You point to very specific benchmarks (high res/high AF/high AA) to "prove" your own VERY weak argument about the 9700s "superiority.
Rollo, why do you think video card reviewers seldom/never test resolutions at 1024 x 768 and below? Because they want to test the
GPU, and thus want to use the settings that make the cards stand out from each other.
People usually buy expensive video cards so they can crank up the eye candy as that is exactly what those boards were designed to do. Liking low detail settings is fine but that suggests to me that the person's choice of video card wasn't the best as cheaper boards can often perform at similar levels when the settings are CPU limited enough.
It's nothing to do with forcing/pimping settings on anyone, it's simply a rational and logical explanation of why people buy fast video cards.
If somebody asked for a video card and they stated they would never game at higher than 1024 x 768 I'd either recommend that they stick to a mid-range card like the 9500 Pro or I'd recommend they get a high-end card like a 9700 Pro and raise their standards to go with it.
And I'm sure I'm not the only one who would do this.
You only cite AA/AF benchmarks as relevant because that supports your argument.
No, I site them because they support the argument of which video card is better. Anyone running GPU tests should be running GPU limited tests. It's simple common sense.
I'd like to hear one, judge for myself. Of course, you're overgeneralizing too- because there are 5800 Ultras that are much quieter than reference FlowFX. Not to mention that there are also people who don't think they're too noisy.
Like who? The only person I've seen also said that he was blasting MP3s over his speakers at the same time, MP3s which just happened to be louder than the card. If I play a stereo at 120 dB while a jet engine takes off over my head, that doesn't make make my stereo quiet because I can't hear it over the jet.
Gainward advertises specs for db level well below reference
Which are still far louder than anything else. We've already been over this several times across different threads, even going as far as to explain exactly what the dB measurement means.
BTW- you don't have one either, so your arguments aren't form experience either?
That's true but I'm not the one going against the trend. If 99% of users says its loud, I agree with them, but you don't then the burden of proof is on you. If you at least had the card then I could accept that in your personal opinion the card isn't loud even though I'd probably still disagree with you. However right now you don't have a leg to stand on.
This is not "shifting of the goalposts"- it's more refusal on your part to accept that what constitutes good IQ to you may not be the same for everyone else on the planet.
OK, let's get this settled right now:
What EXACT settings do you use in your games?
Once we establish this we'll move from there. Remember, this is your last chance and what you say now will stick, so you'd better get it right. I don't want to see any backpedaling later on.
Personally, I think you'd be damn hard pressed to point out the difference between your 12X10, 16X performance AF and my 11X8, 4X quality AF.
And yet quite clearly you said before in this very thread:
The 5800FX Ultra would be a better card for me now though. (I don't care about AA/AF, so the Ultra is faster)
It's this kind of inconsistency and backpedaling that allows you to continue with this fruitless debate as every time a new counter-argument is presented, you simply shift your gaolpost and start the same old debate again, using different settings from last time.
Like I said before, this is your last chance to state your actual game settings; these settings will stick so they'd better be correct.
Why would I spend $400 on one this month?
NV30 reviews have been out since January 27, 2003 and you've been able to pre-order the cards for at least the same amount of time. Obviously now it is foolish to buy anything as the NV35 is looming, but that's beside the point. According to you it's a lot superior to your current card, money isn't an issue for you, yet you still don't have one.
when that will buy me a case of my favorite beer and a good steak?
:beer:
Is that good enough?
They laid the carpet in my basement Monday, 5/5/03,
The benchmarks for the 5800 have been available since 27 January 2003. And how long have you had your 9700 Pro? Probably since September 2002 if you're like me - plenty of time to run comprehensive tests and benchmarks to establish the dynamics of the card, how it reacts in a wide range of situations, and to determine the overall sweetspot for your gaming library.
I know that's plenty of time because I did it in the first week of owning my board. I've also determined that every game I own runs at blazing speeds at 1600 x 1200 x 32 (or 1792 x 1344 for a lot of older games) with 16x performance anisotropic. UT2003 and Unreal 2 are the exceptions and I lower the resolution to 1280 x 960 to make them little zippier.
Still, at all resolutions 16x performance is basically free in terms of performance and the image quality you gain from using it is simply stunning. Anyone who knows anything remotely about the 9700 Pro's capabilities knows that it's a no brainer to simply leave that setting on all of the time.
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