALSO disappointed with the x800pro but . . . n/m)

since i am heading off to party, i am glad we 'settled' our dispute . . . too many of these can ruin forum harmony.

good luck finding your new card . . . i'd say just check Hot Deals continually . . . in the meantime, you WILL have a GREAT Diii experience with your son's card.

 

[blurredvision]

Originally posted by: apoppin

Originally posted by: Rollo
None at eVGA, Outpost, and Monarch only had Ultras in stock for the low, low price of $625.

Buyextreme is where I supposedly have a GT coming from.

I appreciate the post though, and apologize for my snotty "I told you so", Apoppin. No matter how much you dissed the NU, it's for sure not worth losing my manners over.

The only solution can be another Jim Beam Black and coke.

well, i also apologize for my overbearing and irritating manner . . . i really mean no disrespect toward you personally although i may still disagree with your conclusions . . . the 6800Standard is NOT a 'bad' card . . . i just guess i was disappointed (i am ALSO disappointed with the x800pro but . . . n/m)

since i am heading off to party, i am glad we 'settled' our dispute . . . too many of these can ruin forum harmony.

good luck finding your new card . . . i'd say just check Hot Deals continually . . . in the meantime, you WILL have a GREAT Diii experience with your son's card.

I'm not sure of your two's history, but I must say that I absolutely love my 6800nu. It's an awesome card for those like me who barely had the $300 to splurge on a new video card, unlike those who are rich and can buy 3 6800GT's without blinking . The 6800nu is not a bad card at all, and I balk at anyone who says otherwise.

 

[GeneralGrievous]

One problem with this. The minimum framerate of a 5900U @ 1024x768 0x AA 8x AF at "high quality" game setting was 22fps. This is not even a 5950U but a 5900U. The same settings on a 9800pro had a minimum framerate of no less than 7 fps. 22 fps is bad enough but at 7? We are talking Power Point here. Both cards had equivalent average framerates at this setting and all cards cap at 60.

That might be due to having 128 mb of ram. The 9800 XT doesn't have that issue, and I doubt it's becuase its clocked marginally higher. It did only dip to 7 fps for a single frame. Could be a glitch as well. If it's not, it's entirely possible that the 128 meg 5900s have a similar issue. Interestingly enough the 6800 nu doesn't.

 

[Marsumane]

Originally posted by: shimsham

Originally posted by: keysplayr2003

Originally posted by: SickBeast

Originally posted by: Zebo
No no rollo you missed the best to really get those pro/xtrer's goat.. the "no good" 5900 cards spank em'

No they don't; not in the HardOCP benchmarks I read anyway. The 9800XT scored around 47FPS at 1024x768 and the 5950U also scored 47FPS at the same settings. I'll go look for a link.

EDIT: Here's the link. It's actually a 5900U vs. a 9800PRO. They both score 47FPS at 1024x768 w/ 8XAF. Unless you care about 0.6FPS, they both perform the same.

One problem with this. The minimum framerate of a 5900U @ 1024x768 0x AA 8x AF at "high quality" game setting was 22fps. This is not even a 5950U but a 5900U. The same settings on a 9800pro had a minimum framerate of no less than 7 fps. 22 fps is bad enough but at 7? We are talking Power Point here. Both cards had equivalent average framerates at this setting and all cards cap at 60.

Correct me if I'm wrong here please.

Keys

i think i recall reading in the article that there was a cut scene at the end of the run, and that all the cards dropped there. it wasnt game play. thats where the 9800pro had its dip to 7.

i could be wrong, because i only read through the article once tho.

edit: they mention that on the minimun requirement sytem page.

You are correct. I read the same as you did. Also, they mention of more system ram making up for some of the drops when vram is a bottleneck of fps.

 

[stnicralisk]

Originally posted by: SickBeast

Originally posted by: Zebo
No no rollo you missed the best to really get those pro/xtrer's goat.. the "no good" 5900 cards spank em'

No they don't; not in the HardOCP benchmarks I read anyway. The 9800XT scored around 47FPS at 1024x768 and the 5950U also scored 47FPS at the same settings. I'll go look for a link.

EDIT: Here's the link. It's actually a 5900U vs. a 9800PRO. They both score 47FPS at 1024x768 w/ 8XAF. Unless you care about 0.6FPS, they both perform the same.

I care about the minimum frame rate 22 vs 7.. unless you dont carea bout 15 FPS.

;/

EDITED: Because at first after I changed 20 to 22 after double checking I still said 13 fps when in actuality linear math would disagree with that conclusion.

 

[SickBeast]

Originally posted by: stnicralisk

Originally posted by: SickBeast

Originally posted by: Zebo
No no rollo you missed the best to really get those pro/xtrer's goat.. the "no good" 5900 cards spank em'

No they don't; not in the HardOCP benchmarks I read anyway. The 9800XT scored around 47FPS at 1024x768 and the 5950U also scored 47FPS at the same settings. I'll go look for a link.

EDIT: Here's the link. It's actually a 5900U vs. a 9800PRO. They both score 47FPS at 1024x768 w/ 8XAF. Unless you care about 0.6FPS, they both perform the same.

I care about the minimum frame rate 22 vs 7.. unless you dont carea bout 15 FPS.

;/

EDITED: Because at first after I changed 20 to 22 after double checking I still said 13 fps when in actuality linear math would disagree with that conclusion.

You guys are grasping at straws. From the sounds of it, those of you that are nitpicking over this issue are nVidia fanboys. Both cards get the same average FPS, and the minimum FPS was different for a split-second and could have been a glitch for all we know. Face it, the 9800PRO and 5900U are EQUAL when it comes to Doom3 based on the benchmarks we have seen.

I find all of the 9800/5900 discussions very silly to be totally honest. The 5900's are only superior in OpenGL and are really only superior to the 9800 cards in professional GL applications. In just about every other situation the 9800 cards are noticeably faster. The fact that it can keep pace with NV3X cards in Doom3 is remarkable IMO, especially if you look at how the X800 cards compare to the 6800 cards in the same benchmarks. If the 9800PRO can keep pace with the 5900U with ATi's lousy OpenGL drivers, it shows that the 9800PRO is a superior piece of hardware IMO.